Chapter 61: Who Dares Touch Her?

After returning home, Pear Blossom hesitated about whether to tell her parents about the 4,000 taels of silver. She worried it might frighten them. After some thought, she decided to hide the silver and act as if nothing had happened.

Mrs. Xiong recounted to her daughter how the group of bandits had gone straight to the Zeng family’s courtyard after entering the village the day before.

Pear Blossom had not been aware of this, as Dong Yun had not mentioned it earlier. Hearing it now, she grew alert and called Daniu over to ask, “Did they head straight for the Zeng family as soon as they entered the village?”

Daniu shook his head. He and his father had been working on constructing the school. From that open location, they could observe much of the village’s activities, making it easier for him to deliver warnings in a timely manner.

“Those people checked house by house starting from the village entrance. After I went home to report, I returned to the school and saw them enter the Xiang family’s house. They stayed there for quite a while before heading straight to the Zeng family.”

Pear Blossom immediately pieced things together. Although she had been in Jinyang City, over 20 miles away, when the incident occurred and couldn’t access her system to retrieve relevant data, the connection was clear. The bandits had left the Xiang family and gone directly to the Zeng family—this could not be a coincidence!

Furious, she slammed her fist onto the table, breaking off one of its corners with a loud crack.

Mrs. Xiong and Daniu exchanged astonished glances. Their faces were filled with shock.

Daniu bent down to inspect the table and tried punching it himself. The pain made him wince, but the table didn’t budge an inch.

It was clear that Pear Blossom was incredibly strong.

Pear Blossom ordered her system to monitor the Xiang family’s actions closely over the next few days. She wondered if the burning of the Jinfeng Tower had intimidated those people into behaving themselves. If not, she would discuss with Murong Jin how to deal with the casino next.

Initially, she had planned to stay in the village for the next few days to watch over Dong Yun and the teacher. However, tomorrow was the tenth, the date she had arranged to meet Zuo Qi. Pear Blossom couldn’t delay, so she instructed her younger siblings to keep an eye on the village entrance. At the first sign of trouble, they were to immediately inform Dong Yun and Teacher Xia to hide in the cave.

At dawn the next day, Pear Blossom hurried out to meet Zuo Qi.

But as fate would have it, not long after she left—barely over an hour—chaos erupted at the village entrance. A group of people noisily carried someone into the village, heading straight for the Zeng family.

The villagers, upon hearing the news, rushed toward the Zeng family home.

The man who had been tied up was none other than Mrs. Zeng’s youngest son, Zeng Guangjin. When Mrs. Zeng heard the news, she dragged Fubao along, stumbling all the way. The villagers noticed something was wrong and quickly went to fetch the village elder and Zeng family patriarch, Old man Zeng.

The Zeng family had two branches in the village, but Mrs. Zeng’s branch was not close to the other. They had separated during the time of Zeng Dayou’s grandfather and settled at the village’s outskirts, while the other branch lived upstream. The two branches rarely interacted, and by now, their relationship was as distant as that of ordinary villagers. Zeng Guangjin would only visit during the New Year for formal greetings.

The group of men, however, was in no hurry. They waited until everyone had arrived. The leader, a man in a blue silk robe with a mustache, glanced around before speaking slowly:
“I’m the steward of the casino in Jinyang west city. Last night, this man came to our casino to gamble. He lost 200 taels of silver but refused to pay. Everyone knows running a business isn’t easy, and money doesn’t fall from the sky. Our boss sent me here with a group to collect the debt. Where is the head of the household? Pay up!”

Mrs. Zeng, holding her son who was beaten half to death, cried so hard she nearly fainted.

Hearing this, she trembled with anger and turned to the steward, shouting through her tears:
“—You’re lying! My son is dedicated to studying the classics and reciting them even while walking. How could he possibly go to your filthy gambling den? This is clearly a setup!”

The villagers whispered among themselves. Some said Zeng Guangjin was a bookworm who never gambled and wouldn’t do such a thing. Others argued that appearances could be deceiving, pointing out how someone like Xiang Laosan, another scholar, was known for his debauchery and had even sent his own son to the battlefield after breaking his leg.

The discussions grew louder.

At this moment, Village Elder Zhang arrived. Noticing the bulging weapons on the men’s waists and hearing about the massive debt of 200 taels, he realized the matter was serious. Forcing a smile, he said:
“Steward, as you can see, the man is unconscious from the beating. We don’t know the full story yet. Why not wait until he wakes up so we can ask him?”

The mustached steward sneered.
“Our establishment wouldn’t go to the trouble of coming here if we didn’t have a legitimate reason. Look at this!”

He pulled out an IOU. The literate villagers immediately recognized it as proof of Zeng Guangjin’s debt, bearing his red thumbprint at the bottom.

The mustached man then pushed two people forward.
“These two are his classmates and can testify that he willingly entered the casino to gamble.”

The two scholars nodded. The one surnamed Li said, “We had agreed just to take a look, but we got separated once inside. By the time we saw him again, he was already at the gambling table.”

The scholar surnamed Ye added, “We thought he was just having some harmless fun. Who knew he’d bet such a huge amount? Now, no one can help him.”

Old man Zeng quickly interjected,
“He didn’t have any money. How could he gamble such a large sum? It doesn’t make sense. I refuse to believe this wasn’t a trap!”

Hearing this, a scar-faced man finally spoke up.
“He had no money, but he could borrow it. We have plenty of money, and as long as someone asks to borrow it, we lend it. Zeng Guangjin borrowed 200 taels to solve his immediate problem. But if you borrow money, you have to repay it. We’re here to collect the debt.”

Mrs. Zeng trembled with rage upon seeing the scar-faced man.
“You—you—you came to my house a few days ago, forcing your way in to see my daughter-in-law! So, this was all a trap to make my son fall into your hands!”

The scar-faced man shrugged indifferently.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. How would I know the man borrowing money was your son? But today, I’m only here to collect the debt. If you don’t pay up, things won’t end well.”

Mrs. Zeng shook her head in despair, her eyes red with tears.
“We don’t have the money! Even if we sold everything we own, we couldn’t come up with 200 taels!”

The scar-faced man smirked.
“That’s not my problem. If you don’t have money, borrow some. Otherwise, I’ll chop off your son’s hands and feet—ten taels for an arm, twenty for a leg. Altogether, that’s only 60 taels, which is still far from 200.”

Mrs. Zeng cried out in anguish.
“Even if you kill him, we can’t pay that much!”

To her horror, the scar-faced man grabbed Fubao, her granddaughter, and lifted her up. With a sinister grin, he said,
“This is your granddaughter, isn’t it? She’s quite the beauty. Most girls her age fetch five or six taels, but I’ll be generous and give you twenty. Still, that’s not enough.”

Seeing her granddaughter in danger, Mrs. Zeng screamed and lunged at him.

But the scar-faced man was no easy target. He kicked her in the stomach as she charged. She let out a cry of pain and crumpled to the ground, clutching her abdomen.

The scar-faced man spat on the ground and snarled,
“Old hag, don’t try any tricks with me! If you can’t pay, give up your people. Don’t you have a pretty daughter-in-law too? Hand over the mother and daughter, and we’ll call it even.”

Mrs. Xiong and the other villagers tried to intervene, but the scar-faced man grabbed Fubao by her collar, lifting her high.
“Anyone who comes closer will watch me smash her to death!”

Terrified, Fubao burst into tears, her cries echoing in the air.

The villagers, afraid to provoke the thugs, reluctantly backed away.

Old man Zeng looked helplessly at the scene before him and sighed. Turning to his wife, he said, “It’s come to this. We’d better call in Dayou’s wife.”

Just as he finished speaking, a cool, clear female voice rang out from behind the crowd:
“You’ve gone to great lengths to force me to appear, haven’t you?”

Everyone turned to see a tall figure walking slowly toward them. It was Dong Yun.

She hadn’t had time to disguise herself today. Dressed in a pale yellow blouse and a dark red skirt, her simple attire couldn’t hide her extraordinary grace and elegance.

The Scar Man and his companions stared, dumbfounded. One of them even sneered, “That guy surnamed Xiang said she was like a goddess. Seems he wasn’t lying—she’s an absolute stunner.”

The villagers erupted in whispers, turning to glance at the Xiang family’s direction. Mrs. Xiang, who had come to watch the commotion, immediately realized something was wrong. Just as she tried to sneak away, she was tackled to the ground by someone from behind.

Ignoring the kick she’d just endured, Mrs. Zeng pounced on her, clawing at her face.

Mrs. Xiang, already guilty, couldn’t dodge in time and was left with a bloodied face. Crying, she tried to defend herself, “It wasn’t me who said anything about your daughter-in-law—it was my eldest grandson! What does this have to do with me?”

“You’re all the same! You Xiangs are a bunch of heartless, vile wretches!” Mrs. Zeng spat, lunging for Xiang Dalang’s mother, Zhou, to continue her assault.

But the younger Zhou was far from an easy target. In just a few moves, she pinned Mrs. Zeng to the ground. Seeing this, several other women rushed to pull Zhou away and help Mrs. Zeng to her feet.

Meanwhile, Fubao, still held aloft by the Scar Man, burst into tears. Her small face scrunched up, and she cried out, “Mama!” Tears rolled down her cheeks, eliciting sympathy from the onlookers.

Dong Yun remained composed as she stepped forward and said to the Scar Man, “Give me the child.”

Seeing such a beauty, the Scar Man hesitated, his fierceness faltering.

Dong Yun continued, “I’m right here. Where could I possibly run to? You’ve brought so many people that even if I grew wings, I couldn’t escape. The child is crying like this—how can I, as her mother, bear it?”

The man exchanged a glance with the steward next to him before finally handing over the child.

Dong Yun cradled Fubao in her arms, kissed her little face, and gently rubbed her back, softly soothing her. The little girl stopped crying and nestled quietly in her mother’s arms.

Her every move exuded grace and poise, a picture of elegance. Many of the men present were captivated, wishing they had such a kind and dignified woman to run their household and comfort their spirits.

Dong Yun, rarely seen in the village, had always been somewhat of a mystery. Now, witnessing her beauty and composure, the villagers realized the rumors of the Zeng family’s exceptional widow were indeed true.

Among the crowd, Liu Youtie was particularly entranced. A few days ago, he had sought someone to gauge Dong Yun’s feelings, intending to propose in a couple of months. But she had turned him down, leaving him sulking. Now, seeing her in such splendor, his heart stirred once more.

After calming Fubao, Dong Yun handed her to one of the women behind her, then addressed the steward, “I want to see the IOU.”

The coldness in her voice pulled the steward and the others out of their daze. Scoffing, he handed over the document.

Dong Yun examined the IOU carefully and said, “This wasn’t written by my brother-in-law.”

The steward sneered, “Maybe not, but the fingerprint is his! If you don’t believe me, you can compare it.”

Dong Yun replied, “He’s unconscious right now. You could slap a fingerprint on anything. Even if it were a debt for ten thousand taels, you’d just as easily forge it.”

The steward crossed his arms. “White paper, black ink, and a proper IOU. We’re just following the rules.”

“Then I’ll wait for my brother-in-law to wake up. Only after confirming the truth will I decide.”

Though Dong Yun had the money, she wouldn’t hand it over so easily.

These people were clearly targeting her. If she gave in now, they’d only come back for more—raising the amount or changing tactics. She couldn’t afford to let them succeed the first time.

Moreover, she was waiting for Pear Blossom.

Based on the girl’s recent actions, Dong Yun believed Pear Blossom could help resolve this. Even if not, she could at least muddy the waters, making it harder for these people to act against her again.

Realizing things wouldn’t go as planned, the steward and the Scar Man exchanged dark looks.

Trying to assert dominance, the steward said harshly, “White paper, black ink, fingerprints, and witnesses—what more do you need? Even if he wakes up, the debt remains.”

Dong Yun narrowed her eyes. “Your witnesses? Let’s not rush to conclusions. Everything you’ve said so far is just your side of the story. How can anyone trust it?”

Her words were sharp, fearless, and unyielding—qualities far beyond those of a typical village woman. The Scar Man felt a pang of admiration, even as he sneered. “Bring water and wake him up!”

Mrs. Zeng wanted to stop them from tormenting her son, but the situation was out of her control.

Someone fetched a bucket of water and poured it over Zeng Guangjin, who groggily came to. Surrounded by a crowd, it took him a moment to process what had happened. As pain from his injuries set in, he recalled the events before he had fainted. Looking around at the familiar faces of his fellow villagers, panic filled his heart.

The elderly woman, Mrs. Zeng, rushed forward, holding him tightly as she wept, “Son, these people are saying you went gambling at the gambling den, racked up a debt of 200 taels, and now they want to take your sister-in-law and niece to pay it off. Is this true?”

Zeng Guangjin, hearing this, almost fainted. With a trembling voice, he cried out, “They’ve framed me! They set a trap for me! I didn’t gamble! It’s all their scheme—”

The steward with the mustache stepped forward and roughly grabbed Zeng Guangjin by the collar, snarling, “Then let me ask you—were you or were you not sitting at the gambling table? Did you or did you not place a bet?”

Zeng Guangjin trembled in fear at the steward’s aggression and stammered, “It was Wu Juren who asked me to watch the cards for him while he went to the latrine. I wanted to leave, but they wouldn’t let me. I never even touched the cards…”

The steward sneered, cutting him off. “Wu Juren? There’s never been a Wu Juren in Jinyang County! You clearly lost the gamble and don’t want to pay, so you’re making up a scapegoat!”

Desperate, Zeng Guangjin defended himself, “No, it’s true! Wu Juren does exist! Cough, cough…”

He coughed in distress and turned to see Li and Ye, his fellow scholars, as if they were lifelines. Hastily, he shouted, “Brother Li! Brother Ye! Please tell them—Wu Juren asked me to watch the cards!”

However, both Li and Ye only looked bewildered.

Li Tongsheng shook his head, saying, “Brother Zeng, are you mistaken? We’ve never heard of a Wu Juren.”

Ye Tongsheng echoed, “Exactly, Brother Zeng. If someone in Jinyang County became a scholar, they’d have gone off to a high position long ago. Why would they still be here?”

Watching the two of them, their mouths opening and closing, Zeng Guangjin felt like a hammer had struck his head. His mind buzzed, and despair filled his eyes. He shook his head frantically, muttering, “No, no… It’s you two, you’ve conspired against me…”

By the end, his eyes were bloodshot, filled with hatred as if they could bleed.

The steward waved a promissory note in front of him. “What nonsense about being framed? These are your close friends, your companions in study and life. You had a grand time gambling, couldn’t pay up, and now want to push the blame onto others? Too bad, plans often go awry. Just accept your fate.”

Zeng Guangjin gritted his teeth. “I won’t accept it. I didn’t gamble. You’re forcing this crime on me. You might as well beat me to death. I won’t drag anyone else into this.”

The scar-faced man sneered, “Your miserable life isn’t worth much. The debt is 200 taels of silver! Even ten of you couldn’t repay it! We don’t want your life today. We only want your sister-in-law and niece. Two people for 200 taels—you’re getting off cheap.”

With that, he waved impatiently. “Enough talk. If there’s no money, take the people.”

At his command, his followers surged forward toward Dong Yun.

Dagen and the others rushed to block them. “No! You can’t take them!”

The scar-faced man cursed, “You again? Who the hell are you? Debts must be repaid—that’s the natural order. If he can’t pay, he has to use people to settle it!”

Pomegranate and Zhang Laowu stepped up too, shielding Dong Yun. “Whatever dispute you have, Zeng Guangjin owes the money himself. What does it have to do with Mrs. Dong or her daughter?”

“Oh, so you all want to rebel, huh?” The scar-faced man growled. “A widow who marries into the family must listen to her husband’s family. With her husband and father-in-law gone, she must listen to her brother-in-law. If he owes money, she pays it!”

Pomegranate stood her ground, hands on her hips. “This is bullying! Where in the world does a sister-in-law pay her brother-in-law’s debts? We won’t accept this, and you’re not taking them!”

A glint of malice flashed in the scar-faced man’s eyes. He sneered coldly, “Fine. Since you’re all so tough, cut off one of Zeng Guangjin’s legs first! Let’s see how long you can hold out!”

Zeng Guangjin turned pale as a sheet but still gritted his teeth. “I didn’t gamble, and I won’t admit to it. Even if you cut off my leg, I won’t confess!”

Mrs. Zeng, terrified, threw herself in front of her son and cried, “If you dare to cut off my son’s leg, you’ll have to kill me first!”

The scar-faced man signaled for two men to drag Mrs. Zeng away. He spat viciously, “We don’t want to kill anyone. Even if we take your daughter-in-law, she’ll be treated well—fed and clothed. She’d have a better life with us than living as a widow in your miserable house.”

At his signal, a follower slashed Zeng Guangjin’s leg. Blood immediately gushed out.

Zeng Guangjin cried in pain, tears streaming down his face, but he bit his lip, refusing to beg for mercy, instead groaning through clenched teeth.

Mrs. Zeng was terrified, crying and wailing. She fell to her knees before Dong Yun, unable to speak through her sobs.

Seeing the blood flow more and more, Elder Zeng finally couldn’t bear it. He pleaded with Dong Yun, “Mrs. Dong, I beg you. The Zeng family line only has this one son left. Guangjin hasn’t even married. If he’s gone, our family will end.”

Mrs. Xiong immediately retorted, “What does the Zeng family’s lineage have to do with Mrs. Fu? Can you even say something like that as a grown man? Would you sell your daughter to save her uncle?”

Elder Zeng’s face turned bright red but pressed on, “If it came to that, I’d accept it.”

Mrs. Xiong snorted coldly. “You may be spineless and accept it, but we won’t. I still have 80 taels at home. If everyone can pitch in, we’ll raise 200 taels and deal with this first.”

Upon hearing those words, everyone looked at one another, astonished that the Xiong family still had so much silver. They began to discuss the matter loudly, with a few families willing to contribute money, but even then, they couldn’t gather more than a hundred taels.

Mrs. Xiong regretted not taking the hundred taels Pear Blossom had earned from selling medicine. If she had, they wouldn’t be in such a passive position now. She also worried about when the child would return.

The steward, initially concerned that the plan might fail, smirked smugly when he saw they couldn’t raise enough money. “If you don’t have the money to repay, what are you waiting for? Take the person!”

At that moment, a voice rang out from the crowd. “I’m willing to pay the two hundred taels for them!”

Everyone turned to see who had spoken, only to find it was Liu Youtie, the fourth son of the Liu family. The villagers’ faces were a mix of surprise and doubt.

Promegranate’s face instantly darkened as she glared at Liu Youtie, saying coldly, “Those two hundred taels wouldn’t come without a price, would they?”

Liu Youtie’s eyes flicked toward Dong Yun before he loudly declared, “That’s right. There is a condition. If Mrs. Dong agrees to marry me, I’ll count the two hundred taels as the betrothal gift for the Zeng family. You won’t need to prepare any dowry. As for the child, she can stay with the Zeng family. If Mrs. Dong wants, she can visit the child anytime.”

Promegranate sneered. “I thought you were a good-hearted person, but you’re just an opportunistic scoundrel.”

Liu Youtie didn’t get angry at the insult and replied, “I’m acting openly and honorably. I’m not stealing, robbing, or setting traps to harm anyone. You can call this a transaction, but it’s a fair one.”

He knew that with Dong Yun’s character, if he didn’t pressure her now, she would distance herself from him once she managed to gather enough money.

However, Dong Yun responded coldly, “A true gentleman does not take advantage of others in their time of need or force them into danger. The word ‘gentleman’ does not suit you.”

Liu Youtie’s expression changed slightly. “You may think I’m a villain, but being with me is still better than being sold to a brothel to serve all kinds of men, isn’t it?”

His words carried a tone of coercion, prompting Promegranate and others to hurl curses at him.

“I’ve already said that I will never marry again, let alone serve any man in such a way. No amount of pressure will make me yield. Don’t even think of using anyone to force me, not even my daughter. If she dies, I die. If I die, she dies. No matter what, we’ll always be together,” Dong Yun said calmly, as if discussing something unrelated to herself.

Everyone was stunned by her words. Mrs. Zeng lowered her head, sobbing on the ground.

Old man Zeng, too, was speechless. Saying anything more would be akin to forcing the mother and daughter to end their lives.

Liu Youtie gritted his teeth and said, “I offered you kindness, but since you don’t appreciate it, don’t blame the Liu family for not helping!”

With that, he turned and stormed off angrily.

The villagers tried to persuade Dong Yun. “Mrs. Dong, why not agree to his terms? It’s better than—”

Before they could finish, they were interrupted by the impatient voice of the scar-faced man. He didn’t want any more trouble, so he shouted at his men, “Stop wasting time. Just take the widow!”

Mrs. Xiong screamed in panic, “Who dares lay a hand on her? Dagen, you have to stop them! Remember how your daughter was carried off by these people? If it weren’t for Fubao’s mother, she wouldn’t be alive now. You must stop them!”

Dagen, stirred by her words, grabbed a stick and stood in front of them, shouting, “Villagers, these scoundrels are bullying us too much! Robbing people in broad daylight—do we have no justice left? We’re not even afraid of the wolves in Wuyin Mountain. Why should we fear these people? Their knives may be sharp, but are they sharper than a wolf’s fangs?”

Zhang Laowu also rushed forward, brandishing his farming tool. “Damn it! Let’s fight! If we let them take women from our village, are we even men? Fight!”

A skinny man also stepped up with a hoe, feinting toward the armed thugs. “I’ve got nothing to lose—no parents above or children below. I’m not afraid to die. Come on, then—come at me!”

Everyone was shocked to see it was Zhang Chunjing, who had once schemed against Dong Yun with Xiang Dalang. No one expected him to stand up today.

Promegranate, already boiling with anger, couldn’t hold back anymore. Seeing even Zhang Chunjing act, she raised her stick and shouted, “Man or woman, it doesn’t matter! Outsiders can’t bully anyone from Daliushu Village. If anyone dares, they’ll pay in blood!”

The villagers, inspired by these scenes, found their courage. Gone was their usual timid nature; armed or not, they charged at the thugs, shouting—

“Fight!”

“Fight!”

The dozen or so thugs were stunned by the villagers’ ferocity, so different from last time. They were outnumbered by the hundreds of men and women in the village.

However, these thugs were former bandits, some with blood on their hands. Armed with weapons, they wouldn’t be easily intimidated. The two sides quickly clashed.

Screams and the sounds of fighting filled the air. Blood was spilled within moments.

Seeing their own people injured, some villagers became enraged, wildly swinging their tools and sticks. Others, however, retreated in fear.

Dong Yun watched the chaotic scene, her heart pounding like a drum. The villagers’ uprising was something she hadn’t anticipated. Memories of the past flashed before her eyes—those who had fallen protecting her, including Zeng Dayou and others.

She didn’t want to see anyone die for her again and was about to stop it.

But then she heard the sound of hooves from a distance. A figure leaped off a horse about twenty-three steps away from the crowd and charged toward the center, heading straight for the leader, the Scar Man.

As the figure flashed past, the Scar Man was shoved into a corner, his neck pressed against a cleaver, and beneath the blade, there was already a pool of blood.