As soon as Madam Yu spoke, the members of the Tao family changed their expressions.
"You old hag, how dare you threaten me like this?"
Tao Dagou abruptly kicked Madam Yu over, staring at her fiercely. "You rely on me. If you dare not listen to me, do you believe I'll kill you?"
The other members of the Tao family began to accuse Madam Yu, not feeling that Tao Dagou had done anything wrong.
"Mother, how could you do this? What you're doing is wrong and will harm our entire family."
"Old woman, you made a mistake yourself, and now you want to implicate the whole family. You're truly detestable."
"Grandma, our family's life has finally gotten better, and you want to ruin it. I think Grandpa should divorce you."
Madam Yu, being selfish, was so angry that her chest heaved violently. She pointed at them and said, "Fine, fine!"
"If you dare treat me like this today, I'll tell everyone about what you've done and drag you down with me."
"Mother!" Tao Fangfang rushed over, covering Madam Yu's mouth, and threatened with a furious expression, "Mother, if you say one more thing you shouldn't, don't blame your daughter for being unfilial."
She had finally managed to live a comfortable life and absolutely could not have it ruined by others.
Madam Yu struggled with muffled cries, but the other members of the Tao family held her down, not giving her any chance to break free.
Seeing this scene, Tao Lengshuang felt a deep sense of irony. The Tao family was exactly this kind of family; they would commit murder and arson for their own benefit, and they would also maintain temporary peace for their own benefit.
"If you've had your fill of making a scene, please get lost. Don't block our family's way."
"Lengshuang, how can you speak like that?" Old Master Tao reprimanded with a stern face. "Everything we parents do is for your own good."
"Just like marrying you off to Mo Lingxi. Look, if we hadn't chosen a good husband for you, could you be living such a good life now?"
Tao Lengshuang chuckled twice, looking at him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Your entire family truly refreshes my understanding of the world again and again."
"I want you to get lost immediately, or I'll make you suffer excruciating pain for a month."
She swiftly produced several packets of powder, and the Tao family, looking terrified, all retreated.
"Lengshuang, just listen to your parents."
Tao Laoda rubbed his hands lewdly, his eyes filled with sinister calculations. "Now that your parents have found you a better family, you'll have endless good days if you go there. Why bother staying with Mo Lingxi?"
Tao Lengshuang knew without thinking that the "better family" the Tao family spoke of was no good place. "I just said, let the daughters of the Tao family go to such a good place."
"I think my Mo Lingxi is quite good, and I have no intention of divorcing him. You don't need to have any ideas about me."
Tao Laoda was about to say more, but a single glance from Mo Lingxi's murderous eyes rendered him speechless.
Mo Lingxi snatched the powder, flung it towards the Tao family, and said to Tao Lengshuang, "No need to be polite. From now on, deal with them every time they come."
Tao Lengshuang watched the Tao family dodge and said mockingly, "Dodging this powder is useless."
"I'll count to three, and you'll feel the pain of your muscles and skin being torn apart."
She held up a finger: "One, two, three!"
Before she finished speaking, she saw the Tao family wailing in pain, some of them rolling on the ground in agony. She snorted coldly.
The Tao family, in their pain, begged for mercy.
"Lengshuang, please give me the antidote... It hurts so much, it really hurts. Please give me the antidote, I don't want to die in pain."
"Little sister, little sister, it's not my fault. It's all Mom and Dad's idea. They wanted to sell you to an old man on his deathbed for money. Please give me the antidote, it's really not my fault."
"Aunt, it was Grandpa and Grandma who wanted to do this. I advised them, please give me the antidote, Aunt."
Tao Lengshuang watched with cold eyes, showing no intention of giving them the antidote. "Who told you to sow discord between me and Mo Lingxi and give me to an old man?"
The pain of their muscles and skin being torn apart made the Tao family dare not hide anything.
"It was a beautiful-looking, well-dressed maid who told us to do this. She also said that you had offended her mistress."
"Yes, yes, the other party also gave us some money and told us to oppose you everywhere, saying that if you didn't live well, her mistress would be happy."
Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi suspected that the mistress was Sheng Li, but they didn't think Sheng Li was behind it; it seemed more like the work of a hidden hand.
"Did the other party say anything else? Confess honestly," Tao Lengshuang commanded.
The Tao family confessed everything honestly.
It was that maid who bought them and told them to return to the village with only one purpose: to constantly cause trouble for Tao Lengshuang and make her life miserable.
The maid had given them money and arranged for some helpers.
Their coming to find Tao Lengshuang this time was the maid's idea, and she also said that she would arrange a woman for Mo Lingxi afterward.
They dared not ask for more.
"Lengshuang, please give us the antidote, please."
Tao Lengshuang had no intention of giving them the antidote. She left them with the words that the pain would subside in half a month and walked back with Mo Lingxi and his son.
"I think this matter is mostly done by the hidden hand using Sheng Li's name," she whispered.
Mo Lingxi nodded, his eyes tinged with a murderous aura. "The other party's goal is to use Sheng Li to scheme against you, so that no one can trace it back to him."
"I still suspect you have some connection with the Sheng family, otherwise, the whole matter doesn't make sense."
Tao Lengshuang was startled, finding it somewhat fantastical. "That's impossible, right?"
"The Sheng family is the Grand General of Suiyuan in the imperial court. What connection could I, a village girl with nothing, have with the Sheng family?"
For the time being, Mo Lingxi couldn't say for sure, and his brow furrowed slightly. "But judging by the actions of the hidden hand, you do have a connection with the Sheng family."
Tao Lengshuang thought it over and over, but the more she thought about it, the more something felt wrong. "What you said makes sense."
"But the problem is, what kind of connection could I, a village girl, have with the Tao family that would cause the mastermind behind the scenes to repeatedly scheme against me because of the Sheng family, and even try to kill me?"
She had already searched through the original host's memories, but she hadn't found anything unusual or problematic.
Mo Lingxi said helplessly, "Didn't I just say that I haven't figured it out yet? I'll tell you when I do."
Tao Lengshuang waved her hand, indicating that wasn't what she meant. "I'm wondering, I'm not asking you."
"Do you think Sheng Li might know something?"
Mo Lingxi suspected that Sheng Li probably knew nothing. Someone who knew nothing was the easiest to exploit.
Tao Lengshuang, however, had an idea. She leaned close to his ear and said something. "Let's reveal a little to Sheng Li appropriately."
The warm breath sprayed on his ear caused Mo Lingxi's eyes to darken, and his ears gradually turned crimson.
"Why are your ears red?" Tao Lengshuang asked, noticing it.