Li talked for a long time, and Xie Yushu thought for a while before she understood that Li was talking about Xiao Damei, the eldest daughter of Old Man Xiao. Her husband's family lived in the neighboring village, but they were not wealthy. They went out to escape famine in the summer of the second year after the drought, and Xie Yushu had not seen them before. Now they had returned!
Seeing that Xie Yushu was frowning and not speaking, Li asked another question.
"How about I go back with you to take a look?"
"No need, sister-in-law. You won't be able to say anything even if you go. Tianqi and Tianming are here, so it's alright. You should go and do your work!"
Li was also relieved. She wanted to help Xie Yushu, but she was really intimidated by Xiao Damei and Old Madam Xiao.
Seeing Xie Yushu and her brother following, he greeted them and went up to the field with Xiao Dayong.
Xie Tianqi and Xie Tianming listened for a long time, their faces flushed with anger, and they cursed bitterly.
"What kind of people are the Xiao family? Is this how they handle things?"
Xiao Damei, a married aunt, dragged her husband's whole family back to seize her brother's property. What were they thinking? Did they have no shame at all?
I'll go ask her in a bit. I'll see who dares to try and take over your house or bully you. I'll knock their teeth out!
Do you really think the Xie family has no one left?
Xie Tianming was also so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged.
"If I had known his family was like this, I would have rather starved to death than let you marry into this family!"
Back then, Xiao Yi solemnly promised Grandma that he would not let her suffer after she married into the family, and that she only needed to take good care of the children.
Now, you've not only taken good care of his two children, but you've also cured his leg and made your family rich. But he just ran away without saying a word, leaving you with a mess!
What is he?!
"Alright, stop wasting your breath. Let's go back and see. If they're reasonable, I'll give them some food and silver to settle down back home. If they insist on being unreasonable, then I won't be polite!"
After Xie Yushu finished speaking, the group quickly walked home.
From a distance, the group could hear Xiao Haitang's angry cries and curses, and several old women and daughters-in-law were gathered at the door, watching the commotion with their arms crossed.
Xie Yushu pushed aside the onlookers and went inside. She saw two boys around fourteen or fifteen years old and two girls around ten years old surrounding Xiao Haitang and beating her. The two girls were straddling Xiao Haitang, pinching and scratching her, while the two boys kept kicking her.
Old Mrs. Xiao, Xie Yujiao, Xiao Yan, Widow Liu, and about ten other people, some sitting and some standing, formed a circle to watch, occasionally cheering.
"You've gone too far! Beat this ungrateful little brat to death!"
Xie Yushu had never been so angry!
Haitang is a very sensible and hardworking girl. Whenever she goes out to collect herbs or goes to town, she always makes sure to cook a meal for her when she comes back. She also volunteers to do any chores around the house. Haitang really likes this girl.
In the past, no matter how much trouble Grandma Xiao and her ilk caused, she never took it to heart. She just wanted to keep quiet and let them take advantage of her to avoid further trouble.
But this time, she was truly enraged. She took a running start and leaped over, kicking the two girls surrounding Xiao Haitang away with two powerful blows. Then she grabbed the two maids riding on Xiao Haitang and slapped them both across the face, sending them sprawling to the ground.
Xiao Haitang was the first to react, getting up and hugging Xie Yushu, bursting into tears.
"Second Aunt, boohoo, you're finally back! They bullied me and stole all our things, boohoo, including our new clothes! My eldest aunt and uncle even smashed your wardrobe!"
I'm useless, I couldn't beat them..."
Xie Yushu patted the dirt off her clothes.
"It's alright, your second aunt is back. Don't cry, let me see if you're hurt anywhere!"
Xiao Haitang choked up as she spoke.
"My whole body aches!"
Then, seeing Xie Tianqi and Xie Tianming arrive, his eyes lit up. Suddenly, he rushed over to the two girls who were still stunned on the ground, delivered a side kick to one of them, knocked her down, and then turned around and straddled the other, unleashing a barrage of wild punches until the two girls screamed. Only then did the others realize what had happened!
Grandma Xiao, Xie Yujiao, and Xiao Yan knew that Xie Yushu was a skilled fighter, so they pursed their lips and remained silent, only glaring fiercely at Xie Yushu.
Xie Yujiao even took a few steps back to hide!
Xiao Damei's family was unaware of what was happening. When they saw their son being kicked away and sitting on the ground with his eyes rolled back, and their daughter being ridden and beaten, the girl screamed and rushed to the two boys, wailing in despair.
"My son, my darling, what's wrong with you? Where did this damned little bitch come from, daring to hit my son? I'll kill you!"
Four men grabbed wooden sticks, carrying poles, shovels, and other weapons and charged at Xie Yushu.
Of the four men, one was Xiao Damei's husband, one was her eldest son, and the other two were her brothers-in-law. One of them came up with a weapon and aimed it at Xie Yushu's head. Xie Yushu turned her head to the side, kicked the man away, and then took two steps forward to dodge the wooden stick in the man's hand before giving him a good beating.
The other three went after Xie Tianqi and Xie Tianming, who were standing next to Xie Yushu.
Xie Tianqi and Xie Tianming were already seething with anger, and seeing them come to their doorstep was exactly what they wanted. They grabbed a piece of firewood as thick as a pickaxe handle and swung it at them.
Xie Tianqi and his companion had been training with the martial arts instructors at the Tai'an Prefecture government office for over three months. The two of them beat the three men like chopping vegetables, quickly leaving them bruised and battered, kneeling and begging for mercy.
In no time at all, Xiao Haitang had beaten the two girls so badly that they were yelling and screaming, their faces covered in snot and tears, and they kept shouting, "Stop hitting me! I give up! I'll never hit you again!"
Xiao Haitang was blinded by rage and showed no sign of stopping. Xie Yushu was afraid that she would really hurt him, which would also have a negative impact on her, so she stepped forward, pulled Xiao Haitang into her arms.
"Okay, let's stop fighting, my hand hurts!"
Xiao Haitang then stopped, while Xie Yushu, a general surgeon, sobbed in her arms.
Xiao Haitang then filed another complaint.
"Second Aunt, they broke the lock on the cellar, and they've almost eaten all the food in the house! They even stole the hairpins and hair ornaments you bought me, and they cut up Second Uncle and Brother's clothes! They even killed several chickens, boohoo..."
Xiao Haitang was furious, and her words became incoherent, pointing here and there.
Xie Yushu looked at the group of people who were lying on the ground and saw that Xiao Haitang's clothes were on the two maids, and hairpins were also pinned on their heads.
Xiao Yi's two single-layer clothes have now been altered to fit the two boys. The satin fabric she had locked in the closet has now been made into everyday clothes for Xiao Damei and another woman. The remaining ordinary coarse cotton cloth has been worn by the four men who fought with them.
Xie Yushu went to the kitchen and saw that nearly 100 kilograms of rice and flour had been reduced to only 40 or 50 kilograms. Her room had been ransacked, the lock on the iron cabinet was broken, and the cabinet door was smashed and deformed!
The quilts and pillows were covered in black soot, and there were half-sewn shoe soles piled on the kang (heated brick bed)!
Xie Yushu's cold glue and Xie Tianming and Xie Tianqi's drawn swords, glaring at everyone, scared the group so much that they didn't dare to breathe!
Xie Yushu no longer wanted to talk to them and directly addressed Xie Tianqi.
"Go to the yamen and report to the authorities that bandits broke into your house, robbed you, occupied your house, and even beat you! Let the county constables come and arrest them!"
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