Chapter 17

As all the villagers turned their eyes toward her, Dong Yun spoke up, “Xiang Dalang was pulled off the wall by Pear Blossom and fell to the ground. 

In his rage, he fought with her and picked up a stone to hit her on the back. Pear Blossom still has a bruise on her back I just applied medicine to it.

As for Xiang Dalang denying he climbed my wall, anyone with working eyes can take a close look at the wall over there. You’ll see a piece of gray cloth stuck on the edge. If we take that cloth down and compare it to the tear on the back of Xiang Dalang’s clothes, it will prove whether I’m telling the truth or not.”

Xiang Dalang’s heart sank—he hadn’t noticed that detail at all. Instinctively, he turned his head to look at his lower back. It was too far behind for him to see, so he tugged at his clothes, pulling them forward. 

Sure enough, he found a two-finger-wide tear near his backside, revealing the dirt-yellow lining underneath.

His face immediately turned ashen.

All the villagers stared at him. Seeing his expression, they no longer had any doubts about what had happened.

Dong Yun continued, “As for the second house of the Xiang family, I’ve already warned her not to enter my courtyard uninvited. She trespassed and got scared unconscious by my dog—this is entirely her own fault. 

Everyone here can testify to it. Even if this goes to court and the magistrate hears the case, I am justified. Uncle Village Chief, I’ve said my piece. Now, please have the Xiang family remove their people from my yard. Otherwise, I’ll have my dog drag them out. By then, it won’t look good for anyone.”

The onlookers were stunned by her words. They had only known Dong Yun as the beautiful widow in the village. They hadn’t realized she could be so articulate and forceful—this was far from the demeanor of a typical peasant woman.

Xiang Laoer, upon hearing that the big black dog might drag his wife out, quickly shouted, “Your dog bit someone, and you won’t even pay for medical treatment! We’re not taking her back unless you hand over some silver.”

His demand for money was as shameless as that of the Mrs. Xiang.

Dong Yun’s expression darkened at this. She patted the dog’s head, and the black dog (Da Hei) immediately understood. It stood up, walked over to Zhou, and grabbed her by the collar, dragging her toward the courtyard gate.

The crowd erupted into murmurs at the sight.

Xiang Laotou hurriedly shouted, “Go pick up your wife! Letting a dog drag her—what kind of decency is that?”

Scolded by his father, Xiang Laoer had no choice but to step forward. The black dog let go of Zhou’s collar and obediently returned to Dong Yun’s side, resumed its docile demeanor.

Xiang Laoer carried Zhou back to his daughter for care. Glaring at the village chief, he growled, “Third Uncle, Dong the Widow first instructed Pear Blossom to injure my eldest son, then let her dog scare my wife unconscious. If you don’t punish her today, I won’t accept it.”
The Mrs. Xiang, who had been holding back until now, burst out cursing in agreement.

Unable to hold back any longer, Pear Blossom shouted from the crowd, “He climbed someone else’s wall and still thinks he’s in the right? I was the one who hit him. If you’re unhappy about it, come and hit me.”

At that moment, Mrs. Xiong arrived with her children. Seeing her daughter stepping up to confront them, she quickly pulled her back.

“This foolish girl,” she muttered, “Dong Yun has already explained everything clearly. The village chief will ensure justice. What are you butting in for? With your temper, you’ll just give them more ammunition against us.”

Sure enough, the Mrs. Xiang seized the opportunity to curse, “You little wench! Have you forgotten which family you belong to? Just wait until I get back—I’ll deal with you properly.”

Village Chief Zhang Sanye raised his hand to stop her. “Xiang Dalang, Fubao’s mother has already explained everything. You climbed her wall, got pulled down, and then hit Pear Blossom with a stone. Is this true?”

Xiang Dalang stammered, unable to form a coherent answer. After all, the piece of cloth from his pants was still stuck on the wall.

The Mrs. Xiang realized she couldn’t rely on her grandson and prepared to launch another tirade. 

But Zhang Sanye could see her intent and adopted a stern, official tone. “Xiang Dalang is the person involved. When I’m questioning him, no one else is allowed to speak.”

Her outburst was cut short, leaving her seething with frustration. She turned to her husband, signaling desperately for him to intervene. They needed to get something out of Dong Yun, or this trip would be for nothing.

Xiang Laotou sighed, realizing that the Xiang family wouldn’t gain anything from this situation. Smiling obsequiously, he said, “Brother Zhang, Dalang only climbed Fubao’s mother’s wall because he had something urgent to discuss. Maybe he knocked on the door and didn’t get a response, so he climbed up to check if she was home. It’s all a misunderstanding.”

The crowd erupted again with mocking comments.

“If someone doesn’t answer the door, it’s okay to climb their wall? Who’s to say he even knocked? 
Why would a young widow open the door for a single man in his twenties? What business does he have going to her house anyway?”

“Exactly! He’s just trying to take advantage of the widow.”

“Climbing walls now, huh? Maybe he wasn’t knocking at all—maybe he was sneaking in to steal something.”

“Exactly! What good intentions could Xiang Dalang possibly have? He’s already harassed Widow Sun several times, and now it’s Fubao’s mother’s turn. Truly, a dog can’t change its habit of eating filth.”

Hearing his eldest grandson being criticized by the villagers, Xiang Laotou’s face alternated between green and white with shame.

Zhang Sanye turned to Xiang Dalang and said, “Your grandparents and parents have spoken up for you, but don’t you have a mouth of your own? Why did you climb up Fubao’s family’s wall?”

“I—I—I just wanted to look… I didn’t do anything wrong!” Xiang Dalang stammered, having lost his usual arrogance.

“If you climbed their wall, you can’t blame them for beating you. So why are you seeking revenge?”

“It’s—my grandmother insisted on coming. I didn’t want to. I just wanted to teach Pear Blossom a lesson. She’s the one who hit me! Uncle Village Chief, Pear Blossom is part of the Xiang family. 

If we discipline one of our own, it’s not for others to interfere, right?” As Xiang Dalang finished speaking, he seemed to regain some confidence and puffed out his chest.

“Pear Blossom stepped in to help because Fubao’s mother called for her. Besides, you threw a stone at her. She got hurt, and you got hurt. Doesn’t that make you even?” Zhang Sanye frowned. 

This family’s unreasonable behavior was frustrating, and their poor treatment of the main branch of the family was well known. Last time, they even tried to sell Pear Blossom, and who knew what they’d do next?

“I don’t care! She hit me, and since it’s a family matter, there’s no need to trouble you, Uncle Village Chief.”

Hearing this, Zhang Sanye’s face darkened. “I didn’t expect that in your eyes, this village chief is such an unwelcome presence.”

Xiang Laotou quickly turned and scolded his grandson, “What nonsense are you spouting? Go home now if your brain isn’t working! Stop embarrassing us here!”

He then turned to Zhang Sanye, forcing a smile. “Brother Zhang, don’t bother with a child’s foolishness. It’s all because of this useless brat stirring up trouble and making the village restless. I’ll discipline him properly when we get home.”

Zhang Sanye’s expression softened slightly. “Brother Xiang, we all live in the same village and see each other often. It’s best to leave some room for dignity in our words and actions. Your eldest son is serving in the military. If there’s unrest at home, who will step up—your second and third sons?”

“I understand, I understand. Don’t worry, Brother Zhang. The eldest branch is still part of the Xiang family. My wife just talks big; she wouldn’t actually do anything. This is all just a misunderstanding—yes, a misunderstanding. Everyone, let’s disperse, let’s disperse.”

Seeing this, the crowd lost interest and began to leave.

Standing at the door, Dong Yun held Fubao’s hand and looked in Pear Blossom’s direction.

The Xiang family hadn’t gone far yet, so Pear Blossom avoided showing too much friendliness toward the Dong mother and daughter. Catching Dong Yun’s gaze, she simply smiled, then took her mother’s arm and returned to the fields.

On the way back, Mrs. Xiong spoke worriedly, “Eldest daughter, you beat your eldest cousin this time. I’m afraid life won’t be easy for us from now on.”

Pear Blossom snorted. “What’s there to be afraid of, Mother? What can he do to me? He can’t even beat me.”

“You silly child! He may not be able to beat you, but what about your younger siblings? Won’t he take it out on them?”

“Then I’ll just make sure to take Xinghua and Erniu with me wherever I go.”

Hearing this, Daniu chimed in, “Mother, I used to be scared of Eldest Cousin because he was a bully. But now that I’ve seen Big Sister beat him up until he looks like a pig’s head, I’m not afraid of him anymore. If he dares to mess with us again, I’ll beat him up until he’s a pig’s head too.”

Pear Blossom grinned widely. “See that, Mother? Father’s few moves are useful after all. All that training wasn’t for nothing.”

She then muttered quietly, “If Dong Yun hadn’t held me back, I might have beaten him to death.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Xiong glared at her. Of course, she knew about Pear Blossom’s practice in the fields. She’d initially thought it was just a childish pastime and let her do as she pleased, but now she realized how effective it had been. A bit of confidence welled up in her heart.

Daniu added, “Mother, in the past, Father stayed silent, and we didn’t dare confront them. But before he left, he told us: if anyone dares to bully us, fight back. We don’t pick fights, but we also don’t let others bully us.”

Her son’s words seemed to awaken something in Mrs. Xiong. Before marriage, she’d been a fiery spirit in the Xiong family. 

But after moving to Dalishu Village and marrying Xiang Dagen, who always obeyed his parents, she’d been careful not to speak up against her in-laws, fearing accusations of disrespect. For years, she’d lived cautiously, raising her children in fear.

But now, with her husband finally standing up for them and her children showing such promise, why should she continue living in fear?