The broken wooden door of the west room was pulled open. Lin Fengxia stood behind it, her old jacket washed pale and patched over and over, her voice cold as ice.
“I didn’t take it. Watch your mouth and don’t throw dirt on me.”
“Didn’t take it?”
Zhang Landi planted her hands on her hips and rushed forward, spittle nearly spraying onto Lin Fengxia’s face. “There’s only a few valuable things in this house—if not you then who? Your mother died early, looks like you lost your shame along with her!”
The words your mother stabbed into Lin Fengxia like a needle.
She clenched her clothes so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Go ahead and search if you dare! If you find anything, I’ll let you deal with me however you want! But if you don’t, today you kneel before my mother’s memorial tablet and kowtow three times in apology!”
“You little slut, you’ve really rebelled!”
Furious, Zhang Landi shoved Zhang Goudan forward.
“Goudan, hold her down! I’m going to see what filthy things she’s hiding in this lousy room!”
Usually too lazy to even pick up a fallen oil bottle, Zhang Goudan had no strength. The moment he reached out, Lin Fengxia twisted his wrist and punched his stomach twice, knocking him bent over onto the ground.
Without blinking, she turned and slapped Zhang Landi twice as she lunged forward.
Smack! Smack!
The crisp sound left Zhang Landi dizzy.
Lin Laohan, who had been sleeping in the east room, rushed out barefoot. “What are you making noise for?!”
Seeing him, Zhang Landi instantly changed expression, clutching her burning cheek and crying, “Laohan, you have to stand up for me! The family’s meat and grain coupons disappeared. I kindly asked Fengxia whether she took them—we still have to live! Not only did she refuse, she hit people… Does she have any respect for elders, for you as her father?!”
Lin Laohan’s face darkened. He first glared at Zhang Goudan. “Why are you meddling? Go back and stop causing trouble!”
He feared Lin Fengxia might really go crazy and hurt Zhang Goudan.
Then he roared at Lin Fengxia, “Move aside! If the stuff is really hidden in your room, I’ll skin you alive today!”
“And if I didn’t steal it?”
Lin Fengxia raised her head, enunciating each word. “Then you and her both kowtow to my mother’s spirit tablet!”
“Rebellion! Utter rebellion!” Feeling his dignity slapped in public, Lin Laohan grabbed a broken clay basin from the corner and hurled it at her.
Lin Fengxia dodged. The basin shattered at her feet.
Without even looking, she picked up a large shard and threw it back at his feet.
He hadn’t expected her to dare throw it back and stumbled backward in fright, afraid of being hit!
Seeing the moment right, Zhang Landi leaned close and whispered, “Laohan! See? She’s guilty! If nothing’s there, why act like this?”
Lin Laohan found it reasonable and shouted, “Fine! We search! If we find nothing, we’ll kowtow!”
They’d fallen into the trap.
Lin Fengxia sneered and stepped aside.
The west room smelled of mildew. The mud walls were cracked, moonlight leaked through holes in the roof, illuminating the poverty. In the corner stood only a three‑legged wooden table propped up with stones.
Lin Laohan and Zhang Landi rummaged wildly, even pulling apart the straw under the kang mat. Forget meat or cloth coupons—they didn’t find even a thread.
Zhang Landi’s face turned pale. “Impossible… how could nothing be here…”
Lin Laohan’s face was black as a pot bottom as he turned to leave.
“Stop!” Lin Fengxia blocked the doorway, eyes sharp like a hunter’s on prey.
“You haven’t kowtowed yet.”
Ignoring her, he tried to shove past.
To his surprise, the girl stood firm—he couldn’t move her!
Seeing they meant to renege, Lin Fengxia grabbed the rusty little scissors she used for mending clothes and pointed the tip at them.
The glint of the blade made both their legs tremble.
This madwoman might really stab them!
They exchanged a glance and, however unwilling, knelt before the crude wooden memorial tablet and knocked their heads three times.
Watching them rise dusty and humiliated, the anger in Lin Fengxia’s chest eased slightly.
But this was only the beginning.
The moment Zhang Landi stood up, she dragged Lin Laohan out, resentment choking her heart.
The things were probably stolen by that useless Zhang Goudan!
But he was her own flesh and blood—she couldn’t beat or scold him. So the debt could only fall on Lin Fengxia, that little bitch!
She glanced back viciously toward the west room.
Lin Fengxia, you little animal, just wait—I’ll torment you to death!
…
The next morning, still furious, Zhang Landi tossed a hoe and farm tools into Lin Fengxia’s room and stood in the doorway bossily, hands on hips. “Since you don’t want to marry, go work in the fields.”
“This house doesn’t feed freeloaders!”
Zhang Goudan stood in the yard, sticking out his tongue and making faces at Lin Fengxia.
Fine.
If this family wanted to use her like livestock, they shouldn’t blame her for being ruthless.
Lin Fengxia smiled as she picked up the tools, staring at them. “Alright. Just don’t regret it.”
Her sinister gaze made Zhang Landi uneasy, but thinking she’d torment the brat today, she suppressed it and returned inside.
Zhang Goudan followed empty‑handed as they headed toward the village fields, saying filthy things, “Sis, your butt’s really big. No wonder Wang Dazhuang paid so much bride price. You think about that stuff at night too…?”
Lin Fengxia pretended not to hear and walked on.
As they went farther and the mud wall painted Long live the People’s Commune disappeared, she looked at the open ground ahead and silently counted down.
Thinking she wouldn’t resist, Zhang Goudan grew bolder and reached for her shoulder, leering. “Sis, we’re not blood related. How about helping your little brother out? Out here in the wild it’s exciting.”
“Better than letting Wang Dazhuang have you…”
At the edge of the fields, seeing no one around, he tried to pull open her clothes.
Lin Fengxia threw the basket to the ground. When she turned, the smile on her lips held no warmth, sending a chill down his spine.
Before he could step back, she had already grabbed the hoe from her tools, gripping the wooden handle tightly and smashing it toward his head with full force!
“You wanted relief? Today I’ll give you relief for good!”