Chapter 30

Grief and Indignation

Seeing that she no longer objected to her crossing the mountain by herself, Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief. She picked up two bundles of grains and left. Her footsteps were so fast that even Madam Ma-Liu almost couldn’t keep up.

Looking at Mu Yangling, who was walking briskly in front of her, Madam Ma-Liu only felt her heart tremble. She was afraid that the girl would be crushed by the grains the next moment.

Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xiulan ran after them with surprised smiles on their faces, exclaiming from time to time.

The villagers who were pounding on the threshing floor also opened their mouths wide when they saw Mu Yangling carrying two bundles of grains over. They watched in shock.

Madam Ma-Liu had already rushed to the front and led Mu Yangling to her family’s site. However, seeing that it was already filled with grains, she could not help but frown slightly.

She turned to Mu Yangling and said, “Put it down first. I’ll go and ask whose grains this is.”

Madam Ma-Zhang, who was standing at the side, blinked and said, “Fourth Aunt, this belongs to Youcai’s family. Youcai’s family said that your family hasn’t had time to harvest the grains yet, so they’re using it first.”

Madam Ma-Liu originally had a smile on her face, but when she heard that it belonged to Ma Youcai’s family, her face immediately turned cold. If it was someone else, it would be fine. Since her family had no use yet for the threshing floor originally, it would have been left empty anyway. But not if that person was Ma Youcai. Back then, her son’s death was caused by him. In fact, the relationship between the two families had worsened in the past few years. She was appalled that they actually had the cheek to use her threshing floor.

The humiliation and resentment of being bullied for so many years welled up in her heart.

So furious that her chest heaved up and down, Madam Ma-Liu turned her head and said to Mu Yangling, “Good child, since you’re strong, throw these things out for me so that they don’t dirty my place.”

Everyone knew about the conflict between the two families and felt that Ma Youcai’s family had gone too far, so they didn’t stop them.

Someone who was on good terms with Ma Youcai’s family said in a low voice, “How could you ask a foreigner to bully one of our own?”

Eager to see a show, Madam Ma-Zhang said, “You can’t say that. She’s Fourth Aunt’s grandniece. Besides, if she doesn’t ask her family to stand up for her, who in our village is willing to speak up for Fourth Aunt’s family? Besides, she’s just a child.”

Those who had objections immediately did not dare to speak.

A married woman could indeed call her family over to speak up for her. If the other party was an adult, they would also speak up for Ma Youcai if he was in the right. However, the other party was just a child and was Madam Ma-Liu’s family.

Many of the onlookers sighed.

Ma Youcai had many brothers, so even if the villagers knew that his family was not benevolent, no one would go against his family to help Madam Ma-Liu. Moreover, Madam Ma-Liu did not have an heir, and her two granddaughters would have to be married off in the future. If she had a grandson, they would definitely help her.

When Mu Yangling saw how angry her great-aunt was and how her two cousins were clenching their fists with reddened eyes, she knew that the people whose grains occupied their family’s site must be their enemy.

Without any hesitation, Mu Yangling put down her things and raised a bundle of grains in each hand. She turned her head and asked, “Great-aunt, where are we throwing this?”

“I don’t know where this thing came from. Who knows what kind of filthy and smelly thing it is? Throw it onto the main road. Don’t leave a single bit behind!”

Grains were the lifeblood of farmers. If they were thrown onto the road, they would definitely thresh, and it would take a lot of effort to pick them up. Mu Yangling hesitated.

Filled with resentment, Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xiulan rushed forward and tore open a bundle of grains each before throwing whatever they could manage onto the road.

Mu Yangling was stunned. After freezing for a moment, she raised her arm and tossed out a bundle of grains. The grains flew over their heads and fell to the ground with a bang.

Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xiulan felt super gratified when they saw this. They rushed back and threw the grains out with all their might.

An old man couldn’t bear to see them waste grains like this, so he shouted, “Stop! These grains are our lifeblood!”

“Pfft!” Madam Ma-Liu spat on that person’s face and glared at him with red eyes. “Lifeblood? My lifeblood was killed by them long ago. They forced me and my granddaughters to this extent. Now, they even came to occupy my threshing floor. Are you trying to help their family force me to death? Are you? Let me tell you, Ma Dazhong. I’m not afraid of death now. At most, I’ll hang myself alongside my two granddaughters at your door. If I die, it’d be caused by you people. It’s your Ma family who forced us to death. I’ll see who still dares to marry into your Ma family!”

Madam Ma-Liu shrieked at the top of her lungs, scaring the onlookers. The old man she faced took three steps back. Madam Ma-Zhang, who had been sowing discord, could not help but shrink her neck.

The entire venue was silent.

Everyone looked at Madam Ma-Liu and knew that she would do what she said. This person no longer had any scruples.

As the saying goes, ‘Those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes, and those who are fierce are afraid of those who don’t care about their lives.’

Now, Madam Ma-Liu was the most formidable, going by that logic.

Mu Yangling narrowed her eyes. She was even more certain that Ma Youcai, who occupied her great-aunt’s land, was the cousin who killed her uncle back then. Otherwise, her great-aunt wouldn’t be so angry and her two cousins wouldn’t behave like this.

After figuring this out, Mu Yangling no longer stood on ceremony. With both hands, bundles of grains were continuously thrown onto the road.

The thumping sounds seemed to have struck everyone’s hearts. Everyone looked at Madam Ma-Liu, who was standing in the middle of the threshing floor with a dark expression, and their hearts trembled.

Seeing that the situation was not right, some people who were close to Ma Youcai’s family secretly ran back to inform Ma Youcai’s family.

However, Mu Yangling was too fast. With a wave of her hand, a bundle of grains flew out. Even the pile of grains that was like a small mountain was quickly thrown away by her.

While everyone’s heart ached for the grains, they could not help but be stunned by Mu Yangling’s incredible strength. One bundle of grains could only be carried by a 15 or 16-year-old person. Yet, this child could actually easily lift it up. Even the strongest man in the village was not capable of such a feat.

One had to know that Madam Ma-Liu’s threshing floor was not at the side, but in the middle. There was a certain distance from the main road. Otherwise, Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xiulan wouldn’t have to run to throw the grains out.

Looking at the scattered grains on the ground, Madam Ma-Liu snorted. She said to her eldest granddaughter, “Xiuhong, sweep the things out. I feel disgusted looking at them.”

“Aye,” Ma Xiuhong replied loudly. She and her sister went to borrow two brooms to sweep all the grains that had fallen to the ground onto the road. The grains instantly fell into the soil.

The onlookers more or less revealed pained expressions. Everyone grew grains, so even if those grains weren’t from their own family, they still felt uncomfortable.

Madam Ma-Liu snorted and said, “If it was someone else’s, I would have politely asked them to move the grains away. I wouldn’t even mind if I had to dry mine a few days later. But not Ma Youcai’s family! Not only did he kill my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, he even provoked the patriarch to snatch my family’s land. Now, they even want to occupy my family’s small threshing floor. They’re simply trying to force me to death!”

As Madam Ma-Liu spoke, she sat on the ground with her two granddaughters in her arms and cried loudly. “Why are you two still alive? Why? If you’re also dead, I could just go to their house and hang myself. Our family of seven can then reunite underground. Let Ma Dafu open his eyes and see how his good brother treats his children and grandchildren. Ma Dafu, you short-lived man, open your eyes and see how your brother and nephew treat your children and grandchildren. They caused your son, daughter-in-law, and grandson’s deaths. Now, they’re forcing your two granddaughters to death. If I die, so be it. But what about your only two remaining bloodlines! Come out and take a look. Climb out and take a look!”

Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xiulan hugged their grandmother and cried loudly, tears flowing out incessantly.

Standing beside them, Mu Yangling’s jaw dropped open…