Cheng Xiao Xiao's words darkened everybody's faces. They all knew that An Hung niang had gone too far. The Cheng's had done nothing to deserve her harassment. Everybody was speechless from her questioning.
Mrs. Cheng felt very emotional as well. Surely, most of the Willow villagers had been nice, but there had always been a few gossipy women like An Hung niang who targeted her constantly. She couldn't help but to chime in, "Patriarch Liu and others, my family fled to this place three yeas ago. We truly appreciated that you let us settled down here. We didn't take up any space in the village nor did we dare use your fields. We picked the baron land out there and, in addition, gave everyone one teal of silver in the hope that we will be accepted.
"In the past three years, my husband had provided help to many of you. He even built a few hunting tools for you. We see ourselves as part of Willow village and thought of you all as family. But now, not only were some of you insulting my daughter, they even came to our house to walk over us, constantly threatening to evict us. Is it because my husband's incident and now that we have no man in the household, you can just bulldoze over us?"
Everybody looked embarrassed. Everybody knew deep down inside that the Cheng's had always been nice to the villagers and provided constant help. Especially Cheng Biyuan, he had helped with forging hunting tools, ploughing the fields, fixing houses….
Mrs. Cheng was right that the Cheng's had always treated the villagers as part of them. They provided help whenever possible. Granted, none of the villagers never paid much attention to the harassment from An Hung niang and her bunch.
Now, An Hung niang, had really crossed the line. Anyone would be upset with that kind of bullying, let along the Cheng's.
Cheng Biyuan had once showed Liu Sanzhen a few hunting techniques and he had always been grateful of that. He felt very embarrassed by the behavior of his wife and shouted at her, "What is wrong with you. Quickly apologize to Mrs. Cheng!"
"Liu Sanzhen, are you crazy? How dare you shout at me? You are asking for it! Just watch what I will do to you tonig—" screamed An Hung niang.
"SLAP!"
A loud slap cut off An Hung niang's hysterical scream. Everybody was shocked. Nobody expected the mild-temperament Liu Sanzhen to strike his wife.
Even Cheng Xiao Xiao looked at Liu Sanzhen in awe. When she looked over to An Hung niang, her fatty face made the bright red hand print stood out even more. The bok choy sprouts dropped to the ground.
"You, you struck me?!" An Hung niang shook from anger, her eyeballs bulging out. She looked of disbelief.
Liu Sanzhen was really angry. Anything else he would have reacted differently, but he was an honorable man. What An Hung niang did today was objectionable and disgraceful.
"Why wouldn't I? Do you know what you've done? What had Brother Cheng and Sister Cheng ever done to you? When have they ever wronged you? Look at you? What have you done? Coming here to steal from them!"
The furious Liu Sanzhen pointed at her nose and scolded, "I don't care that you like to take advantages here and there. I tolerate you gossiping about others. But now you have you turned into a thief, and not only do you refused to admit fault, you insult others. What rights do you have to evict Brother Cheng and his family? You should be the one to leave Willow village, you are bringing disgrace upon us!"
"Liu Sanzhen, who do you think you are? You dare to me strike me? This isn't over! I am going to go home and have my brother come beat up you bast—"
"SLAP!"
Another loud slap, the obnoxious An Hung niang was stunned again. Now she has hand prints on both side of her cheeks. Under the angry stare of Liu Sanzhen, she finally shut up.
"Remember when I say this, one more shameful acts from you and I will divorce you and kick you out of Willow Village. You have no shame, but I do. I have a standard to live up to!"
"..." This was the first time An Hung niang lowered her proudful head. She was crossed, unreasonable. She was afraid of no one, but, she was afraid of a divorce. She would rather die than have a divorce.
The other villagers sighed. At the end of the day, it was An Hung niang who looked down upon the emigrated Cheng's family and she was envious of generosity and tenderness of Mrs. Cheng. She has the elegance not found in your everyday village women. That was the root of why she targeted the Cheng's all along.
Naturally, had Mr. Cheng not been injured, she would never have gone this far.
Seeing how An Hung niang was lectured, and slapped twice, Cheng Xiao Xiao's anger was almost all gone. Looking at the group of villagers in front of her, she smiled, "Grandpa Liu, other uncles and aunties, c'mon into our yard for some beverages. We haven't had so much visitors in a very long time."
"Right, right, maiden Cheng is so polite!"
Patriarch Liu smiled cheerfully, then gave An Hung niang a sideway glance and said, "Wife of Sanzhen, you have crossed the line this time. Everybody was getting along just fine, you shouldn't have came to bully them. Never mind that Mr. Cheng had helped all of us, he even helped your family a lot. Don't be such an ungrateful person. Spirits are always looking down at us. Be careful of karma!"
"An Hung niang, we all live together, there's no need to bully Mrs. Cheng. Look, you've picked all the sprouts that were growing just fine. And, on top of that, you want to evict them. Don't you think that's a bit much?"
"It's fate that we are all living together. You shouldn't have given them such a hard time. If someone treats you that way, you would have been scolding them every day. You have to be a fair person!"
"An Hung niang, we didn't want to say this, but you have really crossed the line this time! You can't do that again!"
"Exactly! We won't let you don't that again!"
The few village women that came chimed in to chastise An Hung niang. Her fat body shivered, but she didn't say anything to dispute.
The still angry Liu Sanzhen stared at her and said, "Be careful you are going to go to hell and Yan Wangye1 will pull your tongue and chop your arms!"
"Alright, alright, that's enough. As long as An Hung niang doesn't behave like that in the future!"
Patriarch Liu waved his hand and said to Mrs. Cheng, "Mrs. Cheng, we haven't visited Mr. Cheng in a long time. Now that we are all here, we should go visit him!"
"Yes! I haven't visited brother Cheng in a while too. Let's all go visit him!"
"I wonder how his recovery is coming along, let go check him out!"
"Mrs. Cheng, how's Mr. Cheng doing? Is he getting any better?"
"Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Patriarch Liu. Please—" Mrs. Cheng bowed to everyone, touched beyond words.
Cheng Xiao Xiao and her siblings also bowed to everyone. No matter what, they meant well.
Shortly, everybody has entered the Cheng's yard, chatting and laughing!