Chapter 35: The Yan Household in Ruins

Upon hearing this, Yan Ziyue could not help but laugh out loud. "Hahaha!"

"Husband, would you say that the Yan Zhuangshi family is a classic case of 'evil meeting its match'?"

Originally, the Yan Zhuangshi family had intended to sell her off. As it turned out, things had spiraled into this current state.

Xiao Heshuo could tell she was genuinely amused, and his expression softened. "Indeed!"

"The Yan Zhuangshi family is truly reaping what they sowed."

Had the Yan family simply returned those few hundred yuan earlier, those men from the neighboring village would never have taken such drastic measures. Unfortunately, the Yan family had clung to the money, leading to this inevitable outcome.

Village Chief Luo felt no sympathy for the Yan family. He asked Miao Lanlan, "How badly did those men destroy the Yan place?"

Miao Lanlan slapped her thigh, wearing a wide grin. "Everything that could be smashed in the Yan house was smashed. They didn't even spare the roof."

"Chief, you really should go take a look..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Yan’s father and the others rushing past. "Yan Zhuangshi, you better hurry and check if your money is still there! Your house has been trashed like that; the money you hid must have been stolen by those outsiders!"

She gestured for Yan Ziyue to follow her to the Yan house to watch the spectacle. "Mrs. Xiao, you mustn't miss the drama at the Yan house! I’m telling you, you should seize this opportunity to properly ridicule the Yan Zhuangshi family!"

Yan Ziyue nodded in agreement and pulled Xiao Heshuo toward the Yan house. "Sister Miao, let's hurry. We need to get there before it gets too crowded."

Miao Lanlan looked at her as if to say, "You silly girl, you have an ally and don't even know it." She turned to the Village Chief, "Chief, let's go quickly."

Village Chief Luo merely shook his head, then led the three of them to the Yan house. By the time they arrived, the house was already packed with villagers.

"I saw it with my own eyes. Those men from the other village were wielding hoes and smashing everything in sight. They were absolutely vicious."

"In my opinion, the Yan family deserves it! They did something so heartless and then refused to pay the money back. Of course, those men would give them a hard time!"

"The Village Chief is here!" someone shouted. The crowd parted to let him through.

Village Chief Luo walked in, puffing on his long pipe, with Yan Ziyue and the others following closely behind to get to the front row for the show.

As soon as Yan Ziyue reached the front, she saw the state of the house. The walls were riddled with holes, and the roof tiles were either missing or shattered on the ground. The courtyard was a complete wreck, littered with broken tiles, clumps of mud, chicken and duck feathers, and all sorts of debris. The doors to the main entrance and the rooms were damaged beyond repair.

Seeing this, Yan Ziyue leaned against Xiao Heshuo, laughing, though her eyes remained cold. In her past life, the Yan Zhuangshi family had lived off her blood, rebuilding their home into a brick house that everyone in the village envied. In this life, their home had been destroyed by outsiders. It was pure justice!

Xiao Heshuo supported her shoulders to ensure she didn't fall while laughing.

"Chief, you must seek justice for us!" Zhang Juhua ran up to Village Chief Luo, weeping.

Village Chief Luo sneered, "Seek justice? Isn't this all of your own doing? If you hadn't tried to sell Ziyue and refused to pay the money back, would any of this have happened?"

Miao Lanlan placed her hands on her hips and spat at Zhang Juhua. "You shameless hussy! Do you really think that if you cry in front of any man, he’ll help you? I think you’re just used to spreading your legs for men and know nothing but how to seduce them!"

The villagers began to point and whisper.

"Look at that trampy, despicable look on Zhang Juhua's face; she clearly can't live without a man."

"Hey, how green do you think Yan Zhuangshi's hat is? Zhang Juhua has had so many men, and she was even taken by those outsiders right in front of him. His head must be bright green by now!"

"You're wrong about that. Yan Zhuangshi likes that sort of woman. Otherwise, why would he have married her in the first place? She’s good in bed and knows how to coddle men."

These comments made Yan Zhuangshi’s face turn bright red; he wished he could crawl into a hole. He felt a growing resentment toward Zhang Juhua—she had brought him nothing but total disgrace.

Zhang Juhua was no stranger to such talk, but in the past, there had always been men to protect her. Now, there were none.

"Chief, we are still villagers after all," she pleaded.

Village Chief Luo scoffed, "Zhang Juhua, you should be grateful you're part of this village. If I hadn't known you were trying to sell Ziyue, I would have sent you straight to the Public Security Bureau!" He added impatiently, "Handle your own mess. Don't expect the village to help you. Are the villagers not busy enough? Or do you think your family is something special?"

The villagers nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Why should we help you?"

"Disgusting creatures!"

Zhang Juhua never imagined she would end up in such a state. It wasn't supposed to be like this! Suddenly, she caught sight of Yan Ziyue standing nearby with a faint, sweet smile, and her eyes erupted with rage.

"Yan Ziyue!!"

Yan Ziyue tilted her head, watching her with amusement. "Zhang Juhua, are you going to say that I’m the one who ruined your family?" She spread her hands. "Did I incite you to sell me? I must be quite powerful indeed if you would listen to me so obediently to do such things."

Miao Lanlan added sarcastically, "Mrs. Xiao, Zhang Juhua is just looking for a scapegoat. To be honest, if it weren't for the attempt to sell you, none of this would have happened, and Zhang Qingqing wouldn't have been treated like a toy by those outsiders." She clicked her tongue. "I wonder whose idea it was to sell you in the first place."

At these words, Yan’s father and Zhang Qingqing shot sharp glares at Zhang Juhua. One was filled with resentment and dislike, the other with pure hatred.

"Alright, everyone disperse," Village Chief Luo waved his hand. "Stay away from the Yan house, lest you get entangled in their schemes. None of them are good people."

With that, he left, and the villagers followed, still gossiping about the Yan family's affairs. Yan Ziyue took one last look at the Yan Zhuangshi family before taking Xiao Heshuo’s hand and heading home.

As soon as they arrived, several villagers came by to sell eggs. Mostly chicken eggs; goose eggs were unavailable, and duck eggs were scarce.

After Yan Ziyue stated her prices and conditions, a villager tried to play the emotional card: "Mrs. Xiao, we’re all from the same village. Can't you offer a higher price? Also, please just take all of my eggs; they’re all good quality."

Yan Ziyue’s smile faded slightly. "Auntie, I’m from the same village as the Yan Zhuangshi family, too. Should I have spared them just because we're neighbors?"