"What’s the matter?" Bai Banxia asked.
"The Wang family says you ruined Taohua's face and they’re looking for payback. Your father is faking a faint, and he told me to tell you that you absolutely must not go home. Go hide at your maternal grandfather’s house for a few days first." Zhang Lingzhi’s voice was so loud it made Bai Banxia’s ears ring.
"Mother, keep your voice down." Bai Banxia’s lips twitched. Her mother was quite good-looking, so why was her voice so loud?
Fortunately, no one was nearby. Otherwise, the whole village would immediately know her father was faking it and that she was being sent to her grandfather’s. It must have been hard for her father not to resent such a liability of a teammate all these years…
Zhang Lingzhi quickly covered her mouth and looked around frantically. "Luckily no one is here. Let’s go, let’s go."
However, Bai Banxia pulled her back. "I’m not going. What’s bound to come will come. I want to meet the Wang family for myself."
With that, she walked straight toward home. Zhang Lingzhi chased after her, saying anxiously, "No, no. Taohua's Mother is a fierce fighter, and Taohua’s father is incredibly strong. We can’t beat them."
Bai Banxia suddenly stopped and tilted her head toward her mother. "If they start a fight and I'm not there, won't Dad have it even worse getting beaten up alone?"
Zhang Lingzhi’s mouth dropped open so wide it could have swallowed an egg.
"That won't do. Your father’s body is weak; he can't take a beating," she said worriedly.
Bai Banxia grabbed her mother’s arm and continued walking. "Exactly. Someone needs to share the damage, right? Besides, we won't necessarily be the ones losing out."
When the two arrived outside the Bai family courtyard, quite a few people had already gathered to watch the excitement. Old Mrs. Bai’s voice could be heard from inside the yard: "Let's talk this through properly, don't start a fight!"
Bai Banxia strode into the courtyard and saw a burly middle-aged man grabbing her father by the collar. Unquestionably, this was Wang Taohua’s father.
Her father, Bai Tian, had his eyes tightly shut, looking as though he had truly fainted. Beside them, the Old Lady was holding onto Taohua’s father’s hand tightly, afraid he would hurt Bai Tian.
"Wang Er, why go this far? This is just a matter between young girls; it shouldn't affect the harmony between our two families," Old Mrs. Bai urged.
"My daughter's face is ruined, and you want to talk to me about harmony?" As he spoke, Taohua’s father raised his hand, intending to strike the "unconscious" Bai Tian.
Suddenly, a figure rushed forward and shielded Bai Tian with her body.
"My man is in poor health! If you want to hit someone, hit me!" Zhang Lingzhi cried out.
Bai Banxia didn't even have time to stop her mother. She realized her mother's reaction speed was incredible; in the modern world, she could have been a sprinter.
And… had her mother already grasped the concept of "sharing the damage"?
"Stop!"
Bai Banxia couldn't just watch her mother get hit. With a sharp shout, she rushed over and grabbed Taohua’s father’s wrist.
"A little brat like you dares to raise a hand against me?" Taohua’s father intended to take the opportunity to teach the fat girl he remembered a lesson. But before he could finish his sentence, his hand went numb, and he lost all strength in it!
Bai Banxia threw his arm aside and said with a cold laugh, "Yesterday, your daughter brought a crowd to push me into the river. I saw her laughing so happily that I thought they all enjoyed playing in the water. As for the injuries on her face, shouldn't you ask the person who fell into the river with her and scratched her while clinging to her for dear life?"
"Oh, the stupid pig has learned how to talk, and her tongue has turned quite sharp." Taohua's Mother suddenly tried to push Bai Banxia from behind, but Bai Banxia sidestepped and dodged it.
Bai Banxia’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly annoyed. No wonder Wang Taohua was so arrogant and unreasonable, with such a foul mouth and a tendency to hit people; like father, like daughter.
Taohua, who was standing by the house, held a handkerchief over her face. The moment she saw Bai Banxia, her eyes filled with a murderous glare, and her teeth ground together as if she wanted to bite Bai Banxia to death.
"Bai Banxia, you were just jealous because I'm prettier than you, so you intentionally ruined my face!" Wang Taohua shrieked.
As she spoke, she agitated the wounds on her face, causing her to hiss in pain. The handkerchief covering her face shifted, revealing three long gashes.
Her wounds had been contaminated by the dirty water. In just one night, they had become red and swollen with inflammation, and some spots were even oozing pus.
It is said that one's appearance reflects their heart. Wang Taohua already had a somewhat mean look, and with these three wounds, she appeared even more hideous and terrifying.
"Everyone, don't lose your tempers. Harmony is the most precious thing," Old Mrs. Bai spoke up again. "Taohua has been wronged; just let her hit Banxia back to settle it."
Bai Banxia looked at the Old Lady coldly, but the Old Lady gave her a harsh glare. This grandmother truly did not like her.
Lying on the ground "unconscious," Bai Tian let out a groan and "woke up."
"Oh… oh… my chest feels so tight and painful," he said in a weak voice. "My Banxia is timid. How could she possibly hit someone? There must be some misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding could there be? Just look at what a pig your Banxia is! She must have been jealous of my Taohua's beauty to be so cruel. Can she even compare to my daughter? Ten of her wouldn't be enough to compensate us!" Taohua's Mother yelled.
Wang Taohua said through gritted teeth, "Can scratching her face even compensate for my injury? She’s not even fit to be mentioned in the same breath as me! A stupid pig who can't get married at eighteen and even got pregnant after a midnight tryst—even if she dies, it wouldn't be enough to pay for my face!"
Even a saint would have reached their limit!
No one saw how Bai Banxia moved. In a blur, she was standing in front of Wang Taohua, one hand gripping Taohua’s neck.
"You spread rumors to defile my reputation, and you brought a crowd to surround and beat me. Now you come to my house and dare to use such a foul mouth? Do you really think there's no one left in the Bai family?"
As Bai Banxia spoke, she shot a provocative glance at Old Mrs. Bai. Turning your back on your own family only makes people laugh at the Bais for being pushovers.
Old Mrs. Bai’s face turned livid with rage. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words to say.
"You're asking for it! Let go of Taohua!" Taohua’s father moved to strike, but Bai Banxia pulled a wooden hairpin from her hair and pointed the sharp end at Taohua’s face.
"A hairpin carved from a tree branch isn't very sharp, but it's enough to disfigure someone," Bai Banxia said unhurriedly. "It’s so pitiful for a little face to be scratched like this. It would be even more pitiful if another hole was poked into it."
Now, Taohua’s father and mother didn't dare move recklessly. However, Taohua's Mother refused to let her tongue rest, muttering curses incessantly.
"Shut up!" Bai Banxia growled, and the house instantly fell quiet.
"If you came here to reason, then I’ll reason with you." Bai Banxia tightened her grip, causing Wang Taohua’s attempt to speak to get stuck in her throat.
"You say I ruined Taohua’s face and need to pay? I have no objection—go find whoever ruined it. Wasn't it your own family friend who was scratching her while holding onto her in the river? If her brain is too poor to remember clearly, just ask the other girls who were there."
Bai Banxia continued, "But if you don't want to be reasonable and insist on using force, then since you’ve brought the fight to my doorstep, don't blame me for being impolite."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was full of authority. How was she anything like the pushover she used to be?