Chapter 5: Those Who Strike Shall Be Struck

“My poor granddaughter, Grandma’s here to see you. Oh, you’ve already gained weight after being here for a day. The food at the gold mine hospital must be great.” Hu Sifeng spoke without looking at anyone, spouting nonsense off the cuff.

With just one sentence, the old woman revealed her purpose: she planned to use visiting as an excuse to mooch off the hospital and eat the patient meals—and she was bringing two others along. Zeng Yan had seen people who liked to take advantage of others, but never one so shameless.

Like mother, like daughter; like aunt, like nephew. The three of them looked similar, with small, pinched noses and eyes, large frames, and tall statures. Their personalities were just as foolish and wicked as one another’s.

Zeng Fuzhen walked in and went straight for the milk powder on the cabinet. Without even asking who it belonged to, she started mixing a bowl for herself. While she ate what was in her bowl, she was still thinking about what was in the pot. “You good-for-nothing girl, you have good things but don’t know to honor your elders. Get up and get me some food.” She was completely and utterly shameless.

The eleven-year-old Zeng Yuejin didn’t want to get the short end of the stick. He went for the dry stuff, snatching the milk powder bag and pouring it straight into his mouth. He was so hasty that some of the powder went up his nose, causing a big sneeze. His hand jerked, and half of the milk powder spilled all over the front of his shirt.

Zeng Yan couldn’t help but laugh out of anger. She reached out and tested the firmness of the iron pole used for the IV drip stand. Good, it’s solid. The camera was already on. She would give the modern audience a special performance: a beating for these scoundrels from the old era.

“Corruption and waste are great crimes!” Zeng Yan lifted the iron pole and swung it hard at Zeng Yuejin’s backside, narrating her actions with quotes as she struck. She was thankful the original owner had filled her head with these quotes beforehand. Zeng Yuejin was caught by surprise and quickly used his hands to protect his butt. The bag of milk powder fell to the ground, and every last bit was spilled.

After she finished with the small one, she moved to the big one. Zeng Yan hit Zeng Fuzhen hard on her back with the pole. “Strike the enemy’s weakest point with the greatest force and at the fastest speed!” Zeng Fuzhen broke out in a sweat from the pain and roared in a raspy voice, “I’m not your enemy! I’m your aunt!”

“I’m a hero who helped protect the team’s property. Anyone who orders a hero around like a servant is an enemy.” Zeng Yan’s retort was completely justified.

Hu Sifeng jumped up a full two feet, pointing at Zeng Yan’s nose and shouting insults. “You good-for-nothing, what kind of hero are you? You’re just a workhorse for the Zeng family, destined to serve us until you die!”

“There is no love without reason, and there is no hate without reason.” Zeng Yan’s beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously. As she spouted her quotes, she slammed the end of the pole onto Hu Sifeng’s toes. Her shoes were thin for summer, and Zeng Yan’s aim was perfect. It wouldn’t break a bone, but the pain was excruciating. This body was used to manual labor. Although it was weak, it wasn’t short on strength. Zeng Yan struck quickly, not giving the three of them time to fight back before she delivered two more rounds.

As the saying goes, a fall in the pit, a gain in your wit. How can one remember a lesson without a painful experience? Zeng Yan was always so “kind-hearted,” helping these three idiots review their little red books.

The room was filled with howling, which drew people from the hallway and other rooms. The political movement was still in effect, and there were people with armbands patrolling outside the hospital. They heard the commotion from the open window and ran inside to show their authority.

“What’s all this noise? The hospital doesn’t allow loud disturbances. Are you trying to rebel?” The young man in charge had a menacing look. He was clearly the kind of person who thrived on chaos.

Was Zeng Yan afraid of him? The key to any argument is to seize control of the narrative. Without waiting for Hu Sifeng to complain, she spoke first, reciting quotes: “Corruption and waste are great crimes!…There is no hate without reason.” She repeated the same quotes she had just gifted the Zeng family’s grandmother, daughter, and grandson.

Quotes were the truth and did not allow for refutation. If you wanted to refute a quote, you had to use another quote. The three Zengs didn’t have the education for that. They were so enraged they could have vomited blood, and all they could do was stutter, “You, you, you…” Zeng Yan continued her performance, pointing at the milk powder spilled on the floor. “This is milk powder reserved only for critically ill patients. Zeng Yuejin, who is perfectly healthy, has no right to touch it. Not only did he touch it, but he also wasted it. Isn’t that a great crime of waste?”

She pointed at the gritting-toothed Zeng Fuzhen. “This comrade, go and ask around the Xiangyang Brigade, wasn’t I a hero for saving the team’s property? She’s treating a hero like a servant. Isn’t she an enemy?”

She glared at Hu Sifeng, who looked ready to chew her head off. “She said that I, a hero, am her workhorse and must serve her for the rest of my life. Isn’t that a feudal practice? Shouldn’t I hate her?”

After the series of three questions, the surge of blood to her head made Zeng Yan sway. She clutched her head and fainted onto the hospital bed. This series of actions caught the Zeng family completely off guard, and they could only stare in shock.

Her teammate was very helpful. Li Haixia, who had not yet finished her shift, saw the girl faint and immediately panicked. “Comrade Zeng Yan suffered a severe concussion while saving the team’s three cows. Dr. Wang specifically said she couldn’t be disturbed. If she gets a brain hemorrhage, she’ll never be saved.”

The condemning stares from the crowd pierced the three Zengs. They knew the patient needed rest, but they still came to cause trouble. Comrade Zeng was right. These weren’t family; they were enemies through and through.

The young man with the armband revealed a sinister smile and ordered his followers to grab the three. “Your ideological problems are too big. You’ll have to come with us.”

These Zeng family members were only tough when they were at home. The moment things got serious, they started begging for mercy. Zeng Yuejin was so scared that snot was bubbling from his nose. “You hit people the hardest! I’m not going!” Those who strike shall be struck. This kid, relying on his height and size, had beaten the original owner many times. Zeng Yan, feigning unconsciousness on the bed, felt a great sense of satisfaction.

There was no way those people would listen. They dragged the three out. Zeng Yan had completely won her first battle after transmigrating. She had set a rule for herself to be cautious in this era, but that didn’t mean she would let others’ words and actions slide. Evil must be met with evil. The right time, the right place, and the right people—by leveraging others’ strength against them, it was too easy to deal with these idiots.

For people like Hu Sifeng, showing her mercy was being cruel to herself. The memories and emotions couldn’t be wrong. Whenever she thought of what the old woman had done, the negative emotions in this body immediately skyrocketed. The original owner’s resentment was immense. The hatred for selling her body for a ghost marriage was irreconcilable. Hu Sifeng would never have a good life.

Who had the patience to constantly fight with scoundrels? Zeng Yan’s principle was to either not fight at all or to fight completely, giving the scoundrels a full “consolation,” from their bodies to their hearts. Fighting with scoundrels not only brought her satisfaction but also created value.

Lying on the bed, Zeng Yan used her consciousness to edit the video and publish her first work for @Guiqu Laixi. She didn’t use much text to introduce it, only adding a hashtag: #GoodThingsToShareWithEveryone

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