Chapter 50: Relentless—Li Feng Steps In!

Big Dog and Second Ox stood in the front, refusing to let anyone advance even an inch.

Third Ox pulled Eldest Girl back slightly behind them. Their father had said that girls must always be protected by men. They only had two younger sisters, First Girl and Second Girl, and they couldn't let them be bullied by anyone.

Fourth and Fifth Ox stood off to the side, making funny faces at Goudan, who was hiding behind the old crone.

"Grandma, they're glaring at me!"

Goudan was a notorious little tyrant in the village. His father was a good-for-nothing scoundrel who had even sold Goudan's mother off. Rumor had it that, just to scrape together a few extra copper coins, Goudan's mother had been sold to some vile and disreputable place. Fearing both the ancestral hall and the harsh clan punishments, she simply never returned, leaving Goudan behind.

Goudan's grandmother cherished her precious eldest grandson as if he were the apple of her eye. Any good food in the house invariably ended up in Goudan's belly. His aunts also doted on him excessively, fostering his arrogant and overbearing temperament.

Now, seeing Fourth and Fifth Ox eating such a sumptuous and fragrant meal in the village, Goudan felt deeply disgruntled. They were all motherless children, so why should Fourth and Fifth Ox eat better than him?

Seeing them make faces at him, he immediately snitched to his grandmother. It didn't matter; he still had his grandma, and his grandma doted on him far more than Fourth and Fifth Ox's grandmother ever could.

"What? They actually dare to glare at you!"

Hearing her pampered grandson's words, the old woman's eyes widened in fury as she immediately glared at Fourth and Fifth Ox.

The two boys quickly wiped the expressions off their faces.

The old woman caught nothing, but she was not about to let the matter rest. She immediately took a step forward and glared fiercely at Big Dog and Second Ox.

"Step aside! I refuse to believe you brats dare to lay a hand on an old woman like me!"

"This whole affair is your family's fault to begin with. Look, everyone look! Just what kind of state have you beaten my eldest grandson into?"

"His head is busted open! If you don't pay up in silver, don't even think about letting this matter slide!"

"Even if we have to take this all the way to the main Li family clan, you needn't think you can brush this off so carelessly!"

Hearing this, the mothers of the other children fell silent.

Although they felt a slight pang of guilt, it was an undeniable fact that their children had been injured. If they didn't demand justice now, what would happen if their children were beaten again in the future?

"Jiabao, what on earth is going on here?" Auntie Fatty finally regained her wits. She looked down at her son and questioned him.

Li Jiabao: "..."

They finally remembered to ask him!

The others also turned their gazes toward him one after another. Jiabao was a scholar who could read and write; surely what he said wouldn't be false.

Li Jiabao realized this too. He raised a hand to his mouth, imitated a teacher's cough, and began to explain: "Third Ox's family had food that smelled too good!"

"We were all craving it, so we wanted to ask how they made their lunch."

"But Goudan wouldn't listen. He said we could just snatch it away, and then he led a bunch of people barging straight into Third Ox's house, trying to seize their plates..."

"Third Ox and the others only fought back to protect their own things. Yet Goudan refused to let it go and kept charging straight into their kitchen, until Big Dog finally gave him a beating!"

Li Jiabao spoke with clear logic and everything he said made complete sense.

Most of the surrounding matrons believed him instantly.

Auntie Fatty: "..."

Her face flushed crimson!

What on earth was this? She had thought her own boy had gotten the raw end of the deal and had come marching over with a grand fanfare, only to realize that she herself was the clown.

"You wretched little scoundrel, why didn't you make things clear from the start!"

Auntie Fatty grabbed Li Jiabao's ear and twisted hard. "Get your butt home with me, and see how I deal with you!"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Mom, go easy on me!"

Li Jiabao walked on tiptoe, wincing and grimacing as he was hauled away by his mother!

The others wore embarrassed expressions and shot furious glares at their own sons. The boys, who had been full of bravado moments before, now shrank like quails, not daring to utter a single word.

As for the young girls in the crowd, their fate was even more miserable; they were immediately given a sound thrashing by the mothers who had come to demand accountability.

"Look at the fine mess you've made! You've completely disgraced us!"

"Mom, I was wrong! Please, go easy on me!"

The crowd was a noisy, chaotic mess, with everyone shouting something different.

"Bah!"

Old Woman Zhao spat out a thick glob of phlegm and cursed through her teeth, "You think you can sweep this matter under the rug with just a few words? Not a chance!"

Her gaze was as venomous as a poisoned dart as she glared fiercely at Big Dog, Second Ox, and the others, sweeping a viper-like glance over Eldest Girl and Second Girl before speaking again: "You claim my boy stole your family's things, where is the proof?"

"With just empty words and teeth, you want to slander my eldest grandson? How on earth did the Li Village end up with a bunch of disasters like you lot!"

"My eldest grandson got hurt at your house, and the wound is still right there on his face! Li Second, get your ass out here right now! What kind of cowardice is it to hide behind a bunch of children!"
"Now that the family has split up, have you lost your backbone entirely?"

"Today, if you don't give this old woman a satisfactory explanation, I'll hang myself with a rope right at your front door!"

This fierce and uncompromising declaration immediately attracted the attention of many onlookers.

Everyone else stretched out their necks, preparing to watch a good show.

Old Woman Zhao was not someone easy to deal with. Her son was useless, and now she only had her eldest grandson left, so of course she guarded him like the apple of her eye.

Many families in Li Village had been extorted by Old Woman Zhao before. Back in the day, the main Li household still had Madam Wang of the Li family to keep things in check, but now that Second Uncle Li had separated his household, wasn't he prime prey for Old Woman Zhao to bully?

"Creeak!"

The wooden door was pushed open, and Li Feng stepped out.

He had just gone inside to rest for a bit, never expecting to discover a secret chamber within the house. It was extremely well-hidden; if the sun hadn't been so bright today and he hadn't happened to have some free time, he might never have found it.

He had just crawled inside, preparing to investigate thoroughly, when somebody came over to pick a fight before he could even sort out his own household affairs!

Hearing the commotion outside, Li Feng had no choice but to abandon his search and emerge from the secret chamber.

At this moment, standing on the steps of the courtyard, he looked down condescendingly at the crowd gathered in the center, and spoke with calm indifference.

"Who wants compensation?"

Everyone couldn't help but look over.

Was this Second Uncle Li?

At this moment, Li Feng stood upright on the steps with a straight back. The patched clothes he wore were washed somewhat pale, but they were spotlessly clean.

He had shaved his beard. His face was cleaned up neatly, and his hair was tied up high, secured by a single hairpin. The entire man looked much more spirited.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he stared steadily down at them. For some inexplicable reason, the group of women suddenly felt a twinge of panic in their hearts.

Old Woman Zhao was also stunned.

Since when did Second Uncle Li dare to look people straight in the eye!

Whenever he passed by in the past, even if he caught sight of her, he would keep his head down and his back hunched, utterly spineless, let alone acting this strong.

He was putting on an act, definitely an act!

Old Woman Zhao thought to herself, then snapped, "Your boy beat up my grandson. Tell me, how are we going to settle this?"

"Are you going to have your mother step up and pay to settle it, or should we settle this privately between ourselves?"