Chapter 16: Good Family Traditions

Song Zhangping mentioned nothing; he only wanted Song Liyun to leave.

Leave to where? Why leave?

Perhaps, as someone who hadn't even stepped outside the village in ten years, he didn't know where to send his sister.

Song Liyun shook her head in refusal. "Are you telling me to run away alone? No. If we are to leave, all three of us siblings must go together."

A look of agony resurfaced on Song Zhangping's face. "Xiao An and I can't go. You should hurry back to the city. They... they want to..."

There were many people around, and they were all straining their ears to listen to the siblings. Song Zhangping couldn't bring himself to say the words "sell her off"; it concerned a young girl's reputation, and he could not be the one to ruin his sister.

Holding his younger brother with one arm and pulling Song Liyun with the other, he began to head for the exit. "Just go first. You'll understand later."

At that moment, Madam Gu, who had been hiding in the crowd, suddenly rushed forward. She grabbed Song Liyun's arm and shouted, "Good heavens! Master, stop your nonsense! These little wolves are all trying to turn the world upside down, thinking they can just run off on their own!"

She had been pulled away by others earlier and had been hiding on the edge of the crowd, keeping a constant eye on Song Liyun.

She knew Song the Second's temperament; if this wench disappeared, he would blame her for not keeping a close watch.

Hearing the shout, Song the Second spun around abruptly. Seeing Song Zhangping pulling Song Liyun toward the exit, the anger that had been suppressed by the Village Chief's harsh reprimands instantly flared into a raging fire.

Under the protection of Granny Gu, when had he ever been cursed at like this in front of the villagers?

Even his own father didn't have that right, let alone a Village Chief.

But now he was being insulted, and his mother was being held back by several women, unable to vent his anger for him.

When had the Song family ever been bullied like this by the villagers?

Bullying!

In Song the Second's eyes, this was a collective bullying by the entire village!

No matter how foolish Song the Second was, he knew he couldn't confront the Village Chief directly in front of the villagers, so the two siblings became his perfect target for venting.

He wanted to show Village Chief Song that in this house, he, Song the Second, was the one in charge. It was a way to slap the Chief's face in public.

Abandoning the Village Chief, Song the Second scrambled through the crowd, rushed into the house to grab a hoe, and then charged toward the siblings in the courtyard like a whirlwind. "Ungrateful wolves! You little wretches! If you dare step foot out of this door, I'll break your legs and take your lives today, so you can go join your short-lived parents!"

The courtyard was small, and his approach was so ferocious that the surrounding people stood stunned. Seeing his brutal expression, no one actually stepped forward to stop him.

No one doubted whether that hoe could actually kill someone.

"Song the Second, what are you doing? Stop it!"

The Village Chief, who had been standing opposite Song the Second, realized immediately that he intended to commit violence. Regardless of his age, he reached out to seize the hoe.

The crowd finally reacted; people were shouting, running, and dodging. Some tried to head out of the courtyard, while others rushed in to intervene, resulting in seven or eight people tangling in a struggle.

In the middle of the chaos, Song the Second's eyes gleamed with malice. "Get lost if you don't want to die! I'm going to kill these two little wolves!"

With that, he violently shoved the Village Chief aside and swung the hoe toward the siblings, who were only two steps away...

Song Zhangping was still pushing his sister toward the exit. Seeing his second uncle, Song Defu, charging like a ravenous beast, he instinctively pulled Song Liyun behind him and crouched down to protect his head, just as he did whenever he was beaten.

Only this time, the pain did not come.

Amidst the chaos, using Song Zhangping's body as leverage and cover, Song Liyun spun around. Her leg appeared in front of Song the Second in an uncanny manner, followed by a powerful, targeted strike to his groin...

*Thwack!*

"Eek!"

The roaring Song the Second was struck as if by lightning. The hoe hit the ground, his hands flew to his crotch, and his legs clamped together awkwardly. His buttocks thrust out, and he trembled like a leaf in an autumn wind before collapsing stiffly to the ground.

The thin youth was also knocked unconscious when Song Liyun used his shoulder for leverage to pivot. He stumbled back several steps and collided directly with the rushing Village Chief.

The two let out a cry and tumbled into a heap.

"The Chief!"

"Save the Chief!"

Seeing the Village Chief fall to the ground, the dozens of people in the courtyard panicked.

The Village Chief was in his fifties; if something happened to him in front of the villagers, Xiaoshi Village would lose all face.

"Quick, take the Chief home and find a doctor!"

Two men lifted the Village Chief and ran out of the courtyard. The village's only doctor lived right next to the Chief's house, making it convenient to get him medical attention.

Taking advantage of the chaos, some people grabbed the brothers, Song Zhangping and Song Zhang'an, dragging and carrying them out of the house.

It was as if they had entered as a group; in the blink of an eye, the courtyard was emptied.

The courtyard, which had been as noisy as a marketplace just moments ago, fell silent. Only Song the Second remained, clutching his legs and writhing on the ground like a pretzel in agony, while nearby, Granny Gu and Madam Gu wailed hysterically.

If anything happened to Song the Second, their pillar of support would collapse.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the courtyard gate closing startled the two women.

Granny Gu looked up at Song Liyun standing in the courtyard and, with a hoarse voice, tried to pounce on her. "You little wench! I'll beat you to death! You're a jinx! Ever since you came back, you've brought nothing but chaos to my house!"

Song Liyun didn't dodge or hide; she simply stood her ground. Before Granny Gu could even touch her clothes, her arm was seized and she was tossed aside.

Madam Gu merely held her husband and cried, making no attempt to step forward.

Song Liyun walked a few steps toward Song the Second and said calmly, "Second Uncle, everyone has left. You can stop acting now!"

She was the one who delivered that kick, so she knew exactly how long the pain would last. It could indeed incapacitate someone for a few minutes, but it would eventually subside; he wouldn't be lying there forever. He was simply too embarrassed to get up.

Her words seemed to possess a magical quality. Song the Second, who had been groaning in agony on the ground, indeed stopped his wailing. He pushed Madam Gu aside and slowly sat up, the flesh on his face twitching as he glared fiercely at Song Liyun. "You still dare to stay?"

Song Liyun chuckled. "This is my home, and you are my dear Second Uncle. Why wouldn't I stay? You wouldn't really want to sever your own roots, would you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Song the Second understood exactly what she meant.

His legs involuntarily clamped together, and that indescribable pain resurfaced.

"You little wench, how vicious!" Song the Second hissed through gritted teeth.

He hadn't known who had kicked him just now, and he had even planned to go door-to-door the next day to find the culprit. Hearing Song Liyun's words, he understood perfectly—this girl had used a dirty trick.

Song Liyun waved her hand nonchalantly. "Being ruthless is the family tradition of the Songs. Otherwise, how could I call you my dear Second Uncle?

However you are ruthless to your niece, that is how I will be ruthless to you. It's an ancestral skill passed down through our blood; we are all the same.

Second Uncle, we are cut from the same cloth. Let's not waste time talking about who is more ruthless. Let's get down to business!"