Fortunately, Hui Hui clung tightly to the man's thigh, which spared Liu Ergou from a beating.
While holding onto the man's thigh, Hui Hui shouted loudly, "Er Gou, Er Gou! Snap out of it!" After saying that, she turned her head toward the man and continued to yell, "Dad, stop it! We can talk this out, don't hit people!"
It was at this moment that Liu Ergou finally recovered from the slap. Raising his head and seeing the man charging at him furiously, Liu Ergou didn't hold back. He shot to his feet, grabbed the man's collar with one large hand, and with a powerful heave, slammed him to the ground. Then, he swiftly pinned the man's arms behind his back, gripping both wrists with one hand.
"Fuck, you old bastard Liu!"
"You fucking dare to hit me! Don't think for a second that just because you're Hui Hui's dad I won't touch you. Believe it or not, I'll…"
Liu Ergou hadn't finished speaking when the man cut him off. "Damn you, Liu Ergou! You dare lay a hand on my daughter? I'll risk my old life to kill you today, believe it or not!" Follow current novels on novelFɪre.net
Hearing this, Hui Hui quickly ran over and explained, "Dad, this is a huge misunderstanding! I was bitten by a venomous snake just now. If it wasn't for Er Gou, I'd probably be dead already! Look, the snake's body is still over there!"
As she spoke, Hui Hui pointed to the dead snake nearby. The man pinned to the ground looked up and glanced over. Indeed, a snake's severed head lay on the ground, its mouth weakly agape. When the man recognized the snake, he froze. That snake... that was a Black Viper, the most venomous snake in all of Fengzhu Village!
Anyone bitten by this snake had a slim chance of survival, even if rushed to the hospital. Eight out of ten people died! And his own daughter had been bitten by such a snake…
The thought made him break out in a cold sweat. Although a wave of fear washed over him, his expression remained tough. The man on the ground continued to curse furiously at Liu Ergou. "Liu Ergou, don't think I don't know what you're plotting! You've got your eye on my daughter, don't you!"
"Let me tell you, Liu Ergou, my daughter is way out of the league of a country bumpkin like you! Why don't you take a piss and look at your own reflection! For all I know, you orchestrated this snakebite yourself, just to create an opening to marry my daughter! Let me tell you, stop with your pipe dreams!"
Upon hearing this, anger swelled in Liu Ergou's heart, but he refrained from acting because the man was Hui Hui's father.
Yes, the man Liu Ergou had pinned down was none other than Liu Jingming, the chief of Fengzhu Village. Hui Hui was his daughter, and Wu Guifang, the woman on the mountain earlier, was his wife. Although he and Liu Ergou shared the surname Liu, it was a mere coincidence; there was no relation between them whatsoever.
Suppressing his rage, Liu Ergou said, "Liu Jingming! Are you even listening to yourself? Is there something wrong with your brain? What do you mean it was 'my doing' that Hui Hui got bitten? You know what kind of snake that is, you're not an idiot. Who would be reckless enough to joke around with a snake that venomous? Do you have the brain of a pig?!"
Liu Ergou's words were brutally blunt, sparing him no dignity.
At this, Liu Jingming also calmed down, realizing he had misspoken and feeling a little sheepish. The venom of the Black Viper was indeed unimaginably potent and certainly not something to be taken lightly. Still, he showed no intention of taking back his words.
"Damn it, even if you didn't plan this, Hui Hui is still out of your league. She's going to marry a man from the city! Our whole family will move there eventually, so you can just give up! Now let me go!"
As he spoke, Liu Jingming struggled. Hui Hui, standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch any longer.
With tears in her eyes, she said to Liu Jingming, "Dad, how can you be ! Er Gou saved my life! The least you could do is thank him, but instead you say such hurtful things! It's too much!"
Even so, Liu Jingming wouldn't listen.
At that moment, Liu Ergou deliberately loosened his grip, and Liu Jingming immediately broke free. He stood up, grabbed Hui Hui's hand, and started walking toward the village, cursing as he went. "Pah! What do you know, Hui Hui? That kid is up to no good! Look, he saved you once, and you're already attached to him. If you two spend any more time together, do I even need to spell out what will happen?"
Then, Liu Jingming spoke to Hui Hui earnestly, "Daughter, you don't understand. Your mother and I are doing this for your own good. A poor place like Fengzhu Village will never change! You can only have a better future if you go to the city. Everything we're doing is for you!"
After saying his piece, Liu Jingming turned back and yelled at Liu Ergou, "I'm telling you, Liu Ergou! Give up that idea! Hui Hui will never marry you! You're a country bumpkin, dirt-poor and with nothing to your name! Stop dreaming!"
With that, Liu Jingming dragged Hui Hui, who kept looking back, toward the village, leaving a sullen Liu Ergou standing alone.
Only after Liu Jingming's figure had vanished did Liu Ergou turn and spit fiercely in the direction he had left.
"Damn it, you old bastard Liu! How dare you slap me. This isn't over! You just wait and see what I'll do to your wife tonight. You dared to hit me, so I'll take it all out on her!"
After speaking, he picked up his clothes from the ground, draped them over his shoulder, and headed home.
Soon, Liu Ergou arrived home. He had intended to go and greet his sister-in-law to let her know he was back, but the lights in her room were already out. Knocking on her door now would be inappropriate. So, Liu Ergou turned and went to his own room.
Lying in bed, Liu Ergou tossed and turned, unable to calm his racing thoughts. Touching the side of his face that had been struck, his anger grew with each passing moment. At the same time, he started to scheme about how he would take it all out on Wu Guifang.
I definitely can't let Wu Guifang off the hook tonight!
With this thought, Liu Ergou glanced up at the clock on the wall and saw there was still over an hour until his arranged meeting with Wu Guifang.
Taking a few deep breaths, Liu Ergou suppressed the fire in his heart and lay quietly on his bed, waiting.