Chapter 22: Either Back Down or Blow It Up
No one had expected Wen Yao to suddenly act like that—not even her own family.
As soon as the village head shouted, the Wen family moved purely on instinct to stop her. Wen Nong, who was closest to the Li household’s gate, was the first to dash forward.
Right as Wen Yao was about to smash herself against the Li family’s door, Wen Nong intercepted her.
Li-shi and Cai-shi followed closely behind, grabbing onto Wen Yao and holding her tight.
“They’re forcing someone to die! The Li family is driving her to death!” Li-shi shouted even louder than Erhu’s mother.
As Wen Yao cried, thrashed, and screamed about dying, she sneakily glanced at Li-shi, nearly giving her a double thumbs-up.
Second Aunt… she’s a real one.
Wen Yao’s suicidal act startled the Li family. If Wen Yao really smashed her head and died on their doorstep, who in the future would still come to buy meat from them? Who would hire them to slaughter pigs?
Realizing this, Li San shot Erhu’s mother a fierce glare and roared at the Wen family, “What the hell do you want?”
The “weak and helpless” Wen Yao pushed aside one of her Wen brothers who was blocking her and said, “Apologize. Apologize in front of everyone. Erhu has to apologize to my little brother. Auntie Li has to apologize to me, my second aunt, and third aunt. And you—your two sons need to apologize to my second and third uncles and my brothers, so everyone can see you were wrong. Admit it!”
“Pah! You’re dreaming!” Li San spat, glaring with fury.
Wen Yao sneered coldly. “Fine. Don’t agree. That’s fine too.” She glanced around the crowd and continued:
“Then right here, in front of everyone, I’ll smash my head and die on your doorstep. When someone dies, the county office will have to intervene. Once the officials find out what you did—slandering, insulting, and beating others until they’re driven to death—they’ll drag your whole family off to jail. Don’t believe me? Try me.”
In this era of imperial rule, commoners held an instinctive fear of government officials. The Li family was no exception.
But people who’d grown used to acting like tyrants didn’t like bowing their heads easily.
This wasn’t just a matter of apologizing anymore. If they backed down today before this Wen family girl, how could they hold their heads up in Gutong Village from now on?
Li Erhu understood this. So did his mother, Erhu’s mother. Her arrogance and viciousness came from the intimidation power their family had long held over the village.
“You little brat, who are you trying to scare? Jail time? You think government officials do whatever you say?” Erhu’s mother scoffed loudly.
Wen Yao coldly retorted, “My father may have made mistakes in the past, but he still holds a scholar’s degree. If a scholar’s daughter dies at your doorstep, you really think the magistrate won’t get involved?”
That line wiped the smugness right off Li San and Erhu’s mother’s faces. Even the village head gave this once-quiet Wen girl a second look.
Who would’ve thought this girl had such fire in her?
“Wen Yao, whatever the case may be, there’s no need to blow things up like this. We’re all neighbors,” the village head tried to smooth things over. After all, it was a petty squabble—people in the countryside always gossiped. But if this escalated, it would reflect badly on Gutong Village.
Wen Yao brushed off Li-shi and Cai-shi, faced the village head, and bowed respectfully. “Village head.
My mother left. Before she did, she and my father went to the county office and filed a formal divorce—clean and clear. From then on, their lives no longer concerned one another. Who she marries is her own business. But today, the Li family publicly humiliated me, destroyed my reputation in front of so many people, and let Erhu insult and beat my brother. If I just brush this aside, doesn’t that mean I’m accepting Auntie Li’s slander and lies as truth?”
The village head: “…” When did this girl become so sharp-tongued?
“Well, that’s not exactly what I meant. Then… what do you want to do?” The village head now felt a little nervous. If Wen Yao really dragged her scholar father into this and made a big deal of it, it’d get ugly fast.
It was just some gossip—who in the countryside didn’t talk?
So they’re backing down now? Good.
Wen Yao pointed at her Wen family members. “Look at my second and third uncles, at my brothers, at my second aunt—her hair was ripped out.”
Li-shi hadn’t fully recovered from Wen Yao’s fierce energy earlier, but as soon as she heard that line, she had a flash of inspiration. She grabbed her head and wailed dramatically, “Oh heavens, my head! My hair!”
Wen Yao also shouted in sync, supporting her. “Second Aunt, are you okay?”
The village head wanted nothing more than to walk away, but at this point, he couldn’t.
“Li San, Mrs. Li, Wen Yao’s not wrong. You insulted them and threw the first punch. You’re in the wrong. Apologize to the Wen family,” the village head ordered.
Li San ground his teeth. Erhu’s mother exploded, “Why should we apologize? Didn’t they beat us too?”
The village head nearly lost it. “Was it your words or not? Did you insult them or not? Was Datou beaten by your Erhu or not? You won’t apologize? Fine. Wen Yao, I’m not handling this anymore. You go report it. Let the magistrate sort it out. If someone gets arrested or beaten, don’t blame me.”
He made a show of leaving.
That did it. Li San and Erhu’s mother panicked. They were both uncertain—would the magistrate really intervene?
But what if Wen Yao was telling the truth? After all, Wen Xiuyi, disgraceful or not, was still a scholar, and he had spoken with the magistrate before.
Imagining the whole family being hauled to jail made them sweat.
“Village head, wait—don’t go, don’t go. We’ll apologize!” Li San shouted, then grabbed Li Erhu by the collar.
“Sorry.” Li San forced Li Erhu to bow to the Wen family, shoving his head down.
Li Erhu stiffened, furious and unwilling, but he couldn’t resist his father and ended up bowing with a grimace.
Wen Yao turned to Erhu’s mother.
She was just about to curse when Li San gave her a deadly glare. She immediately backed down.
“…Sorry.” She spat the word like it was poison.
That was exactly what Wen Yao wanted. Whether sincere or not, an apology made it clear to everyone—the Wen family was no longer the pushover it used to be. No one could bully them at will anymore.
The village head let out a sigh of relief. As long as it was resolved.
“Wen Yao, they apologized. So… we’re done here?”
Wen Yao smiled sweetly. “Of course, Village Head Uncle. Whatever you say goes. It’s just… as you can see, my uncles, brothers, and my second aunt are all injured. Don’t you think…”
The village head’s face turned as colorful as a dye shop. After some “gentle persuasion,” the Li family ended up paying fifty wen to the Wen family—for medicinal balm and injury costs.
As for their own injuries? The Li family were all sturdy grown men—nobody could even tell if they were hurt. Naturally, it was the Wen family that had taken the worst beating.
