Chapter 26 026 Following "Good Slave" and "Auntie"...
Jiang Ling'er had no intention of letting Uncle Yang off the hook. Especially when she saw the torn land deeds scattered all over the ground and Aunt Yang's pale face, followed by a fleeting glimpse of Old Jiang the镖头 (bodyguard/escort) with his full head of white hair bound in the dungeon, her eyes burned with rage. She held a knife, even if it was a rusty woodcutter's knife, and stood in front of the burly Uncle Yang with an aura of one man guarding a pass against ten thousand!
Uncle Yang was so frightened he wet himself. On a sudden impulse, he quickly and loudly proclaimed, his lips trembling:
"Big...Big Brother, we're all family, does your wife intend to kill me?!"
Uncle Yang, who had spent half his life bullying others in this small mountain village, had never encountered such an extraordinary person before—one who wouldn't listen to reason or force, and who simply wielded a knife! And she was a frail young woman! Several men tried to take her wood-chopping knife but failed; instead, Jiang Ling'er kicked them all to the ground!
Where did Yang Dalang find this... such a skilled young woman!
Uncle Yang was a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. He had never seen a real weapon before, and his face turned pale. He knew to look for the head of the family, the "Yang Dalang"—the little poisoner—whom he had looked down upon.
Now we don’t care whether he’s the real or fake eldest son, as long as he can keep this shrew in check, he’s a good eldest son of the Yang family!
However, this also confirms the identity of the little poisoner "Yang Dalang".
Jiang Ling'er paused upon hearing this, glancing sideways at the little poisoner. She couldn't see his face, only his long, raven-feather-like hair, and unconsciously bit her lower lip.
She was a little worried.
They were worried that the small-time drug dealers didn't want to cause a big fuss and wanted to keep quiet, since their primary goal was to recuperate in this small village, not to make a scene that everyone knew about. What if they made a big fuss and attracted the attention of the local authorities?
With that thought, her fingernails dug into her flesh. She stopped looking at the little poisonous creature and instead raised her eyebrows to stare at Uncle Yang. She was already plotting how to beat him up without anyone noticing, otherwise she wouldn't be able to swallow this insult!
Seeing Jiang Ling'er's piercing gaze, Uncle Yang's thin face paled even more. If it weren't for Jiang Ling'er holding a wood-chopping knife right in front of him, he would have pleaded with the little poisoner. His usually foul-mouthed tone softened considerably.
"Big brother, we're all family. Tell your wife to put down the knife, bow her head and apologize properly, and I'll let this go...!"
Upon hearing the words "lower your head and properly admit your mistake," Jiang Ling'er suddenly raised her eyebrows, her murderous aura almost uncontrollable. The bones in her fingers gripping the woodcutter's knife turned white, and a glaring blue vein bulged on the back of her hand.
Because she knew he would do it.
He might not only make her bow her head and admit her mistake, but he might even make her kneel and kowtow to that scoundrel. Just like after they descended the mountain, he had already warned her on the very first day they stepped into the inn:
Don't cause me any unnecessary trouble. If you get entangled with someone like this, I won't save you, understand? Not only will I not save you, I'll also gouge out your eyes and give them to him myself. Got it?
It felt like just yesterday; that chilling aura still lingered in her ears. The thought of possibly having to kneel down and apologize to that Uncle Yang ignited two flames of anger in her eyes. The anger made her tremble all over, and her fingernails dug into her flesh as she gripped the wood-chopping knife.
Suddenly, I heard a soft voice behind me, sounding like a sigh of helplessness, and also like weakness and fear:
"I would like to, but... I have a shrew at home, so I'm sorry."
Jiang Ling'er was slightly taken aback, holding her breath and waiting for what would happen next, but after waiting for a long time, nothing came. She blinked quickly, feeling somewhat confused and uncertain.
Not only was she waiting, but Uncle Yang was also waiting, and he became anxious when he didn't get the answer he expected.
"If you can't even control your own woman, don't blame me for being ruthless as her uncle! If this goes to the authorities..."
The little poisonous creature interrupted him: "It would be good if we took it to the authorities."
Uncle Yang choked, and Jiang Ling'er paused, glancing sideways. She saw the little poisoner lazily reclining in a dilapidated wooden chair. As if the old, worn-out chair was too uncomfortable, he slightly furrowed his delicate brows. His already pale, almost delicate features made him appear even more frail. The corners of his lips, barely visible behind his dark hair, curved slightly, and his words, though weak and powerless, were clear:
"This humble nephew, having wandered far from home for several years, has learned a few characters, though not many, and saying so would only make me a laughingstock." He coughed twice, seemingly lost in thought, and pondered, "The laws of the Great Song Dynasty say, what is the punishment for stealing farmland? What is the punishment for tearing up land deeds? It seems... it's caning? Hmm, as for whether it's caning the back or the buttocks, I can't quite remember..."
As he spoke, Uncle Yang's face grew paler and paler until he could barely stand. A surge of violence welled up within him, and he almost lunged forward, shouting, "...You!"
He had barely taken a step when Jiang Ling'er was faster, sidestepping in front of the little poisonous creature, her blade pressed against Uncle Yang's neck, her eyes cold and fierce, she shouted:
"You dare?!"
Uncle Yang hesitated, and although it was a rusty woodcutter's knife, it still managed to cut a shallow gash on his neck, from which beads of blood trickled down. Uncle Yang caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, and instantly his eyes rolled back and he collapsed backward!
In an instant, the room was in complete chaos, with some calling out "Dad" and others "Uncle."
Jiang Ling'er dropped the wood-chopping knife and quickly helped the prostrate Yang Da Niang to her feet. Although blind, Yang Da Niang knew what had happened. The timid old woman, who had been oppressed for most of her life, finally felt a surge of pride and even a sense of satisfaction. She grasped Jiang Ling'er's knife-wielding hand in her own, her own hand trembling violently, yet she gently patted the back of Jiang Ling'er's hand, unsure whether to comfort Jiang Ling'er or herself.
"Well done, well done... He went too far, this is exactly what he deserved!"
Being praised is always a happy thing, but the real trouble is yet to come. Jiang Ling'er is waiting for the little poisoner to ridicule her. That would be good, but she is afraid that he will get angry with her and take it upon himself to kick her out!
Of course, Jiang Ling'er would never leave, no matter how much he scolded or even hit her. This man was petty and held grudges; if only a beating could appease him.
She muttered something to herself, took a deep breath, and forced herself to turn around, only to find the little poison staring blankly at her. The little poison seemed to be startled by her sudden turn, its eyes trembling and its long hair shaking almost imperceptibly.
Jiang Ling'er also paused, stunned.
I just used a little lightness skill to block him. It's understandable that the middle-aged farmer, who knew nothing of martial arts, was startled. But Little Poison shouldn't have done that.
His martial arts skills are superior to hers; her skills are only good for fooling laymen. She knows her own limitations; experts would laugh at her.
Therefore, the small poisonous creature's reaction was very abnormal. Could it be...?
Could it be that her light-footed skills are so bad that even a small poisonous creature would be startled?!
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her on the head; Jiang Ling'er swayed, and her pupils dilated.
Is it really that bad?!
Seemingly unable to accept this blow, Jiang Ling'er suddenly bent down, gripping the armrests of the worn-out wooden chair with both hands. She raised her eyelids, revealing a pair of sharp, almond-shaped eyes that met the gaze of the little poisonous creature nestled in the chair:
"How……"
She'd barely uttered a single word when the little poisonous creature's long eyelashes fluttered as if pricked by a needle. It reacted even more violently, jerking back to create distance, its back pressed tightly against the chair back. After a moment, it stiffly turned its head and gave a soft sneer:
"...It's alright."
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er stared into the void and blinked twice inexplicably. She slowly straightened up and paused for a long time before realizing what was going on. Oh, it was about the time she used a wood-chopping knife to scare people.
But... "make do"?
What does "make do" mean?
Does that mean she did a passable job, or that her skills were just passable?
Or... should we just make do with whatever?
What kind of answer is that? Kung Fu only has strong and weak aspects; what kind of answer is "just passable"?
She stared intently at the little poisoner with wide almond eyes, trying to glean answers from his expression. Unfortunately, the little poisoner only sparingly revealed a glimpse of his superior chin, hiding the rest beneath his long, dark hair. She couldn't see it, and naturally, she couldn't discern any hidden meaning.
Ever since realizing her martial arts skills were poor, Jiang Ling'er became somewhat sensitive. Even though she knew martial arts skills weren't something that could be acquired overnight, she still couldn't help but overthink things.
She wants to become stronger.
She didn't know when her life would end, nor how long the little poison could keep her alive. Therefore, she had to be stronger, even stronger, because she had no time left.
She scratched her head, somewhat troubled, and saw that the little poisonous creature was acting like it wanted to stay away from strangers again... Oh well, I won't scold it... I'll just praise it.
Jiang Ling'er sniffed, quickly putting the matter out of her mind. She turned to look at the chaotic group of people behind her. In a corner where she couldn't see, the little poisonous creature noticed Jiang Ling'er looking away and let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief. But as it relaxed, it suddenly froze, realizing something. It turned to stare at Jiang Ling'er's slender back, its beautiful eyes clouded with gloom, hiding endless darkness.
--
There was crying and shouting, and they even tried to rouse Uncle Yang.
It turned out that the torn-up land deeds were a deliberate act to fool Granny Yang; they had stolen the real deeds. Seeing that the woman was unyielding and a ruthless character, their plan failed, and they reluctantly retrieved the hidden land deeds. But when it came time to return them to Granny Yang, they couldn't bear to part with them. Granny Yang, clutching her neck with one hand, glared venomously at the three men before her, ultimately unable to bear it, and gritted her teeth, saying:
“This village isn’t that big, but it’s not that small either. You’re a crazy woman, a sickly man, and… a shrew! Do you think you’ll get away with offending the Yang family? We’ll make sure you can’t even cultivate your fields!”
Jiang Ling'er was furious upon hearing this and was about to grab her wood-chopping knife when the little poisonous creature lazily spoke:
"As you can see, Uncle, my family is destitute. Besides my worthless life, what else do I have to lose?"
When fighting with someone, I'm not afraid of their cunning and treacherous nature, but I'm afraid of those who are reckless and suicidal.
Uncle Yang finally gave up, sighed, and returned the land deed. The family of scoundrels who had been causing trouble finally left, leaving behind a mess and three people looking at each other in bewilderment.
Jiang Ling'er broke the silence first, looking at the little poison creature and scratching her head: "I thought you wouldn't..."
The little poisoner glanced at her: "It's common for brothers to turn against each other over land. It would be strange if someone didn't fight for land, understand, Miss?"
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Following "good servant" and "auntie", another title has been added: "young lady".
Jiang Ling'er glanced at Aunt Yang and thankfully Aunt Yang didn't suspect anything. She was tightly clutching the recovered land deed, muttering something, and then groping to hide the land deed in a new place.
When Jiang Ling'er looked at the little poisoner again, he was already gone.
He went back into the house, where only the tightly closed door was visible.
I wonder what he's tinkering with in the room. Maybe he's fiddling with those puppets, or maybe... he's going back to sleep.
Jiang Ling'er didn't know, nor did she dare to know. In short, she, the little poisoner, and Aunt Yang—just as Uncle Yang had described—a shrew with a knife, a sickly man, and a mentally unstable old woman—this strange family of three—was thus formed.
They settled down in this small village in a strange yet harmonious way.
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Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, I'm back! From now on, I'll be updating every morning at 6 AM!
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