Chapter 17 Who dares to touch my daughter?
Looking at this group of wolves who were already shameless before, and now even more ruthless, Yu Man responded very softly, almost inaudibly:
"knew."
These three seemingly ordinary words startled Li Shi, who then beamed with joy. She hurriedly stood up and tried to grab Yu Man's hand, her voice dripping with sweetness: "Oh! That's right! Man! My good niece! Your third aunt knew you were a sensible and understanding person! We're family, blood is thicker than water, how could your third uncle and aunt harm you? This is all for your own good, for the good of our Yu family!" She seemed to already see her golden days, with servants at her beck and call, right before her eyes.
Even the usually stern-faced Old Madam Yu let out a snort, though it was still somewhat sarcastic, her tone softened a little, carrying a condescending praise: "That's more like it... At least your grandfather's years of teachings haven't been wasted, you know how to consider the bigger picture, you're a good daughter of the Yu family."
Looking at the undisguised emotions on their faces, Yu Man couldn't help but ask her virtual pet, which was sometimes responsive and sometimes unreliable, in her mind: "Do I... look like an idiot?"
[Buzz—Damn it! This is disgusting! Host! They're robbing us outright! Have they no shame? They'd like to steal something from your pocket and slap you, ahhh, I really want to punch them!] The electronic pet's response was surprisingly fast, and you could even hear a kind of anthropomorphic "itchy" anger. The electrical noise became even more intense due to the excitement.
Yu Man listened to its indignant words and felt a strange urge to laugh. She raised her eyes and added:
"However, I disagree."
This sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured on them.
The radiant smile that had just blossomed on Yu Chenglu's face froze instantly, then vanished at a visible speed, replaced by astonishment and annoyance at being mocked. "Man'er!" he shouted, his voice rising in disbelief, "What...what do you mean by that? Are you playing with your third uncle?!"
Yu Man seemed not to hear his question. Her gaze passed over them, thinking of things from a long time ago. Her voice was firm: "What I mean is, since the day my mother breathed her last, whether our family is doing well or poor, whether we are eating chaff and wild vegetables or whether we will be able to wear gold and silver in the future... has nothing to do with you.
"Did you understand?"
"You—!" The ecstasy on Li's face vanished instantly, replaced by extreme frustration at her failed plan! Seeing her prize slip away, she lost her temper and, forgetting all pretense, leaped up from the stool, baring her teeth and claws, ready to attack Yu Man, cursing filthyly, "You little slut, you dare to play us! You've gone too far!"
However, as soon as she took a step, she received a solid, heavy blow to her shin!
"Ouch!" Li cried out in pain and suddenly turned around.
Suddenly, Xiu Xiu pulled out a large bamboo broom, taller than herself, from behind the door. Gripping the broom handle tightly, her face flushed with anger, she shouted at the top of her lungs towards Li Shi and her third uncle, "Bad people! Monsters! You're not allowed to bully my sister!"
Li was enraged that a child had hit her and called her a "monster." Ignoring her leg pain, she reached out to grab Xiu Xiu, yelling, "You little brat, how dare you hit me!"
Her hand had just reached halfway into the air when it seemed to be gripped by something, freezing her in place. Her fingertips were only an inch away from the hem of Xiuxiu's clothes, but she dared not move forward even a fraction of an inch.
Her pupils suddenly contracted, and she looked down in horror—
The tip of a thick-backed butcher's knife, polished smooth and gleaming with a chilling light, was firmly and silently pressed against her lower abdomen! The blade was heavy, and its edge emitted a terrifying cold light under the oil lamp. Looking up from the hand gripping the handle, whose knuckles were slightly white from the force, one met Deng San Niang's expressionless face.
Deng San Niang's eyes narrowed slightly, devoid of her usual cheerful smile, revealing only the fierce courage of a peasant woman who had weathered many storms and struggled to make a living. Her voice was low, but she demanded, each word deliberate and forceful:
"Who—dares—to—touch—my—daughter?"
When Yu Chenglu saw his wife being held at knifepoint, he was initially shocked, but then a surge of anger rushed to his head. Without thinking, he rolled up his sleeves and tried to rush forward to help, shouting, "Rebellion! Rebellion! Deng Sanniang, you dare to use a knife?! I'll fight you to the death!"
But as soon as he took a step, a figure as large as a small mountain blocked his way. It was Yu Chengfu!
This usually honest and taciturn farmer was panting heavily at this moment. The amazing strength he had accumulated from years of hard work was now bursting out. Before Yu Chenglu could react, his fan-like hand grabbed his front, and his other fist slammed solidly into Yu Chenglu's shoulder with a whoosh!
"Ouch!" Yu Chenglu cried out in pain, staggering backward, feeling half of his body go numb. He looked at his elder brother in disbelief, the brother who had almost never argued with him since childhood, now looking at them with disgust.
Yu Chengfu gave him no chance to catch his breath, taking a step forward and punching him in the stomach again, his voice like muffled thunder: "Didn't you hear what Aman said?"
"Get out! Take your wife and get out of my house!"
On the other side, Li's son, Jinbao, was terrified by his mother's scream and the gleaming butcher knife in Deng Sanniang's hand. He burst into tears, wailing and sobbing, his face streaked with snot and tears. He instinctively sought refuge in his grandmother, who usually protected him most, but when he turned his head, he met Yu Man's calm, unwavering eyes. For some reason, he felt that this usually quiet cousin was more frightening than his aunt wielding the knife.
"Mother—! Mother, save me—! There's a knife! She's going to kill me!!" Jinbao was so scared that he wet himself. He didn't care that his mother was being held at knifepoint. He was the first to scramble out of the yard like a frightened rabbit, crying out in anguish as he ran.
Hearing her beloved son's cries, Li's heart broke. Seeing Deng Sanniang's knife pointed at her, she forgot all about the prescription and the scheme. Survival was paramount! She screamed, abandoning all decorum, and scrambled after her son, crying, "Jinbao! My son! Don't be afraid! Mother's here!!"
For a moment, the noisy main room was left with only the dumbfounded Old Mrs. Yu and Yu Chenglu, who was still pushing and shoving Yu Chengfu.
Yu Chenglu took two solid punches, and seeing his wife and children run away, his momentum immediately deflated. He knew his plan had completely failed, and staying any longer would only result in another beating. He barely managed to break free from Yu Chengfu's grasp, clutching his aching abdomen, glaring at Yu Man with a fierce but weak expression, panting heavily as he threatened, "Man girl! You...you just wait! Today we're here, so things are still peaceful! But if it were anyone else...humph, they wouldn't be so easy to deal with!"
In response, Deng San Niang flicked her wrist, and with a muffled "thud," the heavy pig-slaughtering knife precisely and deeply cleaved into the edge of the wooden table where they had just eaten. The handle was still trembling slightly, emitting a teeth-grinding buzzing sound.
Yu Chenglu trembled with fright, his face turned pale, and he swallowed the rest of his harsh words. Not daring to say another word, he tucked his tail between his legs and ran away unsteadily.
He ran to the courtyard gate, but a gust of night wind made him suddenly remember—his mother was still inside! He had no choice but to bite the bullet and sheepishly turn back to help the still shocked and angry, trembling old Mrs. Yu up.
Supported by her youngest son, as she passed her eldest son, Old Mrs. Yu mustered all her strength, her withered fingers almost poking Yu Chengfu's nose, her voice shrill and piercing: "You wretched child! If I had known you were such a disobedient and unfilial thing, I should have drowned you in a chamber pot the moment you were born!!"
Normally, upon hearing his mother's vicious curse, Yu Chengfu would have lowered his head in shame and remained silent.
But today, the last glimmer of hope he held for his mother lingered in his heart. He straightened his slightly hunched back, worn from years of working in the fields, and calmly looked back at his elderly mother. His voice was soft, but exceptionally clear and firm:
"It's better than... some mothers who have thoughts of wanting to drown their own children."
"You—! You—!!" Old Mrs. Yu was so choked by his words that her vision went black, her chest heaved violently, and she made a "hoarse" sound in her throat. She almost fainted because she couldn't catch her breath. Only Yu Chenglu held her up tightly so that she didn't collapse to the ground.
Fearing further trouble, Yu Chenglu half-dragged and half-carried his mother, who was too angry to speak, out of the yard, and they disappeared into the night like stray dogs.
Only the eldest family of four remained in the courtyard.
Yu Chengfu stood there, slightly out of breath, hesitant to turn around. Deng Sanniang walked over and silently pulled the butcher knife still nailed to the table. Yu Man held Xiuxiu's hand, quietly watching her father.
After a long while, Yu Chengfu turned around and met Deng Sanniang, Yu Man, and Xiao Xiuxiu. The three pairs of eyes did not contain blame or resentment, but were full of surprise and... admiration that was almost overflowing.
Xiuxiu clapped her hands and exclaimed in a clear voice, "Daddy! You're so amazing! You chased away that bad Uncle San!"
Yu Chengfu blushed under the gaze of his wife and daughter, and somewhat awkwardly rubbed his fist that had just been used to hit someone, stammering, "I...I just couldn't stand it..."
Deng San Niang sheathed the knife towards the kitchen, a cheerful smile returning to her face. She said nothing more, simply turning and disappearing into the kitchen. A moment later, she emerged carrying several plates covered with bowls, and an enticing aroma of meat and oil immediately filled the air—it was a feast she had hidden away, intending to enjoy herself after everyone left: a plate of glistening braised pork, a dish of golden scrambled eggs, and a bowl of vibrant green stir-fried vegetables.
She placed the dishes one by one on the table, which had just been through a lot of work, and met the increasingly bright, adoring, and expectant eyes of her husband and two daughters. Deliberately putting on a serious face, she cleared her throat and said in a solemn tone:
"What are you looking at? Good food is reserved for good people. Understand?"
After saying that, she looked with heartache at the crack she had split along the edge of the wooden table.
This time I used too much force again!
A note from the author:
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