Chapter 42

What exactly was Zhang Guangsheng thinking? There's no way Li Yao didn't already know.

Money doesn't fall from the sky.

No matter which world or era you're in, it's impossible for someone to just hand you a huge amount of benefits for no reason. If someone does, they must be trying to get even more out of you in return.

Besides, she still remembered what happened with Zhang Guangsheng buying geese in Baiyun Village.

There's no time like the present.

Why not just settle this debt today? So she said to Zhang Guangsheng, "Take it away."

With those simple three words, she conveyed an irresistible aura.

Not just Zhang Guangsheng, but all the customers in the shop were stunned.

This was a gift worth over a hundred taels of silver, yet this Li lady rejected it without any hesitation!

How...how could this be?

Didn't they say she was just a poor and foolish shrew from He Wan village before?

Even if she's earned some money recently, there's no way she could be totally unmoved by such a huge amount of silver!

Zhang Guangsheng hadn't expected his well-meaning congratulatory gift to be publicly rejected. The smile that had just been plastered on his face instantly faded away.

"Ms. Li, you'd better accept this graciously instead of disgracing yourself."

Li Yao scoffed inwardly.

This guy's face changed faster than flipping pages in a book.

But...she liked dealing with shameless types like him.

"Mr. Zhang, you'd better obediently take your gift away instead of pointlessly asking to be beaten up."

"You...shrew!" Zhang Guangsheng had never been spoken to so rudely before. He was instantly furious with embarrassment. "Since you're going to be so unreasonable, don't blame me for showing no mercy! Men, bring me a chair to place in front of the door. I'd like to see who still dares to shop here today with me sitting right outside!"

A servant immediately brought over a prepared chair from outside and placed it right in the center of the shop entrance.

Seeing his posture, no one else dared to say anything more.

In Bai Chuan Town, besides the Lai clan, Zhang Guangsheng's family was the most powerful, so ordinary people really couldn't afford to provoke him.

Seeing this situation, shop owner Zou broke out in a nervous sweat on his forehead.

"Ms. Li," he whispered and offered a suggestion, "Why not go invite the county magistrate's wife to come?"

"No need."

There was no way Li Yao would get into debt with the county magistrate's wife over some unprofitable business. Besides, could she not handle such a trivial matter herself?

"Bring me a broom."

"Huh?"

"A broom," Li Yao repeated. "Go get the big one from the back courtyard."

"This is..."

The corners of Zou's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

If he hadn't guessed wrong, Ms. Li was about to revert to her shrew nature and beat Zhang Guangsheng out of the shop.

Fight fire with fire!

In the end, he steeled his heart and immediately signaled to the waiter to hurry and fetch it.

Seeing Li Yao holding a large broom, the customers in the shop quickly moved out of the way, but their eyes were full of anticipation.

If a real fight broke out, things would get truly lively!

He Jiajing also took two steps back.

He had personally experienced Li Yao's fierceness before. Last time at his restaurant, she had nearly beaten him up.

Thinking of this, he didn't know why, but a sense of anticipation suddenly arose in his heart.

"What are you trying to do?"

Seeing Li Yao approaching aggressively, Zhang Guangsheng's servants quickly moved to shield their master.

"Looking to make trouble in my shop? Seems you lot are tired of living!"

As Li Yao spoke, she swung the broom at their faces, smacking them painfully until they hurriedly ducked their heads.

But Li Yao showed no mercy to these lackeys. The broom stuck to them like a shadow, whacking them relentlessly no matter which way they fled, until they were cowering and howling in pain.

Seeing this, Zhang Guangsheng's face turned green with anger.

"Useless fools, where's your might from before?"

After glaring fiercely at his servants, Zhang Guangsheng said coldly to Li Yao, "A shrew is a shrew!"

"Are you leaving or not?"

"I'm not even in your shop, what right do you have to make me leave?" Zhang Guangsheng stood tall and arrogant. "If you have the guts, go ahead and try hitting me!"

Li Yao chuckled.

"I've lived over thirty years and this is the first time someone's made such a request. Since you asked for it, I'll gladly oblige!"

Rather than using the broom, she tore off one of the stiff twigs.

Snap!

The solitary twig lashed Zhang Guangsheng's face mercilessly, leaving a bright red bloody mark.

"You...you dare hit me?" Zhang Guangsheng cried out in pain, beside himself with rage. "You're done for..."

"I'm done for? I'll make sure you're done first!"

Li Yao strode forward, whipping Zhang Guangsheng repeatedly with the twig.

Zhang Guangsheng had never suffered such a vicious beating before. He hopped and danced in pain, making a ridiculous spectacle of himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to dodge, but Li Yao's twig was like it had eyes, always managing to strike him accurately no matter which way he tried to flee.

From the outside, her moves looked sloppy and without finesse, just a peasant woman lashing out chaotically, yet somehow she always landed painful blows that sent Zhang Guangsheng leaping about. It was just uncanny.

The way she moved her waist and body was mesmerizing, like a slithering snake, and with that charming face, she left all the spectators' hearts pounding erratically.

When several servants rushed up together to protect their master, she whipped them just as easily until they couldn't tell north from south.

Only after driving them out into the street did Li Yao have the waiter toss the box of gifts out after them.

Seeing the scattered piles of silver and silk brocade on the ground, the crowd of onlookers was filled with admiration.

"Ms. Li's fierceness is unmatched in Bai Chuan county!"

"Forget fierce, she's a heroic woman!"

...

The utterly routed Zhang Guangsheng was hopping mad with humiliation out on the street.

"Just you wait!"

"I'm going to the authorities right now and charge you with public assault!"

"Just you wait to rot in prison!"

Hearing his continued mad ravings, Li Yao was just about to continue chasing and beating him when the county magistrate's wife emerged from the shop.

"Who's causing trouble here?"

Zhang Guangsheng froze.

How could he have imagined that the wife of the county magistrate would personally grace the opening of a commoner woman's little shop!

"Greetings, Madam."

"Why, if it isn't Boss Zhang," the county magistrate's wife said coldly. "I heard my sister opened her new shop today and you came to congratulate her?"

The corner of Zhang Guangsheng's eye twitched.

Even a deaf man could hear that the county magistrate's wife was clearly taking Li Yao's side, even calling her sister already!

Fine, his plans today had clearly failed.

Even if he did report this to the county office and the new magistrate was upright and just, how could he possibly win against the woman's pillow talk?

Knowing when to retreat, Zhang Guangsheng replied, "I did indeed come to congratulate her, but Ms. Li looked down on my gift, so I will take my leave."

Watching Zhang Guangsheng's dejected departure, the crowd of onlookers suddenly felt emboldened. In the past, everyone had been oppressed by Zhang Guangsheng in Bai Chuan Town and no one dared provoke him, but now he had finally been taught a lesson.

After driving away Zhang Guangsheng, the county magistrate's wife turned to Li Yao with a charming smile. "Sister, you're not hurt are you?"

"Thank you for your concern, I'm fine."

"That's good," the county magistrate's wife took Li Yao's hand. "Leave the cleanup to the helpers. Come keep me company a while longer."

Li Yao sighed inwardly.

She had been determined not to owe anyone favors, yet in the end she was the one who ended up owing one.

Most vexing of all was that she would have to keep up polite conversation in return.

What common topics could a lady of the county magistrate's wife's status have to chat about with a lowly commoner woman like her?