Volume One, Chapter Nine: Dealing with the Villain

Discharged in the morning, it was already past three in the afternoon by the time they reached Yonghe Village.

Upon arriving at Wang Cui’s home, Xia Nian nian settled the mother and child before starting to prepare the kang bed—lighting the fire and heating water. Once the room grew warm, the water on the honeycomb coal stove began to boil.

Two bowls of millet porridge accompanied by a small dish of salted vegetable shreds made up their modest dinner.

After eating and tidying up, dusk gradually fell outside.

The countryside lacked electricity like the city; relying on a single candle and the stove’s glow was just enough to see clearly.

Just as Xia Nian nian was about to fetch some firewood from outside, the tightly shut courtyard gate was violently kicked open. A stout woman, accompanied by several others, stormed toward the house, shouting like a bully.

“I told you, Wang Cui is no good! Now look at her—running off for days and even bringing home some wild man! What a disgrace!”

Seeing Wang Cui clutching her child warily, Xia Nian nian guessed that this stout woman was Li Meihua, the eldest aunt Wang Cui had mentioned.

Xia Nian nian strode over to the kang and gently patted Wang Cui’s shoulder, whispering, “Just hold the child tight. Don’t worry about the rest.”

After all the repression these past days, it was time she let herself go a little.

Without a word, Li Meihua lunged to strike Wang Cui on the kang, still clutching the baby, spouting insults.

“Getting bolder by the day, sneaking off and bringing home wild men—just wait and see what I do…”

Before she could finish cursing, a scream erupted. Li Meihua stumbled and fell flat on her back.

At that moment, a small face the size of a palm suddenly appeared before Li Meihua’s, delivering several kicks.

“No wonder my sister had no one to help when she gave birth. Seems this family’s relatives all have donkey mouths, spreading rumors every day!”

Though dressed in boyish clothes, Xia Nian nian’s voice was unmistakably that of a young girl—soft, yet oddly pleasant.

The women who had come with Li Meihua hesitated at the door, sensing something was amiss.

Suddenly, an out-of-place masculine voice sounded from outside, and Li Meihua’s expression turned as sour as if she had eaten spoiled food.

“Aunt Meihua, are you sure you saw right? Where’s this man supposed to be?”

Li Ergou, a local ruffian, came running in, panting and holding a flashlight, shouting at Li Meihua.

He had just searched the entire courtyard, even the outhouse, but hadn’t seen so much as a mouse.

Several bystanders at the door exchanged glances, signaling him to keep quiet, but he seemed oblivious. Pushing past them, he stepped inside.

“Auntie, why are you lying there?” He reached out to help her up but caught her eyes darting toward the kang.

“So you’re saying that wild man is hiding under the quilt, right?”

Feeling certain of his guess, he reached to lift Wang Cui’s quilt to find the wild man. Before he could get close, Xia Nian nian grabbed his arm and, despite his struggle, flipped him over her shoulder, throwing him to the floor.

Unafraid of offending anyone, Xia Nian nian then delivered a series of harsh kicks to Li Ergou, leaving him curled up on the ground, unable to rise for some time.

“A grown man daring to lift a woman’s quilt—believe it or not, I’ll report you to the police for harassment.”

She glanced meaningfully at the women who had come to gawk.

Once labeled a molester, Li Ergou’s life would be ruined, and those involved wouldn’t escape blame either.

Not willing to take this lying down, Li Ergou scrambled up, ready to fight Xia Nian nian. But after one well-placed kick, he crumpled as if his insides had been torn apart, wailing on the ground.

“You filthy bitch! How dare you hit me? Just wait—tonight I’ll show you... ah!”

Before finishing his curse, a fist landed squarely on his face, followed by several fierce kicks to his stomach from Xia Nian nian. Someone shouted to fetch the village chief.

Before they could leave, Xia Nian nian’s voice rang out first.

“Make sure you call all the village officials and villagers so they can see the disgusting faces of those who bully orphans and widows.”

After speaking, she struck Li Ergou with another brutal kick—this time straight to his groin. Sweat beaded across his forehead; he opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Those watching saw the target of the kick and shuddered in sympathy.

Just then, someone had called the village chief. Yang Jianshe hurried in, followed by two soldiers.

In the faint candlelight, Xia Nian nian immediately recognized them as Gu Nanzhou and Wang Hu, and her heart skipped a beat.

She wondered how it was possible to encounter these two every time there was a fight.

Yang Jianshe, furious that Li Ergou was the one beaten, ground his teeth.

“Li Ergou, what have you done this time?”

Seeing the village chief arrive, Li Ergou howled like a mad pig.

“Uncle Yang, she kicked me… kicked me right here,” he wailed, pointing to his lower body. “I’m the sole heir of my family line, and I’m not even married yet! Waaa…”

His words drew a few stifled laughs from the crowd, which soon spread.

Yang Jianshe gave them a warning glance, signaling them to behave, then looked at Wang Cui, who lay silently on the kang.

Stretching his neck without moving his feet, he quietly asked, “When did you come back?”

Tears pooling in her eyes, Wang Cui choked out, “My sister brought me back this afternoon. We’d just finished eating when that woman and a group barged in, shouting about some wild man. They found no one, and then Li Ergou tried to lift my quilt until my sister beat him up.”

Hearing her sorrowful sobs, the other officials remained silent.

Wang Cui’s family lived far away, and they hadn’t been in contact for years. Now that her husband and mother-in-law were gone, it was only natural her family came to care for her after childbirth.

But what was Li Meihua’s intention? Wasn’t she leading the charge to bully her own niece-in-law?

Yang Jianshe sighed and nodded. Following Wang Cui’s gaze, he saw a boyish figure standing in the shadows, his eyes flashing with displeasure.

Wang Hu then recognized him as the young man who had traveled on the train with them. Why was he being called the younger sister?

Gu Nanzhou was even more surprised to learn that Xia Nian nian’s cousin was from Yonghe Village and was, in fact, the widow of Yang Zhuzi, who had been killed by a wild boar six months ago.

Li Ergou, upon hearing this, sprang up from the ground, refusing to believe it. With village officials and soldiers present, he dared not provoke Xia Nian nian again.

Shining his flashlight in Wang Cui’s face, he shouted, “You’re talking nonsense! When have I ever lifted your quilt? Believe that and I’ll… ah! Uncle Yang, help me!”

The scene was chaotic, tensions running high in the dimly lit room.