This angered Grandmother Liu, “Ungrateful filth! How dare you say that to me?” She stepped forward, intending to hit him.
Liu Duo intervened and blocked her, furrowing her brow, “Old hag, if you dare to touch a single hair on him, I’ll personally break you apart! Do you have no ears, or do you have no brains? Stop calling us family! We never had a grandmother!”
She wasn’t as obedient as Liu Quanfu. She wouldn’t just stand by and let the mad, old woman take it out on Liu Ran!
“You….” Grandmother Liu pointed at her, searching for words, but Liu Duo barred her from speaking.
“You better get this straight. We have nothing – nothing at all – to do with you or anyone in your family, so stop spreading nonsense in front of us. Otherwise, you won’t be able to blame me for not holding back!”
She grabbed Liu Ran’s hand, moved away from the mad, old woman, and they marched forward.
Liu Quanyan went to stop her anyway. Like an elder disciplining the young, he said, “Duo Er, how could you talk to your grandmother like that? Even if we’re not related, she’s still older than you. How could you not know your manners?”
Since Liu Duo wouldn’t acknowledge their relationship, perhaps it was time they took a softer approach.
“Sure, we’re technically not related anymore, but in actual fact – and don’t you dare deny it – our blood runs through you! Something has happened to your big brother, and we urgently need money. It’s not that we’re taking it from you. We’ll just be borrowing it for a bit.”
Liu Duo smiled brightly. Would someone asking to borrow money talk like this?
“Sorry, I don’t have any!”
Liu Quanyan got mad at her rejection. Liu Qing was his only son, and they really needed money to save his life. He would not leave him crippled.
He grabbed hold of Liu Duo by the arm and threatened, “You were able to pay eight hundred taels of silver in one shot, so how could you not have any! Today, you have to give us the money, whatever it takes, or else…”
“Or else what?” Liu Duo wasn’t scared, as she stared directly at him.
She wanted to know what he would do.
Liu Ran came from behind her and gave the man a shove, “Let go of my sister! You have eight hundred, so why do you still come to her?
Grandmother Liu scolded, “You filthy brat! Adults are talking here, so shut up!”
She was about to slap him, but Liu Duo, who had been observing their interaction, stopped her with one hand. She lifted a foot and kicked Liu Quanyan in the groin. “Like hell. Do you two really think that I wouldn’t dare to fight you, just because you’re old?”
Liu Quanyan had never thought Liu Duo would get physical. He held his groin as he screamed in excruciating pain.
Having been freed, she instantly lifted a hand and gave Grandmother Liu a resounding smack, “You old hag! You’re the damn filth! I told you not to touch him, and apparently you didn’t hear it! So I’ll make sure you remember it!”
“You want money? I’ll burn it before I lend it to you!” She took Liu Ran by the hand again, and the two marched home.
Grandmother Liu covered her face, stunned. She had never thought Liu Duo would actually hit her.
When she came to, Liu Duo had left.
Covering his groin in pain, Liu Quanyan said, “Mother, how dare that woman beat us up like that! So what now? We can’t leave Liu Qing like that.”
Liu Qing had buried himself in debt he couldn’t pay off, so Brother Wang broke his left leg. The Liu family needed money to fix him, because they didn’t have enough money at home.
Liu Qing had taken the money to gamble, and he lost all of it! Grandmother Liu was enraged and loathed him so, but he was her eldest grandson and she couldn’t leave him like this, so they came to get money from Liu Duo.