“I was originally going to settle for just eighty taels. But now? I think I should calculate how much I’ve subsidized your family over the years!”

“Lu Qingqing! That’s enough!” Ning Xiuwen’s face twisted in anger, his voice trembling with rage. “Such filthy words! No manners at all! You’ve truly disappointed me—deeply disappointed me!”

Disappointed? My ass!

Lu Qingqing responded with a solid kick.

She’d been a well-mannered, polite Ph.D. for too long—but who knew she’d once been a fierce leopard, clawing her way out of school bullying?

She repaid kindness with kindness.

But revenge? Always.

Ning Xiuwen’s favorite tactic was PUA manipulation.

Preaching that a proper girl should be gentle, obedient, and soft-spoken.

Bullshit!

Forget all that propriety, righteousness, benevolence, shame, and filial piety! Screw gentleness, modesty, frugality, and humility!

Some clueless punk who hasn’t even stepped into society trying to lecture her?

She hadn’t thrown hands in a while—time to stretch those muscles!

“Lu Qingqing, stop! Stop!”

As the crowd watched in horror, Lu Qingqing straddled Ning Xiuwen, slapping his stunned, pale face again and again.

“If you want to ruin my family, then don’t even think about passing the county exam! A man with no moral character like you—you’re not qualified!”

“Eighty taels of silver—plus everything you’ve taken from me over the years—hand it all back to your old lady here!”

Ning Xiuwen had no way to fight back, getting thoroughly beaten.

Madam Liu rushed forward to pull her off, but Lu Qingqing kicked her down without hesitation.

Ding Xiang shrieked angrily, “Lu Qingqing! I’m going to report you to Uncle Lizheng! You shrew!”

“Great, go ahead!” Lu Qingqing shot her a sharp, menacing glare. “I’d love for the whole village to know what kind of trash Ning Xiuwen is!”

Ding Xiang flinched from her gaze.

Why was Lu Qingqing suddenly so terrifying?

“Don’t go!”

Ning Xiuwen and Madam Liu both shouted at the same time.

“I can’t afford that kind of humiliation!” Ning Xiuwen gritted his teeth.

Watching the other two scholars nearby whisper to each other, he seethed with rage.

But he still forced a calm voice, trying to pacify her: “Qingqing, how can you be so heartless? I already said—once I pass the county exam, I’ll go to your house and propose marriage. Are you really trying to destroy me?”

“Heh! Ning Xiuwen, next time you try to sell a dream, at least sprinkle some salt on it—make it taste halfway believable.”

“Cut the crap! You think I don’t know? You told me to find that purple locust bark on purpose, so I’d get caught and disappear! All to pocket the eighty taels!”

Ning Xiuwen’s eyes flashed in shock.

She was right.

Those men had been wearing constable uniforms—clearly from the county office.

One even wore a half-mask, creepy as hell.

He’d overheard them talking about going up the mountain to find the bark, so he pretended to be desperate and told Lu Qingqing his mother had passed out again, and they needed purple locust as a medicinal catalyst.

He also said it was rare.

Lu Qingqing took the bait.

He just hadn’t expected those men wouldn’t arrest her.

And he definitely hadn’t expected her to come back like a madwoman demanding the money!

Maybe her father and brothers had finally talked some sense into her.

Still, with her obsession for him, he figured a few sweet words would settle things again.

“Brother Li, Brother Liang, sorry—today’s not a good time. Please, excuse yourselves,” he said, trying to shoo them away.

Lu Qingqing, however, kicked the wooden door shut behind them.

“Not so fast. Let’s settle this properly—let these scholars witness how justice is done.”

The two scholars smiled awkwardly. It’s not that we don’t want to leave, you know…

“Lu Qingqing, you—!”

“Ning Xiuwen, if you don’t pay back the silver, I’ll make sure the entire world hears about this! At worst, I’ll go to the county office and beat the drum of injustice. If you deny taking my money, the magistrates will investigate every last coin!”

If that happened, his hopes of becoming a scholar would be crushed.

Ning Xiuwen couldn’t keep up the refined act anymore.

His face contorted with rage from every angle.

But then, he sneered.

“Lu Qingqing, you wouldn’t dare! Your face is already scarred, your reputation is in tatters. If word gets out that you borrowed high-interest money, no one will marry you! You’ll be forced into marrying some old white-haired man through state matchmaking!”

The Great Qian Dynasty had only recently emerged from war and was still recovering, trying to boost population growth.

The government required all unmarried men over 20 and women over 17 to undergo mandatory matchmaking if still single.

That’s why Old Man Lu hadn’t dared to speak up.

But it wasn’t absolute.

If a woman didn’t want to marry, she could pay five times the regular tax—or become a government employee, elevating her social status.

Basically, the rule was for poor folks.

They were just the government’s breeding stock.

Lu Qingqing, with medical skills in hand, wasn’t afraid of anything.

“Don’t worry. Even if I end up married to a pig or dog, you’ll still have it a hundred times worse.”

She jabbed a needle into Ning Xiuwen’s back.

He suddenly went limp—all strength drained from his body as Lu Qingqing hoisted him up easily.

His eyes widened in terror.

“What… what are you doing?!”

Why couldn’t he move?!

Lu Qingqing gave a chilling smile. “I’m going to the magistrate’s court to beat the injustice drum!”

“Lu Qingqing, let go of my son!” Old Madam Liu lunged again, only to be kicked flat.

This time, the kick landed in her upper stomach. It ached like hell—enough to keep her down without leaving a mark.

Madam Liu had a history of stomach issues from years of poverty and hard work.

The pain didn’t seem serious now, but she’d suffer from it long-term.

Thought you could fake illness?

Let’s make you really sick.

The two scholars had no interest in getting involved.

Seeing the chaos, they quickly backed away.

Ning Xiuwen was now trembling, lips quivering with fear.

“Fine—I’ll pay! Mother, go get the money!”

Madam Liu, still hunched in pain, was unwilling.

“You little brat! We didn’t take her money!”

“Mother! I still need to sit for the provincial exam—don’t provoke this lunatic!”

In the end, Old Madam Liu hobbled away to fetch the money, looking like a pitiful wretch even in her best clothes.

But she only brought out ten taels.

Lu Qingqing jabbed another pressure point—Ning Xiuwen screamed like a pig.

Old Madam Liu, heartbroken, eventually returned with the remaining thirty-five taels.

The land had sold for thirty—so the extra five were clearly spent by this mother-son duo.

Madam Liu sat on the floor, crying and cursing as the money slipped from her fingers.

“Lu Qingqing, you’ve got some nerve,” Ning Xiuwen growled through clenched teeth.

“You’ve humiliated me completely. Even if you come begging one day, I’ll never look at you again!”

“Thanks, same to you. Seeing your face makes me want to vomit yesterday’s dinner.”

Lu Qingqing added coldly, “Now hand over the land deed!”

What?!

She wanted the land deed too?!

Old Madam Liu stopped crying, ready to pounce again—but one look at Lu Qingqing’s footwork and she held back.

Ding Xiang had been silent since the money came out.

She wasn’t stupid.

No one would hand over eighty taels unless it was true.

Besides, she knew the Ning family’s finances—no way a few books could sell for that much.

“Qingqing, must you go this far? I swear I’ll pass the exam this time…” Ning Xiuwen finally softened his tone.

He couldn’t understand it.

The timid, doe-eyed Lu Qingqing who once adored him—how had she become a porcupine he couldn’t control?

Lu Qingqing replied, “You roasting sweet potatoes has nothing to do with me! Bring me the land deed!”

Land deed sales came in two forms: the white deed, where buyer and seller inked their fingerprints to seal the agreement, and the red deed, stamped and recorded at the government office.

Because the sale was rushed, this one hadn’t been officially stamped yet.

The names on it were the villager who bought the Lu family land — and Ning Xiuwen.

Lu Qingqing ripped the deed in half.

“Rewrite it!”

Ning Xiuwen’s eyes flickered.

Fine, let her rewrite it—Lu Qingqing didn’t even recognize words anyway!

“Xiuwen! Aunt Liu! Hurry and check the fields! That Lu family’s second son has gone crazy—he’s stopping the sowing!” someone shouted outside.

Lu Yun—that was Lu Qingqing’s second brother!