Chapter 8: Beating Up the Scumbag
It was now Yun Xiulan’s turn to step in. As the accountant at the textile factory, counting money was as easy for her as drinking water.
She handed the kitchen knife in her hand to Ning Hai and began carefully counting the cash. Although there were a lot of small bills mixed in, Yun Xiulan finished counting it all within a few minutes, neatly stacking and sorting the money. Then she nodded to Ning Hai and Ning Xiyue.
“Not a cent more or less — exactly six hundred yuan.”
“The money’s been returned, so… my IOU… and that ledger… can you give them back now?” Zhang Yuan was now desperate to leave this hellish place as soon as possible.
Ning Xiyue glanced at the six hundred yuan already laid out on the table. It was time to “shut the door and beat the dog.” She pressed her brick and, with a lazy smile, stepped closer to Zhang Yuan.
“Sure, I’ll give them back to you.”
But the moment her words fell, the brick in her hand came crashing down on Zhang Yuan like a raging storm. The smile on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by an icy cold expression.
“Aaaargh…!”
Zhang Yuan screamed in pain, struggling to dodge, but Ning Xiyue grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back, continuing the beating.
Ning Hai and Yun Xiulan weren’t about to sit this one out either. They’d been itching to beat up the bastard who had deceived their daughter for a long time. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, there was no way they’d let it slip.
Ning Hai pulled off the sweaty, stinky sock from his foot and stuffed it into Zhang Yuan’s mouth, holding him down so his wife and daughter could give him a thorough thrashing.
Whenever they felt the blows were getting too light, he swung the rolling pin in his hand, preventing Zhang Yuan from screaming or running. All he could do was endure the violent storm unleashed by the whole family.
“That’s for deceiving my feelings!”
“That’s for cheating me out of my money!”
“That’s for eating my food and using my things while calling me an idiot!”
“If I don’t beat you so hard you can’t get out of bed for at least ten days to two weeks, I’m not a Ning!” Ning Xiyue yelled, venting the frustration in her heart with each swing of the brick.
The brick had been modified so it wouldn’t kill anyone — it caused internal injuries without leaving visible marks. It was what people called “internal damage,” making the victim suffer silently, with no evidence to show for it. She could beat him as much as she liked without worry.
She had to admit — this brick was incredibly useful.
Ning Hai and Yun Xiulan, too, showed restraint. They remained rational throughout, only releasing the resentment they had bottled up for the past two years. There was no need to bring more trouble upon themselves for the sake of a scumbag. They deliberately aimed the rolling pin at his backside.
Once they felt he had been beaten enough, the three of them stopped and rubbed their sore arms.
Ning Xiyue threw the IOU at Zhang Yuan, who was now curled up on the floor.
“I’m keeping the ledger. Don’t ever show your face around me again. My brick doesn’t go easy.”
Zhang Yuan clutched the IOU tightly as Ning Hai tossed him out the door like a bag of garbage.
Standing in the doorway, Yun Xiulan spat on the ground.
“Get lost. And don’t ever let me see you again. Hmph. Trash.”
The door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Zhang Yuan lay on the ground for several minutes before he forced himself to stand, every part of his body aching. He tightened his grip on the IOU and stared silently at the closed door, his eyes filled with complicated emotions. Without a word, and under the pointing fingers of onlookers, he hobbled down the stairs, clutching his battered backside.
—
Inside the house, Yun Xiulan looked at the money on the table and praised her daughter.
“Yueyue, you’re really something. You even remembered about the account. Not only did we get the money back, but we also gave him a good beating. I finally feel relieved. Come on, let me see that ledger.”
Ning Xiyue paused, her hand still stroking the money, and then flashed a mischievous smile.
“Mom, you know I’ve never been the type to keep ledgers. That was a bluff. The book I showed him was just that red notebook you use for household accounts.”
“You little rascal.” Yun Xiulan exchanged a glance with Ning Hai and chuckled helplessly. “As long as we got it back, that’s all that matters. Put the money away and save it for when you go to the countryside. Tomorrow I’ll take you to the Supply Station to buy some things you’ll need.”
“Mom, you don’t need to go with me. I can handle it myself. You’ve been working so hard these past few days taking care of me. My head doesn’t hurt anymore, so I’d like to walk around a bit and stretch my legs. I’ll stop by the cooperative while I’m out.”
She had other things to take care of tomorrow, and it would be inconvenient to have someone tag along.
“Your body’s still weak. You shouldn’t be carrying anything heavy,” Yun Xiulan said worriedly.
She had completely forgotten that Ning Xiyue had just been swinging a brick around moments earlier. Where exactly did she see “weakness”?
Ning Xiyue felt the warmth of her mother’s love and, seeing the tiredness on Yun Xiulan’s face, walked over to massage her shoulders and back.
“Mom, you’ve worked so hard. Just go to work tomorrow and don’t worry about me. I can go with a friend, and there are still a few days before I have to leave for the countryside. I can buy things bit by bit — there’s no rush.”
“Xiulan, listen to the girl. She’s grown up — she has to be independent eventually.” Ning Hai ended the conversation with action, standing up and walking toward the kitchen. “We’re all hungry. Let’s eat.”
On the surface, Ning Hai looked calm, but inside he was feeling a little sour. Why didn’t his daughter come over to massage his shoulders and back? All she ever cared about was her mother.
“Alright, let’s eat,” Yun Xiulan replied.
Ning Xiyue began clearing the table in preparation for the meal, completely unaware that her father was feeling jealous.
That night, Ning Xiyue spread out all the money she had received on the bed. After happily rolling around in it a few times, she sat up and began counting it piece by piece with a radiant smile.
With a whopping 750 yuan in her possession, she was now a bona fide little rich lady in this era.
System No.3333, seeing the bright smile on its host’s face, appeared online to make its presence known.
“Host, the sign-in system will make you even richer. Becoming the richest person in Huaguo is no dream. You’ve just earned another sign-in chance — would you like to use it?”
“No, save it for me.”
Sign-in chances were rare, and Ning Xiyue didn’t want to waste one here. What if she found a good sign-in location tomorrow and couldn’t try it because she had no chances left? That would be frustrating.
Seeing how determined she was, 3333 didn’t push further. It quietly lay on the bed, watching as she counted the money over and over again, never getting tired of it.
By the fiftieth time, 3333 gently reminded her:
“Host, it’s 9:30. You still have things to do tomorrow.”
“Time passed so fast… Alright, sleep time.”
Reluctantly, Ning Xiyue put the money away into her system backpack. She stared at it for a few more seconds before closing the pack and lying down peacefully to sleep.
The first thing Ning Xiyue did when she woke up the next morning was open her backpack to check on the money and the tickets. Seeing them lying there quietly put her in a wonderful mood.
After breakfast, once her parents had gone to work, she reapplied medicine to her wounds, replaced the bandages, tidied herself up a bit, and headed out with the money tucked safely away.
On the way out, she greeted many familiar faces — some openly gossiping about yesterday’s events, others expressing concern about her injuries. Ning Xiyue smiled and responded to them all, walking cheerfully out of the residential compound.
When she passed by the entrance of the Revolutionary Committee, she paused. Looking at the banner promoting the “educated youth going to the countryside” campaign hanging above the door, a small smile tugged at her lips, and she walked straight in.
Since that scumbag had agreed to sign up to go to the countryside with the original Ning Xiyue, he wasn’t going to be allowed to go back on his word now. A person must stand by what they say.
