The leader of the burly men nodded.
“That’s right. The deadline for repaying your gambling debt has arrived. Since you didn’t take the initiative to pay us back, we’ve come to collect it ourselves.”
“B-But isn’t the deadline tomorrow? Why are you here today… AHH!”
Before Lin Dagou could finish speaking, a heavy punch slammed into his stomach.
His body instantly curled into a ball as he clutched his abdomen and groaned in agony.
Outside the courtyard, the villagers collectively winced.
“Oof!”
The reaction was so synchronized it was as if the punch had landed on them instead.
Just watching made them feel the pain.
Yet none of them wanted to look away.
The next moment, they watched as the burly man crouched beside Lin Dagou and pulled out a dagger.
The blade lightly tapped his face twice.
“We’ll collect the debt whenever we feel like collecting it. Got a problem with that?”
Lin Dagou’s eyes followed the gleaming blade, and he shook his head frantically.
“No, no problem! But can you give me one more day? I don’t have the silver right now… AHH!”
A sharp slash suddenly cut across his face.
Blood streamed down the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the ground.
Before he could react, his right arm was seized roughly.
Crack!
The bone snapped.
And before the pain had fully registered, a heavy kick crashed into his chest.
Lin Dagou rolled across the ground, clutching himself and gasping in agony.
His ears rang so badly that he could barely hear what the men were saying anymore.
“Dream on. If you can’t repay the debt today, we’ll chop off both your hands as compensation.”
The words “chop off both your hands” instantly brought Lin Dagou back to his senses.
Tears streamed down his face as he begged.
“Please spare me! I’ll pay! I’ll pay today!”
The villagers stared in disbelief.
Both hands?
If someone lost both hands, they would practically become a cripple.
Even eating, dressing, and using the bathroom would become difficult.
“Lin Dagou’s life was ruined by Zhang Cuiyu, that stepmother of his. Out of all the bad habits to pick up, he just had to become a gambler. Every silver coin he won got spent on raising the children of those two brothers. Then whenever he lost money, he’d sell his daughters. Now he’ll probably end up selling his wife and son too. What a fool.”
“If Old Man Lin hadn’t died so early, Lin Dagou probably wouldn’t have turned out like this. And those two brothers are shameless. At a time like this, they won’t even help him.”
“Hmph. They’re probably enjoying good food and drinks behind closed doors and sleeping just fine.”
…
“What nonsense are you all spouting?! Mind your own business!”
Zhang Cuiyu had been watching the situation indifferently until she overheard people gossiping about her sons.
Immediately, she exploded.
“The affairs of my family have nothing to do with you! Get lost! Why are you all standing here watching? Tired of living?”
Zhang Cuiyu was notorious throughout the village.
She got along with absolutely no one.
As a result, everyone thoroughly enjoyed watching her suffer.
“Tsk tsk. A stepmother really is different from a real mother. Treating the eldest son’s family like this, aren’t you afraid his birth mother will come back and haunt you?”
“If she’s going to haunt anyone, it’ll be you short-lived fools! Get lost!”
Spotting a nearby bucket of urine, Zhang Cuiyu grabbed it and charged toward the courtyard wall.
The villagers immediately scattered, cursing loudly.
“Hag!”
“Crazy woman!”
Zhang Cuiyu snorted smugly and set the bucket down.
Then she resumed watching Lin Dagou’s misery from the sidelines.
In fact, she was secretly delighted.
Once Shen Ying and the children were sold, she could earn another nice sum of silver.
As for Lin Dagou?
Whether he lived or died had nothing to do with her.
Not even half a copper coin’s worth.
“Mother! Qingbei!”
A dramatic cry suddenly shattered the tense atmosphere.
Everyone turned around.
There was Lin Xiazhi.
Tears streamed down her face as she stumbled toward the courtyard.
“Lin girl is here! Make way!”
The villagers quickly stepped aside.
Lin Xiazhi rushed straight into the yard.
The scent of fresh gossip immediately drew everyone closer.
“Big Sister! We’re over here! Hurry and save Mother! Wuuuu!”
Hearing her younger brother Lin Qingbei’s cries, Lin Xiazhi supported her seemingly fragile body and kicked aside the bucket blocking her path.
She staggered forward and threw herself onto Shen Ying’s chest.
“Mother! Wake up!”
She buried her face and cried loudly.
Yet not a trace of sorrow or panic could be seen on her face.
Her expression remained eerily calm.
Activating her X-ray ability, she carefully examined Shen Ying’s injuries.
Two fractured ribs.
A broken left shoulder blade.
A mild concussion.
Numerous bruises.
Fortunately, none of her vital organs had been damaged.
The priority was stabilizing her condition and waking her up.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiazhi’s kick had been astonishingly precise.
The urine bucket flew through the air in a perfect arc before landing squarely on Zhang Cuiyu’s head.
Splash!
The foul-smelling contents poured from head to toe.
The stench flooded her nose and mouth.
“AAAAAHHHHH! BLEEEGH!”
Zhang Cuiyu yanked the bucket off her head and bent over retching violently.
When she finally recovered, she stood there blankly.
What just happened?
“!!!”
The villagers’ eyes widened.
If Lin Xiazhi hadn’t shown up, that would have been one thing.
But the moment she arrived, she had drenched Zhang Cuiyu in bad luck.
It was incredibly satisfying to watch.
“Hahahahaha!”
The roaring laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.
Zhang Cuiyu’s face cycled through every color imaginable.
Only now did she realize why the bucket had mysteriously flown onto her head.
It was all Lin Xiazhi’s doing.
“Lin Xiazhi! You little wretch! How dare you throw a urine bucket at me? I’ll beat you to death!”
She charged forward in a rage.
Before she could take more than two steps, someone grabbed the back of her neck and yanked her violently backward.
Her vision blurred.
The next thing she knew, she had crashed onto Lin Dagou.
Her backside nearly split open from the impact.
A shadow suddenly loomed overhead.
Five burly men surrounded them with cold smiles.
Both Zhang Cuiyu and Lin Dagou shrank together like frightened quails, trembling uncontrollably.
“You two really think we’re harmless?”
The leader sneered.
“You dare ignore us? Repay the debt immediately, or my blade might accidentally miss its target.”
Lin Dagou pointed desperately toward Shen Ying and the others.
“What about them? Use them to settle the debt!”
“I’ll sell them to the gambling house. Let them work as slaves for life!”
“Or sell the old woman to a brothel. The boy looks decent enough to sell elsewhere. The money would more than cover what I owe!”
“Them?”
The burly man turned his head.
At that moment, Shen Ying had already regained consciousness.
Lin Xiazhi was carefully tending to her.
“Mother!”
Lin Qingbei cried out joyfully.
Lin Xiazhi spoke softly.
“How are you feeling, Mother?”
The moment Shen Ying saw her daughter, her eyes instantly reddened.
Pain filled her chest, leaving her unable to speak.
She could only shake her head to indicate she was alright.
“Qingbei, stay with Mother.”
After slipping a painkiller into Shen Ying’s mouth, Lin Xiazhi rose to her feet.
Then she turned toward Lin Dagou.
Killing intent filled her eyes.
The five burly men immediately stepped aside.
Once she reached him, they formed a circle around them, blocking the villagers’ view.
Mistaking her arrival for salvation, Lin Dagou excitedly grabbed her pant leg.
He hurriedly pulled ten taels of silver from his clothing.
“Lin girl, help your father this once. If you help me sell your mother and brother, I’ll give you ten taels!”
Lin Xiazhi took the silver without expression.
“This belongs to Mother.”
Lin Dagou froze.
Still completely oblivious to the murderous aura radiating from her, he sneered.
“What right does that woman have to carry silver—AHHH!”
Crack!
“AAAAAHHH!”
Crack! Crack!
“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”
One bone after another shattered throughout his body.
His screams echoed across the entire village.
Compared to him, even a donkey’s braying sounded pleasant.
The villagers covered their ears while desperately craning their necks.
Unfortunately, the wall of burly men blocked everything.
They could hear the screams but couldn’t see a thing.
“Judging by those screams, Lin Dagou is finished.”
“Serves him right. Poor Shen Ying. She’s hanging on by a thread. What will happen to her son and daughter now?”
“What else? They’ll make sure she gets a proper and dignified future.”
The crowd continued whispering among themselves while Lin Dagou’s agonized cries rang through the courtyard.