Chapter 61: Yan Ziyue Teaches the Homewrecker a Lesson

Xiao Hoshuo pondered over Yan Ziyue's suggestion for a moment. "The idea is good, but it's easy to make Xu Lecheng, Zhang Juhua, and Yan Zhuangshi join forces against us."

"The three of them have fallen to such a state now. We have no idea what kind of vicious things they might do."

Yan Ziyue's gaze was as cold as frost. "No matter how low Xu Lecheng and the others have sunk, they still cherish their lives."

"Especially Xu Lecheng. He dreams of returning to his hometown and continuing to live as someone above others."

"We only need to keep a firm grip on these two points, and we won't have to fear their underhanded tricks."

Xiao Hoshuo gave her a dark, inscrutable look. Yan Ziyue understood Xu Lecheng and the Yan family far too well.

What on earth had she been through?

A dense, prickling pain bloomed in the depths of his heart. It must have been an agonizing ordeal; otherwise, she wouldn't be like this.

"Then we'll do as you say. Let Yan Zhuangshi and Zhang Juhua know that Xu Lecheng is the one who can lead them back to a good life."

From now on, he would protect her well and never let her suffer any more pain.

Yan Ziyue was just about to nod when a thought struck her. "Darling, with Xu Lecheng's situation, will he be trapped in the village for the rest of his life?"

Xiao Hoshuo understood what she meant. "Not necessarily. It depends on the circumstances."

"It depends?" Yan Ziyue looked puzzled.

Xiao Hoshuo explained, "Look at Xu Lecheng now—he can't return to his hometown, but what about the future?"

"Over the past few years, fewer and fewer educated youth are coming to the village, and many have already returned home. This suggests that there might not be any educated youth coming in the future."

"If there truly are no more educated youth, then whether Xu Lecheng leaves the village or goes back to his hometown will entirely be up to him."

Yan Ziyue nodded in sudden realization. "So that's how it is."

In other words, she needed to put Xu Lecheng behind bars before he ever got the chance to return to his hometown.

The kind of prison he could never walk out of for the rest of his life.

From her gaze, Xiao Hoshuo guessed what she intended to do, but he didn't expose her. If Yan Ziyue wanted to prevent Xu Lecheng from ever returning home, he would make sure Xu Lecheng never went back.

He brought up another matter. "When I was coming down the mountain today, I ran into a female educated youth who came looking for me..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Ziyue understood the female educated youth's motive. She looked Xiao up and down. "You see, ever since people in the village found out you're wealthy, they've been crowding around you one after another."

"First there was Gao Zhaodi, now there's this female educated youth, and who knows who'll be next."

She sighed, "The allure of money is truly powerful."

Xiao Hoshuo gently pinched her cheek, his eyes and brows softening. "I didn't even spare her a single glance."

"You know my character. I would never do anything to betray you."

Yan Ziyue wrapped her arms around his waist and giggled. "I know. You're not like those other men."

"Still, as the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you encounter something similar in the future, try not to be alone."

"A rumor takes just a single mouth to start, but refuting it wears your legs out."

How could Xiao Hoshuo disagree? "I'll stay far away from those women..."

Before he could finish, Gao Zhaodi's voice drifted over from outside.

"Xiao Hoshuo, I made some steamed buns. Come and have a taste."

Xiao Hoshuo's gaze froze inch by inch.

"Come on, let's go out and see what's going on." Yan Ziyue took his hand and walked out to the front gate.

There stood Gao Zhaodi, holding a bowl containing three steamed buns, all dressed up and looking very pretty, gazing at Xiao Hoshuo with a full smile.

Ignoring Yan Ziyue entirely, she tried to close in on Xiao Hoshuo on her own accord. "Xiao Hoshuo, look..."

Crack!

While blocking her, Yan Ziyue knocked the bowl right out of her hand, raised her hand, and slapped her across the face several times.

Slap, slap, slap!

"The Gao family wanting to sell their daughter off to be a mistress is the Gao family's business, but don't pull that crap in front of me."

Grasping Gao Zhaodi by the hair, Yan Ziyue glared at her with a ferocious expression. "If you and your family dare to pull this stunt in front of me again, or scheme against my husband while I'm not home, I won't mind stripping you naked in public and making you common property for anyone."

"Yan Ziyue, you bitch!" Gao Zhaodi shrieked, reaching out to scratch her face. "How dare you hit me? I'll make you pay!"

Seeing this, Yan Ziyue yanked hard on her hair and delivered a heavy kick straight to her leg.

"Ah!!"

Gao Zhaodi lost all control and crashed heavily to the ground, her knees slamming hard against the earth with a force that brought tears to her eyes.

And that wasn't the end of it.

Yan Ziyue picked up the sickle from the chicken coop, pressed the blade against Gao Zhaodi's neck, and leaned down slightly to look at her. "You deliberately ran over here to seduce my husband. Do you think you're something special?"

Gao Zhaodi tried to get up.

The sharp blade of the sickle sliced the skin on her neck. The slight sting terrified her into freezing in place, not daring to make another move.

"You... Yan Ziyue, I'm going to report you!" She was filled with both fear and hatred.

Yan Ziyue's smile was icy cold. "Go ahead, report me. By then, every village within ten miles will know you tried to act as a homewrecking mistress. Let's see if your family has any face left to stay in the village, or how you'll manage to survive here."

Having witnessed firsthand the miserable state of the Yan family, Gao Zhaodi was terrified of bringing that same fate upon herself and her household.

At those words, the color drained from her face. "Yan Ziyue, stop spouting nonsense! I didn't do any such thing; I just came with good intentions to bring some buns."

That damned bitch!

Once she married Xiao Hoshuo, she would make Yan Ziyue understand the consequences of offending her.

Yan Ziyue saw right through her thoughts and gently patted her cheek. "Tell me, if I carved a few lines on your face with this sickle, would you still look so pretty?"

Gao Zhaodi couldn't tell if she was bluffing or serious, and she was frightened out of her wits.

"Xiao Hoshuo, save me! Quickly save me!" She pleaded desperately with Xiao Hoshuo, assuming he would rescue her.

Yet, Xiao Hoshuo didn't even spare her a sideways glance; his heart and eyes were entirely filled with Yan Ziyue.

This made Gao Zhaodi hate Yan Ziyue even more with jealous fury, fueling her desire to win over Xiao Hoshuo. "Xiao Hoshuo, don't let yourself be fooled by Yan Ziyue anymore! She was already ruined by Xu Lecheng long ago; she's nothing more than a—ah!"

Xiao Hoshuo kicked her flying.

Fortunately, Yan Ziyue pulled the sickle away just in time, otherwise a major disaster would have occurred.

"If I ever hear you say another bad word about my wife, I'll break all four of your limbs!" Shielding Yan Ziyue, Xiao Hoshuo glared at Gao Zhaodi with a look that could kill.

Lying on the ground in agony, Gao Zhaodi trembled like a leaf in the wind. "You, you..."

She couldn't understand why Xiao Hoshuo wanted a worthless wretch like Yan Ziyue yet refused a good woman like her.

"Well, well, Gao Zhaodi, why are you running over here to seduce Xiao Hoshuo again?" At that moment, attracted by the commotion, the neighbors came running over one after another.

"Xiao family daughter-in-law, you went way too easy on her. If it were me, I'd cripple this bitch."

"Bah! Shameless, cheap piece of work, can't you live without a man?"