Chapter 61: Mad with Grief

◎Can you please move the knife aside...?◎

Most of the villagers stood on Yu Lian's side, speaking with fairness and reason. They did not side with Hua Baogui's family just because they were recent newcomers while the Hua family had been local powerhouses. This was, of course, due to Yu Lian's recent actions that had won her the villagers' hearts. Even those who hadn't benefited from her couldn't find any fault in her.

They had already paid a generous five taels and half an ounce of silver for medical expenses. Seeing that Hua Baogui had gone mad, they had no intention of asking for it back. What more did she want?

In an instant, Hua Baogui's mother became the target of everyone's criticism. Just as she was about to leave in disgrace, her daughters and their husbands arrived to support her.

Suddenly, Hua Baogui's mother regained her vigor. She sat down at the entrance of Yu Lian's courtyard, pounding her thigh and wailing once more.

"My child, my poor Baogui, you've been wronged and made foolish. Your good intentions led to disaster, and you gained nothing from it. Yet, nobody cares! It's a tragedy!"

"Silly child, oh silly child..."

When Hua Baogui's sisters saw their mother sitting on the ground, crying loudly and pitifully, surrounded by other villagers and the Hua family as if they were bullying her, they became enraged.

They quickly pulled their husbands over and stood in front of their mother.

Hua Baogui's eldest sister was plump and fierce. She snarled, "Is it wrong for our mother to come here and seek justice for my brother? Are you all flattering him just because he comes from the capital and has some wealth? You don't even know if he'll give you any benefits!"

Her second sister chimed in, "Exactly. If he were truly rich, he wouldn't haggle over a few taels of silver. He should have treated my brother properly and sent him back healed. Then my poor brother wouldn't be in this state now, unable to recognize anyone due to lack of funds."

"You're wrong, Second Sister. It's not that he lacks money; it's that he has a corrupt conscience. He doesn't have the kindness to treat our brother."

"Poor little brother-in-law has only been married for a year, and hasn't even had children yet. Now his mind is damaged. What will we do in the future? Without a brother to support us, once our parents pass away, little brother will be all alone. Who will help our poor little brother?"

The four sisters of Hua Baogui harmonized their cries, echoing their mother as they wept at Yu Lian's doorstep. Their husbands, likewise, appeared menacing, prioritizing family loyalty over reason.

Seeing this, the villagers refrained from commenting. As the saying goes, scholars can't reason with soldiers. They weren't scholars, and they were powerless against such ruffians. One shrew was already frustrating enough; four of them would make quite the spectacle, not to mention that it wasn't happening to their own homes!

Empathy filled the villagers' gazes as they looked towards the Yu family. Why did they have to build a house to attract such trouble? Hua Baogui had foolishly ended up with a disability on his own land, causing them an unjustified loss of five and a half taels of silver, and now his family was blaming them. Their misfortune was unparalleled.

Fortunately, the Huas had a kind heart and some financial means to endure this. Otherwise, the villagers might have fought back fiercely.

Yu Lian pressed her temples, trying to quieten them down. The women continued to cry, drawing more villagers to watch. Eventually, Yu Lian rushed into her house, grabbed a kitchen knife, and came out. With a swift motion, she stabbed the tip of the knife into the ground right in front of them.

Rolling up her sleeves, she squatted down and faced them, "Can we talk sensibly now?"

The group of brawling women froze, staring blankly for a moment, somewhat intimidated by the unexpected change.

She wasn't some refined young lady from the capital; why did she suddenly exude a bandit-like aura, which was rather unsettling?

Not only were Hua Baogui's family startled, but the other villagers were also taken aback. Mrs. Chen supported the elderly woman and whispered in her ear, "Mother, do you think Lian-er has been driven mad with anger?"

The old woman smiled slightly and shook her head. "As the saying goes, the fierce are afraid of those who have nothing to lose. These village harridans can only resort to bullying tactics; do they truly possess any courage?"

Yu Lian's hand rested on the knife handle, her gaze fixed intently on them. "Bullying, is it? You don't want to reason, do you?"

Hua Baogui's mother and sisters fixated on Yu Lian's hand gripping the knife handle, their hearts pounding in fear. They were terrified that she might, in a fit of anger or a momentary tremble, pull out the massive cleaver and charge at them with it.

It was true that Hua Baogui was foolish, and her family saw this as an opportunity to gain something for themselves. On one hand, they considered Hua Baogui's future livelihood, and on the other, who would refuse a free advantage?

But they never imagined putting their lives on the line! If this girl lost her mind and started wildly swinging the knife, who could withstand it?

Hua Baogui's eldest sister, outwardly fierce but inwardly most afraid of death, stepped forward to placate her, "Speak your mind calmly, we're listening. We'll reason things out, we'll reason things out..."

Yu Lian gave a cold smile. "Then let me reason with you."

Hua Baogui's eldest sister: "Could you perhaps move the knife aside...?"

Yu Lian's hand remained tightly on the knife handle, showing no intention of letting go. "Initially, I had no intention of dwelling on the issue of those five taels and half of silver. I thought, since Hua Baogui has suffered this misfortune, I would, out of village camaraderie, play the role of a good Samaritan. But today, you all insist on causing trouble, wanting to take advantage not just once but twice. Do you assume that kindness is a sign of weakness?"

"Yan'er, Xing'er, both of you go invite the village chief and Second Uncle here. Today, I'll make sure to have it out with them!"

It was at this moment that Hua Zhan arrived with his twins. The villagers had informed him that there was trouble at home, with the Hua Baogui family creating a scene. The few brothers-in-law were menacing, so he hurried back, fearing for his family's safety.

Upon returning, he saw his daughter-in-law standing with a kitchen knife stuck in the ground, reasoning with a few village harridans. A hint of amusement and admiration flickered in his eyes. He had initially imagined his daughter-in-law to be a refined and delicate lady, always maintaining elegance even in her efficiency. But now, it seemed that she was different from the noble ladies of the capital. She had her own set of principles, and while she avoided conflict normally, when provoked, she could unleash a force to be reckoned with.

This stiffness only made Hua Zhan appreciate her more. With a military background, he naturally leaned towards dealing with matters in a firm and decisive manner. In recent years, under the influence of his son, he had learned to adopt a more conciliatory approach. However, at heart, he still favored a more straightforward style.

Living in the countryside these days, amidst all these rural trifles, having to consider this person and that, he might not say anything explicitly, but inwardly, he is undoubtedly uneasy, his heart burdened with a subtle frustration.

Now, as he beheld his daughter-in-law's decisive and ruthless demeanor, a sense of relief unexpectedly lightened his heart. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on the hoe in his hand, musing to himself how much better it would be if it were a sword instead.

Twins proved useful in crucial moments. Upon hearing their sister-in-law's words, they promptly and obediently replied, "We'll go right away!"

None could fathom what Yu Lian was about to do, yet every single person present fell silent, their voices hushed as they were captivated by her imposing presence.

Hua Baogui's mother grumbled in a resigned tone, "How can you be so unreasonable, my child..."

Yu Lian held the kitchen knife in silence, and though this was the case, the group of vulgar women dared not utter a word, fearing to provoke her.

Yet, Hua Baogui's several brothers-in-law felt that their masculinity had been undermined by a woman. How could a group of grown men be intimidated by a mere female?

With a menacing expression, he was about to snatch the cleaver from Yu Lian. Upon seeing this, Hua Zhan stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of his daughter-in-law. In his hand, he held a hoe, yet it seemed like a weapon of a battle-hardened general returning from the fray, brandishing a sword stained with countless lives. His face, lately tanned slightly to a bronzed hue, wore an extremely indifferent look. Compared to his daughter-in-law's cold demeanor, he exuded a more profound disregard for others, as if they were mere nonentities.

This cold demeanor and imposing presence were enough to deter the rustic men from making any rash moves; they had heard that this man was once a War God Duke who had graced the battlefield in his time. Provoking him, they feared, could be even more terrifying than facing his daughter-in-law brandishing a kitchen cleaver.

Aunt Mei secretly smiled and, concerned that Yu Lian might be getting numb from squatting for too long, she brought out a small stool from the house for her to sit on.

In no time, the twins arrived with Second Uncle and the village chief.

They whispered in their sister's ear that they had bumped into the village chief and Second Granduncle on their way, as the villagers, sensing trouble, had rushed to alert them.

Two clan elders also joined them, one of whom was the same person who, on the day Yu Lian's family moved from the capital, had blocked their entry to the village alongside the chief, his face sour as he stood with his hands behind his back.

Yu Lian ignored the two elders and addressed Second Granduncle and the village chief, "The conflict between Hua Baogui's family and mine is well-known to everyone in the village. Today, with Hua Baogui's family causing a scene at my doorstep, I seize this opportunity to settle the matter once and for all. I kindly ask both of you to bear witness."

The village chief wore a stern expression and remained silent. He had just suffered a loss of face at the Hua family's, and his son was still working for free in their fields as an apology. It was only natural that he wouldn't have a pleasant attitude towards them.

Second Master nodded with a smile but looked at Hua Baogui's family with a less than amiable expression.

He then spoke in a solemn voice, asking Hua Baogui's four brothers-in-law to leave.

"This is an internal matter of Upper Village. As outsiders, it would be best if you don't interfere."

Years ago, no one in the village dared to marry into the Hua family, mainly because everyone knew they had four golden flowers and one son. Under their mother's influence, the four sisters doted on their younger brother as if he were their own child. If any of them married into another family, they would likely become a troublemaker who constantly benefited their natal home. As a result, no one in the village dared to wed them, and they all ended up marrying men from outside the village.

The village chief also frowned as he looked over. Although he disliked Hua Zhan's family, he disliked outsiders even more, especially those who interfered in their village's affairs.

He promptly spoke up, asking them to leave.

Upon the village chief's intervention, all the villagers came to their senses. Hua Baogui and his brothers-in-law were from other villages, and with their sisters married off, they could at best be considered half-villagers. Why should they be allowed to show off and bully those with the Hua surname within the village?

Regardless of the conflict between Hua Baogui's family and Yu Lian's, or who was right or wrong, it was ultimately an internal matter of the Hua family. It had nothing to do with outsiders, no matter how distant their relations might be. They didn't carry the Hua surname and thus had no right to meddle!

Thus, the villagers chimed in, one after another, requesting their departure.

"Delay any longer, and we won't hold back." There were over twenty Hua clan men from Upper Village present, not counting those who were occupied with their work and couldn't attend. No matter how fierce Hua Baogui's brother-in-law was, he was only accompanied by three others. How could they withstand the fists of so many villagers?

Seeing that their intimidation tactics had failed utterly, and that they were being forcefully restrained from leaving, even with their spouses in tow, the sisters of Hua Baogui felt a surge of sorrow. As married women living in other villages, they were not allowed to assist their own brother. What would become of their elderly parents and their lone sibling?

Refusing to depart, they nonetheless fell silent under the glare of the village head, Uncle Second, and the multitude of indignant villagers.

I seem to be experiencing a bit of heat exhaustion these past couple of days, feeling groggy and unwell. With the high temperatures, please remember to stay hydrated and take precautions against heatstroke. Stay cool!

Adding an extra chapter for you all today, with the second update coming tonight. Chirp, chirp.