Zhang's mother cried with genuine emotion, "In-laws, please accept my condolences."
Chen Yuezhi trembled with rage, her chest heaving violently. "Jiang Xiao is gone, what about Xiao Bao? Where is Xiao Bao?"
Zhang's mother cried even more "heartbrokenly."
"Not long after Jiang Xiao left, Xiao Bao followed. You know, he was already born with a weak constitution..."
Chen Yuezhi couldn't listen any longer. She waved her hand and slapped Zhang's mother hard. "I'll ask you one more time, where are my daughter and grandson!"
Zhang's mother, not expecting her to suddenly strike, saw stars.
Zhang Shu, seeing his mother being hit, finally stepped forward. "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, what are you doing! My mother has already said that Jiang Xiao and Xiao Bao died of illness on the way. Our Zhang family did our best to save them, mother and son."
He wouldn't have spoken if he hadn't. As soon as he spoke, Jiang Pan immediately fixed his gaze on him. "Is that so? Then tell me, where did Jiang Xiao die? On what day did she die, and where is she buried?"
Zhang Shu became flustered. "She died in... died in..."
Jiang Pan strode forward and grabbed the large red flower tied to Zhang Shu's chest. "Where did she die! Speak!"
After fleeing famine and serving in the yamen for a period, Jiang Pan's demeanor was no longer as simple as when he was in the small mountain village; he had a hint of authority.
Zhang Shu, with a guilty conscience, was so scared his legs went weak. "She died at the border between Tongzhou Prefecture and Huainan Prefecture. There was a town there, and our family stayed there for a long time to treat her."
Jiang Pan sneered. "Is that so?"
Zhang Shu nodded vigorously.
"Then do you know that our family also passed through there a few days after you left, and we met your neighbor there. He told me that your mother was seriously ill and had been treated in that town for many days. We even found the doctor's clinic where you treated your mother, and the physician personally confirmed your neighbor's words."
"And now you tell me my Jiang Xiao died there?"
Jiang Pan's large hand gripped Zhang Shu's neck. "I'll ask you one more time, where are Jiang Xiao and Xiao Bao!"
Zhang Shu was terrified.
How could he have imagined that the Jiang family would follow the same route and even meet his neighbor?
He quickly changed his tune. "I misremembered. It wasn't there, not there. It was within Huainan Prefecture, yes, within Huainan Prefecture!"
Jiang Pan had lost patience with arguing. He slapped Zhang Shu hard. "Guess why my family found your Zhang family at this time?"
"You ungrateful wretch! Jiang Xiao married into your family, was filial to your parents, gave birth to your children, and suffered so much hardship from Jianzhou to Jiangnan. You actually sold her to someone else for your own advancement, disregarding her pregnancy! You beast!"
Jiang Pan tightened his grip, and Zhang Shu felt like his neck was about to break. He desperately tried to pry Jiang Pan's hands off, but his strength was no match for Jiang Pan's.
Suddenly, Zhang Shu's father rushed out, holding a large saber. "Jiang, let go of my son, or I'll chop you to death!"
Seeing this, Jiang Wan, taking advantage of the confusion, rushed out and kicked Zhang Shu's father to the ground before delivering a heavy kick to his groin.
"Chop my father? This grandmother will beat you to death!"
Zhang Shu's father writhed on the ground in pain.
The guests who came to the wedding were stunned. These Jiang family members were truly fierce. Such a young girl could fight with such viciousness.
Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi had lost all reason. Chen Yuezhi grabbed Zhang's mother's head and slammed it against the wall.
"You old hag, Xiao Bao is your own grandson, how could you be so cruel!"
"What did my Jiang Xiao do to wrong you that you treated her like this!"
"Today, I will seek justice for my daughter. We will return what you did to her!"
Zhang's mother tried to resist, but she was short and weaker than Chen Yuezhi. Chen Yuezhi, in her fury, beat Zhang's mother until her face was covered in blood.
Zhang Shu's situation was even worse. As Jiang Pan choked him, the eldest brother and his other brothers also rushed forward.
The three brothers said to Jiang Pan, "Father, don't let him die so easily! Let him suffer all the injuries that Big Sister endured first!"
Jiang Pan immediately released his grip and threw Zhang Shu to the ground. The father and his three sons began to beat Zhang Shu.
As for Zhang father, Jiang Wan also showed no mercy.
She was strong, and with every punch she landed, she broke one of Zhang father's bones. In a short while, Zhang father was beaten until he vomited blood.
The guests at the wedding, seeing that it looked like someone might die, were scared and fled.
In a short while, only the Jiang and Zhang families remained in the Zhang family courtyard.
The three members of the Zhang family were beaten beyond recognition. Jiang Pan did not intend to let them die so easily, so he pinned them to the ground and made them kneel in a row.
The concubine who had just married Zhang Shu was also dragged out by Chen Yuezhi.
Jiang Wan had already inquired. This concubine was a relative of the "noble person" Zhang Shu had taken up with. Zhang Shu married her to build a good relationship with that person.
The Zhang family knelt on the ground, looking at the Jiang family gathered around them, and begged for mercy.
"In-laws, spare us! We were wrong, we were truly wrong! Please be merciful and spare us this time. We will find Jiang Xiao and let her live well with Zhang Shu."
Chen Yuezhi reached out and slapped the Zhang father, who had spoken.
"You old beast, how dare you mention my daughter again!"
This slap knocked out two of Zhang father's teeth.
Jiang Pan, grabbing the bruised and swollen Zhang Shu, asked, "Are you willing to tell the truth now? Where is Jiang Xiao, where is Xiao Bao!"
Zhang Shu was truly beaten into submission. The Jiang family was too ruthless. He felt that if he was beaten any longer, he would die.
So he stammered, "I told you, you can't hit me."
Jiang Pan slapped him directly. "Speak or not!"
Zhang Shu, beaten, cried, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you. Jiang Wan was sold by my mother. I don't know where she sold her. Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao was pushed by my mother and fell to his death. My father buried him. I don't know where he buried Xiao Bao."
Zhang father and Zhang mother were shocked that he would so cleanly shift the blame, but they gritted their teeth and admitted it.
"In-laws, it was all us. Don't hit Zhang Shu anymore. If you let us go, we'll tell you everything you want to know."
Jiang Pan looked at them with a cold sneer. "Do you still have the right to negotiate with us?"
"It doesn't matter if you speak or not. If you don't speak, we'll torture you slowly, just like you tortured our Jiang Xiao."
Hearing this, Zhang Shu finally understood and shouted, "Jiang Xiao, you found Jiang Xiao, didn't you!"
This explained why the Jiang family had suddenly come to their door!
Zhang Shu was startled but quickly calmed down. Jiang Xiao's tongue had been cut out, so she couldn't speak. She was also illiterate and couldn't write, so she had no way to tell the Jiang family what she had experienced!
Thus, Zhang Shu quickly came up with an idea. "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, at this point, I won't hide anything from you. Jiang Xiao deserved what she got!"