Chapter 7: Gentle Xiaoxi Refuses to Yield

Chapter 7: The Gentle Stream Won't Back Down

In the countryside, squabbles between neighbors were a dime a dozen, and folks like Wen Shishan and Li Qiaozhen, who were always nickel-and-diming and looking to get one over on people, got into scrapes with the neighbors more times than anyone could count.

Whenever Li Qiaozhen dragged the whole family into a shouting match with someone, Wen Xi was scared out of his wits. If they didn't come out on top, Wen Xi became the punching bag they took their anger out on.

And if the trouble started because of Wen Xi, things got even worse—not only would they refuse to stand up for him, but they'd call him a worthless piece of trash. Why else would folks pick on him and not somebody else? It had to be his own doing.

So after Zhao Shoutian laid hands on him, Wen Xi never even dreamed of asking the Yan family to stick up for him.

All he wanted was to bring the two kids home safe and sound. He'd be thanking his lucky stars if the Yans didn't take their anger out on him.

But his mother-in-law said she'd march him over to the Zhao place and demand some answers. And when his father-in-law and the two brothers-in-law got home from the fields, they were just as fired up—they hadn't even set down the hoes off their shoulders before they were ready to go to bat for him.

Wen Xi's hurt feelings from getting beaten had nowhere to go before, but now the Yan family was holding them with care. His eyes stung, and he opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come.

The wind was kicking up that afternoon, so Yan Fengan, worried about catching a chill, went inside to lie down. He was resting with his eyes shut when he heard a ruckus outside. When he got up, he saw the whole family out in the yard, all riled up and crowded around his husband.

The moment He Jin and Li Wan laid eyes on him, they figured this whole thing was about to get shut down again.

No matter what squabbles other families had behind closed doors, they'd close ranks when it came to outsiders. But this brother-in-law of theirs was a real piece of work—every time the family had a conflict with others, regardless of who was right or wrong, he'd get all huffy with his own kin and keep telling them not to go stirring up trouble and holding him back.

He was a scholar who'd passed the imperial exams and was bound to be a big official someday. So for the sake of his future, the family had to put him first, plain and simple.

They could let the little stuff slide, but today his own husband got beaten—surely he wouldn't tell them to just swallow this too?

Yan Fengan had no idea what was going through their heads. All he could look at was Wen Xi's face.

He couldn't figure out how Wen Xi had been fine at home but came back with his face all banged up. He frowned and asked quietly, "What happened to your face?"

Scared of looking like a burden to the family, Wen Xi instinctively raised his hand to hide it: "It's... nothing."

"Nothing, my ass! Third brother, your husband got walloped by that bastard Zhao Shoutian. We're heading over to get even with him, and you'd better not get in the way."

The eldest brother, Yan Wangchun, knew his temper, and his voice came out a little more urgent than he meant it to.

Yan Fengan said, "That's the way it should be. Why would I stop you?"

He lifted his hand, meaning to touch Wen Xi's hurt cheek, but when Wen Xi flinched, he just gave the poor thing a soft pat on the shoulder: "Don't be scared. The Yan family won't let anybody push you around."

Seeing how the whole Yan family was acting, Wen Xi knew they meant every word. He nodded timidly and said, "Mm... I know."

This time, the whole family was on the same page. Yan Fuqiu cracked his knuckles with a pop: "Third brother, you stay home and rest. Us brothers will make sure your husband gets his due."

Yan Fengan was doing a lot better, but he still wasn't in any shape for a showdown like this. After leaving the two kids to keep him company, Chen Lanfang led the whole family over to the Zhao place.

The whole crew marched out in force, and plenty of villagers took notice. Seeing there was a show to watch, the villagers dropped their work and their cooking and tagged along at a safe distance, pointing and whispering.

"What's all this? Where's the Yan family off to?"

"I don't know. Ain't that their third son's husband? How'd his face get so puffed up?"

"Can't you see? He got the tar beat out of him. Maybe the old Yans don't cotton to this husband and are shipping him back to the Wens."

"This isn't the direction to the Wens either..."

His in-laws were going to get him justice, not send him packing back to the Wens. Wen Xi argued back in his head but didn't dare talk back to those busybodies.

He'd been embarrassed in front of folks his whole life. Being the center of attention made him jittery and awkward, and he didn't dare lift his head until they got where they were going.

His son and his brother's husband had gotten pushed around, and Yan Wangchun was so mad he could've spit fire. When they got there, he skipped the pleasantries and kicked the Zhao family's gate right open.

"Hey, you Zhaos! If nobody in this house is dead, get your asses out here!"

Yan Fuqiu, hands on his hips, kicked over whatever was sitting around the yard, sending the hens in the coop squawking and scattering every which way.

The Zhao family's eldest daughter-in-law had been about to step up, but the sight of those two furious men made her shrink back. After all, she was just a woman—bossy as all get-out at home, but two big strapping men still scared the daylights out of her. She gave her husband a shove, telling him to go see what was what.

Zhao Zhangshun, who'd made a habit of being a coward, didn't budge: "Ma and Pa haven't gone out yet. What's it got to do with me?"

Zhao Dahe nearly collapsed when he heard this. Comparing people really could drive you to death—look at the two sons Yan Shichang had raised, then look at his own two. There was just no comparison.

There was no avoiding it. Seeing the crowd of onlookers growing larger, Zhao Dahe and his wife went out with fawning smiles: "Oh, what brings you here? Brother Yan, Sister Yan, please come inside and sit."

"Don't try to claim kinship with me here." Chen Lanfang never held back in an argument and gave no one face. "Stealing from kids and beating a young man—I've truly never seen a man like this before. Are you people so hard up you can't make a living? If you can't get by, take a broken bowl and go beg. What's the meaning of coming to bully our family?"

Zhao Dahe's face flushed red and pale by turns as she scolded him. He was angry but also knew he was in the wrong: "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding. Our Shoutian doesn't know any better. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against him."

Chen Lanfang didn't indulge him at all: "A grown man in his twenties who doesn't know any better? Will he know better when both feet are in the coffin? That rotten, rootless thing Zhao Shoutian of yours—since he can't find a husband himself, he goes around bullying other people's husbands. Even the weasels behind the mountain aren't as vicious as him."

Li Wan joined in loudly: "Everyone with a wife or husband at home, be careful! Our village has a vicious bachelor. He couldn't get married himself, so he's jealous of other couples' happiness. He'll hit people for no reason while walking down the street. Look what he did to our Xi Ge'er!"

He Jin led Wen Xi around the crowd: "In all my years, I've never seen such a spineless man. Which family would dare marry their daughter or son to him? They'd be waiting to get beaten to death."

Even though Wen Xi was thin-skinned, he knew this was the time to cooperate with the Yan family.

He was already feeling wronged, so he didn't need to act at all. The moment he thought about how he'd been bullied by Zhao Shoutian for no reason, tears fell on their own. Ashamed to show his swollen face to everyone, he bit his lip and trembled, trying to hide.

A frail, skinny young man bullied like this by an outsider—the watching neighbors all clucked their tongues in pity.

In Daoxiang Village, men who hit young men or women were the most despicable and most reviled.

The Zhao family's circumstances were average, and few in the village were willing to marry their children into their family to begin with. With the Yan family singing this duet of condemnation, Zhao Shoutian would never find a spouse in the village again.

The villagers buzzed with discussion—like father, like son. If the son was like this, the father must be no good either.

These words were like trampling Zhao Dahe's face into the dirt. He hated the Yan family for being relentless, and he hated his own son for causing trouble. Full of pent-up anger with nowhere to direct it, he could only shout into the house: "You little bastard! Get out here and apologize! Do I have to come in and drag you out?"

Zhao Shoutian hadn't expected things to blow up this big. Hadn't Wen Liu told him before that Wen Xi wasn't favored in the Yan family? Why was the whole family coming to stand up for him now?

If he'd known it would cause such a scene, he would have just mocked Wen Xi a bit and left it at that. Why did he have to lay hands on him?

Zhao Shoutian came out of the house reluctantly, made a perfunctory bow toward Wen Xi with the air of a lord, and turned his face away as he said, "Sorry."

Wen Xi was used to being mistreated. Those people never apologized to him. Now that Zhao Shoutian had apologized, by all rights he should be satisfied. But his heart still felt heavy and uncomfortable.

The clear finger marks on his face reminded him of the humiliation he'd suffered. His own parents didn't treat him as a person—but why should outsiders be allowed to bully him freely?

Before, no one protected him, so he didn't dare resist. But now the Yan family had said they would back him up. Wen Xi refused to yield. Without a word, he turned his back, expressing his stance through silence.

"Pah!" Yan Wangchun spat on the ground and said gruffly, "You think one sentence settles this? Who do you think you are? If you don't pay compensation, this isn't over."

On the way here, Li Wan had been whispering in his ear, and today he was determined to teach the Zhao family a lesson they wouldn't forget.

The moment money was mentioned, Zhao Shoutian's mother, Liu Jinhua, refused: "What kind of precious young man is this? Getting hit once and demanding money! You Yans are the bullies here. Who knows if your husband was deliberately seducing my son, and my son only hit him because he was disgusted..."

This vicious old woman was spewing lies to defame Wen Xi's reputation in front of everyone. Chen Lanfang was so furious she strode forward and delivered two resounding slaps: "I'll curse your ancestors eighteen generations back!"

After receiving the two slaps, Liu Jinhua promptly plopped down on the ground, wailing at the top of her lungs: "Someone's hitting people! Someone's hitting people! Is there no law anymore? Is there no justice?"

Wen Xi grew up in the village and knew well that such salacious rumors, if not stopped, could drive a person to death. With so many people listening, who knew what it would turn into once word got around.

Besides, the Yan family was standing up for him like this; he couldn't just hide behind them like a mute.

He steadied himself against He Jin's arm, his body trembling with anger, and set aside his shame as he pointed at Zhao Shoutian. "In looks, he and Yan Fengan are like a white crane in the sky versus a toad in a cesspool. In status, one is the village's only scholar, the other a shiftless rogue. How blind would I have to be to throw away a good life and go seduce a mangy dog like him?"

Chen Lanfang picked up the thread, cursing, "Take a good look at yourself—you look like a toad that's turned into a demon, and you dare compare yourself to my son? Pfft! Your son's a pile of stinking dog shit who isn't fit to tie my son's shoes."

"Who are you calling stinking dog shit? Your son's the real pile of crap..."

Hearing the shouting outside, Lin Xuemei half-dragged Zhao Zhangshun out. "You've beaten him and cursed him—what else do you Yans want? Don't think just because your son's a scholar you can bully people however you please. I say a person ought to bank some good karma, or it might come back to bite you one day."

Zhao Zhangshun shrank his neck and chimed in, "That's right. Yan Fengan's already in that state—looks like he won't last long. Don't know what you're all so smug about."

"Damn you! My son's got a long life and good luck ahead of him. You dare curse him? Eldest, second son, go beat him!" No father can stand hearing that about his own son. Yan Shichang, who had stayed silent until now, swung his palm at Zhao Zhangshun's face. "Today I'll see who's really short-lived."

Yan Wangchun and Yan Fuqiu had been itching to let out their anger. The moment Yan Shichang spoke, the two brothers lunged at Zhao Shoutian.

Chen Lanfang grabbed Lin Xuemei by the hair, while He Jin and Li Wan reached down to pin Liu Jinhua to the ground.

Seeing his family being bullied, Zhao Dahe couldn't hide any longer and hurried over to help Zhao Shoutian.

The two families tumbled into a chaotic brawl right there. Some neighbors tried to step in and mediate, but Yan Shichang dismissed them with a few words.

"This is between us and the Zhao family. Anyone who dares take sides is making an enemy of the Yan family. Don't blame me if I won't help you out later."

The Yan father and sons weren't just skilled craftsmen—they were tall and sturdy, full of strength. Whenever anyone in the village had a wedding or funeral, they were eager to hire them.

Even those without such occasions had to keep good relations with the family. During the busy farming season, households had to exchange labor to get things done, and hardworking men like the Yan father and sons were in such demand you'd be lucky to book them.

With Yan Shichang saying that, no one with any sense dared interfere.

Wen Xi had only ever been on the receiving end of beatings; no one had ever taught him how to fight back. He stood off to the side, wanting to help but not knowing how.

Watching Yan Shichang's sandbag-sized fists pound the Zhao family, he was afraid his father-in-law might kill someone.

As the fight went on, Chen Lanfang ended up grappling with Liu Jinhua. They were similar in age, both women used to hard farm work, and Chen Lanfang couldn't get the upper hand at first.

Seeing Chen Lanfang take a slap from Liu Jinhua, Wen Xi cast aside his fear. Dragging his cramping legs, he rushed forward, grabbed Liu Jinhua's hair, and shouted as fiercely as he could, "Don't you dare hit my mother-in-law!"