Chapter 9: Granny Li Gets Hurt 

In the warm, brightly lit space, Qin Nian bathed and brushed her teeth—busy and content.

Unfortunately, the house had sat vacant for so long in her past life that there was no food inside. But that didn’t matter—there was water, and spiritual spring water at that.

Drinking it could strengthen the body and prolong life—that was enough.

Qin Nian drank a big cup of it, and immediately felt clear-headed, her whole body brimming with energy. She didn’t get greedy—this was already more than enough.

Satisfied, she exited the space, lay on the still-warm kang (a traditional heated brick bed), and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Qin Nian got up early. While her grandma cooked, she carried a bucket to fetch water.

Many villagers were already lined up at the well, chattering about Dong Biao falling into the well the day before.

Qin Nian asked, “How’s Dong Biao doing?”

Someone laughed and replied, “He yelled in the well for ages, and no one paid him any mind. Luckily, after a while, his big brother showed up and cranked him out. Scared half to death, soaked to the bone—I bet he shook all night.”

“Serves him right! That kind of beast doesn’t deserve to live.”

“Exactly. Thinks he’s better than everyone just because his family left him a few copper coins. So arrogant. Just wait and see—he’ll end up worse off than all of us.”

The crowd started gossiping again, each louder than the last.

Qin Nian didn’t join in. After fetching a full bucket of water, she quietly carried it home. As she poured it into the water jar, she discreetly added some spiritual spring water.

It wouldn’t be long before her grandmother’s health improved.

Thinking of this, Qin Nian smiled, a little self-satisfied.

Granny Li turned her head and asked, confused, “Xiao Nian, what are you smiling about?”

Qin Nian casually brushed it off by repeating the story about Dong Biao at the well

Breakfast was cornmeal porridge. Granny Li had chopped off a handful of fall-off-the-bone wild boar meat and added it to the pot.

The aroma was mouthwatering. Grandmother and granddaughter each had a bowl.

After breakfast, Qin Nian carried her basket and headed into the mountains to dig for wild greens.

Granny Li muttered to herself that she wanted to set up a makeshift stove in the yard.

Ye Meizi had given her a bunch of wild boar bones yesterday. Today she wanted to boil them and scrape off the meat for porridge.

The weather was getting warmer, and meat wouldn’t keep for long—it would spoil.

She didn’t want to cook inside either. It would make the kang too hot, and they wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably.

Granny Li got to work quickly. In no time, she had set up a simple outdoor stove in the courtyard.

Living by the mountains, firewood was plentiful.

She sat on a small stool and began boiling the boar bones. She even added water twice to get the meat soft and falling apart.

“Once it cools a bit, I’ll scrape all the meat off.
If Xiao Nian brings back wild greens, I’ll toss them in and let it simmer.
If not, I’ll just make cornmeal porridge.”

Granny Li muttered contentedly to herself and stood up, planning to head next door to check on Geng Zhenhai’s injury.

But before she could step over the low wall, Qin Rongsheng and Li Dafa entered the yard—this time, Qin Rongsheng’s mother (Granny Qin) had come with them.

Li Dafa’s ankle still hadn’t healed from being hit with a stick last time; she walked with a limp.

Granny Qin sniffed the air, her eyes falling on the pot over the makeshift stove.

“Granny Li, are you boiling meat?”

She sniffed again.

Granny Li’s voice was cold: “Stop sniffing. Even if I am, it’s not for you to eat.

So, what do you three beasts want this time?”

Qin Rongsheng answered directly, “We’ve come to take our Xiao Nian home. The Dragon Boat Festival is coming. We want to reunite as a family.”

Granny Li scoffed, “Oh, how sweet. A family reunion, is it? And you think you deserve a reunion?

Where were you these sixteen years while I raised her? Qin Nian is mine—nothing to do with you. She’s not going anywhere.

Now get lost, or don’t blame me if I get rough again.”

As she spoke, she glanced west—she needed to grab something handy. One against three, she’d need a weapon.

She spotted the oak wood spatula by the windowsill and grabbed it.

Qin Rongsheng instinctively took a step back. Last time, he’d been hit by Qin Nian with one of those, and his ear had been ringing ever since.

The memory was painfully vivid.

He glanced at Li Dafa, trying to nudge her forward—maybe she could deal with her own mother.

But Li Dafa didn’t even look at him. Her eyes were locked on the iron pot in the courtyard. The scent of meat drifting from it made her forget everything else.

Her gaze fixated on the wooden lid, wondering: was it half a pot of meat? A full pot?

Granny Qin curled her lip and sneered:

“Granny Li, waving a spatula around—what, you gonna hit me?”

“Tell Qin Nian to come out right now. I’m taking my granddaughter home today, no matter what,” Qin Granny barked.

Granny Li was not one for many words—she swung the oak wood spatula directly at Qin Granny’s head.

With a loud thwack, Qin Granny’s ears immediately began ringing, just like her son’s had earlier.

Qin Rongsheng exploded in rage: “You old hag! You dare hit my mother? Don’t think I’m afraid of you—I’ll hit you back!”

He lunged forward.

Granny Li wasn’t stupid. She knew she could land one good hit with the spatula as a surprise attack, but if she really got into a scuffle with Qin Rongsheng, he’d overpower her and snatch the weapon away.

She couldn’t let that happen.

So without hesitation, she raised her arm and hurled the spatula into the courtyard of the Geng family—out of her own reach, yes, but also out of theirs.

Clang! The loud crash startled Ye Meizi, Geng Zhenhai, and Geng Feng inside the house.

“That sounded like it came from Xiao Nian’s place! You two, go check it out!” Geng Zhenhai urged.

Before he’d finished speaking, Geng Feng had already jumped up and dashed out, with Ye Meizi right on his heels.

—

As soon as Geng Feng stepped outside, he saw Granny Li yank a burning log from the stove and smack it several times at Qin Rongsheng’s head.

Sparks flew in all directions.

Qin Rongsheng’s hair caught on fire, and he screamed, running wildly. He’d always had a big face and very little hair—barely enough to gather into a walnut-sized topknot.

After a few strikes from the flaming stick, even that was scorched to bits—he now looked completely disheveled.

Granny Li wasn’t about to miss the opportunity. With Qin Rongsheng retreating, she turned on Li Dafa next.

Li Dafa was her own daughter—born and raised by her—but her heartless, greedy ways were nothing like her mother’s.

Granny Li had long wanted to teach Li Dafa a lesson.

She charged at her, swinging the still-smoking stick down hard on her daughter’s head.

“That’s for trying to sell off Xiao Nian! That’s for drooling over meat!”

Li Dafa panicked as her mother stormed toward her. She tried to flee, but the pain in her ankle tripped her up. In that desperate moment, a vicious idea crossed her mind.

She bent down and yanked off a shoe, using the sole to slam the lid off the iron pot.

And she tipped the pot directly toward Granny Li.

Granny Li tried to dodge but couldn’t escape completely—scalding soup poured over her right calf.

“Aiya!” she screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground.

Li Dafa was stunned in horror, then turned and ran. Outside the yard, Qin Rongsheng was also terrified. He shouted, “Mother! Run!”

Only then did Qin Granny, who had just recovered from the earlier blow, stagger to her feet and fled out of the courtyard.

The three of them disappeared in a flash, not sparing so much as a glance for the injured Granny Li.

—

At that moment, Geng Feng vaulted over the low wall, rushed inside, scooped up half a basin of cold water, and poured it over Granny Li’s leg.

Then he darted back inside again and returned carrying the whole water jar, dumping all its contents on her scalded leg.

Ye Meizi arrived too, pale with shock.

She instructed Geng Feng, “Hurry, carry your Granny Li into the house!”

Geng Feng lifted Granny Li and brought her indoors.

“Where’s Xiao Nian?” Ye Meizi asked.

Granny Li’s lips trembled. “She went up the mountain… to gather greens…”

“Geng Feng, go find her,” Ye Meizi said firmly.

“I’m on it!” Geng Feng replied, already halfway out the door.

“Geng Feng,” Granny Li called out in a twisted voice from the pain, “Go gently. Don’t scare her.”

“I know,” he nodded solemnly, then darted off like an arrow.

—

Ye Meizi picked up a pair of scissors and slowly cut open Granny Li’s pant leg. From the knee down, her calf was covered in large blisters from the burn.

Luckily, the pants had offered some protection—and thanks to the spiritual spring water Qin Nian had added to the jar that morning, the skin hadn’t peeled off.

Even so, Granny Li’s face was contorted in pain, cold sweat streaming down her cheeks.

Ye Meizi said, “Granny Li, I have half a jar of badger fat ointment at home. It’s great for burns and scalds. I’ll go get it.”

Granny Li couldn’t even speak—she just gritted her teeth and nodded.

Ye Meizi ran home, grabbed the ointment, and hurried back.

—