Xia Wan walked slowly along the winding paths of the village, attracting the attention of many people along the way.
The villagers were either chatting at their doorsteps or carrying farm tools back from the fields. When they saw a group of burly men with fierce expressions following closely behind Xia Wan, they couldn't help but stop what they were doing and curiously look in that direction.
In the crowd, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes spotted Xia Wan walking at the front. Her face showed surprise, and she shouted, "Oh my, isn't that Xia Zhiqing? Where is she going? Why is she getting mixed up with this group of people?"
Immediately, others chimed in, "That's right, Xia Wan seems quite well-behaved, how come she's hanging out with a bunch of burly men?"
Another person chimed in: "I remember your brother saying this morning that you weren't feeling well and needed to rest at home, so what's going on now?"
Just then, a cry of surprise rang out from the crowd: "My God, look! Those people look like the notorious thugs of town, and they've actually come to our village today!"
"Tsk tsk, a young girl like her hanging out with these thugs, she's probably already been taken advantage of! Shameless!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked closely and realized that although these thugs usually operated in the town, they were all within a few miles. Everyone had heard of them to some extent, so it was not surprising that they could recognize them.
For a moment, people whispered and discussed among themselves, speculating about what had happened between Xia Wan and the gang of thugs.
Xia Wan remained calm when they asked, feigning confusion: "Aunties and grandmas, please don't ask. I don't know the specifics either. I was trying to go to the fields to find my brother when these people blocked my way. They said my grandfather sent them to teach me a lesson. If I hadn't been good at fighting, who knows what might have happened..."
As he said this, his expression grew increasingly aggrieved, his eyes filled with tears, and he looked extremely pitiful.
Anyway, she wasn't wrong. These people did say that Old Man Xia had sent them. So, she certainly couldn't help Old Man Xia cover it up, could she?
The villagers who loved watching a good show all followed behind, eager to see what kind of trick the next person would pull today.
"Why did your grandfather ask them to teach you a lesson? This old man Xia is getting worse and worse, why is he getting angry with a little girl?"
"Tsk tsk, the Xia family isn't very magnanimous to begin with. It must be because of what happened yesterday that I'm taking revenge on Xia Wan."
"What happened yesterday, Third Sister-in-law? Tell me. I went back to my parents' house yesterday and wasn't in our brigade."
"Hey, let me tell you, yesterday..."
Xia Wan heard the murmurs of the crowd clearly, but he just put on a pitiful look and walked forward.
It wasn't until she reached the Xia family's doorstep that she discovered that, as expected, someone had come to cause trouble at their home again. It seemed that after being thwarted by her father that morning, Wu Zhaodi had gone back to her parents' home to seek help.
Right now, the Wu family was making a fuss with Old Man Xia in the yard, but Xia Wan didn't see her own father come out. She was a little worried and wanted to go inside to check on him.
"You guys wait here in this yard, don't even think about running away, or I'll break your legs if I catch you." Xia Wan smiled sweetly at the few thugs she had brought back.
"Don't worry, Grandma, we absolutely won't run away," the man said, bowing and scraping as he assured Xia Wan.
How could they dare to run away? This old lady's blows are really painful. He should have listened to Brother Qiang and Xia Shitou and been more careful.
Moreover, they still had money to pay, and since they had been beaten up, the money was indispensable.
However, they had already discussed this matter with Xia Shitou. If Xia Wan caught them, they should just insist that it was Old Man Xia who asked them to deal with Xia Wan. As long as they didn't mention Xia Shitou, everything would be fine.
As soon as Xia Wan stepped into the house, she saw her father sitting upright on the bed. His face was as expressionless as a sculpture, as if nothing in the world could stir his heart. He looked completely unconcerned about anything.
Her light footsteps were exceptionally clear in the quiet room. When her father heard the sound, he slowly turned his head, a hint of barely perceptible relief flashing in his eyes: "Xiao Wan, you're back. Come and sit in my room for a while. Let them make a fuss outside."
Xia Wan knew in her heart that as long as her parents didn't divorce, this family would probably never have a peaceful day. The Wu family might come to cause trouble every day, but life had to go on, and she would eventually get used to it.
She carefully observed her father's expression and, seeing that he seemed to be in relatively good spirits, the weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted. She let out a soft sigh of relief and said, "Father, you should rest well in the room. I'm going out to take care of some other things. Don't worry, your daughter isn't someone to be trifled with, and I won't let myself suffer the slightest loss!"
After speaking, Xia Wan turned and stepped out of the room. At this moment, the Xia family's courtyard was already completely blocked.
Those usually arrogant and domineering thugs were now squeezed into a corner by the crowd, looking utterly pathetic.
The villagers' past disgust and fear of the local thugs seemed to have been completely forgotten at this moment. Everyone's attention was focused on the few people who were arguing fiercely and refusing to give in. Everyone's eyes were bright and alert, as if they were afraid of missing any exciting moment.
“We really don’t want them to get divorced either. Please don’t rush things, in-laws. Just wait and see. My second son is just not thinking things through right now. He’ll be fine once he figures it out.”
Old Mrs. Xia continued to fob them off with a forced smile, but inwardly she was groaning and hoping that the Wu family would stop their crazy vandalism as soon as possible!
Grandma Xia's sons are all away from home right now, and just now, her eldest grandson rushed home in a flurry and went straight into his room without even looking back.
They didn't even glance at the farce unfolding before them, showing absolutely no intention of getting involved.
"Pah! What are you waiting for? You just wait and see. If you dare to mention the word 'divorce' again, we'll go straight to the police and accuse you of indecent assault! Hmph, everyone in our brigade knows how Xia Jianguo married my sister back then!"
Wu Guangli's face turned red with anger as he cursed under his breath. At the same time, he swung the stick in his hand and smashed it hard against a large vat next to him.
With a loud "bang," the once intact vat was instantly smashed open, leaving a huge hole, and the water inside poured out, flowing everywhere.
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