Nian Jiaojiao asked calmly, "Mother, how do you want me to take revenge?"
Mother Nian gritted her teeth, "Naturally, by digging out the eyes of those two villains!"
Nian Jiaojiao: "Two?"
Mother Nian nodded, "A man and a woman. I want them to taste the pain Zhenzhen suffered!"
*Clang—*
The sound of a knocked-over cup made both Mother Nian and Nian Jiaojiao look over.
They saw Tong Ziyao slowly picking up the fallen cups from the table and calmly said, "Sorry, I wasn't steady."
Seeing it was the young Master Tong whom she favored, Mother Nian said kindly, "It's alright. It's normal for Ziyao to be unaccustomed without servants attending to him."
Nian Jiaojiao glanced at Tong Ziyao and said to Mother Nian, "Why would Mother want me to carry out this private punishment? Why not report it to the officials?"
Upon hearing about reporting to the officials, Mother Nian repeatedly shook her head, "No, no, we can't report it!"
Nian Jiaojiao understood. Clearly, Mother Nian knew the cause and effect. She deliberately said, "I suppose Mother doesn't want to deal with officials. That's fine. Tomorrow morning, I won't go to the academy either. I'll personally take you to report it."
How could Mother Nian agree? "No, no, Jiaojiao, you absolutely cannot report it."
Nian Jiaojiao looked puzzled, "Why is that? Is there some hidden reason? Mother, you asked for help without explaining the situation fully. How can I help you?"
After Nian Jiaojiao's words, Mother Nian hesitated, then finally gritted her teeth and revealed everything.
Nian Jiaojiao asked, confused, "According to Mother, Nian Zhenzhen molested a man, and it was a passing female warrior who gouged out Nian Zhenzhen's eyes. Isn't that what she deserved?"
Mother Nian looked at Nian Jiaojiao in disbelief, "Jiaojiao, how can you say that? That's your sister! Besides, wasn't that man saved? Why should they harm my daughter!"
Mother Nian spoke with righteous indignation.
The five men listened with varied expressions.
After a moment of silence, Nian Jiaojiao asked again, "Since it was that woman who gouged out eyes, and the man was merely a victim, why does Mother want to gouge out that man's eyes too?"
Mother Nian said matter-of-factly, "That man is shameless. If he hadn't seduced the woman, why would Zhenzhen have kidnapped him? If Zhenzhen hadn't kidnapped him, how would her eyes have been gouged out? Therefore, this man is the mastermind!"
Nian Jiaojiao was speechless at this "robber's logic."
She looked at her five husbands, their expressions were all quite grim.
This was how the world treated them, men.
Regardless of right or wrong, men were inherently guilty!
Nian Jiaojiao had no intention of arguing with Mother Nian any further. She said coldly, "Mother, I'm afraid I can't help you with this."
Mother Nian was stunned, clearly not expecting such a straightforward refusal. She pressed, "Why?"
Nian Jiaojiao said, "Mother, let me ask you, if Nian Zhenzhen had molested my husband, what should I do?"
Mother Nian looked confused.
How did this even come up?
But seeing Nian Jiaojiao's serious expression, she knew this question was very important. She thought for a moment and said in front of her five husbands, "I'll have Zhenzhen apologize to you."
Mother Nian's inner thoughts were:
It's just men, isn't it?
And besides Master Tong, the others are all rather unappealing. If their purity and reputation are lost, they can just be divorced.
Between sisters, how can feelings be hurt over a man?
Mother Nian's words made Nian Jiaojiao understand her attitude.
She looked at Mother Nian and suddenly said, "I gave Nian Zhenzhen silver. Do you know why?"
Mother Nian shook her head.
Nian Jiaojiao continued, "I was kicked out of the house at the age of eight. Wasn't the first time we met at Moyan Xuan in Shanshui Town?"
Hearing Nian Jiaojiao mention this, Mother Nian's expression became somewhat awkward.
However, Nian Jiaojiao then said, "Mother, I'm not bringing this up to blame you, because at that time, Nian Dabao truly brought it upon himself."
At this point, Nian Jiaojiao sighed and said, "But seeing your words today, I suddenly understand why the former Nian Dabao behaved that way? Mother, your children are indeed precious, but you cannot justify harming others so casually."
"Dabao, oh no, Jiaojiao, what are you talking about? What previous Dabao? Aren't you Dabao?"
Mother Nian looked bewildered.
"Well... you can think of the current Dabao as a reformed Dabao, because the previous Dabao did wrong."
Nian Jiaojiao glanced at Mother Nian and continued, "You gave me about ten taels of silver at the restaurant. This time, I gave Nian Zhenzhen three times that amount."
Nian Jiaojiao's words made Mother Nian even more uneasy.
"Jiaojiao, you, what exactly are you saying? As your mother, I am uneducated and don't understand..."
Nian Jiaojiao's fingers twitched.
She had considered this situation when she had previously gouged out Nian Zhenzhen's eyes.
And when she accepted the silver at the restaurant, it was more to express her willingness to accept this karma.
After all, Mother Nian had not done anything wrong in expelling the original owner from the house, and she did have maternal affection.
However, this "affection" seemed excessive today, to the point where it disregarded right and wrong.
The original owner had long been kicked out of the house, and her household registration had been moved out.
Now, it seemed fortunate that she could not stay in the same household as the female lead.
As long as this karma was cleared, she would have a clear conscience.
Therefore, disregarding Mother Nian's confusion, Nian Jiaojiao added, "I injured my fifth sister, Nian Xiaomei, previously. I will find a way to heal her later. And Father, he is Mother's husband. Please take good care of him."
At this moment, Mother Nian could no longer hold back.
She suddenly stood up and pointed at her daughter, who looked reborn and somewhat unfamiliar, shouting loudly, "Nian Jiaojiao, what do you mean? You've topped the provincial exams, and now you don't even recognize your mother? Are you trying to sever ties with me!?"
Unexpectedly, Nian Jiaojiao stood up and firmly gave a positive answer: "Yes!"
"Nian Jiaojiao, you!"
"Mother!"
Nian Jiaojiao interrupted her, saying, "Are you forgetting that you already kicked me out of the house? My household registration isn't even with the Nian family anymore, so what ties are there?"
Mother Nian was instantly speechless.
After a period of silence, her tone softened, "Is it because I asked you to help Zhenzhen that you're acting like this?"
Nian Jiaojiao couldn't reveal the truth.
She couldn't possibly say that she was the one who gouged out eyes.
So, she could only say, "Yes, that household either has her or me. You choose one."
Mother Nian looked at her with disappointment, "You, you've disappointed me so much. Fine, I'll leave!"
Saying this, she left without looking back.
After she had been gone for a while, Yu Chuan hesitantly asked, "Wife, is this okay?"
Nan Qing sneered, "What's not okay? Didn't you hear? She wants to dig out your eyes and Little Five's eyes to avenge that woman Nian Zhenzhen."
Tong Ziyao: ......
Little Five?