Chapter 24: The fighter among the bootlickers!

“It’s all your fault, you fox spirit! If it weren’t for you, how could my son have lost his mind? You shameless thing, today I’ll give you a good lesson!” Zhao Xiulan’s curses echoed through the small courtyard, each word like a poisoned dagger. She gripped Chang Meili’s hair tightly, clawing and scratching at her face. The pain made Chang Meili grit her teeth, but she didn’t dare fight back against Zhao Xiulan.

Chang Suisui, watching this, curled a faint, almost imperceptible cold smile at the corner of her mouth. She pretended to look heartbroken and indignant, “Aunt Zhao, can you live with your conscience doing this? What wrong did Meili do? Your son did this willingly!”

“Shut up! You fox spirit, don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming!” Zhao Xiulan spun around trying to slap Chang Suisui, but couldn’t reach her. Furious beyond control, she tightened her grip on Chang Meili’s hair, making Meili feel like her scalp was about to be torn off.

Feeling she had to say something before Zhao Xiulan really killed her, Chang Meili clutched her hair, tears in her eyes as she looked at Zhao Xiulan, “Auntie, don’t be angry, let’s talk this through. About Brother Jianguo, my cousin, she…”

Before Meili could finish, Chang Suisui interrupted, “Meili, don’t worry, I’ve got your back. I definitely won’t easily submit to that old lady!”

Her deliberately provocative words enraged Zhao Xiulan even more.

“You… you…” Zhao Xiulan was so mad she couldn’t get a word out, trembling as she pointed a finger at Chang Suisui, as if wanting to unleash all her fury on her.

Then suddenly she thought of something, her eyes growing even more vicious. “I’m telling you, Chang Suisui, if you don’t get my son out of the pigsty, I’ll kill this fox spirit!”

Chang Suisui seemed genuinely shocked and froze on the spot.

Zhao Xiulan’s small eyes gleamed triumphantly as she began to violently beat Chang Meili right in front of Chang Suisui.

Chang Suisui “worriedly” looked at them and coldly read out, “No, don’t hit my cousin, stop hitting her…”

Zhao Xiulan, still angry about missing Chang Suisui earlier, vented all her frustration on Chang Meili, slapping her as fast as a tornado!

At that moment, urgent footsteps interrupted the noisy courtyard.

The village chief hurried over and, seeing the scene, his face went dark with anger. He shouted, “Stop! What are you all doing?!”

Zhao Xiulan, intimidated by the village chief’s authority, loosened her grip.

She glanced nervously at the chief, “I was just trying to talk to Chang Zhiqing, hoping she would consider the neighborly ties and let my son…”

“That’s enough! Lying to me to my face—do you even respect me as the village chief?” The chief knew Zhao Xiulan was always bullying people using her status, but this time things had gone too far. He could no longer turn a blind eye.

Zhao Xiulan was startled by the chief’s fierce expression. “Old man, you didn’t hear what they said just now! I’m only venting my anger for Jianguo…”

“Venting? What anger do you have to vent? Your son’s failure is because you didn’t raise him well! And now you blame two girls? Don’t you have any shame?” The chief glared hard at Zhao Xiulan.

“Go home right now!” Zhao Xiulan wanted to argue but dared not when seeing the chief’s dark face. She shot a fierce glare at Chang Meili and Chang Suisui, then turned and left.

The chief sighed helplessly and walked over to Chang Suisui and Chang Meili, awkwardly pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Are you two okay?”

His wife was used to rough farm work and didn’t go easy, and these two city girls were delicate—he really worried they might get seriously hurt.

Chang Meili quickly stepped forward, “Uncle Xie, we’re fine. I know Auntie is just worried about Brother Jianguo, so she acted impulsively. We don’t blame her. Actually, if my cousin was willing to give a little, Auntie wouldn’t have been so angry…”

Chang Suisui glanced sideways at Chang Meili—she really admired her persistence. Even with her face beaten up and hair pulled out like leeks, she still kept licking up to them! A real pro at being a “licking dog”!

Too bad such words meant nothing to the straightforward village chief.

The chief’s gaze toward Chang Meili was complicated but he slowly said, “Jianguo did wrong and should be punished. Also… little Chang Zhiqing, does your injury bother you?”

Chang Meili thought the chief might feel guilty about his wife hurting her, so she shook her head quickly, “Uncle Xie, I’m fine. Just small wounds.”

“Good, then hurry back to the cattle pen, it’s time to work.” The chief frowned, “Since the injury is no problem, don’t delay.”

He then looked at Chang Suisui and his expression softened a bit. “Chang Zhiqing, I remember you wanted to take a day off to go to town today? You should hurry, the ox cart will leave soon.”

Chang Suisui smiled lightly, “Yes, thank you, Uncle Village Chief. I’m packed and ready to go.”

She was actually heading to town to check on black market prices—she had plenty of goods, and it would be a waste not to cash them in now.

“All right, let’s go. I’ll send you there. There should still be room,” said the chief as he led Chang Suisui to the ox cart by the village entrance.

By the time they arrived, the cart was already quite full. Fortunately, Chang Suisui wasn’t late, and thanks to the chief’s special instructions, the ox cart driver arranged a good spot for her.

But as soon as she sat down, she sensed a strange gaze. When she looked over, it disappeared without a trace.

Her brow furrowed. Then the old man next to her said, “Young lady, hold on tight, we’re about to leave.”

Chang Suisui smiled and nodded, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling and looking toward the front of the cart. Probably just her imagination—after living through the apocalypse, even in peaceful times she couldn’t help but be on edge.

Yet not long after she looked away, that gaze reappeared and slowly crept back…