"Ah..."
"Crack~"
With a swift chop, a heartbreaking, tragic scream echoed through the night sky. The surrounding villagers couldn't help but turn their heads away, unwilling to see the bloody scene.
"My son..." Old Mistress Lu fainted directly.
"Uncle..." Han An Nuong, seeing the moment Tran Mac's knife fell, her face turned deathly pale. Only after getting closer and seeing that Lu Tam's leg was merely broken did she let out a soft sigh of relief. However, the worry on her face still lingered. She stepped forward, grabbed Tran Mac's arm, and held it tightly, not daring to let him act recklessly.
Han An Nuong was a traditional woman. In her view, killing a person meant paying with one's life, and debts had to be repaid, regardless of the state of the world.
She didn't want to see Tran Mac and Lu Tam exchange a life for a life.
Tran Mac naturally wouldn't kill Lu Tam in front of everyone, but using the blunt side of the knife to break his leg was still possible.
With the strength he wielded the knife, under that strike just now, Lu Tam's right thigh was as good as crippled. He had also heard the sound of bone breaking. Even if it healed, he would be disabled for life.
"Ah, my leg! My leg..." Lu Tam's groans were unceasing. Only then did the villagers react, realizing Lu Tam wasn't dead, just had his leg broken by Tran Mac.
After the shock, they immediately quieted down.
Evidently, none of them had expected that Bro Mac, who previously spoke in classical literary particles like "zhi, hu, zhe, ye," so refined and weak, had now become so ruthless.
Some people still wanted to say a few words.
Tran Mac glared straight at them. Being pulled by Han An Nuong, he took a step forward, his expression cruel: "What, you want to stand up for this piece of trash?"
With these words, those who wanted to speak quickly shut their mouths. Tran Mac's cold and harsh gaze made their hearts and gallbladders tremble in fright. They couldn't help but retreat two steps. Finally, no one advised the Tran family to be magnanimous, to be forgiving. Instead, an indescribable, awkward atmosphere filled the space.
Tran Mac coldly swept his gaze over them. Then, he had Han An Nuong release him, his eyes scanning towards the groaning Lu Tam.
Lu Tam thought Tran Mac still wouldn't let him go, frantically scrambled on the ground, shouting, "Don't hit me! Don't hit me!"
Seeing Tran Mac raise his hand, he even more frantically covered his head with both hands.
"Confess honestly! Did you come tonight to steal grain or to borrow grain? If you talk nonsense again, I'll break your other leg too! I do what I say!" Tran Mac said in a cold voice.
"I'll talk! I... I came to steal grain! It was my mother! My mother told me to say that..." Lu Tam pushed the responsibility onto Old Mistress Lu.
"Fellow villagers, you heard it! Whether you believe it or not, the truth is just like this! Report to the officials or whatever, it's up to you!" Tran Mac still had to clarify the facts. As for whether they believed him, he didn't care.
The crowd quieted again.
Tran Mac said coldly, "Today, I'll teach you another lesson. Now, scram!"
"Scramming! I'm scramming right now..."
Lu Tam dragged his leg and crawled outside, not even caring about his mother.
Tran Mac's eyebrows furrowed. He looked towards the villagers watching outside the courtyard and said gloomily, "Fellow villagers, don't you know to help?!"
The two villagers who had criticized Tran Mac most enthusiastically before, feeling Tran Mac's gaze on them, their hair stood on end. They hurriedly entered the small courtyard, carried Lu Tam and Old Mistress Lu, and left.
Oh, and the cleaver on the ground.
The villagers, seeing no more commotion, also dispersed immediately.
"Indeed, good people are bullied, good horses are ridden. Violence is still the most effective way to solve problems."
Tran Mac thought to himself.
...
In the room.
"Uncle." Han An Nuong was still so nervous, holding Tran Mac's knife-wielding arm without letting go. Just now was too scary.
"Sister-in-law, don't be afraid. I'm here." Tran Mac reached out, using his palm to wipe away the tears from the corner of Han An Nuong's eyes, speaking in a gentle voice.
Han An Nuong immediately shot back as if electrocuted, her beautiful eyes rippling with charm, her alluring and coquettish demeanor making one's heart tremble, hard to control oneself.
She turned her head, not daring to look at Tran Mac, and said, "Uncle, you've caused trouble just now. You broke Lu Tam's leg. So many people saw, the evidence is conclusive. If someone reports to the officials, what then?"
Han An Nuong had that kind of commoner mentality, afraid of trouble.
"Rest assured. Let alone whether the government officials will manage it, even if they do, Sister-in-law, don't you still have over two hundred wen? If there's a discrepancy again, just give them the money."
In chaotic times, the administration will inevitably be corrupt and lazy. This could be seen from the fact that the government officials hadn't bothered with the matter between him and Vuong Ma Tu before.
And with money, one can make ghosts turn millstones. Let alone in this current era, even back when his father was just starting his business...
Ahem, getting off track.
Handling this kind of matter, Tran Mac understood clearly. Lu Tam, with no money, no power, and no justification, what basis did he have to sue at the yamen?
"But..."
"Relax, Sister-in-law. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up. It's getting late, hurry and go to sleep." Tran Mac reached out, wanting to pat Han An Nuong's shoulder, but thinking of something, he retracted his hand midway.
Han An Nuong blushed, her voice soft and mushy: "Uncle, you... go to sleep early too."
...
The next day, just as the sky brightened, Tran Mac was awakened by noisy shouts from outside. The first thing he did upon waking was to feel for the wood-chopping knife placed beside his bed.
When the wood-chopping knife was securely in his hand, Tran Mac finally felt at ease. However, a bitter smile immediately appeared. Before transmigration, when did he ever need to worry about this? But coming to this dog-forsaken world, even sleeping one night was filled with anxiety; waking up and first touching the knife had already formed a muscle memory.
Han An Nuong had woken up earlier than him.
"Sister-in-law, why is it so noisy outside?"
"Uncle is awake. Vuong Ma Tu is shouting for the able-bodied young men in the village to go up the mountain," Han An Nuong said.
...
While eating breakfast, Tran Mac heard someone cursing their mother in the distance.
Vaguely, Tran Mac heard they were cursing him.
It seemed like they were cursing him to die a bad death.
Tran Mac's face darkened.
Han An Nuong said, "It sounds like Old Mistress Lu's voice."
"Sister-in-law, you sit. I'll go take a look." Tran Mac grabbed the wood-chopping knife and went out.
"Uncle..." Han An Nuong hurriedly followed.
Before Lu Tam's house, a group of old women had already gathered. Old Mistress Lu, carrying a small stool, sat at the entrance, cursing Tran Mac vehemently.
"That little bastard Bro Mac, bullying us orphan and widow, even broke my son's leg! How are we supposed to live in the future?! There's no justice! Oh, heavens! Please open your eyes..."
Some old women were persuading: "Old Mistress Lu, stop shouting. Your family was in the wrong in this matter. Lu Tam even admitted he went to steal grain last night. You should just call Bro Mac over and be done with it..."
"Nonsense! That was him being threatened into saying it! My poor son..."
Old Mistress Lu continued to wail. At this moment, an old woman said Bro Mac was coming. Old Mistress Lu immediately stopped.
Tran Mac stood not far away, coldly glaring at Old Mistress Lu, but finally endured it and returned.
However, not long after he returned, Old Mistress Lu started cursing again.
When Tran Mac went over, she stopped cursing again.
When Tran Mac left, she cursed again.
This went on for several times.
Finally, Tran Mac came over this time and kicked Old Mistress Lu, sending her rolling on the ground.
Old Mistress Lu was already old. Furthermore, these past few days she had been surviving only by digging up tree roots and eating wild vegetables; her bones weren't sturdy. This kick from Tran Mac nearly took half her life.
Her grandson, Hu Nhi, ran over, hugged Old Mistress Lu, his childish voice crying tearfully, "Don't hit my grandma! Don't hit my grandma..."
An old person, a child, hugging and sobbing. This scene, anyone seeing it would not have the heart.
Tran Mac wanted to hold back.
But this old woman was also stubborn, directly acting like a shattered pot that fears no more falls, lying on the ground still cursing.
Tran Mac's heart hardened. He rushed into the room, smashed Lu Tam's right thumb. A mournful scream echoed through the Lu household.
The surrounding old women were all scared into shrinking their necks.
Before leaving, Tran Mac said to Old Mistress Lu: "You curse once, I break one of your son's fingers. Curse again, break again. Let's see if your son can really hold up..."