By evening, the sun still hadn’t fully set. The whole family was gathered around the dinner table eating supper when someone knocked at the door.
Compared to Yang Xiaocao’s earlier pounding, this knock was much gentler.
At the same time, a man’s voice called out:
“Auntie, it’s me—Dafu! Open the door!”
The visitor was none other than Qin Dafu, the village chief.
He was a distant clansman related to Qin Dashu’s three brothers through several branches of the family tree, and also the acting head of Qin Family Village.
Everyone immediately stopped eating and turned to look at Li Xiaoxiao.
Currently struggling to swallow the throat-scratching coarse-grain porridge, Li Xiaoxiao lifted her eyes toward Qin Daya and ordered:
“Go open the door.”
“But only let Qin Dafu inside. If anyone else tries coming in, shut the door in their faces.”
Qin Daya obediently set down her bowl and chopsticks to answer the door.
Second Flower immediately followed after setting down her own bowl as well, casually grabbing a stick from the courtyard along the way.
Passing through the courtyard, she glanced at Qin Dabao—who was no longer picky about hard black buns and was now devotedly chewing one—and secretly felt pleased.
Without saying a word, she followed her older sister.
The moment Qin Daya opened the gate, she saw Qin Dafu’s dark face split into a grin full of white teeth.
“Daya, your uncle’s here to talk with your grandma.”
“Come in, Uncle Dafu,” Qin Daya replied calmly. “Grandma’s waiting for you.”
She stepped aside to let him enter.
At the same moment, Yang Xiaocao and another man behind him also tried squeezing through the doorway.
SWISH!
Second Flower immediately swung her stick toward them.
The two were so startled they hurriedly jumped backward.
“Great-auntie and Uncle Dacai,” Qin Daya said coldly, “my grandma only invited Uncle Dafu inside.”
Then—
BANG!
She slammed the door shut.
“You little brat! How dare you shut the door on me!” the man outside cursed furiously.
“Just wait till later and see how I deal with you worthless girl!”
“Son, stop talking…” Yang Xiaocao hurriedly whispered.
“That old hag isn’t dead yet! Dabao’s still inside her hands…”
“Hah! I’m not afraid of some old woman!” the man continued cursing loudly.
This man was Qin Da, the treasured grandson of Li’s in-laws—the only son born after her younger brother-in-law and his wife had seven daughters.
Hearing the shouting outside, Qin Daya’s expression remained numb.
Although her own grandmother wasn’t particularly kind to her, compared to most girls in the village, her life wasn’t terrible.
At least she got enough food to eat.
Sure, she was beaten and scolded sometimes, but her grandmother had never once said she wanted to sell her.
But this uncle’s family?
They constantly threatened to sell her and her sisters.
And not just anywhere—they specifically threatened to sell them into brothels.
Worse still, when Qin Daya’s great-grandmother had still been alive, she once tricked her into Uncle Qin Da’s house, tied her up, and prepared to sell her into a brothel for real.
The brothel madam had already arrived.
Money had already exchanged hands.
If Grandma hadn’t stormed over carrying a cleaver—dragging along her father, mother, second uncle, and third uncle while causing such a huge scene that the entire village got involved—
her entire life would have been ruined.
Thinking about that memory, Qin Daya unconsciously clenched her fists.
One day…
One day she would make sure these people could never bully anyone again.
After calming herself down, Qin Daya led Second Flower back to the dinner table to continue eating.
Meanwhile, Qin Dafu stood awkwardly beside the square dining table rubbing his palms together.
Internally, he cursed his terrible luck.
What kind of nonsense was this?
Other village chiefs ruled with dignity and prestige.
But him?
He felt more like everyone’s grandson than the village head.
From grandparents to parents to sons, Qin Dacai’s entire family consisted of troublemakers.
And this auntie before him wasn’t someone easy to reason with either.
“Auntie… eating dinner?” Qin Dafu asked awkwardly.
“Can’t you see that?” Li Xiaoxiao replied flatly after setting down her bowl.
“Speak. What exactly are you here for?”
“Don’t tell me you came looking for a free meal. My house didn’t prepare food for Village Chief Qin today.”
As she spoke, she signaled Qin Daya to bring him a stool.
Qin Daya immediately stood up and fetched the tiny stool usually reserved for two-year-old Third Girl.
Qin Dafu knew perfectly well the girl was deliberately mocking him for coming to mediate on behalf of Qin Dacai’s family.
Just like her grandmother—she held grudges.
But Qin Dafu’s skin was thick enough that he sat down anyway without complaint.
“Auntie… I came because of Qin Dabao.”
“You see, Uncle Yougui only has this one grandson. How could he bear seeing the child become a eunuch?”
“Yes, yes, their family acted improperly…”
“But blood is blood! One stroke still writes the same Qin surname! Surely you, as the elder, wouldn’t…”
Mid-sentence, Qin Dafu suddenly noticed Li Xiaoxiao’s increasingly terrifying expression and lost momentum entirely.
“Heh… heh… you understand what I mean, right…”
He laughed awkwardly while shrinking slightly atop the tiny stool.
Internally, he cursed Qin Dacai’s entire family again.
“Heh.” Li Xiaoxiao sneered.
“Wasn’t my younger brother-in-law’s family always eager to pass that grandson over to me anyway?”
Leaning comfortably back against her chair, she continued slowly:
“They’re just waiting for me to die so they can throw my bones to the dogs, move into my house, sell my granddaughters into brothels, and make my three useless sons and daughters-in-law work like cattle for them, aren’t they?”
The moment those words fell—
all three of Li’s sons reddened with anger.
Their wives had already started wiping tears from their eyes.
“Auntie, that’s wrong! Uncle Yougui and his wife already know they made mistakes!” Qin Dafu hurriedly tried persuading her.
“They won’t force the adoption anymore! Isn’t that enough?”
“No.”
“Before, I refused because I was foolish.”
“But now? I’ve changed my mind.”
“I accept this grandson.”
“Tomorrow I’ll castrate him and send him into the palace. At least before I die, I’ll enjoy some filial piety from my precious grandson.”
“And this way, he won’t grow up and sell my granddaughters into brothels first.”
Li Xiaoxiao spoke casually, as though discussing someone else’s business entirely.
“Auntie! You can’t do that! Absolutely not!”
“How can a grandson of the Qin family become a eunuch?!”
Qin Dafu waved his hands frantically.
Li Xiaoxiao abruptly stood upright and slammed the table.
BANG!
“So Qin family granddaughters are allowed to become prostitutes in brothels—”
“but Qin family grandsons can’t become eunuchs in the palace?!”
“At least the palace is a BETTER place than a brothel!”
Each slap against the table grew louder than the last.
Outside in the courtyard, Qin Dabao trembled while clutching his black bun and desperately shrank farther beneath the tree for safety.
“No no no no no! Auntie, calm down! Calm down!”
“Our Qin family are respectable people! We absolutely cannot sell girls into brothels!”
“As village chief, I, Qin Dafu, would be the first to object!”
“Hmph.”
Li Xiaoxiao glared at him without blinking.
Then she turned toward her three sons and issued her orders word by word through gritted teeth:
“Go.”
“Take your tools.”
“And respectfully invite the clan elders here.”
“Remember.”
“Invite them.”
“We’re going to discuss the adoption of Qin. Da. Bao.”
With that, she started striding toward the kitchen.
Second Flower instantly rushed forward and presented the cleaver with both hands.
“Grandma! Here’s your knife!”
The little girl tightly gripped her stick with the other hand.
“Grandma! I’ll help too!”
“This time I don’t even need an egg reward!”
Li Xiaoxiao gave Second Flower an approving smile.
Then she looked toward her stunned daughters-in-law and granddaughters and scolded loudly:
“You lot aren’t even as smart as five-year-old Second Flower!”
“What are you standing there for?! Grab weapons!”
“Come on! We’ll wait in the main hall!”
“Auntie! Please don’t act impulsively! We’re family! We can talk this out properly!”
Qin Dafu hurried after Li Xiaoxiao while desperately pleading.
Ever since hitting her head, this old woman had become even harder to deal with.
Good heavens.
What kind of disaster had he gotten dragged into now?