“Brother, save me!”
Xiao Yu saw Liu Tie and quickly grabbed his arm.
“Who bullied you? Tell me, I’ll kill them!”
Liu Tie stopped Xiao Yu, asking angrily.
He only had this one sister, whom he usually cherished dearly. Seeing Xiao Yu running out in such a dishevelled state, Liu Tie was furious enough to kill.
“I bullied her!”
Just as Liu Tie finished speaking, a woman carrying a broom rushed out from the alley.
“Mother, what are you doing?”
Liu Tie’s bravado instantly deflated.
The members of the guard team, who had drawn various weapons to help Liu Tie deal with the culprit, suppressed their laughter, put away their weapons, and stood by cheerfully watching the scene.
The guard captain getting a beating was not something you saw every day.
Some men even picked up steamed buns from the cart, munching while watching.
The workers stopped their tasks, coming over to watch with giggles.
Jin Feng also found it amusing.
A mother disciplining her child was perfectly natural, a family matter, and Jin Feng had no intention of interfering.
Xiao Yu was usually lively, often teasing Guan Xiao Rou until her face turned red. Jin Feng was happy to watch her get her comeuppance.
“Liu Tie, get out of the way, or I’ll beat you too!”
The woman, hand on hip, pointed the broom at Liu Tie’s nose, scolding him.
Liu Tie had no temper left after being scolded.
If someone else bullied Xiao Yu, he would fight to the death, but what could he do when it was his own mother?
He could only speak softly on his sister’s behalf, “Mother, can’t we talk this out? Xiao Yu is grown now, you can’t keep hitting her like this.”
Xiao Yu nodded repeatedly, “Mother, I’m a grown woman now, please give me some face.”
“You know you’re a grown woman? Then why don’t you make things easier for me?”
The woman grew angrier, raising the broom and smacking Liu Tie’s backside a few times.
She was truly upset, and with summer clothes being thin, Liu Tie jumped from the pain.
The onlookers roared with laughter.
“What’s all this nonsense?”
The village chief emerged from the woods, adjusting his trousers.
He had only stepped away for a moment, and now he saw his wife beating their children.
“Can’t you settle this at home instead of making a spectacle here?”
The village chief, face dark, snatched the broom, “The kids are grown, and Tie is the guard captain. You’re making us a laughingstock!”
After being scolded, the woman finally calmed down, her eyes red as she lowered her head.
Since Liu Tie and Xiao Yu had grown up, she had stopped hitting them. Today, she was truly angry.
“Xiao Yu, what did you do to upset Mother? She really laid into you.”
Liu Tie, rubbing his backside, glared at his sister.
He knew this time he was caught in the crossfire.
“I want to join the women’s militia, but Mother won’t let me. She insists I go to the textile factory!”
Xiao Yu said quietly.
“Outrageous!” the village chief scolded, “Why would you want to be a woman soldier? Get back to the textile factory and work!”
“I’m not going. I quit the textile factory job, and someone else has taken my place. There’s no spot for me now.”
Xiao Yu, also hot-tempered, stood her ground, “I’m joining the women’s militia, and that’s final!”
“You quit your job at the textile factory?”
The village chief’s eyes widened in anger, “Do you know how many people want that job and can’t get it?”
No longer caring about appearances, he raised the seized broom to hit Xiao Yu.
This time, Liu Tie only frowned but didn’t stop him.
“Xiao Yu is being too reckless!”
“Exactly, the village chief raised her with such effort, and now she could earn money at the textile factory, but she wants to be a woman soldier. What is she thinking?”
“What else? She’s just playful. Spinning thread in the factory isn’t as fun as running around in the hills.”
“Xiao Yu seemed like a good girl, but she’s so thoughtless.”
“It’s because the village chief spoiled her.”
“Only the village chief’s family can afford this. They all have jobs, earning over a tael of silver a month. Any other family would have beaten her by now!”
The villagers now understood the situation.
Not only the women but many men felt Xiao Yu was ungrateful, careless, and unfilial.
The village chief, a respected figure, got worked up hearing this.
“I told you to quit your job!”
“I told you not to become a woman soldier!”
He swung the broom with each curse.
Xiao Yu didn’t run, standing her ground and taking the hits.
“Village chief, stop hitting her. You can’t beat a girl like that,” a man next to him grabbed the broom, “Talk it out.”
“Old Yuan, don’t act like it’s easy. If your Chun Niang wanted to join the women’s militia, would you agree?”
The village chief fumed, “Look at those women soldiers, training with men, barely covered. How will they marry later?”
“Then I won’t marry!”
Xiao Yu said defiantly.
“Not marry? What, you want to be a burden?”
The village chief raised the broom again, but Old Yuan held it tightly.
“A burden, a burden, all you care about is money!”
Xiao Yu shouted, “You don’t want me to join the women’s militia because you’re worried about losing the textile factory wages, right?”
“What’s wrong with caring about money?”
The village chief said, “You’ve only had a few good days and now you’re causing trouble. Have you forgotten the winter five years ago?”
Five years ago was a good harvest, but the bandits doubled their tribute, leaving many in the village with no food for winter.
That winter was especially harsh, with heavy snow sealing the mountains for over two months, making it impossible to find food. Over a dozen people in Xihe Bay starved.
Even the relatively well-off village chief’s family nearly didn’t make it.
“Wasn’t that winter caused by bandits? I’m joining the women’s militia to fight them!”
Xiao Yu said, “If it weren’t for Tie Niu and Sister Mu Lan this time, do you think we’d still have good days?”
The village chief was left speechless.
“Xiao Yu, have you even asked Miss Mu Lan about joining the women’s militia?”
Old Yuan stepped in to mediate, “What if they don’t want you? Then you quit your job for nothing.”
“Right, have you asked Miss Mu Lan?”
The village chief also looked at Xiao Yu.
Jin Feng, hearing this, gave a wry smile.
Others might not know, but he was well aware that Qing Mu Lan had long complained about the women’s militia being understaffed and had been talking about recruiting for days.
With Xiao Yu volunteering, how could she refuse?
Sure enough, after the village chief’s question, Xiao Yu proudly said, “Of course I asked. I even took the assessment and passed everything. Sister Mu Lan said I can join anytime.”
“How could she do this? Isn’t she leading Xiao Yu astray?”
The village chief was furious, “I’m going to ask her what she’s up to!”
“Dear,” Liu Tie’s mother grabbed the village chief, whispering, “We can’t afford to offend her…”
