The argument temporarily subsided, and the group arrived at the village committee, only to find the broadcasting speaker broken.
"Oh no, oh no, this lousy speaker, it's already broken several times. Looks like we'll need to replace it with a new one." The village chief patted his forehead, looking distressed.
Sang Chuan suggested, "Village chief, why don't you think about which villagers love drinking? My dad might be there."
[If Sang Ning is the warm little padded jacket, Sang Chuan is the drafty pair of pants.]
[Professional at stabbing his dad in the back.]
[How is this behind-the-back? Did you forget the time he confronted his dad head-on and fought him?]
[LOL, the toughest thing on Sang Chuan is absolutely his rebellious streak.]
"Oh!" The village chief's eyes lit up. "You know what? Old Wang's family recently brewed some amazing corn liquor. The taste truly is top-notch."
Led by the village chief, the group charged energetically toward Old Wang's house.
Meanwhile, Sang Ning and Song Shiye were still going door-to-door looking for people.
After questioning one household to no avail, they continued to the next one.
"Sister Sangsang, what's wrong?"
Sang Ning suddenly stopped walking, and Song Shiye followed suit.
"Listen—"
Song Shiye perked up his ears, looking puzzled. "Sister Sangsang, I don't hear anything at all."
"Follow me, I think I hear Mahjong tiles."
[Can I just ask—is it just me and Song Shiye who can't hear anything?]
[You're not alone. I also can't hear it. Sang Ning's hearing is way too sharp!]
[If I hadn't witnessed her catching mountain chickens myself, I'd almost think she's putting on airs. People with great skills often have sharper senses.]
Up ahead was a fork in the road. Sang Ning turned right decisively, and Song Shiye along with the program crew followed closely behind.
As they approached a tightly closed courtyard gate, faint sounds of an argument drifted out from inside.
"Hand over the money! No money, no seat for you!"
"Pfft! Is there no end to your unreasonable behavior? Didn't I say, let me play a few more rounds and I'll win back everything I lost?" Hu Zhi placed her hands on her hips, arguing with the burly man before her.
"I see it now—you lot came here empty-handed, just to freeload from me, huh?"
"Brothers, get in here! Tie up this shameless old hag and the damned old granny!"
The burly man's face twisted with malice, lifting his right arm and beckoning forward. Immediately, four other men rushed out.
Judging by their stature: roughly 188 cm tall, weighing about 80 kg each.
"I'm warning you! Don't come any closer! I'm not easy to mess with!"
Hu Zhi stepped back slowly, shielding Grandma Song behind her.
Grandma Song clung tightly to Hu Zhi's clothing hem, her signature gentle smile entirely replaced by sheer panic.
"Sang Ning's mom, perhaps we should go back and bring them money. They're too aggressive—we can't afford trouble!"
Hu Zhi turned her head and spoke in a low voice, "Grandma Song, do you think our kids aren't aggressive?"
"Especially Sang Ning—she's worse than these people. Tell me, how could I dare let her find out about this mess?"
Grandma Song went silent.
It's her fault, succumbing to temptation. Why Mahjong? Why now?
Now look—if Xiao Ye finds out, how on earth will she explain this?
While they were talking, the four burly men had already surrounded them tightly.
Two of the men stepped forward, pinning Hu Zhi's arms from either side, forcibly separating her from Grandma Song.
"Ah! Help! I'm being attacked! I'm being attacked! Is there no law left in this world?"
Hu Zhi struggled and resisted fiercely, opening her mouth and biting one of the men hard.
She bit down with all her strength, making the man scream in pain before he slapped her across the face, sending her sprawling onto the ground. "Damn it, you filthy wench! Tired of living, huh?"
"How dare you, you beast? A man striking a woman—shameless!" Grandma Song was beside herself with anxiety, detained firmly by the other two men, unable to move.
"Old hag, shut up, or I'll smack you too!"
Hu Zhi, sitting on the ground, her vision spinning from the slap, managed to regain some clarity upon hearing them curse Grandma Song.
She stood up, stooping like a charging bull, and lunged straight at one of the men restraining Grandma Song.
Screaming as she ran, "I'll fight you scumbags—how dare you bully an elderly woman!"
But before she could crash into them, the man she'd bitten earlier sprinted forward, taking a flying kick straight to her backside, flipping her onto the ground like a pancake.
"I'm gonna kill you, you rotten hag!"
Hu Zhi was sent flying, fortunately landing on a heap of thick straw that absorbed the impact, preventing serious injury.
"I'm calling the cops right now! I'll report all of you trash—get yourselves ready to be arrested!" Hu Zhi slowly crawled up, wobbling but refusing to back down.
The burly man laughed coldly, his thumb pointing arrogantly at his face. "In Yuan Village, I AM the law—go ahead, call the cops and see what happens!"
"Brothers, this old hag has a tough mouth. Bring me some rope and let's tie her up!"
His roving gaze didn't hide his predatory intent as he looked Hu Zhi up and down. "Half-aged woman, still got some charm. Can't pay? Then pay me a different way!"
Hu Zhi's heart froze instantly. Her entire being felt numb, her mind blank.
She had only wanted to play some Mahjong—why were these people so frightening?
"You can't touch her!" Grandma Song raised her voice to stop them—but it was powerless against their lack of conscience.
A certain thug brought out a rope from the house. "Boss, I'm gonna tie up this stubborn old hag right now!"
Two other men pressed Hu Zhi down first, while the one with the rope approached to tie her.
Just as the rope was slipping around Hu Zhi's neck, the courtyard gate burst open with a resounding kick: "I dare you to try touching my mom!"
Standing at the gate was Sang Ning, her presence exuding a chilling, murderous air.
The leader of the thugs looked up and studied her, a flash of amazement passing through his eyes, followed by a lewd and disgusting smirk. "Well, well. What's this—buy one, get one free? Are you here to pay us, or offer yourself as payment?"
[What the hell! What's with the scene inside—why does it look like a crime site?]
[Why are they capturing Grandma Song and Mrs. Sang? Do people like this truly exist nowadays?]
[Sang Ning the heroine, go for it! Beat the crap out of them. Can't stand men who bully women!]
Li Juezhou had just finished dinner and returned home. He entered his study, originally intending to read—but as if possessed, he opened Sang Ning's livestream.
As the feed loaded, his screen showed Sang Ning standing in the moonlight like a heroine, while a savage-looking man was hurling insults at her.
In the courtyard, a middle-aged woman and an elderly one were held captive.
It took only seconds for Li Juezhou to realize this was no scripted drama from the program. The injuries on the middle-aged woman's face were painfully real.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number, his brows knotted with imperceptible anger: "Hello, Captain Shen? I need to report an emergency situation!"