Chapter 81: Hu Yaozu is Dead

Mr. Ji was so shocked that he blurted out, “Zhaodi, were you a monkey in your past life?”

“Poof hahahaha…” Hu Zhaodi laughed out loud.

She swiftly flipped off the roof beam and, grinning, said, “Uncle, I trained for this! When I entered the mountains and encountered wild animals, if I had been slower, I wouldn’t have come back.”

Mr. Ji joked, “No wonder you dare go into the mountains alone—with your ability to climb roof beams, the wild beasts can only drool and watch you.”

“Of course. If I didn’t have some real skills, I wouldn’t dare go into the mountains.”

Suddenly, Mr. Ji’s face grew serious. “Zhaodi, this time, it seems like Yang’s family isn’t lying. Hu Yaozu really might be sick. Do you want to go and take a look?”

Hu Zhaodi shook her head. “No. Uncle, do you believe me? If I go, whether Hu Yaozu can be saved or not, the Hu family won’t be grateful. They might even talk behind my back.”

“If he can’t be saved, they’ll make me take the blame and spread rumors that I killed Hu Yaozu.”

“So no matter what happens, I won’t gain anything good. I’ll just get into trouble.”

Mr. Ji paused. “There’s a chance that it might not be true.”

Hu Zhaodi firmly replied, “There is absolutely that possibility. Hu Yaozu and Zhang were sick, and instead of finding a doctor, they dragged it out and came to me over and over. They didn’t want to spend money on treatment; they were just setting a trap for me.”

Mr. Ji waved his hand dismissively. “The Hu family really isn’t worth it. Zhaodi, how about next time you go to the county town and have the county

magistrate change your name, and take my last name, Ji?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled. “Uncle, no need to change my surname to Ji. You don’t have to be related by name to be family.”

“When my house is built, I’ll establish my own household and pick a new name.”

“Fair enough. Sigh! I can’t read, so I wouldn’t know what name sounds nice. We can have the county magistrate or your Grandpa Ji choose a good name for you.”

“Let’s talk about it then! Changing surnames now doesn’t feel right, and I’d have to change it again when the house is finished. It’s too troublesome.”

“That makes sense. It’s getting late, go back and sleep now!”

Hu Zhaodi nodded. “Grandpa, don’t worry about the Hu family’s matters. If they seek their own destruction, then let them. I won’t help them.”

“Alright, go to sleep!” Mr. Ji nodded in agreement and, holding the oil lamp, went back to his room with Mrs. Ji.

Hu Zhaodi returned to her own room and, pulling open the quilt, immediately lay down and fell asleep.

—

The next day.

Just as the Ji family began eating breakfast, Hu Dashan appeared at the gate of their courtyard, his face filled with sorrow and his eyes red from crying.

Hu Yaozu was dead, dragged to death by the Hu family.

Hu Dashan stood outside the courtyard, shouting angrily, “Hu Zhaodi, you ungrateful bitch, why didn’t you save Yaozu?”

“He’s my only son! How could you watch him die?”

“Hu Zhaodi, if you didn’t save Yaozu, you’ll die a horrible death…”

Damn it, getting shot while lying down!

“Slap!” Hu Zhaodi set down her bowl and stood up, her face dark as she walked out of the hall.

The Ji family put down their bowls as well, all following behind, worried that Hu Zhaodi might be at a disadvantage.

Hu Zhaodi quickly walked up to Hu Dashan and slapped him across the face a few times.

“I’d like to see who’s going to die a horrible death, you and your wife. You’re both sick but refused to find a doctor, always scheming to set me up. If you didn’t act recklessly, would your son have died?”

Hu Dashan was stunned, not recovering for a while.

“You could have saved Yaozu, why didn’t you?” Hu Dashan finally snapped back, his voice filled with hysteria.

Hu Zhaodi retorted, “Why should I save him? Did you give me money? Or do I owe you a favor?”

“He was once your brother. What’s wrong with saving his life?”

Hu Zhaodi sneered. “Once my brother? Have you ever seen anyone call their sister ‘a money-losing scum’ and ‘a cheap slut’?

What’s wrong with saving him? Do you think my medicine doesn’t cost money?

And besides, I’ve had no part in this. He’s dead, and you come to scold me.

If I couldn’t save him, would you blame his death on me? Am I the professional scapegoat of your family?”

Hu Dashan gritted his teeth and shouted, “You’re so rich, do you really lack the money for medicine?”

Slap!

Hu Zhaodi slapped him again, this time with two resounding blows.

“Even if I wasn’t short of money, it’s my hard-earned money! I don’t owe you anything, so get lost!”

After taking two more slaps and being cursed out by Hu Zhaodi, Hu Dashan’s anger couldn’t be contained any longer.

He raised his hand, ready to strike Hu Zhaodi.

But Hu Zhaodi was no longer someone he could hit whenever he wished.

She grabbed his wrist with a vice-like grip, making him feel like her hand was a pair of pincers. He couldn’t even break free, and the pain made his face contort.

Before he could react, Hu Zhaodi’s foot landed heavily on his stomach.

With a dull thud, Hu Dashan was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground.

“You…” Hu Dashan looked up, his face filled with disbelief.

The Ji family stood frozen, their mouths wide open, as if they could fit a large egg in them.

She was only fourteen! How could she have so much strength? She actually kicked a grown man like him flying!

In the eyes of the Ji family, Hu Zhaodi was amazing!

But in Hu Dashan’s eyes, Hu Zhaodi was terrifying!

With a murderous glint in her eyes, Hu Zhaodi spat, “Get lost!”

Hu Dashan had never seen such a terrifying look from her before. He completely shrank back.

Grimacing in pain, he crawled up and slunk away, cursing Hu Zhaodi a thousand times in his mind.

Mr. Ji spat, “Well done, serves him right!”

Mrs. Ji walked over to Hu Zhaodi with a sympathetic look, patting her hand. “It’s good you didn’t go to save Hu Yaozu last night. Otherwise, you’d really be in trouble today.”

Hu Zhaodi smiled. “Aunt, I never wanted to be a do-gooder. If Hu Yaozu were a decent child, I would have saved him.

But he’s not. He’s already been spoiled by the Hu family. As the saying goes, ‘A child raised crooked will grow up crooked.’ Even if he grew up, Hu Yaozu would still be a troublemaker.”

Mrs. Ji nodded. “You’re right. The Hu family brought this on themselves. They have no one to blame but themselves. Let’s go, let’s go back and have breakfast.”

Mr. Ji inwardly reproached himself. Last night, when he heard that Hu Yaozu and his mother were dying, he had softened and even considered asking Zhaodi to go see them.

Thankfully, she didn’t go. Otherwise, if Hu Yaozu had died today, the Hu family would have definitely blamed Zhaodi.

That was a close call!

It seemed he couldn’t let his kindness blind him in the future. He needed to see what kind of people they were before making decisions.

The Ji family and Hu Zhaodi returned to their house for breakfast.

Meanwhile, at the Hu family…

Yang was holding Hu Yaozu’s lifeless body, crying bitterly, “My poor grandson! How could you leave your grandmother so suddenly?…”

Zhang, still burning with fever, dragged her weak body and collapsed next to Hu Yaozu’s corpse, crying uncontrollably.