Feng Chuxiao bent over, reached out, and patted Feng Liya's face, sneering, "You and your mother are exactly the same, spewing filth from your mouths. Is this all your upbringing amounts to after all these years? Tsk tsk, I really didn't expect you to be more of a shrew than the village gossips!"
Feng Liya tried to swat Feng Chuxiao's hand away, but missed. Feng Chuxiao let out a cold laugh, raised her hand, and slapped Feng Liya's face several times, yelling as she hit:
"You fake who usurped a nest, I ignored you, but you insisted on seeking trouble? I'll teach you to curse me, I'll teach you to curse me! Today, I'll beat you into a pig's head, so you can't leave the house for three days!"
"Ah! Ahhh!"
"Stop hitting, stop hitting!"
Feng Liya's screams were incessant as she began to beg for mercy. Even with a tough mouth, she feared pain. Feng Chuxiao only stopped when her hands started to hurt.
When Ma Cuixiang and Feng Likai entered, they saw Feng Chuxiao standing there, blowing on her hand as if it hurt.
Looking down, they saw someone lying at Feng Chuxiao's feet. The clothes indicated who it was, but the face was unrecognizable, swollen so badly that even the eyelids were puffy.
Hearing the door open, Feng Liya struggled to turn her head and call for help, "Mom and Dad... save me..."
Ma Cuixiang's expression was priceless. She pointed at Feng Chuxiao, wanting to scold her, but her eyes also showed concern for Feng Liya, leaving her unsure of what to say first.
"Chuxiao, what happened this time?" Feng Likai asked calmly, as if he hadn't seen Feng Liya's miserable state.
The original Feng Likai might have only disliked Feng Liya a little, but he still cared about their familial bond. However, now that he knew the truth, he only felt disgust for Feng Liya and showed no concern for the pig-headed girl on the ground.
Feng Chuxiao replied with a serious expression, "Oh, wasn't I resting? She stood outside the door yelling and cursing, saying such nasty things. She truly has no upbringing, so I couldn't help but teach her a lesson."
"She indeed has no upbringing; the Feng family has wasted so many years educating her," Feng Likai agreed.
"Sigh! I hope your parents will educate you properly in the future," Feng Chuxiao said, shaking her head and sighing.
Ma Cuixiang helped Feng Liya up, doting on her and feeling immense sympathy. Looking at the red, swollen face, she worried it might be disfigured.
"Mom, take me to the hospital... my face hurts so much!"
"Okay, okay, we'll go to the hospital."
However, Feng Likai stopped them, saying sternly, "Going to the hospital looking like this, aren't you afraid of losing face? It's just superficial wounds; put some medicine on it and it'll be fine."
Ma Cuixiang hesitated upon hearing her son's words. Her husband, Old Feng, was a man of standing. Xiao Ya was at a marriageable age, and if people saw her appearance, who knew what they would gossip about.
Feng Likai offered a sarcastic smile, knowing it would be like this.
"Mom, Chuxiao mentioned it yesterday, asking you to prepare a room for her. Since you didn't, don't blame Chuxiao."
Ma Cuixiang looked at her eldest son, feeling angry but unable to express it. Yet, she was still unwilling to tidy up a room for Feng Chuxiao.
She said angrily, "Let her sleep on the second floor. Don't you dote on her? You clean it up yourself."
Feng Likai pulled Feng Chuxiao towards the second floor, but Feng Chuxiao ran back to Feng Liya's room. Under their varied gazes, she gathered all the things from the bed and then said to Feng Likai, "Eldest Brother, come in and get the fan."
Feng Likai smiled; this spirit was good. He went in and got the fan, and then they both went upstairs together.
"However, we still need to teach you a lesson. Chuxiao, while we shouldn't suffer losses, we also need to assess the situation. If you encounter someone stronger than you, run if you can't win. Don't confront them head-on. As long as the green hills remain, there'll be wood to burn. You can get revenge later in secret."
Feng Chuxiao nodded vigorously. These were absolutely heartfelt words, and although she understood, she was willing to listen.
Feng Likai led Feng Chuxiao into his room. "This is my room; you stay here for now. I'll sleep in your Second Brother's room; he's not coming back these two days."
There was another Second Brother? Feng Chuxiao was surprised, but it didn't matter.
"Okay, I won't be staying for many days anyway."
Feng Likai first plugged in the fan, then put away his bedding, and had Feng Chuxiao spread out the bedding she had brought.
"Alright, get some rest quickly."
After Feng Likai left, Feng Chuxiao immediately locked the door, then got into bed to rest, knowing there would likely be no peace later.
✦✦✦
When Feng Peng arrived home, he saw his wife sitting in the living room, muttering curses while applying medicine to the girl in her arms. If he hadn't known her so well, he wouldn't have recognized the person with the severely swollen face as their Xiao Ya.
"What happened?" he immediately went forward and asked with concern.
The mother and daughter now had an outlet for their grievances, and they both chattered about the terrible things Feng Chuxiao had done.
Feng Peng threw down his briefcase and rushed upstairs angrily, but was stopped by Feng Likai at the stairwell.
"Likai, get out of the way! I'm going to beat that unfilial daughter to death today! How could she be so heartless as to beat Xiao Ya like that!"
"You can't blame her for this. She had no room to sleep, so naturally, she had to sleep in Xiao Ya's room. You know Xiao Ya's temperament; how could they not have a conflict?"
"But she still shouldn't have used such a heavy hand!" Feng Peng said sternly.
Feng Likai didn't back down and argued, "Then you can't hit her either! Don't forget, the Educated Youth Office doesn't allow injured or sick people to go to the countryside."
He then added, "Give the money to Chuxiao. Tomorrow morning, we'll go register her household registration and sign her up for the countryside. That way, everyone will be at peace."
Hearing his eldest son say this, Feng Peng's anger subsided somewhat. He turned and went downstairs, but as he pushed open the bedroom door, he immediately fell to the ground with a thud.
Feng Likai, shouting "Dad," ran down quickly. Ma Cuixiang also let go of Feng Liya and rushed to her husband's side. Then, they both saw something unbelievable: the room, which had been neatly arranged, now only had an empty bed board.
"What's going on?" Feng Likai asked in shock.
Ma Cuixiang rushed into the room in a panic, pacing back and forth, muttering, "Why is the room empty? Why is it empty?"
Feng Peng, regaining his senses, roared at Ma Cuixiang, "Weren't you home today? How could you not know about such a big thing happening?"
"I... I went out with Xiao Ya in the afternoon. I haven't been in this room since we came back, so I didn't know..." Ma Cuixiang explained stammeringly.
"And you?" Feng Peng then questioned Feng Likai.
Feng Likai calmly explained, "After I returned from the bank, I saw Chuxiao wasn't home, so I went to look for her. But I didn't find her until the afternoon, so I came back. It was already three or four in the afternoon then. I didn't enter your room after returning, so it's even less likely I would have discovered this."
"What about that dead girl?"
"She's only been back for a little over an hour, and she's been under my watchful eye the entire time. You can't possibly suspect her, can you?"