Chapter 12: Petty men fear power but not virtue

Listening to the neighbors around him, Chen Jie laughed.

Good, truly double standards. When Lu San was beating people, no one tried to stop him, but the moment he landed two strikes, people came out to nag and complain.

To put it bluntly, it was because he, Chen Jiu-si, used to be a coward and a pushover.

Lu San had established himself as a local thug, so everyone was afraid to provoke him, let alone point fingers at him.

Thinking of this, Chen Jie sneered. As expected, no matter where you go, the common folk have different standards for bad people and good people. In that case, what’s the point of being a good person?

Today, I, Chen Jiu-si, will let you all know that I’m not some damn good person either!

With that thought, Chen Jie said, "Fine, since everyone is pleading for him, I can't ignore everyone's face."

Hearing Chen Jie back down, the neighbors exchanged glances.

They immediately started spouting cheap platitudes.

"That's right, I always said Jiu-si was the most reasonable one. Besides, it’s not easy for Lu San and his wife either; we should forgive where we can."

"Exactly. Logically speaking, today's incident was stirred up by the Su girl. If she hadn't provoked Mother Lu, how could it have escalated to this point?"

"That's right, that's right. I told you all, this Su girl is bad luck. Her father died when she married, and after she married here, she cursed her mother-in-law to death. She must be a 'Heavenly Lone Star' (cursed to bring disaster to everyone around her)."

"Oh my, isn't that the truth? Look, ever since Jiu-si married her, the massive fortune left by his great-uncle has been gambled away. I think she’s a husband-killer too!"

The crowd chattered away. In the past, when they said such things, Chen Jiu-si wouldn't blame them; instead, he would think they made sense and would go home to beat Su Yunjin.

That was why they said it again this time. After all, it shifted the conflict and allowed them to curry favor with the Lu couple—why wouldn't they do it?

Inside the courtyard, Su Yunjin’s face turned pale upon hearing these words. Her hands were clenched so tightly that her nails were digging into her palms.

The deaths of her father and mother-in-law already weighed heavily upon her, and hearing the neighbors' vicious, gossiping tongues was like stabbing a knife into her heart.

Could it be that she really was a "Heavenly Lone Star"?

"That's right, Jiu-si, if it doesn't work out, just divorce her. This woman is bad luck..."

The group began to urge Chen Jie to divorce his wife.

Chen Jie was already furious at this bunch. The Lu couple bullied his Yunjin, and now, to make matters worse, you lot are the ones humiliating her? It really is true that the kind are ridden by others!

"All of you, shut your damn mouths!"

Chen Jie roared. The surrounding people went silent, though one gossiping woman still muttered, "My, you can't even let people talk."

"I'll screw your mother, you come out here, come on!"

Chen Jie’s face was filled with murderous intent. He pointed his stick at the gossiping woman, who turned ash-gray with fear and hid behind her husband.

The man had originally wanted to stand up for his wife, but seeing Chen Jie’s ferocious glare and the stick in his hand, he immediately lost his nerve.

He forced a smile and said, "Jiu-si, we were wrong. We won't say it, we won't say it."

Chen Jie scanned the neighbors with his stick and said, "I'm telling you all, Su Yunjin is my, Chen Jiu-si’s, legally wedded wife. Whoever dares to talk behind her back again, I’ll beat them every time I hear it. If you don't believe me, just try it."

"And you, Lu San, didn't you want to break my legs? Damn you!"

Chen Jie brought the stick down directly onto Lu San’s right kneecap. In the next moment, he shattered the bone, and then came Lu San’s scream: "Ah..."

He had actually been beaten into a dead faint from the pain.

Chen Jie turned his head abruptly, looking at the surrounding neighbors with bloodshot eyes, and spat on the ground!

"Pah!"

"That is the price for bullying me, Chen Jiu-si."

As he spoke, Chen Jie pointed his stick at the neighbors, and everyone he looked at lowered their heads.

Chen Jiu-si’s desperate, reckless demeanor truly terrified them.

Small-minded people fear power, not virtue. In the rural areas of ancient times, if you couldn't suppress your neighbors, they would bully you until not even your bones were left.

Chen Jie dropped the bloody stick on the ground with a *thud*. He looked at the terrified Mother Lu and said, "If I see you bully my wife one more time, I will kill you!"

After saying this, Chen Jie turned and walked toward his house.

Everyone in the courtyard was stunned by the aura Chen Jie had displayed. Inside the yard, Su Yunjin’s eyes widened, and tears began to fall!

He had actually stood up for her just now. He had actually stood up for her.

Little Dou-ding, meanwhile, stared with wide eyes and said, "Brother-in-law is so majestic!"

Little Dou-ding’s eyes were full of stars. These people who used to bully her sister were now so scared by her brother-in-law that they didn't dare to speak. Her brother-in-law was a true hero!

*Drip, drip!*

Little Dou-ding felt water fall onto her cheek. She looked up and saw Su Yunjin staring ahead, tears streaming down her face.

"Sister, are you crying?"

As Little Dou-ding spoke, Su Yunjin wiped her tears and said, "I'm not."

She turned and ran into the house; she didn't want Chen Jie to see her crying.

Little Dou-ding wiped the tears off her face and stuck out her tongue to lick them—bitter, they were tears!

As Chen Jie walked toward the small courtyard, the neighbors were still stunned. Only after Chen Jie had walked far away did they start to whisper.

"This... when did Chen Jiu-si become so ruthless..."

"Yeah, he scared me to death just now."

"Indeed, and he’s like a different person. Before, he would gnash his teeth at the mere mention of Su Yunjin, so why is he protecting her now?"

The crowd discussed it, filled with shock and confusion.

Just then, someone noticed Chen Jie returning, and the crowd went silent again.

Chen Jie picked up the two fish from the ground—the ones Lu San had brought.

"Still quite plump."

Chen Jie muttered, then carried the fish toward his house. As he passed the crowd, he said, "It's dark, why aren't you all going home?"

With that, he entered the courtyard.

The people outside immediately said, "Let's go, let's go, home."

Watching Chen Jiu-si enter the yard, Chen Xiaohu’s eyes lit up. He supported Chen Erba and asked, "Dad?"

Chen Erba nodded and said, "For a moment just now, I thought I saw my uncle. It seems Jiu-si has grown up. Let's go home."

"Right!"

With that, Chen Xiaohu helped Chen Erba home.

Chen Jie entered the courtyard, closed the gate, and looked at Little Dou-ding standing by the door. "Where's your sister?"

Little Dou-ding was still a bit afraid of Chen Jie and pointed toward the room. "She went inside. Sister was crying."

"Crying?"

Chen Jie paused, remembering the hurtful words of the neighbors, and sighed. "Well, anyone would cry after being told things like that."

"Alright, I won't call her. Rui-rui, how about we have fish soup tonight?"

"Fish soup?"

As soon as Little Dou-ding heard "fish soup," her eyes widened. She swallowed hard, already imagining the delicious taste of the soup in her mind.

(End of chapter)