Many men ran out wearing only their trousers, and after a brief commotion, they stood facing each other in confusion.
"What happened? Who's screaming in the middle of the night?"
"I don't know! I only came out when I heard the screams!"
"Is someone in trouble?"
"From the sound of it, it seems to be coming from Fu Zhiqing's house!"
"Let's go and see!"
The villagers living near Fu Wenwen's home all rushed out, but Fu Wenwen's door remained closed. The men immediately headed towards her house.
As they reached the entrance, they heard another man's scream from inside.
"Ah! Stop hitting! My leg... stop hitting!" The man's screams continued from within, along with the sound of Fu Wenwen striking him with a broom.
"Fu Zhiqing, open the door quickly! What's happening?" The men outside exchanged glances. Someone immediately climbed over Fu Wenwen's wall and saw Fu Wenwen continuously beating a man curled up on the ground.
Seeing people arrive, Fu Wenwen, holding her broom defensively against the man on the ground, ran to the door and opened it.
"Fu Zhiqing, are you alright?" The men, seeing Fu Wenwen looking greatly frightened, quickly asked.
"...I... I'm fine. That... that person secretly entered my house to steal my grain!" Fu Wenwen pointed into the yard, gritting her teeth.
As soon as Fu Wenwen moved aside, the men rushed in and pinned the groaning man on the ground.
It was too dark to see his face clearly. The neighbor's wife, hearing the commotion, immediately came over with an oil lamp.
"Here, take the oil lamp!" She handed the lamp to her husband, who took it and shone it on the man's face. The man on the ground struggled to keep his face hidden, but pinned by several strong men, he couldn't break free. The oil lamp illuminated his face.
"Zhang Lao San, so it's you, you scoundrel!" A man recognized the shadowy figure and kicked him fiercely.
"Who... who is he?" Fu Wenwen looked at the man's face under the oil lamp, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen his face somewhere before.
"You... you've all misunderstood! Fu Zhiqing and I have been secretly involved for a long time. This was just a lover's quarrel! Hurry and let me go..." Zhang Lao San looked at Fu Wenwen and said to the crowd, "Wenwen, hurry and tell them to let me go."
The crowd looked at Fu Wenwen suspiciously. Fu Wenwen let out a cold laugh in her heart, finally remembering who this scoundrel was! It was this Zhang Lao San who had tried to bully her before. If Lin Feng hadn't appeared in time, he would have succeeded.
Ignoring the gazes of the villagers, Fu Wenwen stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and lunged towards Zhang Lao San.
"Whoa, whoa, Fu Zhiqing, calm down! You can't kill anyone!" Seeing her like this, the villagers had no doubts and quickly restrained Fu Wenwen from attacking.
Everyone in the village knew what kind of person Zhang Lao San was – a rogue who stole chickens and touched dogs. How could his words be believed?
"Don't stop me! Let me chop him to death! He tried to bully me back then! I remember it was this face! He wanted to bully me, and if Lin Feng hadn't saved me, he would have succeeded!" Fu Wenwen struggled continuously. During the struggle for the cleaver, it was flung out of her hand and landed heavily in front of Zhang Lao San, mere inches from his face.
"Ah!" Zhang Lao San yelped, a puddle of yellow liquid forming on the ground.
Hearing Fu Wenwen's words, the villagers immediately understood why she was so furious.