200 taels of silver? Why don't you just rob someone!

“All the money I earned went to support my family, and it’s all gone. I have no money,” Ye Yunniang refused.

"Besides your monthly allowance, you also received quite a few rewards. A large gold bracelet and 200 silver ingots."

"There was no silver or gold bracelet. The Jiang family gave us fabric and silk flowers as a reward. When I got home, there was no way to make a living; everything had been sold. We had no money at all."

"You bitch, speak so politely. Do you think I'm a pushover?" Wan Guiyong said, raising his fist to hit Ye Yunniang.

Ye Yunniang wouldn't just stand there and take the beating. She stepped back, dodging Wan Guiyong's punches. She grabbed a stone from the ground and hurled it at Wan Guiyong.

A stone hit Wan Guiyong in the chin.

"Ah!" Wan Guiyong cried out, rubbing his chin where he had been hit. "You bitch, you dare to fight back. I'll kill you."

His initial desire to tease Ye Yunniang because of her good looks vanished.

Wan Guiyong struck ruthlessly. Ye Yunniang couldn't dodge and was slapped hard across the face.

Ye Yunniang fell to the ground, grabbed some ashes, and threw them at Wan Guiyong, who was rushing towards her.

"Ah, my eyes!" Wan Guiyong cried out, rubbing his eyes.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ye Yunniang kicked hard.

"Oink oink..." Wan Guiyong covered his body with his hands and made a pig-like squeal.

Ye Yunniang dared not linger and got up to run back the way she came.

"You bitch, I'll kill you!" Wan Guiyong struggled to his feet and chased after her, now filled with murderous intent.

Ye Yunniang was frightened and ran in a hurry, not paying attention to her footing, and tripped.

Just as she was about to fall, an arm caught her and held her to prevent her from falling.

"Thanks, brother, help me catch this bitch." Wan Guiyong said as he reached for Ye Yunniang, "You slut, you hit me and you think you can get away?"

The man blocked Wan Guiyong's hand, and with a puzzled look in his eyes, kicked him hard.

Wan Guiyong flew up, crashed heavily into the wall, and landed on the ground.

Wan Guiyong clutched his stomach and screamed in pain.

The man released Ye Yunniang, stepped forward, and stepped on Wan Guiyong's hand.

Push off with your feet.

"Ah—it hurts... let go, let go..." Wan Guiyong shouted, forcefully hitting the foot that was stepping on his hand with his other hand.

The man did not let go of Wan Guiyong's foot, but squatted down and grabbed Wan Guiyong's neck with one hand.

"Ye Yunniang, I took note. Stay away from her in the future."

"Okay, okay, I'll move further away. You, you let me go." Wan Guiyong agreed repeatedly.

The man released his foot and took two steps back.

Wan Guiyong got up and said, "I'll stay far away from here in the future." Before he finished speaking, he punched the man.

The man gripped the incoming fist and clenched it tightly.

Clicking sound

"Ah—" Wan Guiyong's body twisted and arched backward in pain.

His hand was broken!

Bang!

The man kicked Wan Guiyong's leg hard. Wan Guiyong fell to his knees with a thud.

This time, Wan Guiyong was truly terrified. "Spare me, sir, spare me! I'll never do it again. I won't, please spare me..."

Wan Guiyong knelt on the ground and wept bitterly.

“Wan Guiyong, I’ll say it again. I’ve got her and her family under my protection.”

"Yes, yes, yes, please do as I say. I dare not do it again, I will never dare to do it again." Wan Guiyong kowtowed and begged for mercy.

"roll."

“Get out, I’m getting out right now,” Wan Guiyong said, getting up and limping out.

He walked out of the alley, glanced back, and saw no one was following. The hatred in his eyes was undisguised.

Once he has recovered from his injuries, he will go and beg the boss to make the man pay.

And that vile woman Ye Yunniang, once we catch her, we'll torture her thoroughly. Then we'll sell her to a brothel, where she'll be ridden by a thousand men and slept with by ten thousand to make up for the humiliation I suffered today.

When I visualized the scene, my legs didn't hurt as much, and my hands didn't hurt as much either.

Wan Guiyong's plan was sound, but he was arrested by the yamen runners the day after he returned home.

"What are you trying to do? What right do you have to arrest me?" Wan Guiyong struggled.

"Wan Guiyong, you are under arrest for suspected murder." After saying this, the constable put on chains and took him away.

"My husband, don't arrest my husband... My husband would never kill someone... Someone come quick..." Wan Guiyong's wife shouted, but no one dared to step forward.

Wan Guiyong usually takes a little from one family and scrapes a little from another; he even tries to steal a bit of food from a three-year-old child.

Everyone despised and loathed Wan Guiyong. But Wan Guiyong associated with the gambling den's people. They couldn't afford to offend him, so they could only endure it.

Now, for whatever reason, they were arrested by the yamen runners.

The neighbors all secretly hoped that Wan Guiyong would be sentenced to a heavy sentence and never come out of prison.

***

Ye Yunniang looked at the bear-like, burly man approaching her and retreated in fear.

"You, you stay away." Ye Yunniang's voice choked with sobs. This man had dealt with Wan Guiyong, but he didn't seem like a good person either.

“I chased the bad guys away. Don’t be afraid.” Tie Xiong reassured Ye Yunniang. “I’m not a bad guy. My name is Tie Xiong, and I live at No. 8 Wanxia Lane.”

Ye Yunniang looked at Tie Xiong, pondering whether his words were true.

“I’m not lying to you. My uncle was the one who delivered the dagger to you by Tie Yi,” Tie Xiong said, recounting Tie Yi’s heroic act.

Ye Yunniang believed it somewhat, "Thank you for saving me."

"I'll take you home." Tie Xiong didn't get close, sensing that Ye Yunniang didn't trust him.

"No need. I can manage on my own," Ye Yunniang refused, not wanting to have any contact with any men right now.

"Yunniang." Cai Damei came home carrying a basket and saw Ye Yunniang talking to a man.

Upon seeing Cai Damei, Ye Yunniang rushed over in a panic.

The clear handprint on Ye Yunniang's face ignited Cai Damei's anger. "Who hit you?"

He reached into his robes, pulled out a dagger, and pointed it at Tie Xiong.

"Mother, it wasn't him. It was Wan Guiyong who came to stop me. He saved me." Ye Yunniang quickly explained, afraid that Cai Damei would fight Tie Xiong to the death.

Cai Damei knew who Wan Guiyong was.

She sheathed the dagger and looked at the man.

"Are you Tie Xiong?" Cai Damei had bumped into him at the door before; Tie Xiong and Tie Yi had gone home together.

"I am Tie Xiong, and my uncle is Tie Yi." Tie Xiong straightened up as he spoke.

"Thank you, Tiexiong, for saving my Yunniang," Cai Damei said gratefully.

"Auntie, you're too kind. Anyone can help when you need it," Tie Xiong said righteously.

Cai Damei thought to herself, "That's not necessarily true. These days, there are plenty of people who only care about their own problems."

"Auntie, I'll take you back." Tie Xiong picked up Cai Damei's basket and walked ahead.

Ye Yunniang held tightly to Cai Damei's arm, lowering her head to hide the slap mark on her face.

Along the way, no one came home.

After seeing Tie Xiong off, Cai Damei took the ointment and went into the side room.

Ye Yunniang took off her clothes, revealing numerous bruises on her fair skin from the fall.

Cai Damei carefully applied the medicine to Ye Yunniang.

Ye Yunniang gritted her teeth and endured the pain, tears welling up in her eyes.

After applying the medicine, Cai Damei draped a coat over Ye Yunniang and said, "If you want to cry, then cry."

"Mother~" Ye Yunniang threw herself into Cai Damei's arms, "I really thought... I thought I would never see you and Pan'er again... Mother... I'm so scared, Mother..." Ye Yunniang cried to vent her fear.

"It's all my fault, Mother. I'm the one who's wrong." Cai Damei's heart was filled with self-blame.