Lesson
When Mu Yangling pulled the three cousins to the threshing floor, Madam Ma-Liu was holding her granddaughter’s hand and standing stubbornly in the middle of the threshing floor. Her backview appeared sad and lonely. Opposite her, Ma Dagui was persuading his clansmen to redistribute the threshing floor.
Like Nearhill Village, the threshing floor of West Mountain Village was built with the villagers’ money and divided according to the size of each family.
Ma was a major surname in West Mountain Village, so they had contributed the most back then. Naturally, they also took the majority. Most of the threshing floor belonged to the Ma family.
The threshing floor under Madam Ma-Liu’s name was given to her husband by her father-in-law when he was around. On the other side was Ma Dagui’s threshing floor.
Her father-in-law only had two sons, Ma Dagui and Ma Dafu.
Now, Ma Dagui had a very good reason to request for redistribution. Since Madam Ma-Liu did not have any grandsons, and her family had very little farmland, there was simply no need for her family to occupy such a large threshing floor at all. On the other hand, he had three sons and more than 10 grandchildren. There were more than 10 people in their family, and they were owning more and more farmland. As such, the threshing floor that his father had previously given him was not enough.
His reason was very shameless, but no one felt that his reasoning was wrong. This was because Madam Ma-Liu’s family did not have a male heir. This meant that after she died, Ma Dagui’s family would have priority to take over the house she was living in, her threshing floor, and her vegetable garden.
Such things were common in the countryside. If Ma Youcai hadn’t killed her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, Madam Ma-Liu wouldn’t have objected even if she was unhappy.
But not now. Even if she smashed all these, she would not leave them for Ma Dagui’s family.
Hence, she stood in the middle of the threshing floor and said clearly, “If anyone dares to share my threshing floor, I’ll die here today.”
Mu Yangling was furious. “Great-aunt, why are you speaking of death so easily?” She ran forward and pulled her behind her back. She glanced at Ma Dagui and said to Madam Ma-Liu, “Great-aunt, you’re really stupid. If you die, my cousins can only die with you. These people can simply use water to wash away the bloodstains in the valley, but won’t they benefit in the end? If I were you, I’d go to the government office and sue them for bullying the weak. If you don’t want to go, it’s simple. Just smash this threshing floor. Whoever wants it can repair it. Since you plan to die anyway, what’s there to be afraid of? Before you die, you can drag their entire family down with you. That way, you’d at least have company on the journey to the netherworld, right?”
Mu Yangling spoke very gently, but everyone was startled by this little girl. Even Madam Ma-Liu couldn’t help but be shocked and secretly worried. She did want to threaten them with her life, but it wasn’t her intention to drag her grandniece down with her. If these words were to spread, everyone in the surrounding villages would probably learn of her grandniece’s unbending personality. This could be an admirable trait for a man, but it wasn’t a good evaluation for a woman.
How could she drag her devoted grandniece down?
Oblivious to her thoughts, Mu Yangling only said, “Great-aunt, this is not a decision that their family can make. Why don’t you ask your Ma family’s patriarch what he thinks?”
Ma Dagui sneered and said, “This is my Ma family’s internal affairs. Since when can an outsider interfere in the Ma family’s internal affairs?”
“Who said that this is your Ma family’s internal affairs?” Liu Daqian rushed over with a group of people. He stepped out of the crowd and sneered. “My Liu family’s great-aunt didn’t marry into your Ma family as a daughter-in-law to be bullied by the Ma family.”
Liu Daqian’s gaze slid across the faces of Ma Dagui and the other elders, causing them to involuntarily tilt their heads. “According to you, Ma Dagui, your threshing floor is not enough for your family of more than 10. Just because my older sister has a smaller family than you, you want her to share her threshing floor with your family. Does that mean that the other families with only three or four people also need to give their threshing floor to you?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers of the West Mountain Village looked at Ma Dagui with bad expressions. That’s right. If today, they set a precedent and allowed him to occupy Madam Ma-Liu’s threshing floor, then the next time Ma Dagui’s family needed a bigger plot of threshing floor, would he come and occupy theirs?
Sensing Liu Daqian’s sinister intentions, Ma Dagui jumped up. “Nonsense. I clearly didn’t mean that.”
“Then you’re only targeting my older sister? She’s your sister-in-law after all. Yet, you didn’t hesitate to think up such a vicious method to take advantage of my sister’s family. Aren’t those farmlands seized by you enough to feed you?” Liu Daqian pressed on step by step. He pulled Ma Xiuhong and Ma Xiulan forward and asked, “Aren’t they your grandnieces? Are they not your biological younger brother’s bloodline? Or did your younger brother offend you when he was alive, causing you to bear such a grudge?”
Liu Daqian and Ma Dagui were of the same generation. Unlike Mu Yangling’s words, which were simply treated as a child’s words of anger, his speech had the effect of piercing through people’s hearts. At this moment, everyone looked at Ma Dagui inquisitively.
Ma Dagui snorted. “You’re falsely accusing me. Liu Daqian, on account that you’re my Ma family’s in-law, I won’t lower myself to your level. Everyone knows why my younger brother’s family has fallen. It’s all because your Liu family’s daughter jinxed her husband, children and grandchildren.”
“Bullsh*t!” Liu Daqian was furious. He turned to Ma Dazhong, who was standing at the side, and said, “Ma Dazhong, what’s your patriarch’s take on this? Did he agree with Ma Dagui’s bullying of my sister? If that’s the case, our Liu family won’t burden your Ma family. Our Liu family can afford to feed three more mouths!”
With that said, Liu Daqian scolded his son, Liu Ting, “What are you waiting for? Your cousin is dead, but aren’t you human? Your aunt is suffering here and you don’t even know filial piety. Hurry up and pack your aunt’s luggage. Your mother and I won’t ask you to take care of us when we’re old. All you have to do is carry out the customs at your aunt’s funeral after she passes, and raise your two nieces until they grow up and get married. Your younger brother will take care of me.”
Liu Ting obediently arched his back and replied. He really went forward to support Madam Ma-Liu and said, “Aunt, I’ll bring you back to pack your things.”
Wouldn’t that expose them to criticisms?
The Ma clansmen hurriedly went forward to stop them. How could they dare to let them leave?
Ma Dazhong, who had been silent all this while, had no choice but to step forward and apologize. He pulled Liu Daqian back and said, “Brother Liu, our patriarch doesn’t know about this. Why don’t we wait for him to come first?”
“Bullsh*t. Even I, who come from Nearhill Village, know about this. Is he a patriarch hiding in his pants or something?” Liu Daqian pushed him away mercilessly and said to the young men of the Liu family behind him, “The few of you are also dull. Your aunt was bullied like this, but you just stood there in a daze. What’s the use of raising you?”
Upon hearing his uncle’s words, a hot-blooded young man in his twenties rolled up his sleeves and rushed towards Ma Dagui’s three sons. Liu Daqian’s youngest son, Liu Zhuang, rushed forward and punched Ma Youcai in the face.
Ma Dagui did not dare to make a sound when Liu Daqian said that he wanted to bring Madam Ma-Liu back to raise her. At this moment, when he saw the young men of the Liu family rushing over, he shouted, “This is my territory. Don’t go too far.”
Liu Daqian snorted and said, “Don’t worry about that old fellow. Your aunt is old and her three nephews don’t have any upbringing. Since she’s not capable of doing it herself, help her teach her three nephews what filial piety is.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the Ma family members, who had wanted to stop them, could not help but stop. This was a matter between Ma Dagui’s family and the Liu family. If they took action, it would become a matter between the Ma clan and the Liu clan. It might even escalate into a conflict between West Mountain Village and Nearhill Village.
The villages on both sides were close to each other, so everyone more or less had some relatives in the other village. There were a few families whose daughters-in-law were from Nearhill Village, and some also had daughters who married into Nearhill Village. Afraid their daughters would be tortured by their parents-in-law during the new year, everyone stopped in their tracks and only watched as Ma Youcai and his brothers were beaten up.
Mu Yangling’s jaw dropped open in shock, her mouth wide open enough to fit a duck egg. Only now did she realize that her attack prowess was nothing compared to her great-uncle’s. Such matters should indeed be handled by the elders.
