"Did you build this road?"
The woman looked at her with an incomprehensible, vicious gaze.
"The road wasn't built by you, so what if I stand here?"
The woman then realized Zhuo Ling was provoking her. Her face contorted, and she lunged forward with a pot of water, intending to splash them. However, after taking just two steps, her foot slipped. She lost her balance and fell backward uncontrollably.
The pot flew out of her grip, soaring through the air. The pot, along with its contents, came crashing down on her head. With a thud, the woman cried out in pain.
"Ah!"
An old man emerged from the yard of a nearby villager, looking at the scene with surprise, seemingly not understanding what had happened.
"Yah, ha!"
The child in Zhuo Ling's arms was amused by the scene. He clapped his small, chubby hands and let out a laugh.
Watching his adorable reaction, Zhuo Ling couldn't help but smile.
This was direct provocation.
The woman scrambled up from the ground, covered in water and mud. Furious, she charged forward, intending to hit them.
Zhuo Ling hugged the child and took two steps back. With a subtle movement, the woman slipped again, this time performing a split in front of everyone.
Another scream ensued.
The old man who had come out earlier couldn't help but pat his thigh. People from other yards also came out to watch the spectacle.
"Su family, are you bullying a child?"
The woman looked up and glared fiercely at the speaker. "None of your business!"
"Why should I mind a shrew like you? But don't go too far. No one dares to interfere when you beat your own daughter, but this is the Ran family's place. Be careful your Aunt Cui doesn't come to tear your mouth off."
"A good-for-nothing, a little slut! What is she worth? I'll beat her if I want... Ah!"
Tricked by Zhuo Ling, she stepped on a patch of slippery yellow mud and landed on her backside again. Her plump flesh jiggled, looking both comical and disgusting.
She happened to slide near Zhuo Ling and reached out to grab her foot. Zhuo Ling stepped on her hand and applied a bit of pressure, making the woman yell in pain.
"You little slut! Take your foot off, let go! Let go!"
She reached out with her other hand to grab Zhuo Ling's foot. Zhuo Ling skillfully pulled back just in time. The woman crawled on the ground, trying to grab Zhuo Ling.
A slightly older woman laughed heartily. "Look at her, like a maggot. At her age, she's picking on a young girl, bullying someone holding a child. And she claims to be educated? What kind of wife is so shrewish? Even that pig from the Wu family who loves to stir up trouble isn't as aggressive. Oh, what, you want to fight me?"
Yan Yun finally managed to get up, flailing her arms and lunging towards the woman who had just insulted her.
The woman, in her thirties or forties, had dark skin and a robust build, clearly strong. She grabbed Yan Yun's outstretched hand, slammed her to the ground, and from behind, grabbed her hair, shoving her down. She then sat on Yan Yun's stomach, pulling her hair relentlessly.
"Did I say something wrong? Aren't you just a pig who stirs up trouble?" She yelled at the others. "Everyone saw it! This little slut attacked me first. How dare she try to fight me? Don't you go asking around? How many of the young girls and wives in this village dare to offend me, Zhao Dehui? And you reached for my face. Come on, if I don't chop off these chicken claws of yours, I'll write my surname Zhao backward! Come on."
Seeing the situation escalating, others quickly stepped in to break them up.
Zhuo Ling held the child and watched the scene unfold with amusement.
Several women worked together to separate the two combatants. Yan Yun's hair was a mess, and she had several red marks on her face from slaps.
The village head's wife stepped in to mediate and clarify the cause of the incident.
Finally, when asked about Zhuo Ling's involvement, she calmly replied, "I was passing through with the child. She wouldn't let me pass, saying the road belonged to her."
"You little slut! Don't spew nonsense. When did I ever say such a thing?"
"Didn't you tell me to get lost? If this road wasn't built by your family, what right do you have to say that?"
The neighbors of the Ran family and those in higher social standing were immediately displeased. "You're ordering people around now, how arrogant! By rights, we built this road. Your Su family didn't contribute financially. The one who defecates wants to drive away the one who defecated. What kind of logic is that?"
"We took pity on them being a widow and orphans, so we didn't ask your family for labor or money. Now you're driving away those who contributed financially and with labor? The Su family has quite the audacity."
The woman who had fought with Yan Yun, now with the moral high ground and numerical advantage, roared at the Su family's yard. "Her son has a job, so he's not capable? He's very capable. Everyone says you shouldn't forget your roots. You have a bit of money and start throwing your weight around. The one in the house is also an expert at playing dead. Is her hearing gone? With all this noise, she can't hear? Is she mute or deaf?"
This statement was clearly directed at Yan Yun's mother-in-law inside the house.
Others chimed in with their own grievances, but the person in question never emerged.
The village head's wife also found the Su family difficult to deal with. However, she didn't want the matter to escalate further. She appeased Zhao Dehui and comforted Zhuo Ling a few times, then sent them on their way.
Zhuo Ling carried the child and walked away.
The fight in the village today was quite serious, especially with the physical altercation. Villagers loved gossip, and by evening, the incident was known to everyone.
Liu Cui heard about it on the way back and asked Zhuo Ling. After hearing the full story, she was so angry that she grabbed a sickle and stormed out. Yang Yun, worried that her mother-in-law might do something rash, quickly followed.
Liu Cui stood at the entrance of the Su family's yard for over half an hour, wielding her sickle and cursing their entire family. She reserved the worst insults for Yan Yun, their loudness drawing a crowd of onlookers.
In those times, young girls were more precious than wives, and women generally wouldn't casually curse other families' young girls. Liu Cui returned Yan Yun's insults a thousandfold, using vile language like "whore" and "bitch." She even raised her voice to make sure everyone could hear.
It was only later that Yang Yun managed to pull her away.
Back home, Liu Cui still seemed unsatisfied and kept muttering about the incident during dinner.
As she mumbled, she suddenly thought of something and asked, "She didn't dare to hit you, did she?"
Zhuo Ling paused her movements and replied, "She wanted to, but she missed. She fell on her backside a few times, and Zhao Dehui laughed at her. That's when they started fighting."
Liu Cui blinked, then burst into laughter.
"This is truly like brine setting tofu; each has its match. That little hussy fighting with that notorious, troublesome pig. I wonder who was tougher? What a shame I didn't see it."
She shook her head after saying this.
Yang Yun: "..."
Zhuo Ling was also speechless.