Chapter 15 – Fighting Over a Woman

Jiang Weiguo followed the village chief and his family toward the forest as well. In their household, Da Huang ranked just below the village chief’s eldest grandson in status.

Jiang Niannian led her eldest and second brother to the forest behind the village.

It could barely be called a “grove” anymore—the trees were so thick you’d need to wrap your arms around one to embrace it, and the dense underbrush looked like it could hide snakes.

As the three of them approached, they instinctively softened their footsteps.

Once they quieted down, they could hear voices from inside.

“Aiya, don’t do that, not here. What if someone sees us?

Ah—your hand! Don’t…

When are you coming to propose to my family already? If you don’t, I’ll marry Jiang Daguo instead and see what you do then, hmm~”

The woman’s voice was so sultry it could melt bones. Though her words were rejecting him, the tone had a teasing lilt.

The man was breathing heavily, his hands wandering, and when his mouth was free, he sneered:

“Then why don’t you just marry him? Let him raise our kid—how about that?

I’m planning to head to the city soon and get a job. Who wants to be a peasant stuck in this village forever?”

The woman cooed, “Then I want to go to the city with you. Will you take me—?”

At that moment, Jiang Daguo felt like a green cloud had covered his head. Burning with rage, he was about to storm in when Jiang Niannian quickly stopped him.

She covered his mouth and said,
“Second Bro, don’t be impulsive. Da Huang and the village chief will be here soon.

Now do you believe I can understand what animals say?”

Jiang Dafeng clapped a heavy hand on his brother’s shoulder, his expression grim.

“Hold it in for now. We’ll deal with him when the village chief arrives.”

Jiang Daguo crouched down in anguish, clutching his hair tightly with both hands.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Da Huang came running ahead, tongue out, deliberately moving quietly so as not to alert the people inside. He reached Jiang Niannian and blinked his big round eyes.

[Woof. Is the melon juicy? Ripe?]

Jiang Niannian grinned and crouched down to whisper:

“Ripe as can be. Just look at my brother’s face—definitely ripe.”

Seeing the village chief and his family arriving, Da Huang took the lead and darted into the woods.

[Woof woof woof! The village chief is here! Show yourselves!]

Startled, the couple inside gasped:

“Ah! Isn’t that the village chief’s damn dog?!”

“Fangfang, don’t be scared. I’ll find a chance to stew it soon—we’ll have dog meat!”

Da Huang barked furiously at them.

Jiang Dafeng asked his sister, “Little sis, what’s Da Huang saying?”

Jiang Niannian: “He’s cursing. Really foul stuff.”

The village chief arrived just in time to hear that line about stewing his dog. His face darkened.

That dog had once saved his life—it was his literal lifesaver. Anyone who wanted to eat his savior might as well try killing him.

“You two, what the hell are you doing?! In broad daylight—don’t you have any shame?

Zhang Fang, weren’t you dating Jiang Daguo? What is this?!”

He didn’t let Jiang Jiaxing off the hook either.

“Jiang Jiaxing, you’ve got guts! Trying to eat my Da Huang?

Why don’t you just eat me while you’re at it?

What are the two of you doing here?!”

Jiang Niannian gave her second brother a push.

“Now you can hit him!”

At her word, Jiang Daguo clenched his fists and charged forward.

“Jiang Jiaxing, you bastard! I’m gonna beat you to death!”

He landed a punch straight on Jiang Jiaxing’s face. Jiaxing wasn’t about to take it lying down and immediately fought back—the two were soon tangled in a full-on brawl.

Zhang Fang stood off to the side, shocked and shouting:

“Stop fighting! Please, stop!”

“Village chief, please make them stop!”

The village chief’s wife, who had come along, gave Jiang Niannian a good once-over. So this was the daughter from the Jiang family’s second household? She really was a pretty one—oval face, double eyelids, and those bright, watery eyes that sparkled.

She looked… excited?

Or maybe she was just imagining things.

The girl had very fair skin, though she was quite thin.

After hearing Zhang Fang’s pleas, the village chief’s wife snorted coldly:

“Zhang Fang, don’t think you’re off the hook. Aren’t you supposed to be dating Jiang Daguo?

Then what are you doing in the woods with Jiang Jiaxing?

We allow free love now, yes—but that doesn’t mean you get to be unfaithful. Look at these two boys, fighting each other bloody over you!

So tell us—who do you actually like?”

Jiang Niannian silently admired the old lady—still sharp after all these years.

Zhang Fang hesitated for a long time, her face conflicted. Then she gritted her teeth and chose Jiang Jiaxing.

“I—I broke up with Jiang Daguo a while ago. I’m with Jiaxing now!”

Jiang Daguo froze. What a blatant lie.

He let his guard down for a moment, and Jiang Jiaxing seized the chance to land several punches on his face.

Jiang Dafeng was about to rush in and help his brother, but someone beat him to it—Jiang Niannian, holding a brick she’d picked up from who-knows-where, smashed it onto Jiang Jiaxing’s head without a word.

Jiang Jiaxing’s eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

The entire scene froze. Only Da Huang and the tabby cat cheered.

[Meow meow, Niannian hit him perfectly.]

[Woof woof, nailed it! That’ll teach him for wanting to eat me!]

Jiang Daguo snapped out of it and quickly snatched the brick from his sister.

“I did it!”

Then, holding the brick, he pointed at Zhang Fang.

“You said we broke up a while ago? Just the day before yesterday, you told me you ran out of Snow Cream and asked me to buy some for you.

I went straight to the supply store that afternoon. The clerk there can confirm it—and that Snow Cream is still in your house. What do you say to that?”

Zhang Fang didn’t expect him to bring that up. Embarrassed, she twisted her shirt hem.

“T-then… maybe we broke up yesterday?”

Enraged, Jiang Daguo threw the brick on the ground.

“Yesterday?! Yesterday you took 80 cents from me to buy a hair tie! Did you break up with me before or after that?

And now today you’re with him? Wow, Zhang Fang, you’re something else.”

The village chief coughed loudly.

“Alright, enough. We’ll deal with this later. Let’s check on the injured first!”

Jiang Daguo looked at the bleeding Jiang Jiaxing lying on the ground and hesitated. Then he gritted his teeth and turned to the village chief and his wife.

“Village chief, ma’am, please be my witnesses—it was me who hit him. It has nothing to do with my little sister.”

With that, he picked the brick off the ground and smacked himself in the head.

So fast, no one had time to stop him.

“Ah—!”

Zhang Fang screamed.

Jiang Daguo’s eyes rolled back, and he stumbled two steps before collapsing into his eldest brother’s arms.

Jiang Niannian watched her second brother faint and gave her eldest brother a sharp pinch on the waist. Her lips were tightly pressed together.

Zhang Fang sobbed loudly. But when she looked up, she met Jiang Niannian’s icy gaze.

Recalling how viciously she’d smashed Jiang Jiaxing with that brick, Zhang Fang trembled and cried even harder.

As they made their way back through the village, someone saw them and came over to ask what had happened. The village chief snapped:

“Go get the tractor and drive them to the town clinic!

These two got into a brawl over Comrade Zhang Fang!”

“Whoa! Got it! I’ll go get the tractor right now!”

The villager dashed off toward the threshing yard to start the tractor. At that time, there were a lot of people around, and someone asked him:

“What’s the rush?”

“Hey! The boys from the Jiang family’s second and third households—got into a duel in the woods over Zhang Fang! Bashed each other bloody! The village chief told me to take them to the town clinic before someone dies!”