He raised his hand, pointing at Sun Shuiniu and her sons.
“You… you’re going against heaven, huh? Your family doesn’t even take me seriously at all.”
“Village Chief, don’t listen to that foul woman,” one of Sun Shuiniu’s eldest sons said, frowning at the chief.
“You… you…”
The village chief was furious—this boy still had the audacity to glare at him.
“Zhou Dachuan, huh? Tell him to come here!”
A villager shouted from the crowd, “Village Chief, Zhou Dachuan isn’t here. Every time his wife and sons cause trouble, he’s never around.”
After he said this, the surrounding villagers snorted in agreement.
Nobody was stupid. Zhou Dachuan’s meaning was obvious—he was letting his wife and sons run rampant in the village, and as long as they benefited, he didn’t care.
The village chief’s anger turned into a bitter laugh.
“Very well. It seems your Zhou family doesn’t want to stay in Daohuantian Village anymore? Planning to go up the mountain and become bandits?”
“Village Chief, what are you saying?”
Sun Shuiniu’s youngest son stepped forward angrily, clenching his fists.
His tall figure approaching startled the village chief, who staggered back a few steps.
“What do you want to do?”
Sun Shuiniu’s youngest son stopped, frowning. “Village Chief, we never cause trouble. We’re just standing up for our mother—when we see her being bullied, are we supposed to do nothing?”
“…Just watch her get bullied?” muttered a villager from the crowd.
“Tch, who dares bully her? She’s always the one causing trouble and taking advantage of others,” another said.
“People like her, you can’t reason with them. They take what they want and act all innocent. She says just a few words, and her five sons all come running.”
“Exactly. If your mother’s so precious, keep her inside! Why let her out?”
“Today’s outcome is exactly what they deserve—someone had to teach them a lesson.”
Many villagers had suffered at the hands of Sun Shuiniu’s family. Whose family hadn’t been taken advantage of? If anyone dared to say a word, her sons would come and beat them. They had long been bullies in the village. Today, someone finally stood up to them, and the villagers felt a strange satisfaction.
Xia Wanyue quietly stood behind the village chief, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Village Chief, since they won’t listen, don’t bother arguing. You take a rest over there; I’ll handle this.”
A single fight couldn’t settle everything, but if necessary, she could fight again.
After speaking, Xia Wanyue lifted her foot and kicked forward.
Old Xi frowned, reaching out to grab her leg.
His movement was fast, but Xia Wanyue was faster. She executed a graceful spin, sweeping her other leg horizontally.
Her kick hit his face, sending Old Xi flying.
The crowd parted as Old Xi landed right in front of Sun Shuiniu.
“Pfft—”
A mouthful of blood spurted out before he passed out.
“Ah! My son!”
Sun Shuiniu ignored her own pain and jumped from the stone she had been sitting on, rushing to her son.
Seeing Old Xi covered in blood, she panicked, thinking he had been killed.
“You vile woman! You killed my son, I’ll die with you!”
Sun Shuiniu lunged at Xia Wanyue, clawing at her, while her other sons, eyes blazing with anger, surrounded her.
Immediately, Xia Wanyue was entangled with Sun Shuiniu and the remaining sons.
Taking advantage of Xia Wanyue’s distraction, Sun Shuiniu reached for her hair while others held her.
Feeling the tug, Xia Wanyue grabbed her own hair and kicked backward.
Sun Shuiniu’s legs were sent flying, her body airborne, yet she still clutched Xia Wanyue’s hair.
In midair, several strands tore, and Sun Shuiniu collapsed to the ground, a few strands of Xia Wanyue’s hair still in her hands.
Xia Wanyue touched her sore scalp, frowning. She hadn’t expected to be grabbed by a woman’s hand.
Her anger flared, and she struck with no restraint.
Soon, Sun Shuiniu’s sons were lying on the ground, wailing.
“Stop! Stop! I’m wrong, I’m wrong!”
“We admit it! We admit it!”
“Please, no more, we won’t dare again!”
“Stop! It hurts so much!”
Sun Shuiniu lifted her head, blood streaming from her forehead and mouth, a terrifying sight.
Seeing her sons beaten so badly, tears streamed down her face.
Now she regretted everything—if she had known, she wouldn’t have provoked this “fierce woman.”
She crawled over, hugging Xia Wanyue’s leg and pleading between sobs.
“Please! I was wrong! I’ll give back the rice! No more! I promise, never again!”
Sun Shuiniu’s tears and snot ran freely, her voice trembling. She had also hit her head during the fall, breaking a few teeth.
Seeing Sun Shuiniu and her sons in this pitiful state, the surrounding villagers went from excitement to a hint of sympathy.
One shook their head.
“Terrible… so terrible. This woman’s a demon. No one should mess with her in the future.”
“She could really kill someone!”
“Lady Yue, enough! Stop beating them,” the village chief said, hurrying to intervene.
If this continued, someone might really die. Such chaos could attract government officials—and Lady Yue would be implicated.
He glanced at Xia Wanyue, somewhat annoyed.
“You just hit them, why so cruel?”
Then he looked at Sun Shuiniu.
“Do you admit your wrongdoing today?”
Sun Shuiniu knelt on the ground, numb, and nodded.
“I admit it… it’s my fault, my fault…”
Since giving birth to five sons, she had felt invincible.
No one dared to challenge her. She had done a lot in the village, never been beaten.
Today, she was truly scared.
The village chief sighed, waving his hand.
“Fine, take your sons and go home.”
Sun Shuiniu and her sons left.
Xia Wanyue had no reason to stay either. She glanced at the village chief. She had clearly sensed his slight disapproval earlier.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Xia Wanyue shook her head, smirking.
“If people don’t offend me, I don’t offend them.”
She then took out the rent money for her house, handed it to the village chief, and drove the bullock cart home.
The village chief looked at the money in his hands and sighed.
“Ah! Such a good girl… how did she turn out like this?”
Behind the crowd, Zhao Dahua shrank back, having just hidden and watched the spectacle.
Seeing Xia Wanyue’s combat ability, she felt oddly relieved.