Chapter 25 Instant Fame

The next day, Wu Peng watched helplessly as Yao Fanghua emptied almost all her savings, his heart pounding. He was stunned by the sheer amount of money. When would he ever be that rich!

After completing the transfer of ownership, the bespectacled man handed over the keys and left without looking back.

"I'll take care of the furniture and renovations for you." He didn't trust others with the job, fearing Yao Fanghua would be ripped off again. Even if he didn't make any money, he didn't want to see Yao Fanghua being taken advantage of.

"Okay, wait a minute. Let me plan first. I'll draw up the plans and then I'll come find you." Yao Fanghua wasn't in a hurry to renovate; she definitely wanted to check out the two hidden features of the house first.

Yao Fanghua locked the front door and went to work. After work, she moved all her belongings over.

The children cried, Zhang Xiuxiu snored and talked in her sleep, and her youngest nephew even soiled her bed. After just one night, Yao Fangyuan was already crying and begging Yao Weimin to find wooden planks to make a bed in the main room. She couldn't get rid of the persistent Zhang Xiuxiu; what could she do? If she locked the door, she had no doubt Zhang Xiuxiu would smash all the doors and windows. She didn't go to school today, barely slept all night, and felt dizzy and disoriented, so she simply took the day off to rest at home.

Zhang Xiuxiu hadn't expected her two sisters-in-law to be so weak in combat; the surprise came too suddenly. She had thought it would be a long and arduous battle, but unexpectedly, the enemy was defeated in an instant.

Before Yao Fangyuan's bed in the main room was even set up, Zhang Xiuxiu had already packed up the bedding and placed it there. She was so angry her chest heaved. She didn't want to stay in this house for even a second longer!

But Zhang Xiuxiu wouldn't let her off the hook. "What's the use of crying? If you're so capable, move out on your own like your sister! Then you won't have to put up with my attitude as your sister-in-law."

"Hmph, I'll only admire you if you don't take a single penny from home!" Zhang Xiuxiu shook her head. From now on, she was a city dweller, and she couldn't keep talking like that. She had to tell her to act like a city person.

"Why should I not want it? Does it mean you'll benefit from it? Parents can give their things to whomever they want first, it's none of your business! Get out of here, this is my room!"

"How can the main room be your room? The main room is a public room, at most just an extra bed in the corner," Zhang Xiuxiu scolded Yao Fangyuan, her gaze constantly falling on the lock of the inner room door. It was locked, so she couldn't go inside. The good stuff was probably hidden in her in-laws' room. Zhang Xiuxiu pouted; she'd searched the entire main room, but only found a little rice and flour. Was it all locked up? To keep her out?

With both parents away and Yao Weimin at work, only Yao Fangyuan and Yao Weiguo's family were at home.

No matter how fiercely Yao Fangyuan and Zhang Xiuxiu argued, or how loudly Yao Fangyuan cried, Yao Weiguo didn't move an inch. He simply closed the doors and windows and read. The college entrance exam was just around the corner, and if he failed again, he would become a laughingstock. If he failed, it wouldn't just be a laughingstock; his life here would become even more difficult, perhaps even unbearable. Yao Weiguo felt unprecedented pressure.

Even if I pass the exam, I won't graduate for another four years. With no income and no savings, how will I support my family? What will we eat and drink?

So he let Zhang Xiuxiu fight and snatch as she pleased.

He has already made sacrifices and repaid his parents' debts; from now on, he will only think about his own little family. He can't be the only one capable of making sacrifices and who actually makes them.

When Yao Fanghua returned, Zhang Xiuxiu was trying to pry open the safe. She had been working on it all afternoon, smashing it with bricks for a long time, and the sound of smashing the safe echoed throughout the courtyard.

If they couldn't break it open, she'd just sell it! At lunch, she'd overheard Aunt Bai across the table mention that those two broken cabinets were only 150 yuan! Good heavens, that's incredibly wasteful! What family spoils their daughter like that? Good heavens! What a foolish old woman! She has money but doesn't give it to her son. She deserves to be thrown out on the street when she's old! Zhang Xiuxiu kept cursing and swearing, hating her biased in-laws. This money should have belonged to her son, Weiguo!

As Yao Fanghua entered the room, she saw unwashed diapers lying on the safe. The room also reeked of a certain odor. Zhang Xiuxiu was squatting on the floor, with more than a dozen broken bricks beside her.

Yao Fanghua turned and left. Having worked in the countryside, she knew that reasoning with someone like Zhang Xiuxiu was useless. She wasn't strong enough to fight back. Otherwise, if she were in the right, the best way to deal with someone like Zhang Xiuxiu was to take action directly—give her a good beating, and she'd know to change her ways next time.

Yao Fanghua really wanted a cigarette at that moment. She rode very fast to find Wu Peng.

They brushed past Yao Deyi and his two companions who were returning.

After getting off work, Li Chunying went to the machinery factory to intercept Yao Deyi and his son. The three of them discussed how to live their lives from now on as they walked back.

Neither Yao Weiguo nor his wife had a job, and the whole family would depend on them for support. They could accept Yao Weiguo and their children, but Li Chunying was absolutely unwilling to support Zhang Xiuxiu for free. She felt terrible if Zhang Xiuxiu ate even a single grain of rice from her. Eating from the same pot as Zhang Xiuxiu, and even eating her food, would make her sick with anger sooner or later.

Li Chunying considered separating the family property for peace and quiet. But she couldn't truly abandon Yao Weiguo's family. Should she really give up her job? Li Chunying thought that if she gave them a house and a job, she wouldn't owe her eldest son anything, and she wouldn't feel guilty anymore. But what about Yuanyuan? Could that girl really get into university? Perhaps she should wait, endure it for a while, until Weiguo got into university. Once Weiguo's family had hope, they certainly wouldn't be so fixated on her job. It was a pity Huahua wasn't good at talking to people; otherwise, it would have been best if she had arranged a job for her sister-in-law. She wasn't afraid of hardship or fatigue; after all, rural people were the most hardworking.

Seeing Yao Fanghua speeding past, Li Chunying didn't even have time to call out before she rode off into the distance. Yao Weimin told his parents and went after Yao Fanghua. He was going to Wu Peng's anyway. Yao Fangyuan was waiting for him to bring back planks to build a bed. Besides, he didn't want to go home at all; he felt like home wasn't home anymore. His older brother had changed so much; he didn't even recognize him. He was even scared to lie in the same bed with his brother yesterday.

Yao Fanghua arrived like a whirlwind, and Wu Peng even joked about how eager she was to see him.

"Stop talking nonsense, call a few of your cronies and come with me to the Yao family." As she spoke, Yao Fanghua picked up a handy stick from the wood waiting to be burned in the corner.

Wu Peng's heart skipped a beat. "Grandma, what are you going to do?"

"Go to the Yao family's house to move my things, and while I'm at it, teach that sly girl a lesson so she'll never dare to touch my things again." She'd be happy to give away her things, but if she dared to snatch them, she wouldn't stand for it. She would never allow anyone to bully her again. Zhang Xiuxiu's behavior clearly reminded her of her unpleasant past.

Upon entering the courtyard and seeing Yao Fanghua's fierce aura, Yao Weimin shuddered. Was this how people were changed when they went to the countryside? He was afraid of his older sister being like this.

"Five yuan per person, call ten people! Let them support me. If we really have to fight, we'll add more money." Yao Fanghua slapped fifty yuan on her hand and gave it to Wu Peng.

Wu Peng accepted the money. "No need for so much. It's just to keep things under control. Treating them to a meal will suffice. If you need anything in the future, just come to me. I'll take care of everything perfectly. Don't let anyone else rip you off." He was genuinely worried that Yao Fanghua would be cheated. He was deeply upset that Yao Fanghua had been cheated out of her money. He was so upset that he couldn't sleep well all night. He even slapped himself twice—it wasn't his money, yet he'd done something so foolish. But the slaps didn't help; he still felt bad, and his face hurt.

He was also spurred on by Yao Fanghua's string of cash, and his restless heart had made up his mind to go south and try his luck. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't let go of Yao Fanghua's renovation business, he might have gone south with Yang Liu in the next couple of days.

Despite saying he didn't need so much, Wu Peng readily accepted the money. Giving Yao Fanghua's money to him was perfectly fine; giving it to someone else would have made him uncomfortable. To avoid feeling bad himself, he figured it was best to keep the money safe.

Yao Fanghua said to be steady and obedient, not impulsive. She said that only those who take action should act. When she takes action, it's a family matter; when others do it, the nature of the matter is different.

After hearing a few words from Yao Fanghua, he understood the situation. This was unacceptable! He was someone who refused to suffer losses, and he couldn't stand seeing Yao Fanghua suffer either. He'd accept being taken advantage of by her, but not by others! He absolutely couldn't stand being bullied! He strode out to call for help.

Yao Fanghua carried a stick, followed by a dozen or so young men.

Upon seeing this group of people enter the courtyard, everyone's hearts immediately jumped. The memories were not pleasant, and the scene was just like a replay of a few years ago. Immediately, some people wanted to call the police.

Yao Fanghua went straight to her room, kicked open the door, and smacked Zhang Xiuxiu on the back with a stick.

Wu Peng subdued Yao Weiguo, who rushed forward, tied him up with a rope, and threw him back into his own room, locking him up. The others he had brought were already standing in a circle outside Yao Fanghua's room, blocking onlookers. Wu Peng went inside, to prevent Yao Fanghua from getting hurt.

Zhang Xiuxiu was strong and powerful. After suffering a few blows, she risked being hit again and grabbed the stick that Yao Fanghua was swinging. Just as she was about to snatch it and fight back, Wu Peng kicked her away.

Those outside could only hear screams from inside, but couldn't see anything. The dozen or so young men had blocked the doors and windows tightly, so all they could hear was the noise and Zhang Xiuxiu's cries.

Two against one, and there was a man among them. Seeing that she couldn't win, Zhang Xiuxiu wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and began to cry and scream.

Yao Fanghua took out a carving knife and held it against Zhang Xiuxiu's neck, instantly silencing her.

Those outside heard a few words: "You despicable woman, you slut," and then the voices abruptly stopped.

Li Chunying's heart tightened, and she was about to rush into the house. "Huahua, don't be impulsive. A beating is enough. Listen to your mother, don't do anything foolish. After this, she definitely won't dare to mess with you again."

Yao Fanghua pressed the carving knife tightly against Zhang Xiuxiu's neck and said, word by word, "Have you learned your lesson? Do you know how many years you'll be sentenced for theft? This cabinet is expensive, and the things inside are even more expensive. It's enough to get you ten years in prison."

“Don’t think I’m bluffing you. This isn’t your village, no one will help you. If I beat you up, no one will see it, and no one will testify for you. At most, it’ll be considered a domestic dispute. But if you steal from me, I can send you straight to jail.”

Zhang Xiuxiu: "I didn't steal it."

Yao Fanghua pointed to the broken bricks on the ground, "What are these? They are all evidence."

"I didn't know this was your cabinet."

Yao Fanghua: "You just need to know that this isn't yours; stealing from anyone else is the same crime."

As soon as the police entered the courtyard, Li Chunying rushed over and burst into tears, recounting how Zhang Xiuxiu had domineeringly driven Yao Fanghua out of her home and how she had used bricks to steal her belongings.

"I think you should know how to speak properly." Inside the room, Yao Fanghua had already released Zhang Xiuxiu, put away the carving knife, and threw the stick under the bed.

Zhang Xiuxiu's eyelids twitched; she looked at Yao Fanghua as if she were a habitual offender. Why hadn't Wei Guo mentioned how shrewish his sister was, and how she knew a bunch of scoundrels?

Wu Peng had already pushed open the door and told his brothers to disperse. He then went up and shook hands with Yang Qingping.

Yang Qingping immediately spotted his troublesome younger brother, who was huddled in the back, peeking around.

Yang Qingping glared at the troublesome Yang Liu and silently put the twenty yuan in his pocket.

Yang Qingping: "Who called the police?"

No one said a word.

Yang Qingping was certain that if the aggrieved party didn't come forward crying and shouting, the matter would be easier to resolve.

"What happened? Someone called the police saying there was a murder?"

When Li Chunying saw that Zhang Xiuxiu was still alive, she felt a sense of relief and almost collapsed to the ground. Thank goodness she wasn't dead. As long as she wasn't dead.

Li Chunying cursed, "Who the hell said someone was killed? You son of a bitch! It was just a few words between family members, how did it become murder in your mouths? You heartless rotten-necked people even went to the police, you just wanted something bad to happen to my family, may you be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

"Officer, you have to stand up for my family! Arrest the person who made the false report!" Li Chunying grabbed Yang Qingping's leg.

Yang Qingping had someone calm Li Chunying down, then glanced at Zhang Xiuxiu inside the room.

Being unfamiliar with the area, Zhang Xiuxiu was intimidated when she saw the police. In her village, problems were always resolved internally, so there was no need for the police. The arrival of the police meant that things had become serious.

Although Zhang Xiuxiu was shrewish, she wasn't stupid. She was also frightened by Yao Fanghua and said directly, "I just tripped and fell."

Yang Qingping: "Since there's nothing else, everyone can leave now. Go home and eat your dinner," Yang Qingping ordered his men to start ushering people out.

The people around left reluctantly, and someone shouted in the crowd, "Yao Fanghua, as a factory cadre, openly assaulted someone, and we're just going to let it go like this?"

Yao Fanghua coldly swept her gaze across the crowd. "Who hit someone? Who saw me hit someone? Step forward."

"That's right, who saw it? Step forward now." Wu Peng swept his gaze menacingly over the crowd. They were all neighbors; he wanted to see who dared to step forward today. Besides, did they have X-ray vision? How could they have seen it with their own eyes?

Yao Fanghua turned to Zhang Xiuxiu and asked, "Did I hit you?"

Li Chunying, Yao Fangyuan, Yao Weimin, and even Yao Deyi all stared intently at Zhang Xiuxiu. She heard her son crying in the main room and saw her two daughters' terrified faces as they clung to the doorway.

Zhang Xiuxiu shook her head. She, Weiguo, and the children still had to survive here. Everyone was siding with Yao Fanghua; no one would testify for her.

The police arrived quickly and left quickly.

The onlookers were quite disappointed; it seemed the show was over for today.

However, Yao Fanghua became famous overnight. Opinions about her were mixed during casual conversations.