Volume One, Chapter 15: Dare You Hit Me?

“Fine… fine!”
Cuilan Shen had long been familiar with her mother-in-law’s fierceness, but this was the very first time she had seen her stand up so boldly against the village chief.
Originally, she had been nervous about carrying out this plan against the wind, but after this commotion, her fear only deepened.
“Move!”
A deafening command slammed into her ears. Trembling, Cuilan Shen began to gather the items from the ground, but before she had taken a single step, the village chief bellowed, “I dare anyone to try!”
She obediently set the things down again, earning a fierce glare from her mother-in-law.
“Gao, this is my family’s business, and you have no say in it!”
“What family business? I’m telling you, this concerns the entire village now!”
Jia Zhang’s teeth clenched in anger once more. This time, she did not argue with the village chief but began to carry the items inside herself. However, the village chief was not one to be trifled with. Just as she picked up the things, a hefty kick landed squarely on Jia Zhang’s sturdy waist.
And just like that—
The real drama unfolded!
“You! How dare you hit me!”
With a loud crash, the items shattered on the floor.
Jia Zhang, wild as a beast gone mad, lowered her head and charged at the village chief.
But the village chief was a man after all. When fighting a woman, especially an old one like Jia Zhang, he was outmatched. Before they had even exchanged a full round, the village chief was defeated.
Not only that, his face was scratched and marked with several bloody lines. Had he not resisted so fiercely, he might have lost an eye to Jia Zhang’s grasp.
“Crazy hag!”
“That’s right! I am crazy, driven mad by you!”
Jia Zhang’s hair was disheveled, her breath ragged, yet her fighting spirit remained undiminished.
If not for a few strong men restraining her, the village chief would surely have been pressed to the ground and pummeled further.
The village’s older women and young wives stifled their laughter; the village chief’s authority lay in ruins.
“Laugh! What are you laughing at? Are you all just idle and bored or what?”
It was clear the village chief was truly enraged.
His aching ribs throbbed from the scratches as Jia Zhang continued kicking and striking, spitting venomous insults with each breath.
“What are you all standing there for? Lock this madwoman up in the labor reform cell! I refuse to believe you can’t handle a single crazy woman like her!”
With cries, curses, and shouts, Jia Zhang was dragged away, disappearing from sight.
Cuilan Shen was so frightened she dared not even breathe, slipping away before the village chief could issue another order.

The farce seemed to have ended, but who could have expected that at this very moment, Xu Gouzi and Liu Qiaohui would appear?
Even the village chief hadn’t anticipated such perfect timing.
The main players had returned!
And now, the spectacle was about to become even more riveting!
Though Ling Ye was bundled up tightly, she could discern through a small gap that something had just occurred here.
What exactly had happened?
Let her guess!
Most likely, it was that old Jia woman trying to claim the house again.
But wait—where was Jia Zhang?
Liu Qiaohui was timid, but she was not foolish.
After being away for so many days, there was no way nothing had happened here.
Still, she had no desire to engage the village chief in conversation now.
She calmly stepped down from the vehicle, gently cradled Ling Ye in her arms, carefully skirted around the mess at the doorstep, and finally entered her own courtyard.
But just as she was about to quietly close the gate, the previously motionless village chief finally spoke.
“Liu Qiaohui, what are you doing back?”
Liu Qiaohui remained silent, but Xu Gouzi nearby could no longer hold back.
“Village chief, what are you saying? What do you mean, ‘what is Liu Qiaohui doing back?’ This is her home! Whether she comes or goes, does she need your permission?”
The red marks on the village chief’s face were clearly visible, his mouth twitching with every word.
“Nonsense! I am the chief of Yushan Village, and what happens here is decided by me! Widow Liu, you have been driven out of the village. Be sensible and leave swiftly. If not, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”
Normally, the village chief spoke politely despite his intimidating presence. But today, likely provoked by old Jia, his words came sharp and unforgiving, leaving no room for negotiation.
Was Liu Qiaohui afraid?
Yes, she was!
But she could not leave now.
She needed to wait patiently for the county magistrate to come and uphold justice for her.
So—

She heard the words clearly in her ears, yet without missing a beat, she repeated them, cast a glance at the village chief, and continued to firmly close the gate.
“Rebellious! Rebellious! Your mother-in-law plays dirty tricks, and you dare to rile me up too! Fine! Fine! Today, I’ll make the Liu family understand who really rules this village!”
The village chief’s face darkened further, the scratches on his face glowing red. He bit his lip viciously and kicked each of the two men standing at his sides.
“You two, throw Widow Liu out for me!”
Throw!
The village chief actually said “throw”!
It seemed that not only Jia Zhang coveted this house, but the village chief himself was determined to get it at all costs!
Ling Ye watched all this clearly.
But as an infant, all she could do was cry helplessly.
“What are you doing? What are you doing?”
Liu Qiaohui retreated step by step, but as a woman holding a baby, she was no match for two burly men. She kept backing up until she was forced into a corner. Suddenly, a loud smack rang out.
A stick landed hard on one man’s head, leaving him dazed. When he opened his eyes again, Xu Gouzi stood before Liu Qiaohui, holding a bloodied stick, his voice fierce, “I dare anyone to try!”
Xu Gouzi was notorious in the village as a troublemaker; few dared to cross him, and after this, none dared to move.
The village chief’s mouth twitched.
“Xu Gouzi, are you defying me?”
“Village chief, your actions are unfair!”
“Fair or not, it’s not for you to say here. What’s this, you’ve taken a liking to this widow?”
“Bullshit! I just can’t stand to see you all bullying a widow!”
“Fine! If you have guts, Xu Gouzi, let’s see how long you can protect her!”
The village chief raged, veins bulging from his forehead.
“You all—lock this gate tight! Surround the house with dry grass! Take turns guarding it through the night! If anyone lets them escape, I won’t give you a single grain of food! And if anyone feeds them, same deal! If they try to run, set the house on fire! I refuse to believe I can’t control you!”
“What are you waiting for? Lock it!”
With a clang, the gate was firmly secured.
The villagers exchanged uneasy glances—this was clearly a move to drive them to the brink of despair!