"Nan'er—!"
"Brother—!"
Widow Liu and Liu Shengsheng immediately rushed out of the house and hugged Liu Yunan, who had fallen to the ground.
Widow Liu cried bitterly and pleaded with Eldest Liu:
"Brother, please be merciful and let Nan'er go! I beg you—"
Liu Shengsheng held her brother tightly and burst into loud wails:
"Don't hit my brother! Stop hitting my brother! Ah—I'll listen to you, I'll sell myself! Just don't hit him anymore!"
In the Liu family's small courtyard, the fine drizzle seemed to grow heavier.
Having finished his meal, Lin Xiao felt a faint unease in his heart. Thinking of Baldy's sudden breakthrough just now, could something have happened?
He might as well go take a look.
If nothing was wrong, that would be for the best; he could just treat it as a post-meal stroll to digest his food.
With this in mind, Lin Xiao took out the only oiled paper umbrella in the house, which his father had bought when his mother was still alive.
He opened the umbrella in the misty drizzle and walked toward Baldy's house in the night.
Before long, the fine drizzle gradually turned into pattering raindrops.
They hit the heavily oiled paper umbrella with a crackling sound.
By the time Lin Xiao arrived near the Liu family's house, he saw several villagers in straw rain capes standing outside the courtyard.
When he got closer, he found that the people gathered outside the yard were all highly respected elders in the village.
Among them was the old village chief of Xiushui Village, Du Liushui, whom everyone usually called Third Master Du.
Inside the Liu family's small courtyard, the sound of a little girl sobbing breathlessly could be heard.
Along with Widow Liu's pleading voice.
"Brother, for Dashu's sake, please let the three of us go! Sheng'er cannot be sold as a servant to others!"
The village elders outside the yard also spoke up to persuade him.
The village chief, Third Master Du, also spoke, but his tone was a bit stiff and unceremonious:
"Eldest Liu, this Yunan is your brother's only heir. Now that you have beaten him unconscious, if anything happens, that's a human life! If something really goes wrong and your Liu clan patriarch doesn't care, I will definitely report it to the township head!"
Actually, Liu Yunan was not yet unconscious. He still had his senses, but he was worried that if he really closed his eyes, his mother and sister would be left unprotected. So, even though he was extremely weak, he forced his eyelids to stay open. His hands tightly gripped his mother and sister's hands, not daring to let go.
In the yard, Eldest Liu, who was about to raise his stick and drag Liu Shengsheng away, turned his head to look at the village elders who had come upon hearing the news, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
They were just a few old fogeys flaunting their seniority. If it weren't for their status in the village and the potential punishment from the Liu clan, he could beat them all to death with two strikes of his stick.
"As his uncle, I am merely disciplining this worthless son on behalf of my poor, early-departed brother. I gave him a beating, so what? Could it be that I, as an uncle, cannot even teach my own disobedient nephew a lesson?"
Looking at Liu Yunan in the yard, beaten to the brink of death and seemingly unconscious by Eldest Liu,
the patriarch of the village's prominent Hu clan immediately snorted:
"Liu Dashan, cut the crap! If you don't let Widow Liu and her family go tonight, I will immediately gather all the villagers and expel you from the village! Our Xiushui Village cannot tolerate a heartless thug like you!"
Although Hu Deli was the oldest among the village elders, his body was robust. At this moment, he straightened his back and stepped into the yard.
In the thick curtain of rain, the Hu clan patriarch, Hu Deli, with his shriveled little frame supporting a large straw rain cape, stood steadily in front of Widow Liu and the other two.
Annoyed by the pouring rain, Eldest Liu looked at the frail old man in front of him, gripped the wooden stick in his hand tightly, and said gloomily:
"Is Patriarch Hu going to interfere in my Liu family's domestic affairs?"
Hu Deli held his head high, meeting Eldest Liu's vicious and malicious eyes.
"I am old and cannot bear to see such evil deeds of bullying orphans and widows. In my old age, I also want to play the hero once. I only give you two choices: one, never make trouble for Yunan and his mother again; two, get out of Xiushui Village."
"That's right! Get out of Xiushui Village!"
"Our village cannot tolerate someone who beats, kills, and sells his own nephews and nieces!"
At some point, many young men from the village had also appeared outside the Liu family's small courtyard.
Lin Xiao glanced over and saw that most of them were from the Hu clan.
They had all stepped forward to back up their old patriarch.
Deterred by the Hu clan patriarch, Eldest Liu did not make a move to drag Liu Shengsheng away, but he did not leave either.
Seeing Liu Yunan and his mother and sister still braving the rain in the yard, Lin Xiao stopped dawdling. He immediately walked briskly into the Liu family's courtyard, acting as if there was no one else around.
He bypassed Eldest Liu directly, bowed to Patriarch Hu, and went to Widow Liu and the other two. He hurriedly handed over his umbrella and said:
"Auntie Liu, hurry and take Yunan inside to take shelter from the rain." Saying that, he helped up the half-lying Liu Yunan and walked toward the house.
Meeting Liu Yunan's gaze, Lin Xiao gave him a reassuring look.
Seeing that Lin Xiao had arrived, Liu Yunan gave him a weak smile, then finally closed his eyes in relief and passed out.
Seeing this greenhorn who came out of nowhere completely ignoring him, Eldest Liu burned with anger!
After helping Liu Yunan into the house, Lin Xiao did not linger and turned back to the yard.
He saw that Eldest Liu was indeed furious.
Lin Xiao suddenly smiled and bowed with cupped hands to Patriarch Hu in the yard, Village Chief Du outside the yard, and the other village elders, saying:
"The rain is getting heavier. Please, elders, go inside and rest for a while. Leave this place to me to handle."
The village elders looked at Lin Xiao, who was acting like the host, not quite understanding what this Lin boy was up to.
But the rain was indeed getting heavier. Even wearing straw rain capes, the wet and cold dampness seeping in was very uncomfortable for their old bones.
So they supported each other and entered the Liu family's courtyard.
They apologized for the intrusion to Widow Liu in the main room and stood under the eaves outside.
Seeing that the village elders did not enter the room, Widow Liu knew they were doing so to avoid arousing suspicion.
So she immediately went to take out a few small folding stools and placed them under the eaves.
Then the village elders sat down on the small stools.
The people inside and outside the yard were surprised that Eldest Liu hadn't made a move, and they all looked at him.
Throughout the whole process, Eldest Liu remained motionless in the rain.
He was like a statue, standing tall in the rain.
Furthermore, as he stood like a statue, an expression of unbelievable terror gradually appeared in his eyes.
He couldn't move!
All over his body, he couldn't even move a single finger!
And all of this started when this greenhorn in front of him came in!
Eldest Liu stared at Lin Xiao, unable to hide the terror in his eyes.
He was extremely shocked in his heart.
What kind of monster was this kid! He actually made him unable to move, not even able to make a sound!
Now, he couldn't even open his mouth to speak!