Tian Juhua wanted to reach out and catch it, but she was too slow.
With a loud *clatter*, her heart shattered completely.
This was something she had bought in town just a few days ago, costing over ten yuan for a set. If it hadn’t had minor flaws, the seller would never have let it go at that price.
She had searched for a long time to find such a cheap and beautiful tea set.
“You fool, you actually broke my teapot!”
She lunged forward to grab Tong Xiaoqian, but Tong Xiaoqian dodged with a quick sidestep. Tian Juhua crashed right onto a chair, her forehead hitting the chair back with a thud, making her howl in pain.
As if performing a magic trick, a flip knife appeared in Tong Xiaoqian’s hand.
The blade spun beautifully a few times in her hand before dropping onto the table with a loud *thud*, brushing right past Tian Juhua’s ear.
When Lei Yihong saw her spinning the knife, he almost stood up.
That knife, and that exact way of spinning it, was identical to Little Seven’s.
Back then, seeing Little Seven spin it so skillfully, he had specifically found a knife to practice with when he got back.
The very first time he tried spinning it, he nearly sliced his own finger off.
Tian Juhua seemed to have hit the pause button; her body went completely still, and her voice froze.
Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the table beside her, where a blade stood shiny and erect.
Just now, she had felt the chill of that blade brushing past her cheek.
If it had been slightly off, her head would have been split open.
Tong Xiaoqian grabbed her by the hair, making her lift her face. “Speak to me a bit more gently from now on. I personally hate noise the most. As you know, I used to be a fool. If I hear anything unpleasant, I might not be able to control myself, and I’m capable of doing anything—even murder and arson!”
“Let me ask you one more time: when are you moving?”
Tian Juhua opened her mouth, gesturing wildly and making muffled “oh-oh” sounds.
Tong Xiaoqian felt her dislocated jaw, skillfully popped it back into place with a swift movement, and then immediately extended her hand. “Five yuan!”
One shouldn’t ruin the market rate.
How could Tian Juhua dare not pay? Trembling, she pulled five yuan out of her pants pocket and handed it to Tong Xiaoqian. “Im… im… immediately moving…”
Tong Tieshan and Tong Dahai were also scared silly. Now, Tong Tieshan also felt that what his wife said made sense.
Was this really his foolish niece?
“Xiao… Xiaoya, what your second aunt did back then was indeed wrong, and I was at fault too…” As he spoke, a few tears dropped from his eyes.
Tong Xiaoqian walked over, looked at him, and smirked. “Her attitude toward me depended on your attitude. There’s no regret medicine sold in this world; your tears have come far too late.”
“If you want to live comfortably in the future, don’t ever show up in front of me again.”
Saying that, she gave him two heavy pats and casually pinched his shoulder. Tong Tieshan instantly felt a wave of numbness spread from his shoulder all the way down to his fingertips.
Shedding a few crocodile tears and expecting to wipe away all past wrongs wouldn’t work with her.
Tong Dahai, refusing to give up, asked, “What about the money we spent fixing up the house…”
Tong Xiaoqian sat back down on the chair, not even lifting an eyelid. “You altered my family’s house without permission and lived in it for so many years. How should we settle that account?”
The three of them fell silent. How could it be settled? This fool… no, she was a lunatic now, and she could calculate them out of their very underwear.
Tong Xiaoqian pulled the knife off the table and played with it in her hands. “Disappear right now, this instant. I gave you time to pack your things, but since you didn’t take action, now it’s best if you just disappear.”
She had originally thought that if they moved out promptly, she would let them take their clothes and personal belongings.
But now, she had changed her mind.
Tian Juhua plopped down on the ground and began to wail. “You have to let us take our stuff.”
“Besides what originally belonged to our family, how many things here are actually yours? Get out!”
“Wangcai!”
Wangcai, who had been lying there waiting for an opportunity, seemed to receive a command. It immediately stood up, shook its body, bared its teeth, and assumed an extremely ferocious stance. In a flash, it charged forward, bit into Tian Juhua’s pant leg, and dragged her outward.
Scared out of her mind, Tian Juhua held her jaw with one hand while screaming at the top of her lungs.
Tong Dahai turned around and glanced at the television, wanting to reach out and carry it away. A knife flew right past the back of his hand and stuck straight into the wall, scaring him so much that he snapped his hand back, clutched his head, and ran to the door.
Slamming on the brakes at the doorway, he waited until Lei Yihong leisurely moved the chair aside before pressing himself flat against the doorframe and carefully scraping his way out.
He didn’t dare touch Lei Yihong in the slightest.
Tong Tieshan wanted to say something more, but seeing Tong Xiaoqian stand up and pull the knife off the wall to spin it in her hands, he hurriedly pulled Tian Juhua up and ran outside.
Tian Juhua’s arm was being dragged by him, her leg was being dragged by Wangcai, and her buttocks scraped along the ground. “My newly bought tea set… and the thermos haven’t been taken yet… boohoo…”
She suddenly turned her head to look at Tong Xiaoqian. “You’re not that fool!”
Tong Xiaoqian smiled, leaned into her ear, and whispered, “You’re right. I’m a vengeful spirit back to claim your life!”
She deliberately drew out the last four words, pronouncing them one by one.
Tian Juhua’s eyes instantly widened, filled with terror. Tong Xiaoqian knew she believed it.
This woman was superstitious!
Tong Tieshan heard it too, and the two of them scrambled and crawled out the door.
Watching the family of three run out of the courtyard, Tong Xiaoqian curled her lip. “Tch, cowards!”
“We’ll take the television and the radio recorder away, along with the bicycle by the door. As for the rest…”
She felt disgusted by the thought that those things had been used by them.
“If eldest uncle’s family can use any of it, let them keep it.”
Just as she reached out to pick up the television set, Lei Yihong quickly walked over. “Let me!”
His eyes were fixed on Tong Xiaoqian, his gaze so intense that she couldn’t ignore it even if she tried.
She had noticed earlier that this guy had been staring at her as if he were out of his mind.
“Are you sick?”
Lei Yihong’s mind went blank for a second, and he blurted out, “Do you have medicine?”
Tong Xiaoqian: “…”
This guy was beyond help.
She stepped outside, with Wangcai trotting behind her attentively.
Lei Yihong held the black-and-white television set in one hand and tucked the radio recorder under his arm.
The 14-inch black-and-white TV wasn’t too heavy, so he could manage it.
Tong Xiaoqian walked into the courtyard, where the Lei family’s bicycle was parked. She kicked open the kickstand, and Lei Yihong placed the radio recorder into the front basket, grabbing a piece of rope nearby to tie down the television securely.
“Let me push it.”
Tong Xiaoqian didn’t stand on ceremony and handed the bicycle to him.
Lei Yihong tried to suppress his beating heart, which felt as if it were about to jump out of his chest. He had so many questions to ask, but the very first sentence that burst out was, “Do you have a daughter?”
Tong Xiaoqian thought his question was extremely bizarre. “I’m not even married, where would I get a daughter?”
She added another sentence, “Not even an illegitimate one!”
None? Lei Yihong wanted to press further, but Wangcai suddenly rushed over and shoved him to the side, almost causing him and the bicycle to tip over.
Wangcai even barked at him with intense hostility.
Lei Yihong thought, why was this dog so annoying?
In his memory, Wangcai had been very close to the original host.
Ever since he woke up, however, this dog had been barking at him continuously, as if looking down on him.
Yet toward Tong Xiaoqian, it was exceedingly affectionate.
Wangcai chased right behind Tong Xiaoqian, barking non-stop.
Seeing that Tong Xiaoqian wasn’t paying attention to it, it even ran out in front to block her path while barking.