Chapter 276: Going to Settle Accounts

Wang Mei made a point to look around. That bitch, Liu Hong, wasn’t there.

She pointed at one of the men and demanded, "Speak! Who sent you!"

Although she suspected Liu Hong, without proof, no one else would believe her.

"No one, no one..."

Wang Mei laughed in anger. "Fine, fine, fine. You won’t talk, right? Jiaojiao, get ’em!"

Yun Jiao stepped forward, put her little hands on her hips, and shot them a fierce glare.

The men immediately covered their heads and cried out, "We’ll talk! It... it was Liu Wa from Gaoshang Village! He’s the one who brought us here."

Liu Wa. That reminded Wang Mei and the others of the conversation Jiaojiao had overheard. Liu Hong had called that man "Brother Wa," hadn’t she?

’It must be him.’

Now that they knew who was responsible, they naturally had to go find him.

Wang Mei wanted to report it to the police, but as things stood, no one on their side had been hurt. On the contrary, the troublemakers who came looking for a fight were the ones who looked absolutely wretched.

’If we actually drag them to the police station, won’t we be the ones who get arrested?’

Unless these men had evidence of other crimes on them.

But she was unwilling to just let them go like this.

’Damn it, they still haven’t ratted out Liu Hong.’

But it was clear these guys had just been following Liu Wa’s orders and didn’t know much about Liu Hong’s involvement.

"Let them go. We’ve already let off some steam anyway."

They couldn’t just keep holding onto these men. Dragging them back home would be bad luck, and they couldn’t report them to the police.

This was the only option.

Still fuming, Wang Mei gave each of them another kick before leaving them there and heading off with the other villagers.

But after taking a few steps, Wang Mei suddenly remembered something and turned back.

Yun Jiao, dragging the large snake’s corpse, followed her back, tilting her head in curiosity.

’What’s wrong?’

The beaten men huddled together, trembling. They wailed internally, ’Seriously? She’s coming back for more?!’

’SOB... We’ll never dare to underestimate women and children again.’

"You made me waste my hogweed. Get up. Pick it all up for us."

Of course, Wang Mei didn’t forget to pull Jiaojiao over to stand beside her for backup.

The bruised and swollen men scrambled to their feet and meekly picked up the baskets and scattered hogweed from the ground, putting everything back neatly.

In the end, Wang Mei naturally didn’t have to carry the basket of hogweed herself. Yun Linhe effortlessly hoisted it onto his back and headed home with his wife and children.

As they parted ways with the other villagers, they even exchanged warm goodbyes.

After all, these people had come with good intentions to help, even if they didn’t end up doing much in the end.

Father Wang and Mrs. Wang returned home, their faces grim. Father Wang paced back and forth a few times, then suddenly grabbed a carrying pole and stormed outside.

"Dad, where are you going?"

Yun Linhe and his wife looked on, completely bewildered.

Father Wang bellowed, "I’m going to teach that unfilial son a lesson! And Liu Hong, too!"

He was so angry he wouldn’t even call her his daughter-in-law anymore.

Wang Mei, afraid her father might be at a disadvantage, quickly nudged the man beside her.

"Hurry up and follow him! Don’t let Dad get hurt."

"No, I have to go too. That Liu Hong is shameless. What if she fights back?"

She wasn’t worried about her older brother fighting back; their father’s authority still held weight.

So, the couple quickly ran after him.

Yun Jiao picked a cucumber and saw the commotion. ’A scene like this? I have to go!’

"Little Uncle, Little Aunt, wait for me! I want to go too!"

’I’m going to help, not just to watch Wang Dali and Liu Hong get beaten up.’

Besides, if something happened, she could help.

"We’re going too."

Yun Xiaowu and the other children naturally trotted along after them.

Wang Dali’s house wasn’t far from the old family home—just a short distance away.

When they arrived, Wang Dali’s family was eating. On a wooden table propped up by a rock, with one of its legs broken, sat a basin of boiled cucumbers and bean curd sticks, a basin of boiled sweet potatoes, and a plate of pickled vegetables. The meal consisted mostly of coarse rice with a lot of corn mixed in.

There wasn’t a trace of meat or fish in sight. Everything was boiled, and the rice was so coarse it felt like it was choking you.

Because of this, the two children missed the good food at their grandmother’s house even more.

"Mom, this food is gross and scratches my throat," one of the kids said. "I saw lots of good food at Grandma’s house yesterday. Auntie brought it all."

"Yeah, I want to eat at Grandma’s house."

Grandma’s cooking was better than Mom’s. At least, unlike Mom, she cooked with some meat or fish.

Wang Dali kept his head down and ate. "Don’t go bothering your grandpa and grandma. They’re busy."

SLAM...

Liu Hong slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"Wang Dali, have you lost your mind? All day long, all you do is worry about your parents! Why don’t you spare a thought for your wife and children? We have nothing left in this house, and it’s all your fault, you useless good-for-nothing!"

"Your parents are raising so many pigs and they made a lot of money selling them last year. If you had any guts, you’d go ask them for some money! Would we be living so miserably then? Marrying you was the worst luck of my life, I swear."

When it came to manipulating Wang Dali and twisting the truth, Liu Hong was a natural.

"Anyway, your parents are old. When they die, won’t all their things belong to our two sons? The fact that they’re being so stingy clearly means they’re guarding against you."

"Da Ming and Er Ming are your own sons! In the future, if your parents give too much of their money and things to Lao San, the fourth son, or your sister, I won’t stand for it! You’re the eldest son! You have to get the largest share of the money and property..."

Wang Dali frowned. "My parents are in good health. Don’t say such things."

"What, so now you’re playing the part of the filial son? You’re being so dutiful to them, but what about our sons? This place isn’t big enough to live in."

"Da Ming and Er Ming will need to get married when they grow up! You have to find a way to claim that house at the old family estate, or else your parents will really give it to the fourth son."

Just as Wang Dali was about to say something more, his father burst in, carrying a pole and seething with rage.

"Fine, just fine! So we, this old couple, are still alive and getting in the way of you splitting the inheritance, is that it? I’ll beat you to death today, you unfilial son!"

Wang Dali was stunned. "Dad, why are you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his father’s carrying pole came crashing down on him.

Wang Dali dodged to the side, but the pole still slammed into his shoulder, making him grimace in pain.

From the force of the blow, it was clear his father was truly furious; he had put all his strength into that swing.

Seeing him in pain didn’t stop Father Wang. He just raised the pole to strike again.

"I never should have agreed to let you marry this menace into our family! Look at what a mess she’s made of everything! And you two are already plotting to snatch the inheritance when we’re dead?"

"Pah! I’m telling you, not a chance! I’m going to find the village chief today and disown you, Wang Dali! From now on, it’ll be like I never had a son like you!"

This time, Wang Dali was truly terrified.

He looked at his own father in disbelief. "Dad, what are you saying? I never thought that!"

Liu Hong said, dissatisfied, "Father-in-law, how can you say that? How am I a menace? Who says we aren’t filial? Don’t Da Ming and Er Ming visit you often?"

"Besides, it’s your son’s good fortune that he got to marry me! It’s the good fortune of the whole Old Wang Family! If he’d stayed with that first wife who couldn’t lay an egg, would you have two grandsons now? I’m the one who carried on the Old Wang Family’s line!"