A cold sensation spread from her neck, and Mrs. Xu's heart shattered with fear. She said in panic, "If you, if you dare to harm, harm me in the slightest, I, I absolutely won't let you off, you'll, you'll regret it..."
"Apologize to my granddaughter!" Zhang Xiaoying's eyes narrowed slightly, emitting a dangerous glint, "Or I'll cut out your tongue, so your filthy mouth can never spew trash again!"
"Zhang family..."
"Apologize!"
Zhang Xiaoying thrust the firewood knife forward, grazing Mrs. Xu's neck.
Mrs. Xu screamed.
Seeing this, the onlookers all turned pale with fright.
Meanwhile, the granddaughter stood staring at Zhang Xiaoying, her vision gradually blurring.
For the first time, her grandmother was protecting her like this; was she dreaming?
"She's only a child, and you, you heartless wretch, tarnish her reputation in public? Even with our great feud, I have never dragged your child into it. The tiger does not show its power, do you think I'm a sick cat?" Zhang Xiaoying's face darkened, "If anything were to happen to my granddaughter, if she were to have any sort of mishap, I'd chop off your legs!"
The villagers were accustomed only to the original Zhang's bluster and curses; they had never seen such a ferocious Zhang Xiaoying.
Zhang Xiaoying was not one to reason with them.
Zhang Xiaoying knew all too well the malice of rumors against young girls in this era.
Especially since the granddaughter was still a child!
Seeing Zhang Xiaoying meant business, Mrs. Xu panicked, "You, you stop messing around, if I die, you won't end well! It was just a joke, why, why are you taking it so seriously?"
Mrs. Xu's arrogance had vanished, and she trembled nervously.
"Deaf?" Zhang Xiaoying moved in closer, tapping Mrs. Xu's face with the back of the knife, "Can't hear an apology?"
"Granddaughter, I just ran my mouth without thinking, just talking nonsense, don't take it to heart," under the threat of the knife, Mrs. Xu had no choice but to bow her head, pulling up the corners of her mouth into a forced smile towards the granddaughter, "You won't mind, right?"
The granddaughter glanced cautiously at Zhang Xiaoying.
She was still afraid that Zhang Xiaoying would scold her.
"See, the granddaughter doesn't even say anything, can you put the knife away now?" Mrs. Xu cautiously pushed the firewood knife away with her hand, her heart lodged in her throat, fearing that a tremble in Zhang Xiaoying's hand would cost her life.
Zhang Xiaoying glanced coolly at Mrs. Xu, "Is that your apology?"
"Didn't I just say it to the granddaughter?" Mrs. Xu's hair stood on end, her whole body tensed.
Zhang Xiaoying snorted coldly.
Mrs. Xu hastily followed up, "Granddaughter, I'm sorry, I was just running my mouth just now, talking nonsense, it was all nothing, I won't say it again."
The granddaughter looked at Zhang Xiaoying again.
Zhang Xiaoying gestured for her to handle it herself.
The granddaughter mustered up her courage, "Um, don't say it again in the future."
Zhang Xiaoying: "..."
This little girl was still too kind-hearted.
But since the granddaughter had spoken, Zhang Xiaoying couldn't well tear her down and destroy the bravery she had just begun to muster.
Zhang Xiaoying retracted the firewood knife, staring at Mrs. Xu, "Today, for the granddaughter's sake, I'll let you off the hook. If there's a next time I hear you spouting nonsense, see if I don't cut out your tongue, understood?"
Having said that, Zhang Xiaoying turned to the granddaughter, "Come, let's go home."
The granddaughter's spirits instantly soared.
She quickened her pace to catch up with Zhang Xiaoying, wanting to be close to her but also afraid of annoying her, so she followed right behind Zhang Xiaoying like a little tail.
Today, grandmother was so powerful, kind to her, and protective—how she wished grandmother would always be like this... The granddaughter watched Zhang Xiaoying's back, quietly hoping in her heart.
Zhang Xiaoying, of course, had no idea about the granddaughter's thoughts, but she could hear the whispers of the people behind:
"It seems this Zhang family has really run into evil spirits, could she be possessed by a lonely ghost?"
"Her demeanor just now was terrifying, I've never been so scared before."
"She even killed a wild boar, this is no simple matter. I suspect she's truly been possessed by a ghost. Right, I know of an Immortal Maiden who is very powerful, why don't we ask her to take a look? In case it really is a lonely ghost, we don't want it to harm us later on!"
...
Zhang Xiaoying slightly curled her lips.
She was actually hoping they wouldn't seek out this so-called "Immortal Maiden"!
Anyway, after today's events, the Xu family should be too frightened to come looking for trouble again.
Zhang Xiaoying strutted through the village and returned to the Xu Family.
Xu Qinglin and Xu Changsheng had already placed the wild boar in the courtyard.
Madam Lin sat under the eaves, still with a stony face not speaking.
Zhang Xiaoying's glance swept over her and landed on the wild boar.
"Second Branch, go boil water, we need to process the wild boar quickly, lest the meat quality deteriorates from waiting too long," Zhang Xiaoying commanded. "Eldest, take down the door plank, and Second, go sharpen the knives."
"Are we not selling such a big wild boar? Congcong's scholarship grant isn't settled yet!" Madam Lin leaped up, agitated. "Mother, you already ate the chicken, are you going to consume the wild boar too? What about Congcong's future?"
"I'm the one who killed the wild boar; don't I have the right to deal with it?" Zhang Xiaoying stared coldly at Madam Lin. "Does everything in this family have to revolve around you folks from the Second Branch, still not content? Or should the whole family cater to you to make it right?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Lin's expression changed instantly, "Mother, I didn't mean that..."
"That's exactly what you mean! Are you uncomfortable because I ate that chicken? Well, let me ask you, who killed the wild boar? Who saved your life? In the past, I only treated you well because I felt I owed Second Branch, not because everything good should naturally go to the Second Branch!"
"I..."
"Do you think it's unfair, do you? Have I ever mistreated you over the years? The First Branch toiled to death without a complaint, did they? Now I understand, the nicer I am to you, the more ungrateful you are, thinking everything should belong to you!"
Zhang Xiaoying's tone suddenly turned icy, her gaze sharpening as well.
"What kind of life did you lead in town this past year? Do you have no idea of the life we had in the village? The moment I don't prioritize you, it's all my fault! I'm telling you, my patience has limits too!"
Madam Lin was intimidated by Zhang Xiaoying, unable to utter a word for a long time.
She always felt that if she retorted, the next moment the mother-in-law's firewood knife might come down on her head.
"Are you not going to work?" Zhang Xiaoying barked.
Madam Lin gritted her teeth and reluctantly entered the kitchen with her head bowed.
Madam Liang came out of the room at this time as well.
Zhang Xiaoying frowned upon seeing this, "What are you running out here for?"
"Mother, I'm not in trouble anymore, I can work now," Madam Liang said in a low voice, not daring to look up at Zhang Xiaoying.
"Go back, if anything happens later, you'll blame me again, are you courting disorder in the house?" Zhang Xiaoying said irritably. "From now on, whatever I say goes, anyone disobeys or talks back, don't blame me for kicking you out of the house."
As these words came out, everyone in the courtyard looked over.
Zhang Xiaoying didn't look back as she entered the house.
All these troubles, sigh...
Due to Zhang Xiaoying's anger, no one dared to nitpick, they all went about their tasks.
Zhang Xiaoying locked herself in the room and then took out a cookbook she had found while searching for supplies in city ruins, scanning it seriously for delicious pork recipes.
"Mrs. Xu, look what good news I've brought you."
Zhang Xiaoying was drooling over the cookbook when the loud voice outside interrupted her culinary fantasies.
Zhang Xiaoying recognized the voice and couldn't help but frown.