Despair Like a Dead Fish

"Ah, you old immortal, what are you doing!" Zhao Shi was so angry that she slapped Old Lady Su right across the face.

Old Lady Su's face twisted, thinking to herself, "This damn daughter-in-law actually dared to hit her mother-in-law!"

If it were when she was healthy before, Old Lady Su could have torn Zhao Shi apart with her bare hands! But alas, she was paralyzed!

Old Lady Su, furious, waved her cane wildly, trying hard to hook Zhao Shi, but she had no strength and poor aim. After a few swings in the air, she could no longer hold on and drooped sadly by the bedside.

Old Lady Su looked at her son Su Daqi and babbled, "Eldest, she, she hit me..."

Su Daqi put on his vest, frowned when he saw his wife hitting his mother, but only said, "Zhao Shi, why are you hitting mother? She's an elder, you can't hit her."

Zhao Shi snorted a few times, grabbed Old Lady Su's hair, and slapped her hard again, fiercely saying, "This old immortal knocked over the chamber pot. If I don't hit her, then who do I hit! She's paralyzed, and I have to serve her every day for her bathroom needs, and she still causes trouble for me!"

Still angry and unsatisfied, Zhao Shi yanked Old Lady Su's hair hard a few more times and shoved her towards the wall.

With a thud, Old Lady Su hit the wall, her eyes wide as she babbled in pain.

At the door, Old Man Su stood with his hands behind his back, scowling as he watched his daughter-in-law slam his wife against the wall.

Old Lady Su looked at Old Man Su with pleading eyes, her lips moving as if saying: "Old man, my daughter-in-law hit me, you have to stand up for me!"

Zhao Shi saw Old Lady Su's expression, spat, and turned to say, "Dad, look what mother has done to the house. Can this filthy place still be called a home?"

Old Man Su looked at the mess on the floor, then at his wife and daughter-in-law inside the house, sighed, and said, "Old thing, stop fussing around. Just lie down properly and be done with it."

After saying that, he turned his back and walked away.

Old Lady Su widened her eyes in disbelief. She had spent her whole life with this husband, bore him several children, cared for him all her life, and now he was abandoning her!

At the door, Su Meixiang had arrived at some point, her half face darkly watching Old Lady Su, a smug look in her one eye: "Oh, grandma, what's wrong? Tsk, grandma, weren't you going to sell me off? Well then, go ahead and sell me!"

Old Lady Su gritted her teeth looking at Su Meixiang. Although she loved Su Shimao the most, she was still kind to Su Meixiang. The thought of selling Su Meixiang came only because of her terrible reputation, fearing it would ruin her grandson's imperial exams.

But when she was young, she really cared for Su Meixiang!

Su Meixiang came to watch the spectacle, gloating as she left. Meanwhile, Liu Ru and Tofu Beauty had also heard the commotion and came over to take a look.

"The matters between mother and grandmother are for the elders to handle. We juniors shouldn't interfere," Liu Ru said nicely, patting her belly and walking away, followed by Tofu Beauty.

Old Lady Su's heart sank even further. She babbled, looking outside, calling her most beloved eldest grandson: "Shi, Shimao..."

"Shi, Shimao, please save, grandma..."

Old Lady Su called out, and finally outside Su Shimao appeared, peeking into the room but immediately wrinkling his nose at the pungent stench.

Su Shimao frowned, held his nose, and without even looking at Old Lady Su, said to Zhao Shi, "Mother, this room smells so bad, it's unbearable. Put the charcoal brazier in my room."

Zhao Shi sighed, hurriedly told Su Daqi to move the charcoal brazier and the stuff they had scraped from Su Sanyun's house away. The few of them chatted and laughed as they left, even forgetting to close the door behind them.

Outside, the north wind howled, blowing snowflakes in through the open door. Old Lady Su stared with lifeless eyes at the open door, utterly hopeless like a dead fish.