Chapter 21: A Brawl

Seeing chaos about to erupt again, Madam Luo shouted, “Everyone stop right there. You, continue speaking.”

Wen Yao immediately slipped into her dramatic persona, her face a picture of grievance, shame, and despair.

“She even called me a little wretch, said I’m just like my mother. Grandmother, my mother’s gone, that’s her affair—what does it have to do with me? I’m a child of the Wen family.”

Wen Di, who had witnessed the whole scene, promptly said to Madam Luo, “Grandmother, what Yao Yao says is true, Aunt Li’s words were truly vile.”

Tiger’s mother, hands on her hips, pointed at Wen Yao with disdain. “Like mother, like daughter. Look, look, everyone take a look! Isn’t she exactly like her mother? Who is she putting on this act for? Who is she trying to seduce?”

Wen Yao’s expression darkened instantly.

Seduce—a word so venomous, hurled at a ten-year-old girl. If the person standing here today weren’t her, but the original timid girl, so meek she dared not even breathe—

Would she have withstood it? Might she have thrown herself against a wall, or carried the shadow of this moment for her entire life?

As Wen Yao pondered how to teach this wretched fat woman a lesson, Big Head, who had been standing beside her, suddenly charged forward, heading straight for Tiger’s mother.

Ah! Ah! Ah!

Big Head cried out in fury, like a small, enraged beast, pounding at Tiger’s mother with his little arms.

His eyes were red, and he fought with both hands and feet.

He didn’t speak, only howled, but everyone could feel his rage.

When hands and feet weren’t enough, his mouth joined in.

Tiger’s mother received a bite from Big Head on her hand; the pain made her fling him off, and the child landed heavily on the ground.

“Big Head!”

If earlier it was all an act, now Wen Yao was truly furious.

“You dare hit my brother, you wretched fat woman!” Without a second thought, Wen Yao rushed forward and yanked at Tiger’s mother’s hair.

Madam Luo couldn’t stand by any longer. “What are you all waiting for? Can’t you see we’re being bullied right in our own home?”

Mrs. Li hurried to pull Madam Luo back as she tried to help Wen Yao. “Mother, why are you…” She wanted to say, after all, it was the eldest brother’s family’s business; since the families were separated, they ought to stay out of it.

Madam Luo paused, then snorted coldly, “Don’t forget, they bear the Wen name.”

Mrs. Li was stunned, and her expression shifted. Yes, no matter how they split the family, they were Wen’s. If Tiger’s mother insulted Wen Yao, she was insulting their own daughters too—she herself had daughters.

With this thought, Mrs. Li’s anger flared. “You wretched fat sow! Try cursing one more time, and I’ll tear your mouth to shreds!” Without another word, she joined Wen Yao in pulling Tiger’s mother’s hair.

Mrs. Cai was dumbfounded, wanting to help but not knowing how, so she could only tug at Tiger’s mother and shout, “Stop fighting, stop fighting!”

Even in the thick of battle, Wen Yao saw her third aunt, shouting for peace but only pulling at Tiger’s mother. Such partial mediation deserved a thumbs up.

With their mother under attack, Li Da Hu and Li Er Hu couldn’t sit still. Yet Wen Nong and his two brothers blocked them, with Wen Ying scratching wildly—despite the brothers’ size, it was unclear who would win.

As for Li San, Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing weren’t mere wooden posts; two against one, what was there to fear?

Madam Luo seized the chaos to scoop up Big Head. Even though his face was smeared with dirt from the fall, the little fellow was still gnashing his teeth in fury, eager for revenge. Madam Luo nearly strained her back holding him.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the villagers realized it was beyond a mere spectacle; someone had to fetch the village chief, or else things might turn deadly.

When the village chief arrived, the word “chaos” hardly sufficed.

What began as a brawl between two families had somehow embroiled extended relatives. Seeing Li San’s family at a disadvantage, Li family kin rushed in to help; Wen family relatives saw this and joined the fray as well.

“Stop! All of you, stop!” the village chief shouted.

Someone echoed, “The chief’s here, stop fighting!”

At the news, everyone halted. Wen Yao, pushed aside when Mrs. Li joined the fray, now stood on the edge of the empty square. Only Mrs. Li still clung fiercely to Tiger’s mother’s hair, while Tiger’s mother grabbed at Mrs. Li’s clothes.

The Li brothers and Wen siblings were evenly matched, and Li San, alone against two, had the advantage of his size.

Both sides had suffered equally.

“What is going on here? We’re one village—why fight like this?” The village chief was nearly livid, tired of such disturbances every few days. Seeing Li San’s family involved again only stoked his anger.

He never expected that the Wen family would be part of the trouble.

Back when Wen Xiuyi was their village’s only scholar, the chief had high hopes for him and treated the Wen family with respect.

But after Wen Xiuyi’s decline, people gradually lost favor toward him.

Even so, at the old Wen homestead, Wen Xiuyi had never quarreled with outsiders. What had happened today, for the whole family to be brawling?

“What are you all doing? Hm?” The chief looked at Old Wen and Madam Luo, a hint of reproach in his tone.

Madam Luo had intended to give the chief some face now that he’d arrived—if the Li family apologized, she’d let the matter pass. But the chief’s words sounded off.

“Chief, you come here and ask what we’re doing. Why don’t you ask what the Li family did?” Madam Luo retorted fearlessly, her tone steely.

The chief was taken aback. Once, with Wen Xiuyi as a scholar, Madam Luo had been formidable. After his fall, she’d become much more subdued.

Now it seemed Wen Madam was still the same as ever.

“What did they do?” the chief followed up, seeing the two families still tangled, he stamped his foot. “Let go! Let go! Some of you, pull them apart!”

At his command, villagers and aunties rushed to separate Mrs. Li and Tiger’s mother.

Freed, Tiger’s mother sat on the ground, wailing and making a scene. “There’s no justice! The Wen family is bullying us! The whole family, young and old, ganging up on us!”

Wen Yao shouted back, “Keep it up, and I’ll sew your lips shut!”

Tiger’s mother was momentarily silenced, still aching all over, unable to fathom how this little wretch had managed to hurt her so badly.

After her daze, Tiger’s mother resumed her cries. “Chief, look! They’re bullying us too much, you must stand up for us!”

Wen Yao snorted. Competing in crying? Competing in shamelessness? If it’s the old routine of crying, stirring trouble, and threatening to end it all, she’d just go straight to the final act.

“Ah, I can’t go on! I can’t go on! Aunt Li has humiliated me so today—what’s the point of living? I might as well bash my head right here!” Wen Yao wailed loudly, charging toward the Li family’s gate.

The chief saw this and panicked. Quarreling and fighting was one thing, but if someone died, it would be a calamity.

“Stop her! Quick, stop her!”