Chapter 14: Keep Acting Tough

Li Cuilan watched her daughter fall to the ground.  Just as she was about to help, she also unexpectedly fainted.

“Ah…”

Grandma Tang saw her daughter-in-law and granddaughter faint and screamed. But halfway through her scream, she also fainted. 

Grandpa Tang and the others were terrified, realizing something was wrong. Before they could react, they also fell to the ground.

After the Tang family fainted, Tang Xiaorou returned.

Qin Xueqiong, following behind, saw the scene and worried. “Xiaorou, are they alright?”

“Don’t worry, Mom, they’re fine.” She had picked Aconitum today and used it. She carefully controlled the dosage, making them only faint; they wouldn’t be harmed.  The Tang family thought they could still make them work like oxen and horses; they were dreaming.

Hearing her daughter, Qin Xueqiong finally relaxed. “Xiaorou, what should we do next?”

Tang Xiaorou expressionlessly took out a bundle of rope. “Tie them up first.”

“Okay.”

After tying everyone up, Tang Xiaorou looked at Qin Xueqiong. “Mom, go back and watch the children. I’ll handle this.”

Qin Xueqiong, seeing everyone bound, nodded. “Okay, I’ll go back to the room.”

After Qin Xueqiong left, Tang Xiaorou went to the eldest son’s house and retrieved the cloth. She didn’t take the malted milk powder and sponge cakes because Li Cuilan and Tang Rufang had disgustingly taken bites out of each cake, and the malted milk powder had been opened and eaten.  She definitely wouldn’t take them back.

Thinking of the disgusting mother and daughter, Tang Xiaorou unceremoniously woke them up.

“Cough… cough… cough…”

Li Cuilan and Tang Rufang jolted awake to find themselves bound. “What’s going on?”  They were terrified.  They noticed Tang Xiaorou. “Tang Xiaorou, what did you do to us? Untie us!”

Tang Xiaorou sneered. “Nothing, I just made you faint.  Who told you to steal things?”

“You… you bitch!”

Li Cuilan tried to curse, but Tang Xiaorou slapped her.

“Your mouth is so foul.”

“You… you dare hit me?” Li Cuilan’s eyes widened, her face contorted with rage, wanting to tear Tang Xiaorou apart.

Tang Rufang shrank her neck, looking at Tang Xiaorou in fear. They had been eating, and then suddenly lost consciousness. What had Tang Xiaorou done? How did she suddenly become so capable? She had silently knocked everyone out.

Seeing Li Cuilan’s reaction, Tang Xiaorou sneered. “Of course I dare. I’ve got the cloth back, but the sponge cakes and malted milk powder have been touched… so… hand over the money, or you’ll suffer.”

“You’ll never get it!”

Li Cuilan wouldn’t give up her money; it was her lifeline.

Tang Rufang kicked Li Cuilan, telling her not to provoke Tang Xiaorou.

Just then, Grandpa Tang and the others woke up.  Seeing themselves bound, they glared at Tang Xiaorou. “Tang Erya, untie us!”

Tang Jianshe struggled wildly. “You rebellious girl! You’re so wicked! Did you poison the food?”

“Yeah, who told you to bully us orphans and widows?”

“Bah… you poisonous woman!” Tang Xiangdong couldn’t help but spit at Tang Xiaorou.

Tang Xiaorou quickly dodged, but her face immediately darkened. She walked to Tang Xiangdong and fiercely kicked him in the stomach. “Keep acting tough. Let’s see how tough your bones are.”

“Ah…”

A pig-like scream rang out. Tang Xiangdong curled up, like a cooked shrimp.

“Xiangdong…”

Seeing her son beaten, Li Cuilan’s heart ached.

Grandpa Tang was secretly shocked. He didn’t know why this granddaughter had suddenly become so powerful, what medicine she had given them, or where she got it.

“Tang Xiaorou, what exactly do you want?”

Grandpa Tang looked directly at Tang Xiaorou, formally addressing her by name.

“I don’t want anything. I just want you to stop targeting my mother, the children, and me. And… compensate me for what you stole.”

“You…”

Before Li Cuilan could finish, Grandpa Tang stopped her. “Compensate her.”

Seeing Grandpa Tang speak, Li Cuilan didn’t dare to say anything more. She nodded unwillingly. “Fine, I’ll compensate.”

Tang Xiaorou first untied Li Cuilan and then asked her to hand over the money.

“Malted milk powder is fifty yuan a can, and the sponge cakes are five yuan each, so that’s fifty-five yuan in total.”

Hearing the price, Li Cuilan cursed, “You’re robbing me! Sponge cakes aren’t that expensive! And you already ate the malted milk powder; it’s not worth fifty yuan.”

“Compensate her!”

Grandpa Tang said again with a gloomy face. Li Cuilan gritted her teeth and swallowed her words, carefully counting out fifty-five yuan and giving it to Tang Xiaorou.

After receiving the money, Tang Xiaorou said coldly, “Don’t try to take advantage of us again. If you don’t want me to cause trouble again, then make Tang Jianshe divorce my mother.”  She turned and left the main house.

Watching Tang Xiaorou’s departing back, Li Cuilan finally couldn’t help but cry. If she had known that taking those things would cost so much, she wouldn’t have taken them.

Grandma Tang was equally heartbroken. “Cry, cry, cry! All you do is cry! Hurry up and untie us!”

Hearing this, Li Cuilan finally reacted and untied everyone.

Just as the Tang family were at a loss, there was a knock at the door. “Rufang, are you home?”

Hearing the voice, Tang Rufang’s eyes lit up. “I’m home.” She hurried to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Wenyan’s refined and handsome face appeared. “Wenyan, why are you here? Come in and sit.”

Jiang Wenyan smiled. “Rufang, I’m here to visit your parents.”

Tang Rufang quickly ushered him in, but then she remembered the mess in the house and her face turned unpleasant. “Wenyan, wait a moment. I’ll clean up.”

On the other side, after Tang Xiaorou entered the room, Qin Xueqiong asked, “Xiaorou, did you get everything back?”

“Yes.”

Tang Xiaorou recounted the events, then suddenly asked, “Mom, do you know Widow Xia in our village?”