"You're asking for death!"
Xie Sui spun around abruptly, grabbing Zhao Xuefei by the throat. "Listen, this is your last warning. Don't provoke me. Who do you think you are?"
"You shameless slut, do you think I don't know what you've been up to? How dare you bother Wanwan! I'll make sure your whole family dies a horrible death!"
Xie Sui's chilling expression terrified Zhao Xuefei, but it also fueled her defiance. Men couldn't comprehend a woman's thoughts. Before, when Xie Sui pursued her, she'd been dismissive. Now that he was indifferent, she found herself unable to let go.
"Desperate" didn't even begin to describe her.
"Haha… are you angry? So cute!"
Zhao Xuefei coughed a few times, not angry but bursting into laughter. "Since you care about her so much, treat me well then. Don't make me angry, or I don't even know what I might do."
Her eyes smoldered with desire, and Zhao Xuefei threw caution to the wind. She reached out to touch him. "Am I younger and prettier than your wife? I'm still a maiden. I'm willing to be with you, for nothing."
"Xie Sui, this is such a beautiful place, let's not fight, okay?"
Zhao Xuefei pressed herself against him, even placing his hand on her chest. Her sultry, provocative display would have overwhelmed any man.
Too bad she encountered Xie Sui.
What kind of women hadn't he seen in his past life? If she could seduce him now, his rebirth would be for naught.
Besides, the more someone threw themselves at you, the more dangerous they were. Xie Sui wouldn't fall for this trap. If he truly got involved with her, she'd have him completely in her grasp, leading to an even worse fate.
Seeing Xie Sui's shocked expression, Zhao Xuefei smiled smugly. Men, heh, how many could resist a honey trap?
"Slap!"
Xie Sui suddenly raised his hand and slapped her hard. "Get lost! Go find someone else to play with. If you can't find anyone, Zhang Wenfeng's mule is still resting. Let it satisfy your urges."
"This trick might work on others, but you're underestimating me, Xie Sui."
"You dare hit me?"
Zhao Xuefei was incandescent with rage and profound shame. She had gone this far, and Xie Sui still wouldn't bite!
"So what if I hit you? You dare to act shamelessly again, and I'll beat you until you come to your senses!"
Xie Sui raised his hand again, clearly not joking. Zhao Xuefei took two steps back, gritting her teeth. "Fine, you're very good. Just you wait!"
She turned and fled. Even the thickest skin would have been too much to bear.
"Hmph, what a disgrace!"
Xie Sui wiped his hands, feeling tainted by her.
His mood for sleep was ruined. He went to find Zhang Wenfeng to chat, but as he walked past the bushes, he saw Zhang Wenfeng's dumbfounded face.
Nothing was worse than sudden silence. Zhang Wenfeng hadn't expected Xie Sui to appear so suddenly, his face a mask of confusion.
*Who am I? Where am I? Can I pretend I didn't see this?*
Unfortunately, Xie Sui wasn't blind.
"Wenfeng, let me explain."
"No, no, don't say anything."
Xie Sui: "..."
*Damn it, that line might be cute coming from a girl, but between two grown men, it sounds like we're gay!*
"That woman, Zhao Xuefei, has a screw loose. It's not what you think."
"Heh heh…"
"I already rejected her. Nothing happened, I swear."
"Heh heh…"
Zhang Wenfeng clearly didn't believe him. He had arrived late and seen Zhao Xuefei embracing him. He'd gotten scared and hidden, choosing not to see what wasn't meant to be seen. He hadn't even bothered to listen to their argument later.
"If you 'heh heh' at me again, I'll smack you, you believe it?"
Zhang Wenfeng fell silent. He still felt something was off. Messing around privately and getting caught could lead to being labeled a pervert and going to jail.
"Sit down, let's talk. Got a cigarette?"
Zhang Wenfeng gave him one, and after a few puffs, they both calmed down.
Xie Sui dropped his cigarette butt and crushed it. "This isn't over. That bitch Zhao Xuefei might do something unpredictable. We need to strike first. Wenfeng, I need you to do something for me."
Xie Sui never underestimated his enemies. Since they had fallen out, he had to take the initiative. He whispered to Zhang Wenfeng, giving him instructions. Zhang Wenfeng looked shocked. "This, can it be done?"
"Does your Brother Xie lie to you? We'll only know if we try. Find a few more people. After lunch, when there are the fewest people around, we'll deal with this menace today."
Zhang Wenfeng swallowed. "This, won't it be a bit too cruel?"
If this blew up, Zhao Xuefei's reputation would be completely ruined, making it hard for her to even get married. She had been the village beauty, the dream of countless young men. Brother Xie's plan was too harsh.
"Cruel? She threatened me and tried to ruin my marriage. If I'm not cruel, I'll lose my wife and children. Do you believe that? Wenfeng, never underestimate a woman's schemes. When it comes to an enemy, no ruthlessness is too much."
"Being kind to enemies is cruelty to oneself. I'll bear all the consequences. You don't need to feel burdened. Here's two yuan for your trouble."
Zhang Wenfeng wasn't as clever as Xie Sui, but he had one quality: obedience. He took the money and went to do the deed. Since Brother Xie had made up his mind, it was done.
…
Meanwhile, Zhao Xuefei returned home, her face burning from the slap. She locked herself in her room, not wanting to come out, not even wanting to eat lunch.
Zhao Tielin and his wife Ding Xiulan were worried sick. They made egg noodles and knocked on her door, but Zhao Xuefei just shooed them away.
Her elder sister-in-law, Cai Xiaoqin, scoffed. *They're treating her like a pampered princess. Even my son doesn't get egg noodles. They spoil her endlessly.*
*I'll tolerate her for now. How many more days can she stay here?* *Once she's married and becomes someone else's daughter-in-law, who will dote on her? She'll have her own troubles soon enough!*
Ding Xiulan was worried about her daughter. She placed the egg noodles on the table. Cai Xiaoqin, her eyes glinting, said, "Mom, Xiaoshan hasn't eaten yet. These noodles will get soggy if they're not eaten. Can Xiaoshan have them?"
"Eat, eat, all you think about is eating. Your sister is crying, and you're still thinking about food. Are you all starving ghosts reincarnated?"
Ding Xiulan, full of pent-up anger, saw Cai Xiaoqin as a target. She had walked right into the firing line and earned herself a scolding.
Cai Xiaoqin retorted, "My little sister is upset, that's her own business. She doesn't eat white noodles with egg, do we have to feed her dragon liver and phoenix gall?"
"Your daughter is precious, but is your grandson not precious? I've looked all over the villages, and I've never seen you spoil your daughter like this."
Ding Xiulan grabbed a broom and started hitting her. "I like spoiling my daughter, does that bother you? Do I shortchange my grandson on food or drink? You're so short-sighted. If I knew you were like this, I wouldn't have married you into the family!"
Cai Xiaoqin quickly fled, with Ding Xiulan in hot pursuit, making her pant. The neighbors peeked out to watch the spectacle. Angered to the point of dizziness, Ding Xiulan yelled, "What are you all looking at? My scolding my daughter-in-law, and you're watching too!"
Cai Xiaoqin seized the opportunity to retreat into her room, closing the door and refusing to come out. She emulated Zhao Xuefei, not feeling angry. She was used to such things. Sometimes, her husband even hit her. Women in the village lived like this.
It was a good excuse to be lazy. She didn't have to cook lunch. *Eat it if you want, or don't.*
But she was hungry. She secretly dug out a piece of flatbread from under the bed, ate it with some cold water, and then went to sleep.
Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law battles had their own strategies. If you truly took it to heart, it would kill you with anger.
When Zhao's two sons returned, they tried to persuade Zhao Xuefei for a while, but she still wouldn't open the door. They had no choice but to go back to their rooms to rest, figuring she'd come out when her anger subsided.
Zhao Xuefei's anger gradually turned into sleep. A noise at the window woke her.
She opened the window and saw her backup suitor, Lu Tianxing from Xiawa Village, his eyes full of adoration. "Xuefei, I've come to see you."
Zhao Xuefei's pride resurfaced. Not everyone was a "gentleman who resists temptation" like Xie Sui. She had plenty of other men chasing after her. She hadn't intended to see Lu Tianxing, but then she thought of Xie Sui. She could use Lu Tianxing to teach Xie Sui a lesson and make him pay.
"Go wait for me at the small grove by the village entrance."
"Okay, I brought you some pastries. Hurry up and come!"
Lu Tianxing left beaming. Zhao Xuefei followed him out. The Zhao family was all taking a nap; no one noticed her.
However, someone had been watching them the whole time. On a quiet village afternoon, a thrilling drama unfolded, with a mantis stalking prey, and countless orioles watching!