Chapter 121 : Whoever dares to take sides will be blackmailed

Su Xieqiu had already noticed the two of them whispering to each other.

Although she didn’t hear what they were saying, she could tell it wasn’t anything good.

Just a moment ago, she saw Han Meili going to find some men, and she knew they were about to cause trouble.

She whispered to Chenchen, “Chenchen, I’m going to teach the bad guys a lesson later. If I end up fighting with them, don’t be afraid. Just take your sister and walk away so she doesn’t get hurt.”

Chenchen, feeling nervous, asked, “Auntie Su, do you want to fight the bad guys? I’ll help you.”

Su Xieqiu gently patted him and whispered in his ear, “I don’t need your help. They aren’t a match for me. If you go over there, I’ll get distracted and I won’t be able to fight them properly. I’ll end up suffering.”

Chenchen looked like he was about to cry. Uncle Han wasn’t home, and he and his sister were so young. What would happen if Aunt Su got bullied?

Su Xieqiu saw that the little guy was frightened, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit amused and helpless at the same time.

The fight hadn’t even started yet, and he was already so nervous. How could she be tough later?

She softened her tone and coaxed him, “Chenchen, I’m really good at martial arts, I can definitely beat them. Your Uncle Han isn’t home, so you’re the man of the house now. You need to protect your sister, but you can watch how I handle the bad guys from the side and learn a few moves.”

Chenchen, still worried, said, “Aunt Su, you’ve only practiced with me for a few days. How good can your kung fu be? Why don’t you and sister hide, and I’ll go fight the bad guys?”

Su Xieqiu: “…”

She saw that Han Meili was already holding a weapon and was ready to stir up trouble at any moment.

She immediately said to Chenchen, “Chenchen, be good. If I start fighting later, you take your sister and run back. Don’t come near me, okay?”

Seeing her serious expression, Chenchen quickly nodded, “I understand, Aunt Su.”

Su Xieqiu placed a few peeled corn cobs next to her, but she didn’t go looking for tools, afraid of alerting the enemy.

She planned to snatch the stick from Han Meili’s hand and use it as her weapon when she wasn’t paying attention.

While working, Su Xieqiu kept an eye on Han Meili and Zhang Qianyun.

—-

Early in the day, Old Mrs. Chang and Li Xiao’e went to the supply and marketing cooperative.

They bought two cans of food, a pound of meat, some candies and snacks, a couple of pieces of cloth, and five pounds of flour.

Chang Xiao’e felt the gifts were a bit too few. If they were ordinary relatives, these would be considered the best gifts.

But since they were going to meet her son’s savior, it felt like too little.

There were no tickets left at home, so she decided to bring two bottles of Moutai liquor from home instead.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law packed the gifts and took Chang Guangming to the Sanhua Brigade.

Li Xiao’e rode a bicycle with her son sitting in front and her mother-in-law behind. Two large net bags and a handbag hung on the handlebars.

They asked for directions twice on the way and eventually found the Sanhua Brigade.

It was a busy time, and most of the villagers were at work.

The three of them walked toward the center of the village, and after a while, they saw an elderly man collecting firewood at a door.

Old Mrs. Chang smiled and walked over, asking, “Big brother, I want to ask something. Do you know where Su Xieqiu lives?”

“Su Xieqiu?” The old man thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t know anyone by that name. Most of the people in our village are named Sun or Han, and a few are named Zhang, but I haven’t heard of anyone named Su.”

Old Mrs. Chang added, “She’s not from here. She’s an educated youth from Hai City who came to the countryside. I heard she married into the Sanhua Brigade.”

“There’s quite a few educated youth who married into our village. I don’t know their names. Why don’t you go to the brigade headquarters and ask? The cadres there should know.”

The old man pointed to a row of houses ahead. “That’s the brigade headquarters. Go there and ask.”

“Thank you, big brother.”

—

Team leader Hongbing had just finished organizing the land and was discussing the public grain tax issue with the accountant.

Hearing voices outside, he walked out of the office.

Seeing two adults and a child in the yard, he asked, “Who are you looking for?”

Li Xiao’e parked her bicycle and smiled, “Hello, comrade. Is there someone named Su Xieqiu in your team?”

Hongbing nodded. “Yes, there is. What do you need her for?”

“Comrade Su saved my son in the county yesterday, so we came here today to thank her, but we don’t know where she lives. That’s why we came to ask.”

Li Xiao’e explained her purpose and asked politely, “I hope I’m not interrupting your work?”

From her tone, Hongbing could tell that this person probably had a notable identity.

He immediately responded with enthusiasm, “No, not at all. Su Xieqiu is peeling corn on the site today. I can take you there.”

“Thank you for your help,” Li Xiao’e said politely.

“No trouble, no trouble, we are all serving the people.”

Accountant Han, who was doing the accounts in the room, overheard the conversation. He was a shrewd man, and seeing the team leader’s enthusiasm, he suspected that the visitors might hold some status.

He quickly glanced outside and noticed a well-dressed woman, an elderly lady, and a small child of about five years old.

Accountant Han thought that ever since Han Zhenyu and his wife had separated, their luck had been improving. He realized that he would have to maintain a good relationship with Han Zhenyu in the future, as it could prove beneficial.

The team leader led the Chang family to the place where the corn was stored. On the way, he spoke highly of Han Zhenyu and Su Xieqiu, praising how young and promising Han Zhenyu was, and how virtuous and capable Su Xieqiu was. He almost called them model workers.

What he didn’t know was that he would soon be proved wrong, as a fight had already broken out.

After discussing with Han Meili, Zhang Qianyun had prepared an ambush. They planned to strike first while Su Xieqiu wasn’t paying attention.

But what they didn’t know was that Su Xieqiu had already made preparations.

As Han Meili approached with a small wooden stick, Su Xieqiu threw a corn cob at her face. Seizing the opportunity, she snatched the stick from Han Meili’s hand, then kicked her to the ground. She grabbed Han Meili by the hair, slapped her several times, and then took the stick and beat her on the buttocks and thighs.

She yelled loudly, “I’m teaching you not to be rude and mischievous. You’re young but don’t know how to behave. You spread gossip like a chatterbox.”

“You’re like a dog who can’t change its nature. Today, I’m teaching you on behalf of your parents, so you don’t become a nuisance to others when you get married.”

Han Meili covered her face, trying to avoid the stick, crying, “Second sister-in-law, help me!”

The elderly woman and young girl who were peeling corn stood frozen, shocked by the scene.

One elderly woman murmured, “Why are they fighting?”

A twelve or thirteen-year-old girl next to her said, “Meili wanted to hit her sister-in-law, but her sister-in-law caught her first, so she got beaten.”

An old man shook his head in disapproval, “What is this family doing? Aren’t they ashamed?”

Zhang Qianyun felt a bit scared seeing Han Meili getting beaten, but she knew this was a rare opportunity. If she didn’t act now, it would be difficult to find such a good chance in the future.

If she intervened, even if she fought with Su Xieqiu, no one would blame her.

Zhang Qianyun gritted her teeth and ran over, holding two corn cobs in her hands.

Su Xieqiu looked at the corn cobs and narrowed her eyes.

Compared to the foolish Han Meili, Su Xieqiu was more interested in dealing with Zhang Qianyun, who had ill intentions.

She hit Han Meili hard several times. When she saw Zhang Qianyun running toward her, she immediately turned to deal with her.

Zhang Qianyun, looking at Su Xieqiu’s confident face, felt jealousy rise. She swung the corn cob at Su Xieqiu’s face with all her strength.

But Su Xieqiu was prepared. She dodged the first cob, but the second one struck her neck.

Su Xieqiu ignored the pain. Seeing that Zhang Qianyun was about to run, she quickly ran after her, grabbed her hair, and threw her to the ground. Then, she sat on Zhang Qianyun’s stomach and took off her shoes, hitting her hard in the face.

This time, Su Xieqiu held nothing back, using all her strength. Soon, Zhang Qianyun’s mouth was bleeding, and both her cheeks were swollen.

Su Xieqiu then began pinching her breasts and the soft flesh on her body.

Zhang Qianyun screamed in pain, waving her arms around as if looking for an opportunity to scratch Su Xieqiu’s face.

Su Xieqiu sat on her stomach, pressing her hands with her knees, and continued to pinch her.

The elderly woman and young girl, still peeling corn, watched in shock.

Among the elderly women was Yang Lanhua’s in-law. Seeing the daughter-in-law and daughter of the Han family suffer such a loss, she called over a few of the other old women to try and mediate.

But before they could get close, Su Xieqiu shouted loudly, “No one is allowed to intervene. If anyone dares to take sides, I’ll smash her pot and burn her house! I’ve got a bad mind, and if anyone gets in my way, I’ll blackmail them to death!”

The few old ladies preparing to break up the fight froze in fear.

They thought, “My goodness, why is Han Zhenyu’s wife so unreasonable? Who would dare to intervene when she threatens to smash pots and burn houses? What if she really has a mental breakdown and blackmails our families?”

Though the villagers may not share the same surname, many of them were related. None had ever heard of anyone being blackmailed for trying to stop a fight.

What’s more, Han Zhenyu’s wife had openly accused others of extortion. Wasn’t this behavior just plain rogue-like?

No one dared to step forward, and instead, they all stood back, watching the fight unfold.

They reasoned, “Let them fight, they’re all part of the Han family. If outsiders try to intervene, it might end up being a thankless task.”

With no one stepping in to stop her, Su Xieqiu had free rein over the fight.

She slapped Zhang Qianyun’s face again, shouting, “If I find out you’re causing trouble behind my back again, I’ll beat you every time I see you. How dare you betray me? You think I’m easy to bully…”

The team leader, hearing Su Xieqiu’s threats from a distance, knew something was wrong. He hurried over with the Chang family, and when they arrived, they saw Su Xieqiu sitting on top of Zhang Qianyun, slapping her.

Not far away, Han Meili sat on the ground, disheveled and crying.