Chapter 44: I’m Going to Spank Your Butt

"You bitch, you dare hit me?"

Feeling the burning pain on his face, Li Dabiao’s eyes practically shot fire.

Over the years, relying on his thugs and his connections with Li Dahai, Li Dabiao had grown used to throwing his weight around. He had never been on the losing end of a fight. Not to mention, his opponent was a woman.

"You’re exactly who I’m hitting. Got a problem with that?" Zhao Lingshan flicked her wrist, asking domineeringly.

"Li Wanrong, as the village chief, I was actually planning to put in a good word for you regarding today’s matter.

"But not only do you refuse to pay back the money, you even resort to hitting people. You’re being completely unreasonable.

"With this kind of behavior, who would dare to stand up for you?"

Li Dahai started yapping from the sidelines again.

To put it bluntly, he was giving Li Dabiao the green light to do whatever he wanted, with him covering his back.

Zhao Lingshan didn’t indulge him one bit. "Cut the crap. I, Zhao Lingshan, was the one who hit him. If you want revenge, bring it on!"

Zhao Lingshan!

Hearing this name, the surrounding crowd was utterly shocked.

Over the years, there had been quite a few rumors about Zhao Lingshan in the village. The most famous one was that she was being kept as a mistress by a big shot outside. Recently, although many knew she had returned, very few had actually seen her.

They hadn’t expected her to change so drastically. Could the rumors be true? Did she really hook up with a big shot in the city?

Li Dabiao was also a little intimidated. He swallowed hard to embolden himself and said, "Zhao Lingshan, don’t think you’re all that just because you’ve made a name for yourself outside. Around these parts, ask anyone about my reputation. Who doesn’t know Li Dabiao?

"Besides, my friend is a member of the Black Tiger Gang in the county town. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.

"Today, you either hand over the money, or you let me take the guy. You have to give me an explanation."

"The Black Tiger Gang, is it? Just you wait," Zhao Lingshan sneered, pulling out her phone and dialing a number.

After the call connected, she spoke a few words and then handed the phone to Li Dabiao. "Answer it."

Li Dabiao took it in confusion. Whatever the person on the other end said, his face instantly turned deathly pale. By the end of the call, his legs were trembling in fear.

"Li Dabiao, do you still need an explanation?" Zhao Lingshan asked with a faint, mocking smile.

"N-No... no need..." Li Dabiao shivered, on the verge of tears.

"Then what about the money he owes you?" Zhao Lingshan pointed at Lin Meng.

"He doesn’t have to pay it back! He never has to pay it back!" Li Dabiao waved his hands frantically in terror.

"In that case, get the hell out of here!" Zhao Lingshan glared fiercely at him.

Li Dabiao was so frightened he nearly fell flat on his ass. He spun around and kicked a lackey next to him. "What are you all standing around for? Didn’t you hear Miss Zhao? Get the hell out of here! Do you have a death wish?"

Holy shit! At this moment, everyone was dumbfounded!

No one had expected Zhao Lingshan to wield such immense power, terrifying Li Dabiao this much with just a single phone call.

"Li Dabiao, what’s going on with you?" Li Dahai grabbed Li Dabiao’s arm, asking unwillingly.

"I’ll tell you later." Li Dabiao didn’t dare to linger and hurried away.

...

Before long, aside from Lin Meng’s family, only Zhao Lingshan remained at their doorstep.

"Lin Meng, I’ve settled the matter for you. I have things to do, so I’ll be heading back now." Zhao Lingshan waved her hand with a free and easy demeanor, then turned and left.

Li Wanrong finally snapped out of her daze. "Xiaomeng, was that woman just now really Zhao Lingshan from our village? Is she the friend you mentioned?"

Lin Meng nodded. "Yes, Wanrong. I had actually gathered enough money, but Sister Lingshan said she was willing to step in and handle it for me. There was no need to hand over two hundred thousand to Li Dabiao for nothing."

"Heh, you make it sound so nice, but you’re just living off a woman!" Li Shiyun scoffed disdainfully.

Li Wanrong was thoroughly enraged and stopped tolerating her behavior. "Li Shiyun, you’re going too far. You’re the one who caused this whole mess in the first place. Taking the side of an outsider to bully Lin Meng in that situation was bad enough, but now that he’s resolved the issue, you don’t even have a word of thanks?"

Li Shiyun refused to yield. "Why should I thank him? Even without relying on him, I could have solved this myself."

"You..."

Seeing that the mother and daughter were about to start arguing, Lin Meng hastily intervened to soothe the tension. "Wanrong, there’s no need to be so angry. Shiyun just has this kind of temper. Why don’t you go back and rest for a bit? I’ll talk to her myself."

"Alright then. You two siblings have a good talk. I’m going to the river to wash clothes."

Li Wanrong didn’t want to make things too tense, either. She went into the courtyard, picked up a basin of clothes, and headed out alone.

Li Shiyun looked at Lin Meng, maintaining her cold and arrogant posture. "Lin Meng, are you feeling very smug and proud right now?

"Do you think that just because you helped me, I’ll definitely change my attitude toward you and feel genuine gratitude from the bottom of my heart?

"What a pity. I will never thank a spineless wimp like you who only knows how to live off women!"

If it had been in the past, Lin Meng would have definitely been furious at such humiliation. Back then, he had truly cared about Shiyun, treating her as his lifelong goddess. Only when hurt by someone important would one feel sorrow and anger.

But now, in his eyes, Shiyun was no different from a slut like Cheng Xiue.

"So what if I live off a woman? The fact that I can is a testament to my own skills!" Lin Meng retorted without holding back.

"You..." Li Shiyun couldn’t think of a comeback for a moment.

Lin Meng took a step forward, completely devoid of his former inferiority and cowardice. "Shiyun, you still remember our bet, don’t you? Since I won, isn’t it time for you to fulfill your end?"

Li Shiyun’s expression changed, but she remained stubborn. "We agreed that you had to resolve the issue with Li Dabiao. However, Zhao Lingshan was the one who stepped in to handle it just now, so it doesn’t count."

Lin Meng wasn’t angry. He shrugged indifferently. "Alright then. I knew you would renege on your word.

"I suppose it’s normal. Some people always feel so good about themselves, thinking they’re oh-so-amazing.

"When they speak, they constantly look down on this person and that person, but in reality, they’re the biggest deadbeats of all!"

After saying this in one breath, Lin Meng turned around to leave.

"You... stop right there!" Li Shiyun’s face flushed with anger as she stepped forward to block his path.

Lin Meng feigned confusion. "Is there something else, Shiyun?"

"It’s just a bet. I admit that you won. Spit it out, what is your demand!" Li Shiyun asked through gritted teeth.

Seeing Li Shiyun’s reaction, Lin Meng chuckled inwardly.

She had fallen for it, just as expected. It made sense. For someone as arrogant and haughty as her, she constantly claimed to look down on him. How could such a person accept being mocked and having their flaws exploited by the very person they had always despised?

"Shiyun, what if you can’t fulfill my demand?"

Li Shiyun’s eyes were filled with disgust. "Cut the crap and tell me your demand. Stop wasting my time."

Seeing that look in her eyes, Lin Meng couldn’t help but recall how, in front of another man, she had called herself a little bitch while doing those kinds of things.

He thought to himself, "Damn it, since you look down on me, don’t blame me for not holding back!"

Suppressing the fire in his heart, Lin Meng stated blatantly, "Shiyun, I want to spank your ass!"