“A life for a life, a debt for a debt. I figured the wronged had their target and the debtor had their lender, so I’d go after whoever laid the hands on her. But you, you came kicking my door down at dawn and threatening to sue me at the county court.”
“You had your eye on my family’s money and house. They couldn’t get it by robbing in broad daylight, so you came playing your little mind games to take it by force. Is that what your books taught you, to seize things by force?”
“Let’s go. We’re going to the school where you studied. I’ll ask your teacher whether he taught you to read and write, or whether he taught you how to be a decent human being.”
After that brutal beating, Liu Sandong’s face had swollen up like a pig’s head. The pain had his whole body trembling and spasming, and he was so filthy it was unbearable to look at, no different from a wandering beggar. Not a trace of the respected scholar’s dignity remained.
She struck too viciously, every blow agonizing. Liu Sandong was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, to cling to life and dread death. He was terrified of dying at her hands, and in his panic he begged for mercy. “No, no, don’t go.”
“Chouya, Chouya, I—I was wrong. I wouldn’t dare, never again.”
“I’ll keep—keep my family in line. I won’t come to your house again, never again. I don’t want your house.”
Seeing him beg for mercy after just one beating, Shen Yuntan stopped and stood with her hands on her hips, catching her breath, looking down at him with contempt. “Weren’t you so capable just now? Kicking my door down, threatening me, demanding I pay a hundred taels of silver and hand over the house and land deeds. Weren’t you a man of influence at the county court? Weren’t you going to have me exiled?”
“I—I was just—just joking with you.”
Liu Sandong now regretted coming alone. Yesterday his whole family had been beaten half to death. At the time he hadn’t quite believed she had done it single-handedly. He’d thought they were all lying, unwilling to believe one Chouya could have beaten them like that.
Now, his head was clear.
This damned girl was freakishly strong. She’d probably secretly picked up some martial arts. Forget the old, weak, women, and children of his family. Even seven or eight able-bodied men probably couldn’t handle her.
A wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him.
He couldn’t let himself be broken here today. He would remember this beating and find a chance to pay her back later.
He thought this while his eyes darted about. Shen Yuntan saw through the scheme brewing in him at a glance and gave him a smile of absolute contempt. “So the respected xiucai’s word doesn’t count after all. Just now you were ranting about going to the courthouse to beat the drum and file a complaint. Now you’ve changed your tune. What a spineless coward.”
Those words were like a sharp silver needle, piercing precisely into the place Liu Sandong cared about most.
Shen Yuntan knew that scholars like him, men with rank and standing in Changshan County, cared above all about their reputation. So she deliberately stomped and ground her heel into his pride.
Coward!
Liu Sandong ground his teeth in fury, but his cheeks were swollen from her beating, and all his teeth were loose. The slightest movement made him hiss in pain. He glared at her with hatred in secret.
Most of the villagers had grievances with the Liu family, especially the old women. Their mouths had no filter. News of his beating today would spread. How would he teach and educate students at the school after this? How would he hold his head up among his literary friends?
And going to the county court to report it…
Auntie’s death really was tied to his parents and two elder brothers. If this went to court, Shen Yuntan setting fire to the house and striking people was indeed a crime, but the Liu family pushing someone to their death was also a serious crime. Weighing one against the other, who would win was far from certain.
More importantly, his xiucai rank was most vulnerable to being tainted by a lawsuit involving a death. Once it was, even if he didn’t lose his rank, the education commissioner would at least make a note of it, affecting his future attempts at the provincial exam.
He had worked so hard to earn his xiucai rank. He absolutely could not let something like this ruin his future.
Having thought it through, he knew today’s beating was for nothing, and the same for the rest of his family. They couldn’t recover their standing in this matter.
But then again, there was always time.
A wild girl with no one to rely on. Sooner or later, he would make her pay a painful price.
“Are you still going to the courthouse to file that complaint? If you are, get up and let’s go right now.”
Shen Yuntan deliberately urged him on, hands on her hips like a little hellion, a mocking smile on her lips and eyes as cold as ice shards in the depths of winter.
How could Liu Sandong miss the mockery in her eyes? It made his chest ache with stifled rage, the taste of blood rising to his throat, but he could only suppress it. He forced himself up through the agony wracking his body and spoke through chattering teeth. “I have matters at home today. I won’t hold you to account for this.”
He threw out those words and turned to leave, dragging a limping leg.
One beating and he caved. Forget Shen Yuntan’s contempt. Even the villagers watching the show looked down on him now.
An old woman chased after him with a curse. “Coward!”
Even they were stomping on him now. Liu Sandong’s vision went black with rage, blood seeping from his mouth. He silently marked them all down in his mind, his steps quickening, his cloth shoes thudding on the road. That retreating figure looked for all the world like a man in flight.
Shen Yuntan didn’t chase after him to mock him further. She withdrew her gaze, gave a faint snort through her nose, and turned to go back inside.
But the village headman called out to her, his face full of worry. “Chouya, your grand-uncle, the Liu family, they’re not easy people. They’ve taken a loss now, and they’ll surely remember it. I’m afraid they’ll seek revenge later.”
“Especially this Liu Sandong. Ever since he passed the xiucai exam, he doesn’t give a damn about the villagers. He really has made some connections outside, and a xiucai does carry some weight. You’d best be careful from now on.”
The headman meant well. Shen Yuntan appreciated it and nodded. “Headman, I’m not afraid. If he’s brewing more schemes, I’ll strip that layer of skin off him. Without that rank, he won’t have the standing to play the fox borrowing the tiger’s might.”
With that, she said no more and went back inside.
The headman frowned slightly at her words, thinking to himself. Liu Sandong’s xiucai rank is officially registered. Is it so easy to strip? Is this girl talking nonsense?
“This rotten family took a beating. They should settle down for a while.” The old hunter felt relaxed all over now, all the resentment he’d held for years finally released.
“Every one of them was beaten beyond recognition by Chouya, ugly as toads in a mountain ditch. Especially the old hag. Her mouth is completely out of teeth, and her eyes are swollen shut. She won’t recover for three to five months.”
“The old bastard’s teeth are all gone too. Can’t be replaced. His face is deformed. He probably won’t dare show his face anymore.”
“Those two bastards’ arm bones are broken. Tendon and bone injuries take at least a hundred days. The village will be quiet for at least three or four months.”
“Yesterday Chouya really gave them what they deserved. One person, and she took down the whole family so they couldn’t get up. This girl’s skills are impressive. Wonder who she learned from.”
“If she’d moved against them earlier, Grandmother Liu wouldn’t have lost her life.”
“With those skills, the reason she didn’t beat them before was probably out of respect for Grandmother Liu. After all, they were her natal family.”
“Probably. But once they killed Grandmother Liu, she couldn’t hold back anymore.”
“Old Zhao’s wife, didn’t you say you were going to give Chouya eggs? Go get them.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll go get eggs for Chouya. Those Liu family thugs and trash getting beaten, Chouya helped my family vent a grievance. I’ll bring her five eggs.”
“Five eggs? You’re quite generous today.”
“That shameless nest of the Liu family, they’ve stolen nearly half a basket of eggs from my house. Chouya gave me a chance to let out that foul air. Giving a few more is only right.”
“…”