The Female Cannon Fodder With Boundless Merits
Chapter 327 - 331: Life Tampered with (13)

Chapter 327: Chapter 331: Life Tampered with (13)

As Su Mo took a strong stance, Qiao Xiaohong became weaker.

She was suppressed and no longer dared to cause trouble.

For a time, peace and harmony reigned within the Su Family.

However, trouble was brewing within the Qiao Family...

As soon as Granny Su left, Mr. Qiao’s face darkened. He was already feeling squeezed and belittled by Granny Su, which put him in a bad mood.

Now, without looking, he grabbed whatever was at hand and threw it at Qiao Xiaoxiao.

"Is what that old lady from the Su Family said true? Did you really go behind our backs to study and take exams?"

Mr. Qiao felt his authority as the head of the family was being challenged.

In his heart, girls were of no use except to help out at home when their brothers were young, doing extra work, supporting their brothers until they could stand on their own. Beyond that, they were just another mouth to feed.

He had always opposed Qiao Xiaoxiao studying too much. Reading too many books filled one’s head with ideas and led to not listening to one’s parents.

Now, he realized his concerns had come to pass: she had dared to learn to read and write in secret, even taking exams...

Next time, who knew what she would do behind their backs.

The blow Mr. Qiao delivered was fueled by his full fury.

The hoe followed the course of his hand, striking Qiao Xiaoxiao on her shins.

By a cruel twist of fate, the sharpened edge made contact with Qiao Xiaoxiao’s skin, and with a piercing scream, blood flowed freely from her leg.

The clothes they wore in summer were thin, to begin with.

Qiao Xiaoxiao had tightly wrapped her leg to fool her parents into thinking she was injured, but it didn’t withstand the blow from her irate father.

Now, the pretense had become a reality; her leg was indeed injured.

She felt a pain that penetrated to the marrow of her bones, causing her to howl in anguish.

Cold sweat streamed down her forehead, her face turned ashen, and her appearance was particularly frightening.

The youngest kids, who had been running around, were now scared stiff, especially the youngest, Xiao Wu, who stood frozen like an imbecile, his eyes vacant and devoid of spirit, as if his soul had been frightened away.

"Xiaoxiao..." Mrs. Qiao was also shocked by the sudden turn of events, "Mommy will take you to the clinic..."

Mrs. Qiao panicked and wanted to rush back to the room to find money, but Mr. Qiao stopped her, "First, go check on Xiao Wu; something seems off with him."

Upon closer inspection, the situation was dire. They could no longer care for anything else and rushed out with Xiao Wu in their arms.

They needed to seek out the witch doctor in the neighboring village.

Fortunately, it was nighttime, and they sneaked out discreetly, too afraid to attract attention.

The current climate was one of a crusade against feudal superstitions, and they dared not openly defy this.

They could only do it in secret...

Now, no matter how piteously Qiao Xiaoxiao cried out, no one paid her any heed.

Only her two similarly frightened little sisters stood by, helpless, shedding tears nonstop.

"Go, go find your eldest sister..." Qiao Xiaoxiao’s lips were bitten bloody, and only with great effort did she manage to convey this urgent message through her intermittent pain.

Over at the Su Family, everyone had bathed and was ready for bed.

But suddenly, the outer wooden gate was slammed with a thunderous noise.

When the door opened, Qiao Xiaosan stumbled in, making a beeline for Qiao Xiaohong and grasping her hand to pull her outside.

"Elder sister, hurry, second sister is dying... Dad’s going to beat her to death..."

Qiao Xiaosan spoke disjointedly, her face smudged with tears and snot.

At that moment, Su Li noticed her sister-in-law had been made uncomfortable by Qiao Xiaosan’s collision.

She immediately stepped forward, pulling Qiao Xiaosan aside slightly, "Slow down, what happened?"

Su Li’s intervention instantly upset Qiao Xiaohong, who yelled at her, "Little sister, do you enjoy seeing trouble in our household?"

"In such a crisis, you still tell Qiao Xiaosan to slow down... What are you thinking?"

Su Li: "...."

Why can’t she understand her sister-in-law’s line of thinking?

How else should one speak if not slowly?

Good intentions taken for granted.

The rest of the Su Family had been anxious too, but now they weren’t in such a hurry.

"Daddy, Granny, Mom and Dad, you all go to sleep first, Xiao San and I will take a trip to the Qiao Family."

Su Mo finally spoke up and then forcefully pushed Qiao Xiaohong back, "You stay at home, and I’ll go have a look."

Qiao Xiaohong, dissatisfied with the Su Family’s attitude and worried about her own family, started to make a scene and wanted to go along.

Su Li was very clear, if they let Qiao Xiaohong continue like this, it wasn’t likely that she would be able to keep the baby.

After all, it was her older brother’s child....

She still tugged on Su Mo’s sleeve and hinted, "The baby in the belly...."

Su Li hadn’t even finished speaking when Qiao Xiaohong, clutching Xiao San’s hand, dashed out chaotically.

"Older brother, you better catch up...."

Because of this scene, the Su Family didn’t get a good night’s sleep all night.

The Su Family got up early in the morning, and Su Mo and Qiao Xiaohong hadn’t returned all night.

Granny Su was just about to have Su Jun, the eldest son, go out and inquire.

But someone from the village beaten her to it, coming to deliver a message from Su Mo.

"Auntie, your grandson sent me to tell you all that he most likely won’t be able to return today..."

"He’s at the health clinic, it seems like your grandson’s wife isn’t doing so well, and the Qiao Family’s second daughter has also been brought over."

Aunt Su was the most anxious and quickly followed up with questions, "What happened to my daughter-in-law?"

The messenger couldn’t explain clearly either.

At the health clinic, Qiao Xiaohong lay on a single bed, her face sallow, holding her belly with a vacant look.

Su Mo walked into the ward from outside, his hands carrying several boxes of medicine prescribed by the doctor.

Overnight, he seemed to have aged several years.

Seeing Su Mo appear, Qiao Xiaohong’s reddened eyes burst with hope, "Husband, the baby, it’s still there, right...."

Su Mo’s face was cold, "With so much blood lost, do you think it could survive?"

"It’s gone, it’s already gone."

The loss of the child in her belly had taken away the last bit of tolerance and affection he had for Qiao Xiaohong.

Qiao Xiaohong, heartbroken, sought to get support from her husband, but Su Mo just placed the medicine down and sat with his back to Qiao Xiaohong.

After a while of silence, Qiao Xiaohong still asked, "...Xiaoxiao, how is she..."

Su Mo was thoroughly annoyed by the messy affairs of the Qiao Family, but nonetheless responded, "Your younger sister is in the room next door. Her foot is quite injured, and the doctor said that even after recovery, there could be slight inconvenience."

As soon as Qiao Xiaohong heard this, concern made her sit up abruptly, "What kind of inconvenience?"

The movement was too sudden, and Qiao Xiaohong felt a tearing pain in her lower body, with a warm flow gushing out.

Soon the bedsheet beneath her was soaked with a large patch of blood.

"Su Mo, Su Mo....I...I’m bleeding...." Qiao Xiaohong was terrified, her voice trembling with fear.

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When Su Li arrived with the Su Family, Su Mo was squatting outside the operating room, his head buried between his knees.

Su Li called out softly, "Older brother..."

Upon seeing his nearest and dearest family member, the emotions he had been holding back, unable to vent, collapsed completely.

"Granny, Mom...."

A grown man, his tears falling unstoppable.