Chapter Six: Bullying the Weak and Fearing the Strong

“You little brat, stay out of this! Get lost, or I’ll beat you too!” Zhou Dageng roared viciously.

The newcomer was not frightened off by Zhou Dageng. He set down the wooden bucket he was carrying, rushed over, and threw a punch at Zhou Dageng. Seeing the aggression, Zhou released An Yi and clenched his fists, ready to fight.

The newcomer, noticing this, quickly caught the falling An Yi and hurriedly stepped back, seating her on a chair just as Zhou Dageng’s fists came within reach. With no time to block, he ducked his head to ram into Zhou Dageng.

Staggered by the collision, Zhou Dageng became even more enraged and cursed, “Damn it, I’ll fight you to the death!”

“I’m going to beat you senseless, you filthy mongrel!” the newcomer shot back, just as fiercely.

The two men exchanged blows, fists and palms flying, as the chairs in the main hall suffered their wrath, toppling and scattering in all directions.

An Yi huddled in a corner, gasping for breath, her eyes fixed on the man fighting Zhou Dageng. If not for his timely arrival, her life would have ended right then. Her gaze shifted to Zhou Dageng, her eyes cold and steely. This man was truly vicious—willing to strangle her over such a trivial matter. Someone like him had to be taught a lesson.

Once Luo recovered her composure, she scrambled over to An Yi, embracing her tightly and asking anxiously, “Xier, Xier, are you hurt?”

“I… cough, cough… I’m fine,” An Yi forced a smile, trying to reassure her.

But Luo did not believe her. Seeing the clear finger marks on An Yi’s neck, her heart ached bitterly. Her precious daughter—whom she could barely bear to touch—had nearly been strangled to death. Zhou Dageng would get what he deserved!

With a resounding crack, one of the chairs was kicked by Zhou Dageng, shattering against the wall.

Another crack, and yet another chair fell victim to his violence.

“Stop fighting! If there’s an issue, talk it out! Please, stop!” Luo cried, fearing for the newcomer—who was not as tall or sturdy as Zhou Dageng—and worried he might be at a disadvantage.

Hearing her shout, the man dodged to the left, intent on ending the fight. But Zhou Dageng, shameless as ever, seized the opportunity and landed two punches on him.

“You scoundrel!” the man shouted in fury, cursing as he swung back at Zhou Dageng.

An Yi glanced at the wooden stick lying nearby, her eyes glinting. She was about to pick it up when Luo moved first, gripping the stick with both hands. Her gaze followed the two fighters back and forth until, seizing her chance, she struck Zhou Dageng heavily on the back.

“You wretched woman!” Zhou Dageng cursed. Distracted, he took a punch to the brow from his opponent, stars popping before his eyes and his nose stinging so much he couldn’t fight back for a moment.

Instead of pressing his advantage, the man sneered, “Sister, give me the stick. I want to see whether this thug’s skull is harder than this stick.”

Luo handed him the stick, then returned to An Yi’s side.

“Zhang Lian, what business do you have meddling in the affairs of the An family?” Zhou Dageng spat as he recovered. “You think you’re some kind of hero? Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I’m no hero,” Zhang Lian replied firmly, “but if you come to my sister’s house to stir up trouble, I won’t let you get away with it.”

Zhou Dageng sneered, “Well, well, listen to you call her ‘sister’ so sweetly. The news of An Qinghe’s death isn’t even out yet, and you’re already…”

“I’ll beat you to death, you filthy dog!” Zhang Lian, incensed by his vile words, swung the stick at Zhou Dageng’s head.

Zhou Dageng ducked and fled for the door, spewing more filth behind him: “Your father married a widow, you married a widow, following in his footsteps. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law marrying father and son, all sleeping under the same quilt—a real family, aren’t you?”

“Zhou Dageng, you’ll pay for this!” Luo, her entire body trembling with rage, grabbed half a broken chair and chased after him.

An Yi followed Luo outside, her delicate face showing a rare trace of hostility as she watched Zhou Dageng being chased in circles around the snowy courtyard.

The An family’s front yard was small and blanketed in snow, making it difficult to run fast. Zhou Dageng, however, still found breath to shout his obscenities, his pursuers’ faces growing ever darker. At that moment, a group of people burst through the gate, led by an imposing old man of about sixty. Seeing the chaos in the courtyard, he paused and called out, “Qiumei! Qiumei!”

Luo stopped at the sound, relief flooding her face. “Uncle, Auntie, Third Uncle, Third Aunt,” she greeted them.

Zhou Dageng and Zhang Lian also halted, about four paces apart. Zhang Lian, holding the stick, couldn’t bow properly and offered his greetings aloud, “Zhang Lian greets Uncle-in-law, Aunt-in-law, Third Uncle-in-law, Third Aunt-in-law.”

“Lian, let’s settle this first. We can talk later,” said the old man, Luo Fugui, who was Luo’s uncle. He smiled at Zhang Lian before turning to Zhou Dageng, his face thunderous. “Zhou Dageng, why are you here causing trouble? Did you break the gate?”

Thud! Thud! The three sons, five nephews, and two half-grown grandsons of the Luo family all struck their sticks against the ground in unison, a sound that sent a warning.

Zhou Dageng eyed the Luo family men, his expression uncertain. He’d dared to come because he knew the An family brothers were out in town, leaving only Luo and her young daughter at home. Egged on by his drinking buddies and not thinking clearly, he’d come to extort some money. Who could have guessed that Luo would dare defy him, or that the little girl would strike him with a stick? Then Zhang Lian had appeared, ruining his plans. Now, with the Luo clan assembled, it was clear he was in over his head. Still, he tried to bluff his way through. “Uncle Luo, it’s not that I’m unreasonable or here to pick a fight. The An brothers took my business first.”

Luo, anxious to prevent the villagers from misunderstanding, hurried to explain, “That’s not true. My son Zhuzi didn’t steal Zhou Dageng’s business. Steward Zhang…”

“Don’t try to pin this on the An brothers, Zhou Dageng. You know perfectly well why Ju Wei Lou stopped buying your firewood. You’ve never delivered on time—come when you please, or not at all. Poor Steward Zhang suffered for it. Out of respect for your former brother-in-law, he put up with you. But you, drunk and violent, beat your wife until she couldn’t live with you anymore and left. Now, with no one to shield you, why should Steward Zhang show you any favor?” A bystander, familiar with the facts, interrupted before Luo could finish, making the truth known.

“Don’t spout nonsense. No one’s stealing from me. This is my business, and it’s got nothing to do with that woman,” Zhou Dageng blustered, but another voice cut in sharply.

“Enough, Zhou Dageng. Yesterday, Steward Zhang bought not just from the An family, but also from the Zhou and Bai families of Shangtang Village. Why aren’t you causing trouble for them? You only come to the An house because An is away, leaving his wife and three children at home. Picking the softest target—aren’t you ashamed?” someone mocked from the crowd.