Grandma 06

"Mom? Why did you hit me?" Fang Jianshe asked, covering his face with a hint of resentment. He had been minding his own business at home when the door opened, only for him to receive a slap out of nowhere. Who could he even complain to about this?

"Hit you? Do I need to spell out what your family has done? Huh?" Zhao Yumei pointed at him accusingly.

Fang Jianshe was even more confused—he hadn’t done anything wrong. He was a quiet man who rarely got involved in family matters. Even when it came to the issue of Fang Zhiyi’s custody, he had no strong opinions—not because he was particularly virtuous, but because he always deferred to his wife, rarely thinking for himself.

"What’s going on?" Third Aunt Liu Yun stepped out, her expression stiffening momentarily at the sight of Zhao Yumei before quickly regaining composure. "What are you doing? Why did you come here to hit my husband?"

She already held a grudge against Zhao Yumei, and now, with a guilty conscience, she raised her voice defensively.

Zhao Yumei scoffed. "You know exactly why!" She turned to the gathered villagers and shouted, "This shameless thief sneaked into my house while I was away and stole my son’s blood money! Tell me, folks—doesn’t she deserve a beating?"

The villagers murmured among themselves. Stealing money? They all knew about the compensation the Fang family had received, and now every eye turned to Liu Yun.

"Don’t you dare slander me!" Liu Yun protested, flustered.

"Slander? My grandson left the door unlocked, and I was at the village committee. When I got back, everything was in place except the bank card was gone! Tell me, what thief would know exactly where to find a bank card? What thief would only take that?"

Fang Zhiyi couldn’t help but admire the old woman’s reasoning. It was true—the Village Party Secretary had casually mentioned the password when handing over the card, and he had noticed the look on Third Aunt’s face. She must have overheard.

"You—you’re framing me!" Liu Yun stammered, both furious and panicked. "Ever since I married into this family, you’ve been tormenting me! Now you come to my doorstep to accuse me? Not a chance!"

"Grandson!" Zhao Yumei barked.

At first, Fang Zhiyi thought she was cursing, but then she shot him a glance, and he realized she was calling for him. He obediently stepped forward.

"Go inside and search! Check their bed, under the pillows, the jewelry box—look everywhere!"

Fang Zhiyi hadn’t expected the old woman to bring him along for this, but before he could respond—

"Try it, and I’ll—!" Liu Yun lunged forward. "You old hag, how dare you accuse me!"

But she had forgotten just who Zhao Yumei was. The woman was a force of nature when it came to brawling, and in the art of making a scene, she was practically a grandmaster.

Instead of dodging, Zhao Yumei let herself collapse to the ground, wailing and slapping her thighs. "Murder! My daughter-in-law is trying to kill her own mother-in-law! Someone judge this for me! She steals from me, then attacks me—she’s trying to drive me to my grave! I might as well dash my head against the wall and die right here!"

The villagers, standing at a distance, had only seen Liu Yun step forward aggressively. Now, with Zhao Yumei’s dramatic collapse, they rushed over while Liu Yun stood frozen, stunned by her mother-in-law’s sudden theatrics.

"What sin have I committed? My own son won’t protect me—lets his wife beat his own mother!"

Some of the older villagers couldn’t stand it. No matter how unreasonable Zhao Yumei was, Liu Yun was still her daughter-in-law. How could she raise a hand against her?

Immediately, voices rose condemning Liu Yun for disrespect, while others scolded Fang Jianshe for forgetting his filial duty after marrying.

Amid the chaos, Fang Jianshe—who had never been good at making decisions—stood paralyzed until a villager nudged him to help his mother up.

The moment he did, Zhao Yumei slapped him again. "You ungrateful little beast!"

Fang Jianshe clutched his cheek, utterly wronged.

"Grandma..." Fang Zhiyi felt completely out of his depth. The old woman’s combat skills were simply unmatched.

"Grandma nothing! Go find your father’s blood money!" Zhao Yumei hadn’t lost sight of her goal. Fang Zhiyi darted toward the house, but Liu Yun, snapping out of her daze, tried to grab him.

Then, in a flash, Zhao Yumei—still mid-wail—yanked Liu Yun’s hair and slammed her head into the doorframe. "Steal from me, will you? Threaten me? Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of my Third Son!"

Caught off guard, Liu Yun staggered, dizzy from the blows. The old fear of her mother-in-law resurfaced, and within moments, she was sobbing for mercy. The villagers exchanged uneasy glances. None wanted to cross Zhao Yumei, and technically, Liu Yun had struck first.

Fang Zhiyi didn’t need further prompting. He ducked inside while Fang Jianshe stood dumbly by, waiting for his wife’s orders like a machine on standby.

"Orphan, back to mooch off us?" His cousin stood in the yard, oblivious to the commotion outside. He had only heard crying and was about to investigate when Fang Zhiyi barged in. With his father dead and his mother long gone, the boy saw him as easy prey.

Fang Zhiyi ignored him, mimicking his grandmother’s style—he swung and landed a slap so hard the boy spun twice before stumbling. Then he stormed into Third Aunt’s house.

Truth be told, his chosen ally was formidable. Everyone assumed the bank card still held money, but only he and Zhao Yumei knew the funds had already been transferred. Today’s spectacle was meant to intimidate both his uncle’s and his third uncle’s families.

Following his grandmother’s instructions, Fang Zhiyi searched—and sure enough, beneath the jewelry box, he found the card. He snatched it up and ran back out. His cousin, still clutching his face, whimpered at the sight of him. Fang Zhiyi silenced him with another slap before rushing outside.

By then, the Village Party Secretary had arrived, looking exasperated. The Fang family had been causing one scene after another lately.

"Grandma! Found it!"

At Fang Zhiyi’s shout, Liu Yun’s face paled—though it was already a mess from the earlier beating.

All eyes locked onto the bank card in his hand.

The Village Party Secretary’s expression darkened. "Liu Yun, do you realize what you’ve done? Breaking and entering—and grand theft!"

Liu Yun stammered weakly, "I—I didn’t take it! I was just... keeping it safe for Mom..."

"Keeping it safe?" Zhao Yumei sneered. "You’re nothing but a thief! Secretary, how many years do they give for this?"

The Village Party Secretary answered gravely, "Breaking into a home to steal? That’s a long sentence."

Zhao Yumei snorted. "I always knew you were trouble, but a thief? Call the police!"

Then Liu Yun blurted, "How is it stealing? That compensation money wasn’t even yours!"

Zhao Yumei pulled out a stamped document from her sleeve. "I can’t read, but the Secretary stamped this for me. Take a look?"

The Village Party Secretary nodded. Earlier, Zhao Yumei had made a scene at the committee office until he issued this proof—confirming Fang Zhiyi’s custody under her. With it, she had every right to manage the money.