ALL NOVEL Chapter 055 – Liu Family Village
Da Linzi expertly docked the yacht at the pier of Liu Family Village. Zhao Zhao glanced around and noted that this pier was indeed better than the one on Jinshi Island.
The people on the pier, seeing a yacht approaching, were initially curious and gathered to watch. When five or six robust men disembarked, a young boy turned and sprinted towards the village, likely to inform others.
A middle-aged woman hurried over, saying, "Village head, you finally arrived. The Liu family ran away, pretending to be dead to avoid compensation! My husband sent me to welcome you all!"
Everything was well-arranged? Just as she was about to ask for directions.
"Lead the way."
The middle-aged woman was Da Qi’s fourth aunt. Da Qi quickly inquired about his father's condition from her.
After turning a few corners, it was easy to spot Liu Jiangxi’s house amidst the bustling crowd. It seemed the people from the pier couldn't squeeze in.
On their way here, Zhao Zhao felt that Liu Family Village appeared much more prosperous than Jinshi Island.
Speaking of the houses, many were two-story buildings, and even the tiled houses looked new and neat. Unlike Jinshi Island, where all the houses were old, some even had thatched roofs and wooden structures. Given that Jinshi Island was backed by mountains, the wooden houses were a sign of extreme poverty in the past, and some were still in use.
Zhao Zhao felt a pang of sadness as she looked around. The people of Jinshi Island weren't lazy; they were just poorer due to their isolation and unfavorable terrain...
Zhao Zhao arrived with fifty to sixty strong men. The crowd surrounding the area stepped back to make way for them, without the hostile confrontation she had anticipated.
She noticed that Liu Jiangxi’s household was well-off too, with a two-story building and a large courtyard, though the iron gate was closed. Da Qi’s father and uncle were lying on makeshift stretchers at the entrance, with Da Qi’s mother and a few women weeping beside them. Several men were banging on the gate; they had likely just arrived, given the speed of Poseidon.
Da Qi fearfully rushed forward, and Zhao Zhao quickly followed to assess the injuries. If they were serious, they needed to get to a hospital immediately to avoid any delays.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that their heads were bleeding badly, with a large gash that probably required stitches, though the bleeding had stopped for now. Their arms seemed painful but not broken, just external injuries. The sight was indeed terrifying, with blood and flesh everywhere. To be sure, she asked the parrot on her shoulder, and its assessment was similar.
Zhao Zhao had a clear understanding now.
Liu Jiangxi was ruthless and reckless.
No one in Liu Family Village came to drive them away, only watching from a distance, perhaps shocked by the severity of the injuries. From what she had heard about this village's reputation, she had expected immediate violence upon arrival.
Before she could speak, a man in his fifties or sixties pushed through the crowd and approached, saying, "Where are you from? Why are you bringing so many people into our village to cause trouble? Do you think Liu Family Village is just any place?" The crowd echoed, "Exactly!" "Causing trouble here? Do you know where you are?"...
The islanders Zhao Zhao brought had been shaking the iron gate of Liu Jiangxi’s house but stopped upon hearing this.
The crowd grew larger.
Zhao Zhao sized him up, "Are you Liu Jiangxi, or a village official of Liu Family Village?"
The man arrogantly replied, "I am the village head of Liu Family Village."
What is a village head so proud of? Zhao Zhao thought speechlessly.
Zhao Zhao smiled sweetly, "That's good. May I have your name?"
The man, not expecting someone to know the name of the village head of Liu Family Village, replied gruffly, "My surname is Liu. Are you the leader of this group causing trouble?"
Zhao Zhao responded, "Yes, that's right. My name is Zhao Zhao, and I am the village head of Jinshi Island. But let me correct you, Director Liu, we are not here to cause trouble. We are here as the injured parties seeking compensation. Just look at what Liu Jiangxi did to our villagers. In a society governed by law, does he really think he can get away with beating people without any consequences? Do you know where Liu Jiangxi is, Director Liu?"
Director Liu replied, "I haven't seen him either, but bringing so many strong men into our village constitutes causing trouble, doesn't it? Don’t think I don't understand. You're just short of bringing weapons." The villagers behind him echoed his sentiment, creating a formidable presence.
Zhao Zhao held back her impatient Uncle Xiong Si and pushed him back into the group.
"Director Liu, let's not beat around the bush. Look at the crowd behind you. If I didn't bring some men, would I dare come here? Liu Jiangxi is hiding out of guilt. How could we expect a few women to negotiate medical expenses? Let me make it clear: if Liu Jiangxi doesn't apologize and pay for medical and lost wages, we won't leave. Director Liu, if you know where he's hiding, get him out here to resolve this. Beating people without being able to pay up is disgraceful."
Director Liu couldn’t maintain a friendly facade. Liu Jiangxi was his nephew; how could he tolerate these words?
"Jinshi Island has quite the representative, such a sharp-tongued one." The villagers behind him, emboldened by their village leader, followed suit with insults and curses.
Da Linzi, growing angry, shouted, "Old man, who are you talking about! You..." He stopped when Zhao Zhao shot him a stern look, but continued to glare at the old man indignantly.
Zhao Zhao continued, "Judging by your attitude, you're not going to persuade Liu Jiangxi to come out and apologize or pay compensation? Our injured villagers are too poor to go to the hospital first. Despite the severe injuries, they haven't sought medical help due to lack of money. But lives are at stake. The victims can't lie here and delay precious treatment. So, here's my decision: we'll wait three more minutes for Liu Jiangxi to come out. If he doesn't, we'll go in and take something to cover the medical expenses. If that's not enough, we'll dismantle the house and sell the bricks." She amplified her voice with spiritual power to ensure everyone in the vicinity, including those in the surrounding houses and on the nearby streets, heard her clearly.
Some in the crowd muttered that she wouldn't dare, claiming that anyone causing such a scene in Liu Family Village would be dealt with severely.
Zhao Zhao took out her phone and started a timer.
"He’s not home. Come back another day. Hurry and take the injured to the hospital. We can discuss medical expenses later." Director Liu, though frustrated with his troublemaking nephew, remained unafraid. The courtyard walls were two meters high, the iron gate was locked, and he was on his own turf. How could outsiders cause trouble here?
No one believed that Liu Jiangxi's whole family was absent, especially since the troublemaker's boat was still at the pier. If they were sent away today, they could forget about getting a single cent. Everyone knew that if they left today, anyone in the surrounding ten miles would dare bully those from Jinshi Island in the future.
The people from Jinshi Island stood obediently. Zhao Zhao watched her phone, seriously waiting for the time to pass. No one could say she didn't give fair warning before taking action. She figured Liu Jiangxi was nearby, probably hiding in the house where she saw a woman.
Among the crowd were a few people whose emotions were more complex than the rest. These were Liu Qiao's family members, who were at home for the weekend, except Qin Qing, who was visiting her sister at Dragon King Temple. From the moment Zhao Zhao introduced herself, they knew who she was.
Liu Qiao looked at the retro-dressed woman in front of her, her emotions in turmoil.
The weather was cold, with winter approaching. Zhao Zhao couldn’t continue wearing summer outfits made of illusionary silk, which, though warm, were too conspicuous. Today, she wore an apricot-colored, rune-embroidered skirt that reached her ankles and a fitted, white, patterned top with a diagonal collar made of Biyun silk.
Liu Qiao didn't want to admit it, but the daughter her mother had abandoned looked very impressive. Among the fishing villagers in their thick coats and cotton jackets, she stood out like a lady of high status. On her shoulder perched a large, obviously expensive parrot, adding to her grand presence.
"Hah! What a show-off. Such a big mouth! Jinshi Island must be a joke to have a little girl as the village head."
Liu Mei glanced at her sister. "She's quite pretty, and I heard from Shi Tou that she arrived on a big yacht. I’m so envious, having such a luxurious yacht at such a young age." Seeing her sister’s face darken further, she stopped talking.
Three minutes quickly passed. Seeing Zhao Zhao turn off the timer, the crowd quieted down considerably.
She opened the recording function on her phone and handed it to Da Linzi. "You’re in charge of filming. Record everything properly, in case we get accused later. Da Qi, and a few others, protect our cameraman Da Linzi. Alright, let's begin. Don’t stop recording until I say so. You just focus on capturing the video." Zhao Zhao signaled Da Linzi to follow her.
Director Liu asked, "What are you doing?"
Ignoring him, Zhao Zhao instructed Da Linzi, "Start by filming the two injured men on the stretchers. Both in their fifties and sixties, robbed of their catch by a fishing tyrant, beaten until their heads were bleeding. They passed out and instructed not to go to the hospital due to lack of money. Their honest families brought them here to demand medical expenses first, but the tyrant ran away. The locals say we’re wasting our time, claiming no one can act wild in their village. We, the victims…”
Director Liu and a few young men beside him, seeing her actions, moved to stop her, "What are you doing? Stop spreading lies. Didn’t I tell you to come back another day?"
Upon seeing the recording, the women from Da Qi's family started crying, cursing, and lamenting, "My old man is so old, and he was beaten like this by young men..."
"All this over a fish, now it’s about taking two lives!"
"Liu Family Village is too arrogant, they’re notorious, and now they even beat up two old men..."
Amidst the chaos, Zhao Zhao said, "There are clearly people at home, why come back another day? Are you bullying me because I’m new and easy to fool?" Several strong men surrounded Da Linzi, preventing Director Liu and his group from approaching.
She continued, "The fishing tyrant injured people and refuses to pay for it. Our island is poor, and we had no choice but to carry the injured here. I understand. Since the tyrant won’t show his face and hides away, we have no choice but to go inside and take something as compensation for medical expenses. Lives are at stake, we can’t wait indefinitely. The old men are stubborn, they won’t go to the hospital without getting the medical expenses first. Don’t worry, we’re recording this. We won’t take more than we need." With that, she lifted her foot and kicked the iron gate, sending it flying!
The crowd fell silent this time.
Not only were the people from Liu Family Village shocked, but even those from Jinshi Island had never seen anything like it. They had followed the orders of the new village head because she was the granddaughter raised by the former village head, a college student, and the wealthiest person on the island, capable of providing jobs. They had such straightforward and honest thoughts.
But, did she also possess such combat skills?
That was a four-meter-wide iron gate, and with a light kick in the middle, it fell and flew two or three meters away? And it seemed to be particularly heavy...
"Everyone, don't take too much. Bring everything to the street for Director Liu to inspect."
"Got it!"
A group of women stayed around the injured, while about a dozen followed Da Linzi, and the remaining forty to fifty people went into the courtyard with Zhao Zhao, some from Liu Family Village. They shouted to stop them, "Are you bandits?" "Where's Jiangxi? Hurry and call him out!" "Stop right there!" "You’re looking for trouble, robbing things in Liu Family Village?"
Zhao Zhao remarked, "Wow, this courtyard is well-maintained, full of flowers. But they are worthless, so leave them. Be careful not to trample them."
She walked up the steps to the front door of the small building, "It's a steel door. The fishing tyrant must have known this day would come, his home security measures are top-notch! Has he done this often, beating up honest people and then hiding away to avoid compensation? Well, today he won't escape me."
Yaoguang, perched on her shoulder, watched the pushing and shoving between the villagers of Liu Family Village and the people from Jinshi Island, and interjected, "Don't kick the middle, try the door panel instead!" for a more intimidating effect.
"Alright, let's see how thick this steel panel is." Zhao Zhao lifted her skirt and placed a size 37 footprint on the door panel.
"Wow, it is quite thick. Liu Jiangxi must have a guilty conscience. Who else uses such a thick steel door?"
The pushing stopped, and some even stepped back. Damn, that's steel! If this woman kicked me, I would suffer multiple fractures, right?
The people in the back clearly saw her lift her foot and lightly step on the steel door, leaving a deep footprint...
Despite this, Liu Jiangxi still didn't come out. Zhao Zhao didn't waste any more time and kicked the door panel, sending it flying inside, crashing into the furniture. A scream came from inside the house.
Zhao Zhao called out to Director Liu, "Director Liu, isn't there someone here? Why pretend no one is home?"
Director Liu’s face darkened even more.
As she finished speaking, a black-faced man in his thirties squeezed through the doorway, "Stop! Stop! Are you robbers? Everyone stop now!"
Finally, he came out, not easily.
But she was even more furious. This young man beat up two old men?
Zhao Zhao tried to remain polite and asked, "Are you Liu Jiangxi? You beat up those people, right? It's good you’re here. There’s still time. The two lying outside need fifty thousand in total. Cash or online transfer? We need to go to the hospital urgently; the old men can’t hold on much longer."
Liu Jiangxi retorted, "Why don’t you just rob me? Those two old geezers are worth fifty thousand?" His wife, who had been screaming inside, rushed out, "Don't you know where you are? You little girl came to Liu Family Village to extort us?"
Not surprising, like attracts like.
Zhao Zhao said, "Are you recording this? Liu Jiangxi says two lives aren't worth fifty thousand. Everyone heard that, right? No wonder he dares to treat lives so cheaply over a fish, thinking two lives aren’t worth fifty thousand."
Liu Jiangxi sneered, "No need to argue with me. What if you know some martial arts? I don’t have fifty thousand. What can you do to me today?"
Zhao Zhao replied, "I can't do anything. I am a law-abiding citizen and won’t take lives lightly. I’ll just take fifty thousand worth of your possessions as compensation for medical expenses and lost wages."
She waved her hand, "Start moving!"
The couple tried to stop them, shouting for the villagers' help. Zhao Zhao slipped past them and tapped them on the shoulders. The couple felt a few numb spots and then lost control of their limbs. Trying to raise their hands resulted in excruciating pain, filling them with fear—were they going to be paralyzed?
Zhao Zhao strolled into the living room, eyeing the television on the wall. She instructed Uncle Xiong, "Nice TV, an EM brand. Take it, second-hand electronics, worth a thousand."
"Got it!" Uncle Xiong quickly started to remove the TV, "This sofa is worthless, maybe a hundred and eighty at the flea market, and the coffee table is fifty, outdated model."
The villagers of Liu Family Village, seeing the couple’s pained expressions, didn't stop them and continued to watch. Liu Jiangxi tried to move his hand, but after much effort, he barely raised it and immediately broke into a cold sweat from the pain. This was strange—weren't martial arts fake? How could someone know acupressure points? He realized this situation wouldn’t end well. He had messed with the wrong person.
His wife had already started crying, no longer the arrogant figure she was moments ago, but she still wouldn’t relent out of sheer stinginess.
Watching the TV being taken down, Liu Jiangxi relented, "Let’s negotiate the amount. Let us go first."
“What is there to negotiate? Look at the two old men lying outside. One of them has white hair, you knocked him into the water, and now he's unconscious. The other one has a bleeding head and possibly a broken arm. When they get to the hospital, they’ll need a full-body checkup. Medical expenses, examination fees, and nutrition costs will each be over twenty thousand, right? Both of them are elderly, not young, and they have facial injuries. One has a head wound that’s still bleeding. If there’s internal bleeding in the head, even four times that amount wouldn’t be enough. And the lost wages for two old men would be more than ten thousand. Oh, I almost forgot, the fish you stole is worth another ten thousand. So, how about sixty thousand?”
Liu Jiangxi retorted, “You! That fish is only worth three thousand at most!”
Zhao Zhao replied, “So, you’re willing to take two lives over three thousand? Let me remind you, assaulting two elderly men would get you at least 15 days in detention if you report it to the police, and you’d still have to pay fines and compensation. Your choice. I’m in favor of calling the police. If I had known about this earlier, I would have. And remember, you just admitted to beating them and said their lives aren’t worth fifty thousand, all on video.”
Liu Jiangxi fell silent and glanced at Da Linzi, who was holding the phone. “Forty thousand. I’ll only pay forty thousand. Those two old men aren’t that seriously injured.”
Zhao Zhao responded, “Do you think this is a market where you can haggle?”
Liu Jiangxi, unwilling but unable to outdo her, saw that the villagers weren’t helping either. He finally relented, “Untie me, and I’ll transfer the money.”
“Da Qi, come over and scan the code.”
Should have agreed earlier, would have saved us a lot of trouble.
After Da Qi received the payment, Zhao Zhao called the people from Jinshi Island to leave. She stayed behind, lifted the steel door with the footprint, flipped it over, and stomped another footprint on the back, “Alright, make do with this. Next time, don’t bully the honest people from Jinshi Island. The rule of law saved you today.”
Liu Jiangxi was furious. Since when did Jinshi Island have someone like this? You call yourselves honest people?
The people from Jinshi Island carried the two injured men and walked back to the pier in a grand procession, but they knew things had changed.
Uncle Xiong Si had thought there might be a fight, maybe get a few thousand yuan, or possibly nothing at all. But they had to come. They had to stand up for themselves. If they tolerated this bullying, next time, the people from Changshan Island or Dragon King Temple would dare to bully them too. Their island was small and poor; no one nearby took them seriously. They had considered many possibilities but didn’t expect to get fifty thousand yuan without a fight, a whole fifty thousand!
Two iron boats were filled first, and the rest went on Poseidon, but the injured had to be taken to the hospital first.
Once on the yacht, the two injured men sat up and were quite happy?
They received a lot of praise and admiring looks. Zhao Zhao was speechless, “Let’s let this go for now. I just hope next time everyone will handle things more rationally. When you’re bleeding from the head, you should go to the hospital first. If you misjudge and settle privately, you might suffer, like today. It wouldn’t have been too late to go to Liu Family Village after getting checked at the hospital. If there was a concussion, this trouble would have made it worse.”
Da Qi’s father quickly said, “I’m fine, it’s just superficial wounds since I’m not dizzy.” Da Qi’s uncle also said, “I’m fine. Now that I’ve recovered, just make sure to check on the second brother.”
Zhao Zhao felt a bit sad. Two men in their fifties or sixties, beaten like this, were so happy just to get their rightful medical expenses, thinking themselves lucky.
Fifty thousand yuan, earned by two old men with head injuries.
All because of poverty.
They were not young anymore. No one listened to them, so they had to go to the hospital for a full check-up. The uncle was indeed fine, just needed anti-inflammatory treatment and bandaging. Da Qi’s father had several stitches in his head, and his arm was fractured, now in a cast.
The hospital's emergency room staff thought they were dealing with a severe case when forty to fifty people arrived together…