Chapter 6, The Reckless Hero

"Confused," Chen Xishi shook his head and said, "Your appearance is indeed quite tragic, but the murderer is a ten-year-old child. The magistrate will certainly investigate the ins and outs of the matter!"

As Hou was about to get up, he saw Chen Sanlang, whose eyes were filled with blood, standing in front of him with a brick used for building the stove, his gaze icy cold.

If it were not for Chen Sanlang using all his strength to break her ribs, the Chen family would definitely have gone down to confront her.

Heiyang Lang remained silent, only knowing to rain down punches like raindrops onto Hou's face. Although he struck Hou until her hair was disheveled and her face was bruised, he ultimately could not inflict any real harm. She mustered her strength and suddenly pushed with both hands, directly against Wulang's stomach, flipping him over so that he fell straight back, hitting the back of his head on the ground and losing consciousness in an instant

As for elsewhere, Chen Sanlang's strength was too weak to inflict any effective harm on her

"You also know that you are an aunt," Chen Xishi frowned and said, "How can you mistreat your nephew like this? If word gets out, what face will the Chen family have left?" People are often unaware of their own reputation until it is too late. Chen Laoda did not realize that the actions of his family this spring had already brought shame to the old Chen family, yet he still believed his reputation was quite good.

Stop it at once! Although everyone looks down on Hou's character, how can we turn a blind eye to it? The laborers shouted loudly and quickened their pace to come over.

"Of course not." Upon hearing this, Chen Xishi realized she was beginning to waver, so he seized the opportunity to say, "You must understand that as long as we do not report to the authorities, we can take the initiative."

I see... How else can one say it? "If you are not from the same family, you do not enter the same door." The Hou family is also one that values wealth over life. Upon hearing her husband say this, Tu Shu no longer insisted on reporting to the authorities, but instead focused all her thoughts on seizing the family assets. She couldn't help but worry: "What if my younger brother doesn't take care of that little brat?"

"How have I gone too far? Which of your eyes sees me as excessive?" Hou insisted relentlessly.

This made Chen Jialao's eldest son, Chen Xishi, who had been sitting on the side with a frown, finally unable to hold back and say: "I have long told you, in everything, do not be too extreme, otherwise, you will face retribution. You never listen, and now look what has happened..."

I..." Chen Xishi said, his old face turning red, "I thought it was just for show, but I didn't expect it to be so excessive.

"How do you say it?" Hou said, her eyes wide open

However, you must be cautious. Even if the magistrate lawfully sentences Sanlang, the county will undoubtedly have a flood of negative comments about us. When the time comes for Dalang to take the examination and we separate, it will all be decided by the county

"Alright, I won't say anything about you," Chen Xishi said, shrinking his neck. "So what should we do now? We are all family, and surely we don't want to end up in court, do we?"

Hou instinctively raised her arms, just in time to block in front of her, when a brick fell down, shattering into pieces with a loud bang, and her arms completely lost sensation. Chen Sanlang threw the broken bricks aside and began to kick furiously. Although he was not as strong as Wulang, he knew exactly where it hurt the most—every kick was aimed directly at Hou's most vulnerable abdomen

"Stop it..." Hou let out a piercing scream

"You heartless bastard, oh dear..." Upon hearing her husband say this, Mrs. Hou immediately glared with fierce eyebrows and said, "You incited me to be the villain, and now you come to play the innocent. Just wait and see how I deal with you!"

"If it is not excessive, how could a ten-year-old child possibly..." Chen Xishi looked at the tragic state of the Hou family and did not finish the latter part of his sentence

Hou understood clearly now; she would not back down. She cried out loudly, "Why have I been so unfortunate for eight lifetimes, marrying someone like you who is as sharp as a knife and two-faced! You only think of using me as a toilet, and when it's done, you avoid me because of the smell!" Seeing her fierce demeanor, it was evident that aside from being concerned, she had not suffered any other harm.

Sichuan, with its lush mountains and clear waters, remains evergreen throughout the four seasons, providing the people of Shu with exceptionally favorable living conditions. In turn, the people of Shu, filled with love for their homeland, strive to build their ideal home. In the western Sichuan plain, the harmony between humanity and nature is evident everywhere; wandering through it feels akin to walking within a beautiful ink wash painting

However, the gap between adults and children is too great, especially when comparing a woman who is even more formidable than a man with a boy under nine years old who has long suffered from hunger

Chen Xiaoyi, you are truly shameless! Hearing him shift all the blame onto himself, Hou did not hold back and shouted, "Could it be that you disagreed with my decision to separate back then? Or did you not know that I drove those three children to the charcoal yard?"

What are you afraid of? I am the victim! Hou said, gasping for breath: "If you take me to the county office, the magistrate will surely impose a heavy sentence on that little beast when he sees my miserable state!"

Although she escaped death, the pain of being alive was equally unbearable. Her arms were in splints, and she was instructed to remain in bed for a month. Yet, even lying there completely still, each breath would pull at her injured ribs, causing excruciating pain. Despite this, her mouth was not idle; she first cursed Chen Sanlang, then extended her wrath to her uncle's entire family, and ultimately unleashed a torrent of curses upon the ancestors of the Chen family for eight generations.

"Oh dear, my mother is in so much pain..." The cries of pain naturally came from Mrs. Hou, who lay in bed, her entire body wrapped up like a zongzi. She had been carried back horizontally, and upon the doctor's examination, it was discovered that both her arms were fractured and three of her ribs were broken. The old doctor, who had treated villagers for a lifetime, remarked that she was quite fortunate, as none of her organs were injured; otherwise, she would have certainly faced a life-and-death situation, and there would be no strength left for her to scream and shout here.

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This is more like it... only then did Hou gradually stop cursing

Even though she could not get out of bed, her torrent of foul language overwhelmed Chen Xishi, who quickly pleaded for mercy, saying: "Alright, alright, if you want to report to the authorities, let us report to the authorities!"

The buildings in the village predominantly feature small blue-tiled roofs, two-story stilt houses with a "wooden crossbeam" structure, and walls made of bamboo woven with mud and white lime. ... Between the alleys formed by the white lime walls lies a meticulously cleaned stone slab path ... . ... All of this speaks to the prosperity and tranquility of Shiwang Village

"Sending officials?" Chen Xishi sighed and said, "The young master is about to take the examination; it is better not to complicate matters."

Shiwang Village, located just outside the city of Qingshen County, is but a corner of this magnificent landscape painting, yet it does not detract from the overall beauty of the scene. Nestled between the green mountains and clear waters, the village is constructed in harmony with the terrain, with houses stacked upon one another, hidden beneath the shade of nearly a thousand ancient banyan trees that have stood for a century.

The first household in the village is a modest establishment adorned with stone-carved pillars and whitewashed walls with dark tiles, featuring a courtyard with intricately carved wooden flower gates and lattice windows. This place was once the envy of all, belonging to the Chen family, but that is now a thing of the past. Nowadays, as people pass by the Chen residence and hear the wretched cries emanating from within, they cannot help but exclaim, "Serves them right"

Chen Xishi's resentment towards his second brother is no less than that of his wife. Since he can remember, the attention of his parents has been focused on his second brother, rendering him, the eldest, somewhat superfluous. This has made him feel deeply unfair and oppressed for many years. Now that his parents have passed away, it is the perfect time for him to take revenge on his second brother, which is why he incited the Hou family to create chaos. However, he did not expect that this foolish woman would actually get into a fight with a child, and end up in such a state.

Hou was listening this time. While she was groaning, she was also calculating in her mind. After much deliberation, it seemed that this was a matter that harmed others without benefiting herself. However, the resentment in her heart could not be easily dismissed, and she said fiercely: "They must not be let off the hook!"

"So what if I investigate? Is it possible that my aunt cannot discipline her nephew?" said Hou, unconcerned.

In the next moment, Chen Sanlang was thrown to the ground by the hired workers, who pressed down on him tightly. Yet, he strained to lift his head, looking at his two younger brothers, and shouted hoarsely, "Let me see them, let me see them..." The hired workers exchanged glances, but it was Uncle Lu who said, "What are you afraid of? A little child can't run away, can he?"

It is difficult to say; when it comes to money, one may forsake even their closest kin. Hou, measuring others by his own heart, remarked: "Could my younger uncle, who is so impoverished, really be willing to part with it?"

However, this is also good; I can finally brew a cup of bitter wine for my second brother to taste.

"Insulting one's elders is a serious crime. For such treasonous individuals, regardless of the circumstances, they must be punished with exile and forced labor." Chen Xishi, pinching his mustache, said ominously, "When the second brother returns, we can use this to blackmail him and divide the family assets according to our wishes!" Ultimately, he had no interest in avenging Hou; in fact, he thought it might be good for that woman to receive a beating. What he was truly interested in was securing the entire family fortune! He said ominously, "When the second brother returns, we can use this to blackmail him and divide the family assets according to our wishes!" Ultimately, he had no interest in avenging Hou; in fact, he thought it might be good for that woman to receive a beating. What he was truly interested in was securing the entire family fortune!

Ah, ah... Hou was beaten to the point of unbearable pain, rolling on the ground and emitting a piercing wail that could be heard even by the villagers. In fact, Chen Sanlang's roar had already alarmed the workers, who put down their bowls and chopsticks and rushed over to see what was happening. From a distance, they saw a young man, resembling a mad tiger, kicking what appeared to be a sack...! But as they got closer, they realized it was not a sack at all, but their boss's wife, Madam Hou of the Chen family!

"He must be brought to justice; I can hardly contain my desire to kill that little beast!" Hou said with a fierce expression, "He nearly took my life; he must not be spared!"

"You think he is like you..." Chen Xishi glanced at her and said lightly, "He wouldn't do such a thing."

Then we will go all out and take it to court!" Chen Xishi said coldly, "If he is unwilling to part with his family fortune, he must be willing to part with his son!

Chen Sanlang glanced at those people, his expression unchanged. He suddenly leaped, channeling all his strength into his knees, which came crashing down heavily on Hou's back. This was followed by a chilling sound of bones cracking, and Hou let out a shrill, inhuman scream before fainting.

"Where do you live, you brat? Why don't you stop!" Chen Sanlang shouted, raising a brick and striking fiercely at Hou's face. Although it was a mud brick, this blow to the face would definitely turn into a big mess.