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Accompanying them were Song Anning’s grandfather and grandmother, as well as the second son of the Song family, Song Nian, and his wife, Mrs. Liu.
“Anning, put the knife down. Second Grandpa will stand up for you.”
Village Chief Song Erhe took a slow drag from his tobacco pipe. After all, as the village chief, he had seen all sorts of scenes, big and small. He calmly stepped forward to examine Song Anyue and the other two children.
Meanwhile, Song Anning found herself in a dilemma. Song Erhe was family and also the village chief. If she didn’t listen to him today, the villagers would say the chief couldn’t even manage his own juniors, making him lose credibility.
Her thoughts churning, Song Anning quickly turned sideways and winked at her grandmother, Mrs. Zhang.
Seeing this, Mrs. Zhang felt a weight lift from her heart. She knew the girl was putting on an act—she wouldn’t actually do something as extreme as killing anyone.
Well, if they were going to make a scene, so be it. At over fifty years old, with half her life already buried in the earth, she wasn’t afraid of death—what did she care about saving face?
The crowd watched as Mrs. Zhang rushed to the children, pulling Song Anyue into her arms and wailing as if her heart were breaking.
“My poor child, where are you…
Come and see what’s become of your children! If you were here, those heartless wretches wouldn’t dare lay a finger on them…”
Mrs. Zhang beat her thighs, tears streaming down her face. At first, she had been a little restrained, but as she thought of her eldest son, gone too soon, her grief became genuine.
Many of the older onlookers, who had watched Song Feng grow up, wiped away tears as well.
“Sister-in-law, this… ah…”
Song Erhe was someone who dared to speak his mind to anyone in the village, but he held nothing but respect for his elder brother and sister-in-law.
Song Anning’s grandfather, Song Dashan, clutched his chest and sighed. “Erhe, tell me—does our family have no one left? Anyone can just step all over us now.
I’m old. I didn’t even know the children were being bullied. When I die, I won’t be able to close my eyes in peace…”
“Enough of that talk! Big Brother, don’t say such things. Our family’s children won’t suffer this injustice!”
Song Erhe had been holding back his anger after seeing the pitiful state of the three children. Unable to contain it any longer, he turned and pointed at Widow Song, scolding her fiercely.
“Look at what you’ve turned your child into! A widow like you, painting your face every day—who are you trying to impress? Don’t think I don’t know the filthy things you’ve been up to behind closed doors.
Your Huzi came here to bully others, and look at A’Yue’s head—a girl’s ruined face is no small matter. You tell me—what are you going to do about it?”
“And the parents of those other brats—don’t hide in the crowd like cowards. Get out here and explain yourselves!”
“I’ll speak, I’ll speak! Anning, please let Huzi go. I’ll kneel for you, alright?”
Remembering the things Song Anning had done in the past, Widow Song didn’t dare utter any threats. What others wouldn’t dare, Song Anning certainly would. Her legs gave way as she prepared to apologize on Huzi’s behalf.
But Song Anning wasn’t about to let her kneel—she didn’t want that bad luck. She had already beaten and scolded them enough, and her hand still stung from slapping Huzi. It was time to wrap things up.
Coldly, she spoke:
“Huzi will kowtow and apologize to my younger siblings. The same goes for these others—they’ll kneel and beg for forgiveness.
On top of that, two taels of silver for medicine. My A’Yue’s face is ruined, and my two brothers are covered in injuries. Two taels is letting you off easy. Figure out among yourselves who pays how much.”
“Two taels… that’s too much…”
The parents of the children whispered among themselves, shifting all the blame onto Huzi.
“If Huzi hadn’t brought my son along, none of this would’ve happened. His family should pay more.”
“Besides, the Song girl already hit back—doesn’t that make it even?”
“You’re really going to argue with that troublemaker? Do you still want to live peacefully in the future?”
After some thought, they realized provoking her wasn’t worth it. If they could settle this with some silver, they might as well pay up. So they backtracked.
“Right, but my child was indeed in the wrong. We’ll… accept the fine.”
“Second Grandfather, A’Ning is still young. We’ll leave the decision to you.”
Song Erhe shot a sidelong glance at Song Anning, secretly amused. *This little brat laid out all the terms and now leaves the dirty work of enforcing them to me, huh?*
“Ahem, A’Ning is right. Widow Song, your Huzi led the group, and it was his idea. Your family will pay 800 coins. The other five families will each pay 240 coins.”
“As for you brats—kneel and apologize. Since your parents failed to teach you, I, as Village Chief, will say a few words.”
“Today, you bullied the Song siblings first. Now, in front of the whole village, you’ll kneel and apologize. The consequences of your actions must be repaid.”
“Mark my words—if this happens again, no matter who’s involved, Banyue Village won’t tolerate it. Get the hell out of this village!”
Seeing the Village Chief’s fury, Widow Song and the other families quickly admitted their mistakes, fetched the money from their homes, and the matter was settled.
The bullies were utterly terrified. Huzi and another younger one wet their pants, too stunned to even cry. Long after leaving the Song household, they still felt as if a sickle was pressed against their necks, sending chills down their spines.
With the spectacle over, the villagers dispersed in small groups, using Song Anning to scare their own children along the way:
“See that? The Song girl really would kill a child. If you don’t behave, I’ll throw you at the Song family’s doorstep.”
“What kind of girl dares to wield a knife? Only her! San Niu, if you tear your clothes again, I’ll call Song Anning over.”
“This is what happens when you bully others. The Village Chief said it himself—not only will you get beaten, but you’ll also be driven out of the village…”
The children burst into terrified wails. That vicious girl was terrifying—she really would kill them.
“…”
For months afterward, every child in Banyue Village behaved unnervingly well. The mere mention of “Song Anning” sent them into hysterical sobs. *Never again. Never again.* The back hills? They wouldn’t dare go near them…
Once the crowd had dispersed, Song Nian and Mrs. Liu fetched a physician to treat Song Anyue’s head wound and prepare some medicine.
Song Zeyuan and Song Zexun weren’t seriously hurt, but the bruises on their bodies were painful enough to break anyone’s heart.
“Second Uncle, Second Aunt, here’s one tael of silver. Use it to buy A’Xun some good food to nourish him.”
“Your aunt’s family has money. You keep this silver—it’s better spent on A’Yuan and A’Yue, and your mother…”
Mrs. Liu tried to push it back, but Song Dashan shook his head disapprovingly.
“Second daughter-in-law, this is the compensation A’Xun is owed. Two taels of silver, divided equally among the three siblings.”
“Adult relationships are one thing, but you can’t make decisions for them in this matter. Spend it wisely—buy good food to nourish the children.”
The old master had spoken, and Song Anning obediently counted out six hundred and seventy copper coins, strung them together, and handed them to Mrs. Liu. Mrs. Liu accepted them somewhat sheepishly. With plenty of chores still waiting at home, the couple sat for only a short while before preparing to carry Song Zexun back.
“Second Uncle, take this back with you. Let the younger siblings have a taste of meat too.”
Song Anning pulled a pheasant from her basket and handed it to Song Nian. This whole family was good-hearted, and after today’s incident, she was deeply grateful for their support. Money could always be earned again, and with three pheasants, it was just right to divide them among the three households—they shouldn’t have worked for nothing.
The pheasant struggled fiercely at the sight of light, drawing the attention of Old Master Song and Mrs. Zhang, who gathered around.