Chapter 14: Establishing Authority
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“Ring, ring, ring!”
As the sound of the bell rang out from the loudspeaker in the brigade, New Station Village of Xinan Brigade gradually awakened to its smoke-filled, bustling rural life.
The Hua household.
“Ningning, are you really taking Haozi with you to work? He... he’s still only a child.”
Su Qiuxin met Hua Ning’s calm, clear eyes, but the more she spoke, the less confidence she had.
“Mother, he’s a child—but what does that make me?”
Hua Ning was not angry. She merely asked the question in an even tone.
Su Qiuxin was stunned.
That was true. Ningning was only fifteen years old herself.
It was just that Hua Ning had been so forceful these past few days that Su Qiuxin had subconsciously forgotten that Hua Ning was still just an underage girl.
“Th-then, if you get tired while working, take some time to rest. Don’t be so stubborn that you wear yourself out.”
Su Qiuxin guiltily looked away, stammering as she reminded Hua Ning to take care of herself.
“I know.”
Hua Ning did not feel like saying much about Su Qiuxin’s occasional lapses in judgment.
As long as the woman did not hold her back, Hua Ning was willing to show her a little more tolerance.
“Hua Hao, let’s go!”
Hua Ning nodded at Su Qiuxin, then raised her voice and called toward the room.
Ever since Hua Hao had sworn his loyalty to Hua Ning and decided to stay behind, Hua Ning had assigned him the task of looking after Grandma Hua.
Since he had caused the trouble in the first place, naturally he had to take responsibility for it.
And no one had better tell her that Hua Hao was only a child.
Who wasn’t an underage baby themselves?
Besides, although Hua Hao was only ten, he was nearly as tall as fifteen-year-old Hua Ning.
In particular, Hua Hao had a plump, fair, sturdy build. Compared with Hua Ning’s thin, underfed figure, well—no one who saw them would have much to say.
On the way to the brigade warehouse, Hua Ning and Hua Hao encountered quite a few villagers.
“Hua Ning, are you taking your little brother to work?”
“Yes.”
“Where’s your mother? She sends the two of you children out to work while she, an adult, stays home enjoying herself?”
“Auntie, then why is it that you go to work while Uncle Gen stays home lying around?”
“Hahaha! Mao Zhaodi, got nothing to say now? Serves you right for constantly wagging your tongue and gossiping about other people’s families!”
Mao Zhaodi glared at the woman mocking her, then turned and shot Hua Ning a vicious look.
“Bah! You sharp-tongued little wretch! You bring nothing but bad luck! No wonder your father died, and your second uncle and aunt were eaten by wild beasts! It would be best if your whole family died out!”
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“Slap!”
This was the first time Hua Ning had ever encountered a woman with such a poisonous tongue.
So she could not be bothered to argue. She simply struck her.
Seeing that Mao Zhaodi was about to open her mouth again, Hua Ning followed with several more slaps.
Mao Zhaodi was struck senseless. It took her a long while to recover.
“Ah! I’m going to tear you apart, you little bitch! How dare you hit me!”
Short and skinny, Mao Zhaodi lunged at Hua Ning with her claws raised.
Seeing this, the surrounding villagers did not step forward to stop them.
The main reason was that Hua Ning’s sudden slap had shocked them all.
Still, a few quick-witted people had already hurried off to find the brigade captain and the village chief.
Hua Ning had struck Mao Zhaodi for two reasons. First, the woman’s words had truly been vile. Second, Hua Ning wanted to change the villagers’ impression of her.
After all, she could not let her family remain impoverished forever.
But if she did not want the villagers to start coveting what belonged to her, she needed to appear tougher and more difficult to provoke.
Thus, Mao Zhaodi had become the chicken Hua Ning would kill to frighten the monkeys.
By the time the captain and village chief arrived, Mao Zhaodi had already been beaten so badly—her nose swollen and her face bruised—that she lay on the ground looking like a dead dog.
“Ning, what happened here?”
Li Qingxi had heard a rough account from the villagers on his way over.
Before seeing the truth with his own eyes, he still found it difficult to believe.
But now that the facts were laid out before him, Li Qingxi felt shocked—and, beneath that shock, relieved.
The main issue was that Hua Ning and her mother had not gone to work these past few days, and the villagers had been talking about it nonstop.
He had also heard from his wife that quite a few people in the village had begun thinking about Hua Ning’s marriage.
After all, besides the courtyard where Hua Ning’s family currently lived, the Hua family also owned the old residence where the second branch had once lived.
“Uncle Captain, I didn’t want to hit her either. It’s just that... Auntie Mao’s words were truly unbearable!”
Hua Ning changed expressions in an instant. Her eyes reddened with tears as she looked at Li Qingxi and repeated everything Mao Zhaodi had said.
When she finished, she could no longer hold back and began to sob softly.
If not for the scene moments earlier, when Hua Ning had beaten Mao Zhaodi, the sight of her crying so pitifully might have moved the villagers to comfort her.
But the ferocity with which she had tried to beat Mao Zhaodi half to death had frightened them badly.
At that moment, no one dared to take the initiative to console Hua Ning.
Li Qingxi exchanged a glance with Village Chief Zhao Qidong, and the two sighed helplessly.
In the end, Zhao Qidong walked over to Mao Zhaodi and spoke with a stern expression.
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“Mao Zhaodi, the brigade captain and I have already learned what happened. All I can say is that you brought this beating upon yourself with that mouth of yours. So today, I’m granting you a day’s leave. Hurry home and rest!”
After saying this, Zhao Qidong turned to leave.
“I refuse to accept this!”
Mao Zhaodi grabbed Zhao Qidong by the trousers and glared furiously at Hua Ning.
“Why? Why should it end like this just because that little bitch Hua Ning beat me? She has to pay me compensation! Not only compensation for my injuries, but also the work points I’ll lose by taking leave!”
“Heh!”
Hearing Mao Zhaodi’s shameless demand, Hua Ning let out a cold laugh.
She walked over to Mao Zhaodi, clenching her fists until her knuckles cracked.
“Are you sure you want compensation?”
“I... I...”
Intimidated by Hua Ning’s posture, Mao Zhaodi swallowed hard. The words stuck in her throat and would not come out.
“If you want me to compensate you, that’s fine.”
Hua Ning lowered her fists, a mocking smile curling at the corners of her lips.
“Ning!”
Li Qingxi quickly called out to stop her.
“Uncle Captain, don’t worry. I haven’t finished speaking yet!”
Hua Ning gave Li Qingxi a reassuring look. Then she let out another derisive laugh and crouched in front of Mao Zhaodi, flashing her a sinister smile before speaking in a cold, eerie voice.
“Auntie Mao, if you go to the hospital and obtain a medical examination certificate proving that I really injured you, I’ll compensate you. I’ll pay not only your medical expenses, but also the work points you lose while resting.”
When Hua Ning saw Mao Zhaodi’s eyes light up after hearing this, she inwardly laughed at how naive the woman was.
“However, if the examination shows that you have not suffered a single injury, then I’ll report you to the public security bureau for slander and false accusations! When that happens, you won’t merely have to compensate me. You might even be sent to a labor-reform camp for rehabilitation!”
After saying this, Hua Ning rose to her feet and backed away several steps.
Even if she wanted to establish her authority, she would never leave herself vulnerable to anyone’s manipulation.
Therefore, Mao Zhaodi was destined to find no injuries on her body.
Mao Zhaodi had been clever enough to demand both money and work points from Hua Ning, so she was not completely foolish.
When she saw Hua Ning calmly distance herself, panic seized her. She lifted her clothing and examined her stomach.
There was not a mark on her.
Mao Zhaodi was dumbfounded.
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