Chapter Three: Who Holds the Authority?

Her light and carefree voice drifted into the ears of the few present.

It was Uncle Liang Zhiyan who first burst out in anger.

“Liang Dayan! Are you crazy? What are you doing?”

With that, he dropped the hoe from his shoulder, hurried over to the wooden chair, grabbed Liang Yunqing up, and then reached out to help Mrs. Wang, who was covering her face on the ground.

“Mother, mother, are you all right?”

Mrs. Wang clung to this support like a lifeline, immediately putting on a weak facade and, with tears, sobbed, “Liang Dayan has gone mad, beating her elders—she’s an unfilial daughter, truly unfilial.”

Liang Yunqing nodded with satisfaction; she had rested enough and now her strength and resolve had returned. Facing Uncle Liang’s murderous glare, she replied softly, “Uncle, what kind of look is that? You weren’t this tough when Auntie beat you, were you?”

“Liang Dayan!”

Behind her, Liang Mingxue, who was helping Chu Shi to her feet, shouted in disbelief, looking at his usually obedient daughter with heartbreak.

“Liang Dayan, we arranged this marriage for your own good. How could you do such a thing to your grandmother?”

Liang Yunqing found this amusing. With her hands on her hips, she retorted to her “father”:

“Liang Mingxue, you’re hardly worthy of me calling you father. Marrying your daughter off to a crippled old man over fifty—that’s what you call good for her?”

“Nonsense! We clearly arranged for you to marry Liu the carpenter from the neighboring village.”

Liang Mingxue said this, then glanced at Mrs. Wang and Uncle and Aunt Liang, all looking guilty, which sent a chill through his heart.

“You… Mother, didn’t you say you wanted to marry Dayan to Liu the carpenter?”

Mrs. Wang coughed a few times, then composed herself. Supported back onto the wooden chair, she adopted the demeanor of the matriarch of the household.

“The marriage arrangements are decided by me as an elder. How could I harm her?”

“That’s right, that’s right! Brother, how can you question Mother?”

Uncle Liang Zhiyan immediately chimed in, especially since of the 800 wen bride price, 300 wen had ended up in his pocket.

Liang Mingxue stepped back a few paces, his eyes full of sorrow.

“Dayan is my daughter. Mother, how can you decide such a thing?”

Seeing her father kept in the dark, Liang Yunqing’s hostility softened slightly; at least he hadn’t truly agreed to marry her off to a cripple.

“How I decide is none of your concern! I’m your mother! Do you want to kill me with your anger?”

Saying this, Grandmother Wang immediately patted her chest to steady her breath.

Liang Mingxue dared not question further and knelt down to admit his mistake. Meanwhile, Auntie Li Pinghua looked on with malicious delight, glancing at Liang Yunqing.

“In that case, tomorrow we’ll send Dayan over again by carriage. I’ll call a matchmaker to smooth things over. I suppose that cripple Chen won’t mind.”

Liang Mingxue couldn’t accept his daughter marrying a cripple, but with the elders in charge, he dared not disobey. For the moment, he could only kowtow and plead.

His forehead soon bled from repeatedly striking the ground.

Mrs. Wang, sitting in the wooden chair, seemed to relish this feeling, tasting the power that came with it.

Before she could relish it further, Liang Mingxue was suddenly grabbed by the collar from behind.

“Knock your head on the ground any more and you’ll lose your brains.”

Liang Yunqing pulled her father up, then stretched her wrists and ankles, performing a set of warm-up exercises. Under the puzzled gazes of the onlookers, she suddenly leapt high and delivered a flying kick, wiping her nose in mid-air as she shouted,

“Ahh—!”

“Ugh—!”

Before Auntie Li Pinghua could react, she was kicked a full meter away.

The immense force sent a stab of pain through her chest, rendering her speechless as she writhed on the ground, wailing incessantly.

Uncle Liang Zhiyan was dumbfounded; he hadn’t even thought to help her up but instinctively hid behind Mrs. Wang and shouted,

“Liang Dayan! What are you doing?”

Mrs. Wang’s slapped face had yet to fade. She had intended to deal with Liang Dayan later but never imagined she would be struck by her.

No! She absolutely could not lose her authority. Sitting up straight, Mrs. Wang tried to intimidate her.

“Liang Dayan, do you know what crime it is to assault your elders? If this gets out, your reputation will be ruined.”

Liang Yunqing paused, withdrawing her fierce pose, standing thoughtfully.

Mrs. Wang’s heart leapt with joy; reputation mattered to everyone, especially in this declining village. She was ready to continue when Liang Yunqing raised a hand in a gesture to pause.

“Reputation? Then I suppose I must mend my reputation properly.”

She glanced at the two still standing and smiled lightly, speaking as if in casual conversation.

“Tell me, if I kill you all, won’t my reputation skyrocket?”

“What?”

Mrs. Wang and Liang Zhiyan exclaimed simultaneously.

“Anyway, I’ve already beaten you; my reputation is already ruined. I might as well kill you outright. That way, no one will dare slander me when I go out.”

Her tone was calm, her expression serious, not joking in the least.

Mrs. Wang almost lost her breath. She was truly mad... this girl really had gone insane.

“Oldest son... go fetch the doctor, quickly!”

Liang Mingxue was already stunned. Hearing his mother, he dared not argue. He too thought Liang Dayan was mad. With that thought, he rushed out to find a doctor.

Liang Yunqing did not stop him. She slowly approached Mrs. Wang and continued,

“Grandmother, should I kill you first or Uncle first?”

Their legs weakened. Liang Zhiyan looked at the thin girl before him with fear. Somehow finding courage, he shouted sternly,

“Dayan! What do you think you’re doing? Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

“Oh?”

Liang Yunqing bypassed Mrs. Wang and approached him calmly.

“Uncle, do you want to fight me?”

“Don’t think being mad lets you do whatever you want. I’m telling you! I’m not afraid...”

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