Upon hearing the latter part of the remark, Li Guang immediately adopted a righteous stance. He frowned and said, "Auntie, it wasn't easy for Shitou to bag a wild pig; taking his pig is unjustifiable. If he comes to you, it'll be difficult to explain. Why don't you return it to the Liu Family? I can mediate for you."
"Who's yattering there? Did any of you see me steal anyone's wild pig? Did the Liu Family come asking for it? Oh, so now I'm not allowed on the back hill of Dafu Village?" Zhang Xiaoying stood up and looked at Li Guang coldly.
Li Guang smiled. "Auntie, we have to be reasonable. Just look around at the villagers; who doesn't have a grievance with the Xu Family? To be frank, we're all from the same village, and there's no need to be so extreme about things. You can't really afford to fall out with everyone. Otherwise, in the future, even our Li Family won't be able to help you!"
Zhang Xiaoying took a deep breath. She reminded herself not to stoop to the imbeciles' level because they would drag her down to their level and then beat her with experience!
A mother gone, now the son turns up. The original owner really had a knack for attracting certain people...
"In my opinion, it would be best to return the wild pig to the Liu Family," Li Guang said, looking at Zhang Xiaoying. "Auntie, I may be blunt, but don't take it to heart. No one can go through life without asking for help. Leave some leeway, so we can face each other in the future. We're so well-acquainted, I can mediate with the Liu Family..."
Zhang Xiaoying interrupted Li Guang coldly, "Are you deaf or is your brain sick? Can't you listen to others and stop jumping to conclusions? I don't know whether I'll ever have to ask for help, but I can assure you, I won't be asking the Li Family for anything in this lifetime!
"Did my Xu Family owe your Li Family something, or did we desecrate your ancestors' graves? Your mother wants to sell my Duaniang, and you're here to swindle my wild pig. Your whole family is up to no good, pretending to be righteous. If you're so concerned, why don't you take it up with the County Government Office?"
By the riverbank, only the sound of flowing water remained.
Zhang Xiaoying continued, "Although I'm no saint, I certainly couldn't sell my six-year-old granddaughter. I don't even know who's meant to take Duaniang as a child bride, yet now the whole village seems to be talking about it. So it was your Li Family spreading rumors!"
Li Guang's face turned pale. "You can't just make those accusations. What do you mean 'spread by our Li Family'?"
"Then let me ask you, what did you mean by talking about the betrothal gift offered by the Zhao Family? What was that earlier incident in the village with that old faithful Mrs. Xu of your family haranguing me about selling my granddaughter?" Zhang Xiaoying mimicked Li Guang's earlier gesture, "Seven taels of silver to sell my granddaughter; are your Li Family's girls that cheap?"
Xu Qinglin, who had remained silent until now, suddenly lost it. He stood up aggressively, his gaze fixed on Li Guang, "Is what my mother said true?"
They say the anger of a gentle person is the most fearsome, and Xu Qinglin's demeanor genuinely intimidated Li Guang, who was already feeling somewhat guilty from Zhang Xiaoying's words. As he unconsciously stepped backward, he missed his footing and tumbled into the water.
The river in Dafu Village had a swift current, and in his panic, Li Guang floundered and choked on several mouthfuls of water.
When Xu Qinglin thought of outsiders plotting against his daughter in the same way, his rage erupted once again. He pressed Li Guang's head down into the water with his eyes flaming, and demanded fiercely, "Are you planning to sell my daughter, or not?"
Li Guang was no physical match for Xu Qinglin, especially in the water, and soon he was actually screaming for help.
The villagers rushed to pull Xu Qinglin back upon seeing this.
"Have you lost your mind? Duaniang is safe and sound. If you kill Li Guang, you'll be executed."
"Let go quickly, Li Guang is drowning! If you commit murder, there won't be anyone left to protect Duaniang."
Xu Changsheng, seeing the situation, quietly moved behind Zhang Xiaoying and whispered, "Mother, we had an agreement about Wencong's scholarship grant, didn't we? How could you..."
Zhang Xiaoying was seething with indignation.
Why had the original owner considered selling Duaniang?
It was because Xu Changsheng had proposed it to the original owner for the sake of Xu Wencong's scholarship grant.
Zhang Xiaoying, without a second thought, kicked Xu Changsheng into the river as well.
The crowd had just pulled Xu Qinglin away and rescued Li Guang when they heard more thrashing in the water.
Upon looking, it was Xu Changsheng!
"Auntie, have you gone mad? Changsheng is your son!" someone couldn't help but criticize Zhang Xiaoying, "Even a tiger wouldn't eat its cubs; are you possessed, trying to kill your own son?"
"Don't you dare pull him out!" Zhang Xiaoying shouted fiercely, "Anyone who dares to help this unfilial son, I'll kick into the river as well."
"Madame Zhang, that is a man of the Xu Family!"
"I'm teaching my son, I don't need outsiders to nag and snivel."
Zhang Xiaoying brandished the knife in her hand.
"Whoever doubts me, want to give it a try?"
The crowd, seeing her stance, who would dare to step forward?
Xu Changsheng had wanted to call for help, but upon seeing Zhang Xiaoying's cold gaze, he shivered abruptly.
The men of Dafu Village, who hadn't grown up splashing in this river?
Xu Changsheng suddenly realized that after his mother was knocked unconscious once, she really had changed her temperament.
Although she remained as domineering as ever, the list of people she would not reason with now included him.
Xu Changsheng climbed out of the water, looking dejected.
It was still a cold snap in early spring, the river water was icy and bone-chilling, and Xu Changsheng trembled with cold.
"Go back home, and if you hide behind me again when trouble comes, see how I'll teach you a lesson! You actually used your mother as a shield!" Zhang Xiaoying scolded angrily.
Xu Changsheng didn't dare to retort and went home, shrunken and hugging his arms.
"Wait, take these with you." Zhang Xiaoying pointed to the bucket filled with cleaned pig offal. "It won't kill you with cold."
Xu Changsheng suddenly felt aggrieved.
Because his mother was no longer biased toward him!
Zhang Xiaoying turned a blind eye to Xu Changsheng's grievances.
If we're really talking about grievances, the first wife's family had it worse.
The original owner had owed Xu Changsheng, but Xu Yunfei's temperament today also owed much to Xu Changsheng. In the end, there was a cause for every effect, and everyone was swallowing the bitter consequences of their past indulgences.
Probably seeing that Zhang Xiaoying had also become merciless toward Xu Changsheng, Li Guang didn't dare say anything more either.
The fiercely combative nature of Madame Zhang could only be managed by her mother.
A good man doesn't fight with a shrew, and Li Guang was determined to have his mother regain the face they had lost today.
Li Guang, with a dark face and drenched clothes, ran back home.
Xu Qinglin crouched down miserably and continued to clean the wild boar.
Thinking of his wife and daughter, he felt a fiery agitation in his chest that was difficult to bear, and he desperately wanted to do something to vent it out.
Zhang Xiaoying stopped paying attention to others, and the onlookers, finding no entertainment, all left the riverside, leaving only Zhang Xiaoying and Xu Qinglin together.
"Big brother, do you have something you want to say?" Zhang Xiaoying could tell that Xu Qinglin was on the verge of exploding, and if she didn't help him vent soon, he might do something deeply regrettable.
Alas, the ice won't freeze three feet deep overnight; the original owner had exploited the first wife's family for too long, almost to the bone. When all troubles came at once, it could easily become the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
"Mother, is what Li Guang said true?" Xu Qinglin was silent for a long time before he finally raised his head to look at Zhang Xiaoying with a desolate gaze, clenching the blunt and old dagger, "Daniu is only six years old, you, you're really going to, going to sell her?"