"Damn robbers! Robbery! This is outrageous!"

The old woman let out a piercing, distorted wail, and rushed forward like a madwoman, clinging tightly to the leg of a woman who was leading the charge.

That woman was no pushover either. She grabbed the old woman's dry hair, pulled hard, and slammed her to the ground!

Immediately, several equally fierce and shrewish women rushed forward, pinning the old woman to the cold ground, punching and kicking her until she could not move and could only utter indistinct whimpers.

Zhang An's face was ashen, and his ear, which had been grazed by the shotgun, seemed to be bleeding again. The intense pain made him almost unable to stand.

He screamed in terror, trying to stop them, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea; no one paid any attention to this good-for-nothing.

Er Ya, who was pregnant, clung tightly to Zhang An's clothes, hiding behind him, her whole body trembling with fear, tears and snot streaming down her face.

The entire Zhang family's courtyard had been completely transformed into a chaotic, violent, and utterly disorderly battlefield!

There weren't many truly valuable things in the main house; it was just some coarse grains for making a living, a few pieces of old furniture, and pots and pans for daily use.

But at that moment, the Li family members who rushed in were like a swarm of locusts, their eyes bloodshot, grabbing whatever they could get their hands on—tables, benches, water tanks, iron pots… anything they could lift, they snatched out!

It was as if what was stolen was not something else, but revenge against Zhang Ergou, and an outlet for the loss of loved ones!

"I'll fight you beasts to the death!"

Old Zhang was dragged up from the ground. He tried to rush back, but a strong man swung a carrying pole from behind and slammed it hard on his shoulder!

"Ouch!" With a scream, Old Zhang was knocked to the ground, curled up in a ball, and groaned in pain.

The old village chief was sweating profusely and paced back and forth in the yard.

He never expected Li Houcheng to be so ruthless and shameless, directly resorting to robbery!

If they steal all the food, how will Lao Fu's family survive this winter?

Relying on village relief?

Absolutely impossible! The villagers themselves are tightening their belts to make ends meet, and they still have to support that group of half-dead educated youth sent to the countryside. Where would they find any extra grain?

"You damned bandits!!!"

The old woman, with her hair disheveled, lay sprawled at the entrance of the main house, throwing a tantrum like a madwoman. Whenever someone came out of the house carrying something, she would pounce on them, grab their legs tightly, and bite and scratch them with her nails.

The old village chief couldn't stand it any longer. He rushed towards the main house, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Li Houcheng! Houcheng! Don't steal the grain! Leave them some food! Leave some!!!"

Zhang Da Nao and the group of young members of the Zhang family who had just escaped from the jaws of wolves huddled together, their faces grim as they looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Big Head Bro, what do we do now? We can't just stand by and watch the Li family empty Uncle Youfu's house, can we?" a young man asked anxiously.

Zhang Da's brows were furrowed, his face bruised and battered. He glanced at the backyard with a complicated expression, then gritted his teeth and whispered, "Li Junyi is dead. If we don't let Uncle Houcheng and the others get their revenge, they might really fight Er Gouzi to the death! Let's go too! Not to steal! Just to stop them! Try our best to protect the grain, and we'll return it to Uncle Youfu later!"

"Yes! Let's go! We can't let that guy surnamed Li get too arrogant!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

At Zhang Da Tou's command, the group of young men surnamed Zhang roared and rushed into the main house.

The scene immediately became even more chaotic!

"I saw the kettle first!"

"Bullshit! This is a family heirloom!"

"You dare to steal something from me? I'll beat you to death!"

"Beat them! Beat these Zhangs to death!"

After a while, the Li family villagers, who had originally been united in robbing Old Zhang's house, and the Zhang family villagers, who were trying to "protect" the property, actually broke into a fierce physical fight inside the house over the loot!

Punches, kicks, shoving, tearing, the sound of pots and pans shattering, curses, and cries filled the air!

The backyard, at the entrance of the mud house.

Zhang Cheng coldly observed the farcical chaos in the front yard, a barely perceptible sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

Human hearts are colder than the winter wind and more greedy than wolves in the mountains.

He truly never expected things to turn out this way.

However, this is for the best.

Let these foolish and short-sighted villagers fight amongst themselves.

Chaos is the best way to conceal the rise of the strong.

In the courtyard, besides Zhang Cheng, who stood coldly with a gun, only Zhang An and his wife Er Ya remained.

The two stood frozen in place, like two wooden stakes, terrified by the completely out-of-control scene before them.

Zhang An watched the sounds of fighting and crying coming from his main house. His lips trembled uncontrollably, his eyes filled with fear and confusion. He kept muttering to himself, "The family has separated...the family has clearly separated...Why should we bear the responsibility for Er Gouzi's matter...Why...?"

His selfishness and cowardice were laid bare at this moment.

Just then, the door of the mud house was gently pushed open a crack.

Shi Yangyang's pale and bewildered face peeked out.

She was holding a sharpened chopstick with a piece of steaming roe deer meat stuck in it, as if she had been awakened by the loud commotion outside.

Zhang Cheng turned his head and saw Shi Yangyang walking up to him. The coldness in his eyes melted a little.

He reached out and gently pressed his hand on the back of her head, his voice softening, carrying an undeniable tenderness: "Don't look, it's not safe inside."

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