I’ll Kill Anyone Who Tries Anything
Widow Cheng, however, showed no sign of backing down, only scolding, “Bah! What Xu Family Village? You shameless bastards all drove her out. What does she have to do with Xu Family Village anymore? Get out of my way! Xiao Tao is my niece, and I naturally have to take care of her.”
Xu Yongfeng, having been scolded, was immediately displeased. He glanced at Widow Cheng before saying, “Ignore that mad woman. Xiao Tao has nothing to do with her. Quickly take Xu Xiaotao away.”
He had already received the silver, so naturally he wouldn’t leave.
If he couldn’t take her away from Liu Family Village, he would snatch her in the street. He was Xu Xiaotao’s second uncle; that mad woman wasn’t Xu Xiaotao’s aunt, so even the government couldn’t interfere.
Seeing Xu Yongfeng giving orders, the other Xu family members immediately stepped forward, about to slap Widow Cheng away.
Widow Cheng looked around, snatched the kitchen knife from Zhao Dashu’s hand, and roared, “Anyone who dares to touch me, I’ll chop them to death! Get lost!”
She frantically waved the kitchen knife around, startling everyone.
The onlookers recoiled a few steps, and the men who had wanted to step forward also retreated, fearfully looking at the seemingly mad woman.
Xu Yongfeng paused, clearly not expecting someone watching the commotion to carry a kitchen knife. After his surprise subsided, he sneered and scolded, “Mad woman, don’t be ridiculous! Last time, you chased my son for two miles with that kitchen knife. He’s a coward, but do you think I’m afraid?
Come on, I, Xu Yongfeng, am standing right here. You bloody well chop at my neck; I want to see if you dare.”
He then stepped closer, extending his neck towards the knife.
He had seen this trick many times. This mad woman was just trying to scare people; she wouldn’t dare to actually do it.
Widow Cheng, seeing his head approaching, hesitated for a moment and didn’t dare to move.
However, she gripped the kitchen knife tightly, her eyes full of anger.
Xu Yongfeng, however, wasn’t satisfied and continued to scold, “Come on, mad woman, aren’t you going to chop someone? Chop! I want to see if you dare.”
To deal with this mad woman, one shouldn’t be concerned with propriety. If she were truly mad, how could she still have the leisure to sell tofu in town? Only his foolish son would believe her.
Seeing this, the other three men also realized that Widow Cheng was just bluffing and were no longer afraid. They swaggered towards Xu Xiaotao.
The young man quickly stood in front of Xu Xiaotao and shouted, “You, you are not allowed to come closer! Elder Sister Xiao Tao will not go with you.”
One thin tall man pushed the young man aside, grabbed Xu Xiaotao’s arm, and the other two quickly helped, dragging her towards the edge of the crowd.
Xu Xiaotao screamed in terror, struggling, “I won’t go! I don’t want to marry! I won’t marry that old widower! Let go of me! Let go of me!”
Awakened by the screams, Widow Cheng, ignoring Xu Yongfeng, picked up the kitchen knife and chased after the others.
Xu Yongfeng quickly reacted, grabbing for the kitchen knife while saying, “Quickly, take Xu Xiaotao away!”
Seeing this, the men carried Xu Xiaotao towards the edge of the crowd. The young man tried to chase them, but stepped on some scattered tofu and fell.
Seeing her son fall and Xu Xiaotao about to be taken away, Widow Cheng, no longer caring about injuring anyone, gripped the kitchen knife, swung it with all her might, and slashed towards Xu Yongfeng’s neck—clearly intending to do it.
Xu Yongfeng was startled, desperately trying to control her hand to prevent the knife from striking him.
However, he slipped and fell. Widow Cheng grabbed his collar with one hand and swung the kitchen knife with the other, her eyes blazing with fury.
Just as the knife was about to fall, Jiang Yimian casually threw a few pebbles.
The pebbles struck the knife; the slight sound was inaudible in the noisy crowd.
Widow Cheng’s hand veered, and the knife missed his neck, only cutting Xu Yongfeng’s shoulder.
At that moment, several constables pushed their way into the crowd, shouting, “What’s going on? Stop it! Anyone who dares to move again will go to prison!”
The men carrying Xu Xiaotao, who were almost out of the crowd, didn’t stop but struggled even harder to escape.
Zhao Dashu kicked the last man’s leg. The man screamed, knelt down, and released Xu Xiaotao’s leg.
Freed from their grip, Xu Xiaotao struggled to her feet. Her mouth and nose, which had been covered, were exposed. She immediately shouted, “Officer! Officer! Help! Someone is forcibly abducting a woman!”
Ma Ming frowned, noticing the commotion in the crowd. He drew his broadsword with a “cha” sound and sternly shouted, “Let go! Don’t make me use force!”
The men hesitated and released Xu Xiaotao.
As soon as she was free, Xu Xiaotao quickly pushed back into the crowd to check on the fallen young man.
Relieved to see that he was unharmed, she looked at Widow Cheng. Seeing that she was also alright, she said, “Officer, these people tried to forcibly abduct me and overturned my aunt’s and my tofu stall. You must uphold justice for me!”
Xu Yongfeng, hearing this, finally snapped back to reality. He looked at the kitchen knife hanging from his shoulder, saw that he wasn’t injured, and quickly touched his face and ears. Confirming he was unharmed, he threw off the knife and shouted, “Officer! Officer! Help! This mad woman tried to kill me! She tried to chop me to death with a knife! Quickly arrest her!”
Xu Xiaotao quickly explained, “Officer, there’s a reason for this. These people tried to forcibly abduct me, forcing me to marry an old widower. I refused, and my aunt used a kitchen knife to scare them. She didn’t really want to kill anyone.”
Xu Yongfeng immediately shouted, “Bah! Xu Xiaotao, you ungrateful girl! I’m your second uncle! You’re siding with outsiders! What’s wrong with me arranging your marriage?
Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Your parents and grandparents are dead, and I’m your only relative. I arranged your marriage; what’s the problem?
You should thank me.”
If it weren’t for him, Xu Xiaotao would never have been able to get married. A woman abducted by mountain bandits for several months would have lost her innocence. No one would want to marry someone who had lost her innocence.
He was clearly helping her.
Xu Xiaotao trembled with anger, her voice choked with tears, “Thank you for what? Thank you for driving me out of the village? Thank you for selling me to a half-dead old widower? Thank you for forcibly abducting me and beating me when I refused?”
She lifted her veil.
The scene was quite shocking, and the onlookers involuntarily gasped.