Chapter 8: It’s Time to Collect Some Interest

Old Man Ji found a spot to stop the bullock cart. “Little girl, is this okay?”

“Perfect! You tie up the bull, and I’ll gather some firewood,” Hu Zhaodi replied.

Ji secured the bull and joined Hu Zhaodi to gather wood for the fire.

There was a sickle on the cart, and Hu Zhaodi used it to cut a few wild bamboo shoots before slicing the meat into thick pieces.

Once the smoke cleared and the flames danced, she sharpened one of the bamboo sticks and skewered the meat to roast it.

After a while, a delicious aroma wafted through the air as the meat turned golden brown.

The fat dripped into the fire, sizzling pleasantly.

Old Man Ji swallowed hard; although his family was better off than Hu’s, it had been a long time since he had tasted meat.

When the meat was fully cooked, Hu Zhaodi called out, “Uncle Ji, it’s time to eat! After we finish, we’ll head home.”

Ji nodded, taking a piece of meat and savoring it with small bites, a look of pure enjoyment on his face.

In contrast, Hu Zhaodi was devouring her share, eating quickly. She needed to nourish herself to thrive in this unfamiliar world and find a way back.

However, seeing Ji savoring his meat so slowly, she couldn’t help but urge him, “Uncle, you should hurry up! I can’t finish all this meat, and I don’t want to take any back.”

Ji chuckled. “Little girl, you need to eat more! I’m just tasting it; you’ve suffered so much these past years. If you can’t finish it, save some to take home and eat slowly; it’ll help you get better.”

“Don’t worry about me! I’ll make sure I eat enough. Since the Hu family isn’t my real family, I won’t be nice to them. From now on, I’m going to eat meat every day. The Hu family? Hmph! They’re only worthy of scraps,” she declared confidently.

“You should have thought this way a long time ago. Now, eat up!” Ji encouraged.

Hu Zhaodi shoved another piece of roasted meat into his hand. “You eat too! If you don’t, I won’t pay you for the ride.”

“You little rascal, can I really accept your money?” Ji teased.

After enjoying the roast meat, they extinguished the fire, taking the remaining pieces with them as they climbed back onto the bullock cart, heading towards Dawai Village.

Ji had eaten three pieces of roasted meat, and while he could eat more, he didn’t want to take advantage of Hu Zhaodi. The poor girl was truly pitiful, and he couldn’t bring himself to eat too much of her food.

When they reached the village entrance, Hu Zhaodi jumped off the cart, waved goodbye to Ji, and walked toward the Hu family’s small courtyard.

Unbeknownst to her, earlier that day, Hu Dashan had woken up to find her missing. After not seeing her, he had gone to the fields looking for her.

However, there was no sign of Hu Zhaodi anywhere in the fields.

He searched all around but still couldn’t find her, and he angrily returned home.

At that moment, the rest of the Hu family was waiting in the courtyard, their faces twisted in anger.

Yang, the old woman, had a bamboo stick used to beat Hu Zhaodi resting by her feet.

When Hu Zhaodi approached the courtyard, Yang grabbed the stick and angrily shouted, “You little slut, where have you been all day?”

Having eaten a bit too much, Hu Zhaodi was feeling lively and coldly replied, “It’s none of your business.”

“You little brat, you think you’re tough now? How dare you talk to me like that! I’ll beat you to death!” Yang threatened.

“Old hag, I warn you, starting today, whatever I do or wherever I go is none of your family’s concern. If you dare interfere, don’t blame me for being rude,” Hu Zhaodi shot back defiantly.

“Hmph! If you have the guts, never come back! We gave you food and stay under my roof, and you dare act so tough! Who gave you the courage?”

Hu Zhaodi’s eyes glinted like knives. “I eat your food and stay in your house? How can you say such things? I’ve been the one supporting this family all these years. Without me, you Hu family would be eating scraps, and even dogs would push you into the toilet!”

“Fine! If you want me to never come back, that’s okay! I’ve toiled and suffered for years. If you want me to leave, you’ll have to pay me a hundred taels of silver. If I step through that door again, you can bury me alive!”

Hearing this, Yang’s face turned an angry shade, resembling a liver.

“A hundred taels? You wouldn’t be worth a hundred taels even if I sold you! If you want silver, don’t even think about it. You haven’t even finished your chores today. If you don’t get back to work, I’ll beat you to death, you little brat!”

Hu Zhaodi let out a cold laugh and casually pulled a bamboo stick from the fence of the courtyard.

“Come on, hit me! Let’s see who gets hit, you or me.”

Damn it! She had been too weak from hunger a few days ago, but now? Hmph! Though she still lacked internal strength, she wasn’t someone the Hu family could easily bully anymore.

She wasn’t afraid of wild boars; why would she fear this old hag?

Yang and Hu Dashan were seething with anger. Without saying a word, Hu Dashan grabbed a broom and charged at Hu Zhaodi.

She nimbly dodged the broom and gave Hu Dashan a sharp smack on the backside with the bamboo stick.

“Ah!”

The blow was strong enough to make Hu Dashan yelp in pain.

“You little brat, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit me? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”

Hu Zhaodi shot back coldly, “You Hu family doesn’t treat me like a human and have tormented me for years. Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution? Aren’t you worried your son will lose his life someday?”

Hu Yaozu was the Achilles’ heel of the old hag, and now that she heard Hu Zhaodi curse him, her rage boiled over.

She raised the bamboo stick, furious, and aimed a strike at Hu Zhaodi.

Dodging swiftly, Hu Zhaodi spun around, swinging her stick to hit Yang’s calf.

“Crack!”

“Ah!”

Yang let out a howl, bending over to rub the spot where Hu Zhaodi had struck her.

Hu Dashan’s eyes bulged in fury. Yang was his mother, and seeing Hu Zhaodi strike her right in front of him infuriated him even more.

“You little monster, she’s your grandmother! You ungrateful girl, I’ll make sure you pay for this!”

“You’re the monster! The whole Hu family is a bunch of monsters. It’s time to collect some interest for all the torment you’ve put me through these years!”

With that, Hu Zhaodi lifted the bamboo stick and charged at Hu Dashan.

Hu Dashan, thinking himself a grown man, wanted to teach Hu Zhaodi a lesson.

However, today, her performance completely shattered his perception of her.

Every time he swung the broom, Hu Zhaodi’s stick would land on him first, hitting him hard.

After taking a dozen blows, Hu Dashan could no longer hold onto the broom. He threw it aside and ran for cover, holding his head in defeat.

He fled, with Hu Zhaodi in hot pursuit, her stick making a whooshing sound in the air.

Hu Dashan sought refuge beside Yang, but Hu Zhaodi showed no mercy. Even the old hag was shrieking in pain from the blows.

As the fight escalated, even Zhang and Hu Yaozu received several strikes, with Hu Yaozu rolling on the ground in agony, crying as if the world were ending.

“Help! They’re trying to kill me! Someone come!” Yang shouted as she ran.

Her cries, like the wailing of a slaughtered pig, attracted a crowd of villagers.

When the villagers saw Hu Zhaodi, a fourteen-year-old girl, chasing after the Hu family and beating them, most of them cheered in approval.

However, some felt that Hu Zhaodi’s actions were excessively unfilial, arguing that no matter what, the Hu family had raised her for eleven years.