The moment Wang Cuifen spoke, the dinner table fell silent for two seconds.
Last night, Xie Jianzhong had thrown a tantrum, claiming he had no appetite, and skipped both dinner and this morning’s breakfast. It was a small relief that he hadn’t brought it up at lunch and had quietly sat down to eat—offering a way to move past it.
To Cripple Xie and the others, there were no lasting grudges between a mother and her son. Though Xie Jianzhong had been the one to act out, as long as he backed down first, Wang Cuifen wouldn’t hold it against him.
This was how their family had always muddled through over the years.
But Wang Cuifen had only recently been reborn, and the resentment in her heart was still fresh, her words sharp as knives.
If she had been harsh toward Xie Jianhua—an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire—then she had even less patience for her eldest son, one of the ungrateful wolves she now despised.
"Day after day, ‘I have no appetite,’" Wang Cuifen mimicked Xie Jianzhong in a mocking tone before her expression turned icy. "Then starve. If you die of hunger, I’ll bury you. A thankless wretch like you—I never should’ve raised you this big."
Her words were laced with venom.
Xie Jianzhong looked like he’d been poisoned, his face turning ashen, his chopstick-holding hand trembling with anger.
"Mom, you really do look down on me! If you knew it’d come to this, you shouldn’t have given birth to me in the first place! You’ve got Jianhua, Jiankang, and the others—I’m just the extra one in this family."
Already deeply insecure, Xie Jianzhong crumbled under his mother’s disdain.
In the past, Wang Cuifen couldn’t bear to see him upset and would immediately soothe him. But now, she slammed her hand on the table.
"Is that any way to speak to your elders? Throwing chopsticks in front of me! You are extra—no, scratch that, all you kids are extra!"
Wang Cuifen thought to herself: No wonder they’re useless in old age. If this is how they treat me now, how could they ever be filial later?
When the argument first erupted, Cripple Xie had been slow to react. But once he snapped out of it, he quickly tried to mediate.
"Jianzhong, watch your tone with your mother! Cuifen, ease up a little. The kids are grown now—you’ve got to save some face for them…"
Before he could finish, Wang Cuifen shot him a glare. "You old fool are extra too!"
"I—" Cripple Xie’s mouth opened wide, then snapped shut.
Though being scolded in front of the kids bruised his pride, he was used to Wang Cuifen’s temper. When she got like this, it was best to endure it quietly.
Su Qing, sensing the danger, didn’t dare fan the flames. Worried Wang Cuifen might work herself into a rage, she tried to defuse the situation.
"Mom~ You’re the one I hold dearest in my heart. You wouldn’t say I’m extra too, right~?"
Wang Cuifen instantly cooled down. "Of course not! You and I are on the same side."
Remembering she wasn’t alone in this fight, Wang Cuifen let Xie Jianzhong off the hook. Calmly picking up her bowl, she resumed eating.
After a lifetime of frugality, she had no habit of wasting food. Even in a foul mood, she intended to finish the half-bowl of rice left in front of her.
Having vented her anger, she went back to her meal. Xie Jianzhong, however, had truly lost his appetite—out of sheer fury.
"I’m done. You all eat." He stood up to leave.
Wang Cuifen gave him a sidelong glance and sneered. "What’s the point of this act? Whether you eat or not, who cares besides the people who love you? Look at yourself—is this how an eldest brother should behave? Always stirring up petty, shameful drama. Sure, you’re frail, weaker and shorter than others, but that’s no excuse for being selfish and heartless."
After Cripple Xie’s failed attempt at peacemaking, Xie Jianhua and the other siblings kept their mouths shut, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.
Especially now, with Wang Cuifen’s verbal onslaught reaching terrifying levels.
Xie Jianhua, at least, kept eating quietly, though he didn’t dare reach for any dishes.
Xie Jiankang and Xie Guiying, who had just returned from playing outside, didn’t even dare touch their food. Their heads hung so low they nearly touched the table, their backsides barely perched on the edge of their seats, frozen in exaggerated obedience.
Su Qing held onto Wang Cuifen’s arm, keeping her somewhat composed. But that didn’t stop Wang Cuifen from airing Xie Jianzhong’s past misdeeds in front of everyone.
"You’re giving me attitude? Tell me, was I wrong? When you were little, Cripple Xie gave you a few candies to share with your siblings, and you ate every last one yourself. Not a single piece for them. Then when your dad gave them two extra candies to make up for it, you cried so hard you couldn’t breathe… When some brat called you ‘TB ghost,’ your brother fought them for you, and what did you do? Not only did you not thank him, but the next time they fought, you sided with the outsiders against your own family!"
These were not stories that should’ve been told aloud.
Though Xie Jianzhong had done these things himself, having his pettiness laid bare filled him with overwhelming shame. His face burned as if slapped.
How was he supposed to face his family after this?
Wang Cuifen wasn’t just stating facts—she was twisting the knife where it hurt most.
"You’re just rotten inside, eaten up by jealousy! But whose fault is that? Yours! You were the one who didn’t listen as a child, who insisted on swimming in the river and nearly drowned. That’s why your lungs are weak. And yet, who do you blame? Everyone but yourself—your parents, your siblings. Why don’t you take a good, hard look in the mirror?"
As Wang Cuifen’s brutal interrogation continued, Cripple Xie broke out in a cold sweat despite the winter chill. He frantically signaled Xie Jianhua with his eyes, silently demanding an explanation.
Wang Cuifen had always scolded the kids, but her usual tirades were harmless—things like, "Why don’t you just die out there? Can’t even come home for meals on time!"—words that went in one ear and out the other.
But this? This was stabbing Xie Jianzhong straight in the heart. He’d remember these words for the rest of his life.
Cripple Xie was convinced something had set Wang Cuifen off—something big.
He hadn’t been home all morning, so he could only hope Xie Jianhua had some clue.
But Xie Jianhua shook his head slightly, just as baffled.
The morning had been perfectly calm. In fact, when Wang Cuifen sneaked food in the kitchen with Su Qing, she’d even been in good spirits. Who could’ve predicted this outburst at lunch?
Not that Xie Jianhua minded hearing his older brother taken down a peg. But this wasn’t good for family harmony.
If Wang Cuifen went too far—if she actually made Xie Jianzhong collapse from anger—she’d only regret it later.
Steeling himself, Xie Jianhua prepared to step in as the sacrificial peacemaker.
But before he could act—thud!—Xie Jianzhong reacted faster, fainting dead away.
"He… he passed out from anger?" Su Qing’s eyes widened in disbelief.
At this point, she didn’t know whether to criticize Xie Jianzhong for his thin skin or applaud Wang Cuifen for her overwhelming verbal prowess.
Xie Jianhua, the quickest to move, immediately set down his bowl and checked on his brother. Without a word, he hoisted the unconscious man onto his back and sprinted for the hospital.
His diagnosis was clear: this was no act. Xie Jianzhong was really out cold.
