“You still dare to come! You beat my mother and second brother and sister-in-law—how do you still have the face to show up?”
A sharp female voice rang out.
Lu Meiyu looked over. It was a girl around fifteen or sixteen. As for her appearance… not very pleasing.
Small eyes, dark skin, and slightly protruding teeth.
This must be the younger sister-in-law, Liu Cuicui.
“You beat your mother-in-law! You rebellious and unfilial wretch! Do you think just because my eldest son isn’t home, you can turn the sky upside down? Someone like you deserves to be drowned in a pig cage!”
Lu Meiyu looked again at a man in his forties or fifties—this must be the children’s grandfather.
She sneered. “No more nonsense. The household division was unfair—redo it. And before that, return the thirty copper coins and the few jin of rice.”
Liu Laosan shrieked, “Did you go crazy after jumping into the pond?”
Lu Meiyu suddenly stepped forward, thrusting the black electric baton.
Zhangshi reacted instinctively and let out a scream, but she couldn’t stop it.
As expected, Liu Laosan also screamed and collapsed, his body twitching.
Old Man Liu was startled. “Son! Son! What’s wrong with you?”
He glared fiercely at Lu Meiyu. “What kind of sorcery did you use?”
He turned and grabbed a hoe. Zhangshi hurriedly warned, “Be careful! That black stick can use sorcery!”
Old Man Liu didn’t believe it and swung the hoe at her!
Everyone gasped. If that strike really landed, wouldn’t it tear flesh and draw blood?
Lu Meiyu swiftly dodged to the side, extended the baton, and with a scream, Old Man Liu dropped the hoe and collapsed.
Zhangshi shouted frantically, “Help! Murder! This vicious woman is killing people!”
Villagers rushed over at the noise. They saw Old Man Liu lying on the ground, the rest of the Liu family filled with fear.
Meanwhile, Lu Meiyu stood calmly.
She strode into the kitchen and directly carried out the rice container.
She had already checked—there were more than ten jin of coarse rice.
“And the copper coins—return them!”
Zhangshi seemed as if her throat was being gripped. She didn’t dare scream anymore.
“What’s going on, Meiyu?” the villagers asked.
“They took our coins and rice while I wasn’t home. My children and I can’t survive, so of course I’m taking them back.”
Lu Meiyu answered plainly.
She looked at Zhangshi again. “You’re planning to use filial piety to pressure me now that there are more people, aren’t you? I can’t even survive anymore—what’s the point of talking about filial piety! You should know—I’m someone who, if I die, will drag someone down with me.”
Her cold gaze made Zhangshi tremble.
The villagers didn’t understand what she meant, but Zhangshi did.
She meant using that black stick to make them suffer unbearable pain.
Old Man Liu struggled to get up. “Give her thirty copper coins.”
Zhangshi hurried inside, took out thirty coins, and tremblingly placed them into Lu Meiyu’s hand.
“This household division was unfair. I demand a redivision! If you agree, call the village head to witness it. If not, I’ll take what belongs to me anyway.”
Her words were like a drop of water in hot oil—everything exploded.
The villagers were confused. She had just jumped into a pond—how was she suddenly so imposing?
And the entire Liu family didn’t even refute her.
Someone immediately went to call the village head.
The village head arrived with a dark expression. “What’s all this noise about?”
“I demand a new division. They’ve agreed.”
The village head looked at the Liu family. “You agree to redo the division?”
Old Man Liu suddenly changed his stance. “I don’t agree! The household has already been divided. Why make trouble now? You’ve got the rice and money—go live your life!”
Someone in the crowd spoke up, “Old Man Liu, before Liu Qingsheng left, didn’t he go to the county for odd jobs and hand over most of his wages? Now that he’s gone, treating his wife and daughters like this—is that right?”
So there was more to the story!
That made it even more necessary to divide again!
“That was Qingsheng willing to give… He only had two useless daughters. Shouldn’t he contribute more to the family?” Zhangshi grew bolder with the village head present.
“Exactly. Elder brother doesn’t even have a son. In the future, won’t it be my son Tiedan who performs the funeral rites? Isn’t it only right he contributes more?” Liu Er said smugly.
Even Liu Laosan chimed in, “I’ve only been married three or four years, and I’ve already given the Liu family a grandson. Elder brother has no son, so naturally he should work harder for the family.”
He also had a son, Tongdan, only two years old.
Everyone looked at Lu Meiyu, who had no son. In the past, whenever this was mentioned, she would lower her head like a sinner.
But now, not only did she hold her head high, she even let out a mocking laugh.
Had the shock really driven her mad?
“Village head, the previous division was unfair. I demand a new one. If they refuse, I’ll come back another time and take what belongs to our branch.”
Lu Meiyu spoke calmly, but the Liu family grew anxious.
From her tone, it sounded like she would come back when no one was around—and take everything by force.
“Village head, that woman has a black stick that uses sorcery. If it touches someone, it’s like being struck by lightning—your whole body hurts and you can’t stand up.”
Zhangshi spoke desperately, clearly traumatized by it.
The village head frowned. “Is this true?”
Lu Meiyu actually nodded. “It’s true. As you can see, I have this stick as my support. Right now, I’m willing to reason and only take what belongs to me. But if the Liu family refuses to be reasonable, I’ll use this stick to teach them a lesson.”
The crowd erupted in shock.
No one expected her to admit so openly that she could use “sorcery.”
“Village head, that stick is dangerous. It must be taken and handed over to the authorities. She can’t be allowed to harm people!”
Liu Laosan shouted wildly.
At first, he didn’t understand why his mother and second brother were so afraid. Only after being struck himself did he realize how terrifying it was.
The village head extended his hand. “Hand it over. If it’s dangerous, it cannot remain with you.”
Lu Meiyu found it laughable. “Village head, this all started because the Liu family stole my things and divided the household unfairly. And now you’re asking me to hand over my belongings? I won’t accept that.”
“Whether you accept it or not doesn’t matter! What kind of vicious woman dares to beat her in-laws? Such disobedience is punishable by imprisonment!”
The village head spoke sternly, appearing upright and just.
Lu Meiyu looked around—and saw that most people in the crowd were nodding!
A chill ran through her heart. So this was the ignorant and rigid ancient world—no matter whether you were right or wrong, filial piety would always be used to suppress you.