Chapter 9: This Girl is Quite Fierce

The villagers began to murmur among themselves.

“When did the Hu family’s girl get so bold? Wasn’t she always timid and bullied by this family?”

“She should have fought back long ago! We’ve all seen how much suffering Zhaodi has endured since childhood. If she keeps letting the Hu family bully her, how much longer can she survive?”

“Exactly! This poor girl! Even if she’s not biologically related, she shouldn’t be treated like that!”

“But chasing after her elders and hitting them is also wrong! The Hu family has raised her for eleven years; isn’t that unfilial?”

“Oh, please! Would you still say that if your parents treated you like that for eleven years? You’re just talking nonsense from a comfortable position!”

“Regardless, the kindness of raising someone is greater than the sky. Hitting elders is simply unacceptable!”

“……”

Seeing so many villagers gathered but no one coming to her aid, Yang shouted towards Wang, a neighbor she usually got along with, “Wang, please help me! Quickly go and get the village head!”

Wang paused for a moment and then hurried off toward the village head’s house.

At this moment, Hu Dashan was both humiliated and furious. It was disgraceful to be chased and beaten by a fourteen-year-old girl, especially with so many villagers watching.

But Hu Dashan couldn’t figure out what had happened to that little brat these past few days. Not only was she talking back, but she was also fighting back, and their family couldn’t even handle her.

It was utterly ridiculous!

Was she possessed by some evil spirit?

That had to be it!

Meanwhile, Grandpa Ji and his wife, who were driving their ox cart, also heard the commotion and rushed over.

Seeing Hu Zhaodi swinging the bamboo stick to chase the Hu family, they were both shocked and speechless.

When did this girl become so fierce?

But this was great; it was quite satisfying to watch!

She should have fought back a long time ago.

Soon, Wang returned with the village head.

As soon as the village head saw the scene in the courtyard, his eyes widened in shock, and his scalp tingled.

This girl was really something else!

Just yesterday, Yang had told him that once this girl came of age, she would be sent to his house to be his daughter-in-law. But could this spicy girl really be taken as a daughter-in-law?

Wouldn’t she end up beating his crippled son to death?

The village head shivered, not daring to think further.

Fortunately, he hadn’t given the thirty taels of bridal price yet; otherwise, if his son got bullied, who would he turn to for help?

But since he was already here, he couldn’t just watch a junior beat up her elders.

So he stepped forward and shouted, “Stop! Everyone, just calm down! Can’t a family sort out their issues without causing such a ruckus?”

Hu Zhaodi halted at once. After all, the village head was an elder and held some authority in Dawai Village; she had to show him some respect.

However, while Hu Zhaodi stopped, Yang, furious from the beating she had just taken, raised her hand to slap Hu Zhaodi right in front of the village head.

Hu Zhaodi quickly sidestepped, and once again, the bamboo stick struck Yang’s backside.

“Ow!” Yang screamed, “You little brat, how dare you hit me in front of the village head?”

Hu Zhaodi sneered, “Old hag, there are so many neighbors watching. The village head told me to stop, so I did. But you still want to hit me? Just because you want to hit me, I can’t hit you back?”

“I didn’t even hit you!”

“Not hitting me is my skill! What? Just because you can’t hit me, I’m supposed to ignore it and not fight back?”

“Little brat, I’m your grandmother! Aren’t you afraid of thunder striking you for hitting your elder? Don’t you fear the neighbors saying you’re unfilial?”

Hu Zhaodi shrugged. “Grandmother? Do you deserve that title?

You’ve abused me for eleven years; you’ve never treated me like a person, let alone your granddaughter.

You beat me for eleven years, giving me only one meal a day and never letting me eat at my will.

If you don’t see me as your granddaughter, why should I treat you like a grandmother?”

Grandpa Ji exclaimed, “Ah! It’s true, those who are not biologically related are different. A bought servant doesn’t see others as human. For eleven years, Zhaodi has never lived a good life.”

Hu Zhaodi pretended to be surprised. “What did you say, Grandpa Ji? I’m not Hu family’s biological daughter?”

Yang and Hu Dashan’s expressions changed, their eyes filled with resentment as they glared at Grandpa Ji.

They had kept this secret for eleven years; how could it come out now?

Now that it was revealed, how could this little brat still be willing to work hard for the Hu family?

Grandpa Ji didn’t care about Yang and her son; he understood that Zhaodi was putting on an act. He nodded in agreement, “Yes, you are not Hu family’s biological daughter. Your grandmother bought you from the hands of a trafficker.

After raising you for more than a year, Dashan’s wife got pregnant.

You know, you’re quite lucky! Before you were bought, the couple had been married for three years without any sign of pregnancy.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded as if she understood. “I’ve been abused in the Hu family for so many years, and I suspected I wasn’t their biological child. It turns out I really am not; that explains why they don’t treat me like a person.”

Yang shrieked in hysteria, “Ji, how can you talk nonsense? Zhaodi is indeed the biological daughter of Dashan and his wife. She just help to lessen the burden of our family!”

Grandpa Ji rolled his eyes. “Share the burden? All the dirty and hard work in your house, wasn’t it Zhaodi doing it? Not only that, but you also don’t let her eat her fill or dress warmly. What kind of biological parents would treat their child like this?”

“It’s none of your business how we treat this little brat! How we handle our family matters is up to us!”

“True, it’s none of my business. I just can’t stand by and watch while you do such despicable things and expect no one to comment on it.”

The village head stood aside with a grim expression. He was aware of the Hu family’s mistreatment of their daughter, but since it was someone else’s family matter, he hadn’t felt it was his place to intervene.

However, today was different; he had been invited by the villagers, so he couldn’t just sit by.

If Grandpa Ji hadn’t exposed the fact that Hu Zhaodi was bought by the Hu family, he could only speak to Zhaodi about her behavior since, as a child, she shouldn’t do anything unfilial.

But now that the truth was out, the Hu family had no ground to stand on.

Moreover, with Hu Zhaodi’s newfound fierceness, could she be the kind to obediently marry into his crippled son’s family and serve the elderly?

Even if she was willing, it would be hard for his son to handle her temperament.

Thinking about it, it was better to let this go; as the village head, if he didn’t handle this fairly, how could he maintain the villagers’ respect?

So he stepped forward and said, “Yang, this is where you went wrong. Since you bought Zhaodi back, you should treat her well. Even if you can’t be fair to her, at the very least, you shouldn’t treat her so poorly!

Zhaodi, you really should have come to me the moment you felt wronged. How could you hit your elder?”