The stunned onlookers finally snapped out of it and rushed forward to join the fray.
Two against two instantly turned into a full-blown brawl. Lin Qiao let out a relieved breath. Now this looked much more satisfying.
She had just been about to sit down when she noticed a few people still standing at the edge, hesitating as if unsure whether to step in.
The villagers had lived on this land for generations, many connected by blood or marriage. They probably didn’t know which side to help.
Still some fish that slipped through the net!
Lin Qiao hurried over anxiously. “Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and break it up! If you’re too late, someone’s going to get beaten to death!”
The few of them immediately reacted and rushed in—not helping either side, just trying to separate people. One of them even turned to Lin Qiao gratefully. “Sister-in-law, Brother Xiangyang is blessed. You’re truly a good person!”
Lin Qiao nodded modestly. “No need to thank me. It’s what I should do.”
Liu Xiaomei hid by the doorway, peeking nervously at the chaos in the courtyard.
Her father and grandmother were being beaten, but with her thin arms and legs, she didn’t dare step in. Deep down, she even felt a trace of satisfaction.
She’d been beaten plenty over the years. When her mother was alive, she could shield her, but after her death, her drunken father would often take it out on her.
“How can you hide here like this? Look at your grandma and your dad getting beaten! Hurry up and help!”
Without waiting for a reply, Lin Qiao grabbed Liu Xiaomei and tossed her straight into the battlefield.
Then Lin Qiao sat at an empty table, crossed her legs, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds meant for guests, and began spectating with relish, studying the scene like it was a masterclass.
This was completely different from the fights in the apocalypse. There, it was all fire, ice, thunder, and wind powers blasting each other—flashy and dazzling.
But Lin Qiao found this rural brawl far more fascinating. Hair-pulling, low kicks, spitting—she even saw one auntie brandishing a toilet mop while facing off against another wielding a manure fork.
Her horizons had truly been broadened. This was like discovering a whole new world.
And the verbal combat was no weaker than the physical one—cursing from ancestors eighteen generations back to descendants yet unborn. The filthier the better.
It was exhilarating just listening.
“Liu Xiangyang, you idiot! Attack his lower half! Yes! Monkey steals the peach!”
“Wang Shufeng, grab her hair! That’s it! Poke her eyes!”
“Zhang Dafu, quick! Claw technique! Or your family jewels are going to get crushed!”
Lin Qiao skillfully altered her voice as she shouted advice, blending seamlessly into the flood of curses.
The few who had gone in to break it up were quickly dragged into the fight after getting hit themselves. The chaos intensified.
By the time Lin Qiao finished an entire plate of sunflower seeds, everyone’s movements began slowing down.
They were tired.
How could this do? Back in her world, fights had to end with a clear winner!
Their techniques and curses were worth learning, but their stamina was pathetic.
Disappointed, Lin Qiao shouted, “Liu Xiangyang, you coward! Look—your mother’s underwear is about to be torn off! Aren’t you going to avenge her?!”
Liu Xiangyang, who had been flagging, instantly perked up. He scanned the yard and spotted Wang Shufeng being surrounded and beaten in a corner.
Her red waistband had come loose, and half her backside was exposed.
He shoved people aside and charged over. “You bastards want to die?! Who dares pull at my mother’s pants!”
Several others rushed that way too.
The fight reignited at once.
Amid the chaos came Wang Shufeng’s shriek: “Who the hell is tugging at my waistband?!”
Lin Qiao nodded in satisfaction.
Excellent. Continue learning.
Inside the house, Liu Meili had cried for quite some time before the noise drew her back outside.
She froze at the sight. She’d only gone in briefly—how had it turned into a full-scale war?
Seeing Liu Xiangyang and Wang Shufeng surrounded and kicked, she didn’t need prompting. She rolled up her sleeves and charged in.
“You dare hit my mother and brother? I’ll fight you to the death!”
Lin Qiao beamed. This sister-in-law truly stepped up when it mattered! She liked that straightforward personality.
Liu Meili was someone she could get along with. She’d have to grow closer to her in the future.
Eventually, the fight petered out. Not just Lin Qiao—most of the aunties were hoarse from shouting.
Except for Lin Qiao, no one in the yard escaped unscathed. Even Liu Xiaomei, who had tried to hide, had been slapped several times.
The worst off were Liu Xiangyang and his mother.
Liu Xiangyang had a black eye, swollen lips from being smacked with a shoe sole, his military jacket torn to shreds, even his badge ripped off, leaving a gaping hole. He lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily.
Wang Shufeng was even more miserable. Her red waistband was gone, and she had to clutch her pants to keep them from falling. Her face was swollen like a pig’s head, snot and tears smeared together as she hunched over and sobbed, unable to understand how her son’s wedding had turned into this disaster.
Liu Meili, though she’d joined late, had drawn much of the fire toward herself and was bruised all over.
Lin Qiao felt that although Liu Meili had tried to scheme against her earlier, she was magnanimous and wouldn’t hold a grudge. After all, it was her in-laws’ family, and she had just married in—she wouldn’t make things difficult for her sister-in-law.
Dusting sunflower seed shells off her hands, Lin Qiao stood, rolled her wrists, and stretched.
She pointed at Zhang Dafu, who was about to straighten up and rest, and roared, “Zhang Dafu! You dare hit my man! Liu Xiangyang, wait there—I’ll avenge you! I’ll kill this beast for you!”
Like a bull seeing red, she charged at him.
Zhang Dafu froze.
Wasn’t the fight over?
Aside from the Liu family, he’d been beaten the worst!
What was this newlywed woman going crazy for?
Seeing Lin Qiao’s ferocious expression and unstoppable momentum, he panicked. He had no strength left to fight back and could only wave his hands and retreat.
“Sister-in-law, listen! I drank too much today—I didn’t mean it! I’ll apologize to Brother Xiangyang right now!”
“Save it! Whoever accepts your apology is a coward! The Liu family doesn’t raise cowards!” Lin Qiao didn’t slow down.
Liu Xiangyang, who had been about to accept the apology, closed his mouth again.
That’s right! He couldn’t back down!
In Zhang Dafu’s eyes, Lin Qiao’s brows were raised in fury, her gaze almost murderous, a twisted smile curling at her lips.
He was terrified.
She really looked like she wanted to kill him.
This lunatic had definitely killed before.
He scrambled toward Liu Xiangyang for protection. “Brother, I was wrong! Save me!”
“Ahhhhhh—!”