Chapter 58: Careful Consideration

Li Bixian was soaked to the skin, shivering violently after a bout of coughing from the cold. Seeing this, Zeng Xiaofan hurriedly gathered her into his arms, trying to warm her with his own body heat.

“What on earth happened?” he asked, his voice filled with both worry and reproach. “Why would you do something so foolish? Do you have any idea how devastated I’d be if something happened to you?”

He pressed on, more agitated with every word. “Do you know how much you mean to me? How could you do this?”

Unable to restrain himself, Zeng Xiaofan gripped Li Bixian’s shoulders and shook her gently, sending ripples through her proud figure.

Hearing the concern in his voice, Li Bixian felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and fresh tears slid down her cheeks.

“Xiaofan... Sister Xian never wanted to leave you!” she sobbed. “But... but I had no choice... They forced me... They forced me...”

Choking with grief, Li Bixian recounted everything—how her parents had tied her up and tried to marry her off to the village chief’s dim-witted son, intending to make her a plaything for both father and son.

As Zeng Xiaofan listened, his expression grew darker and more thunderous. At that moment, Ye Shuilian and her husband, realizing that Li Bixian had returned, snapped back to their senses.

Li Dagou marched forward, shouting, “Zeng Xiaofan! What do you think you’re doing? Did you pay a dowry? How dare you touch and hold and kiss my daughter? Let go of her!”

He snarled at Li Bixian, “You worthless girl, do you think dying will let you escape your fate? The village chief has already paid the bride price. If you must die, you’ll die in their house! Get up now and go consummate the marriage—don’t keep them waiting!”

With that, Li Dagou grabbed Li Bixian, trying to drag her away. She resisted, cowering behind Zeng Xiaofan.

Furious, Li Dagou raised his hand to slap Li Bixian across the face.

Smack!

A resounding slap echoed, but it was not Li Bixian who was struck—it was Li Dagou. At the critical moment, Zeng Xiaofan had seized Li Dagou’s arm and slapped him across the face.

“Li Dagou! You beast!” Zeng Xiaofan roared. “For the sake of a little money, you’d shove your own daughter into the fire? Are you even human?”

Smack!

Zeng Xiaofan delivered another harsh blow.

“You know perfectly well what Jin Youcai is scheming! Do you really believe his idiot son could make a husband? He’s just marrying a daughter-in-law home to abuse her himself! Yet you’d force your own daughter into that situation? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?”

Whap! Whap! Whap!

He alternated slaps left and right, striking Li Dagou until his face was swollen. The villagers, seeing this, felt vindicated and cheered Zeng Xiaofan on.

“Well done, Xiaofan!”
“Li Dagou is unfit to be a father!”
“It’s outrageous—he’s nothing but an animal!”

Jin Youcai, hearing Zeng Xiaofan’s words, was enraged.

“Hey, you little bastard! Watch your mouth! Who are you accusing without proof? You haven’t settled the score for slapping me earlier! You little blind brat, are you trying to climb over my head?”

Jin Youcai jabbed a finger at Zeng Xiaofan, cursing him, while several of his clan members gathered menacingly around.

Jin Youcai’s authority as village chief came from his large and powerful clan, giving him immense influence. He often leveraged his kin’s strength to intimidate weaker villagers, and any hint of resistance was always met with fierce retaliation.

He had been too stunned by Zeng Xiaofan’s audacity to respond immediately when slapped, but now, regaining his senses, he was not about to let it go.

The other villagers watched nervously, fearing for Zeng Xiaofan. Ye Shuilian hurried forward, trying to smooth things over.

“Chief, please calm down... I’m sure Xiaofan didn’t mean to hit you. You saw he was in the middle of rescuing my daughter—he must have acted in the heat of the moment. Please, forgive him and let this go.”

Jin Youcai snorted coldly. “Let it go? Who’s going to help me let it go—you, or your daughter?”

“I don’t care what his intentions were; he hit me! Now I’m dizzy, my heart’s racing, I feel terrible! It must be a concussion, or a brain hemorrhage! He must be arrested and made to pay every last penny he owns! He should be thrown in jail and rot there for life!”

He pointed at Zeng Xiaofan, voice icy. “Kneel, now! Bring your face over here and let me slap it!”

“Yes, kneel... kneel!” cackled Jin Hanhany, the simpleton son, clapping his hands.

Li Bixian, seeing they were outnumbered and fearing for Zeng Xiaofan’s safety, bowed her head and pleaded, “I’m sorry, Chief—it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, Xiaofan wouldn’t have struck you. Please accept my apology. I’m so sorry...”

Jin Youcai’s gaze lingered greedily on her full chest, and he grinned with a twisted smile. “If apologies were enough, why would we need the law? This brat hit me, and now I feel faint and unwell. He must pay, down to his last pair of underwear, and rot in jail for life!”

“No, please, Chief! I beg you, let him go just this once—he’ll never do it again...” Li Bixian was frantic. Nothing else mattered to her anymore; only Zeng Xiaofan was left in her heart.

Jin Youcai, sensing her desperation, rolled his eyes slyly and leered, “If you want me to spare him, that’s not impossible—it just depends on whether you know how to behave.”

Li Bixian nodded desperately. “Yes, yes, Chief, I’ll do whatever you say! If you want money, I’ll find a way!”

He spat, “As if I need your petty cash! I’m the village chief—would I stoop to asking you for money?”

“Then... what do you mean?” Li Bixian frowned, suspecting his intent.

Sure enough, Jin Youcai’s eyes devoured her figure as he grinned obscenely. “You want me to let him go? It’s simple—just do what you should have done in the first place!”

“What do you mean?”

“Right now—come with me! Go to my house! Enter the bridal chamber with my... heh heh... with my son! As long as you do that, I’ll let Zeng Xiaofan off the hook. Otherwise, he’ll rot in jail for the rest of his life!”

“Well? Have you made your decision?”