Farm Tough Girl

Chapter 128 - 128 129 Closing the Door to Beat the Dog_1

?Chapter 128: Chapter 129: Closing the Door to Beat the Dog_1 Chapter 128: Chapter 129: Closing the Door to Beat the Dog_1 “Qiao Muniang, on what basis do you tie us up? What embroidery room? We’ve never done such a thing, and you’re just trying to blame us for your own deserved divine punishment?”

Qiao Dalang was indeed much shrewder than Qiao Lianhua; when cornered, he still played the role of a dying duck with a hard beak.

Muniang said coldly, “I’ve kept that chopped-off beam, with such obvious knife marks. Do you think I’m a fool?”

Qiao Dalang’s face changed, and Qiao Lianhua was even more stunned. She hadn’t expected that in such a dire situation, Qiao Muniang would have the presence of mind to observe the broken beam. This woman was indeed terrifying!

Qiao Lianhua looked at Qiao Dalang with a pitiful expression, seemingly asking, what should we do now?

Qiao Dalang glared at Qiao Lianhua harshly, signaling her to keep quiet, then he addressed Muniang, “What knife marks? Even if there are any, how can you just claim that we were the ones who chopped the beam? I’m telling you, if you can’t produce evidence that we did it, I’m not afraid even if you take this to the Village Head!”

Qiao Muniang laughed coldly, “Evidence? Is it necessary? As long as I say it was you, then it was you. Do you really think I, Qiao Muniang, am an honest person who abides by the rules and is easy to bully? Why should I make a fuss and take this to the Village Head when I can decide what to do with you right now, as you are all in my hands?”

Qiao Dalang’s face turned instantly as white as deathly ash. Qiao Muniang was so bold. No wonder she let them in so easily earlier—it was to trap and beat the dogs!

“Qiao Muniang, if you dare to lay a hand on us, I will accuse you of abusing private punishment, I will make you squat in prison!”

Frightened out of her wits, Qiao Lianhua stammered for a long time before she could come up with such a harsh threat.

“What? It’s fine for you to plot against me, but I’m supposed to sit quietly like a good citizen?” Muniang scoffed, then nodded to Qingya and Hong Luo.

The two maids immediately understood and approached the sibling pair, each delivering ten heavy slaps. The sound of the smacks echoed through the entire house. The siblings’ faces swelled up like pig heads from the forceful blows.

Qingya said coldly to Qiao Lianhua and Qiao Dalang, “Don’t talk about abusing private punishment. Even if our Lady beats you to death today, and no one’s the wiser, who would know? Don’t think someone will actually stand up for you. Even if you were unjustly dead for a few pieces of silver, who would care?”

The threat clearly worked very well. Qiao Lianhua began to plead desperately, “Muniang, Sister, please don’t treat me like this, I was just confused for a moment. Please let me go.”

Perhaps because she spoke too animatedly, she pulled at the swelling on her face, and Qiao Lianhua immediately cried out, “Sss!” in pain, tears welling in her eyes.

Muniang curled her lips into a mocking smile, “Oh? Now I’m your sister again? You sure change quickly. When you were destroying my embroidery room, why didn’t you think of me as your sister then? When I was nearly sold by Mr. Ling, you were only too eager to add insult to injury. I really can’t afford to have a sister like you.”

Qiao Lianhua sobbed, her face covered in snot and tears, “Muniang, I really made a mistake. I wouldn’t dare to betray you again even if I borrowed a hundred guts. Please spare me.” Seeing the malevolence in Muniang’s eyes, Qiao Lianhua was terrified, as if not a person but a demon stood before her.

Qiao Dalang’s eyes darted around, and he knew that if he tried to stay tough now, he wouldn’t even know how he died, so it would be better to soften up and beg her for now. Once he was out of this situation, there would always be time for revenge.

With that in mind, he immediately began to plead alongside Qiao Lianhua. However, the fleeting hint of malice in his eyes did not escape Muniang’s notice.

Muniang kicked him straight in the chest, and Qiao Dalang stumbled and fell to the ground, his chest so pained he felt like vomiting blood. His swollen cheeks hit the ground, causing an excruciating pain.

Qiao Muniang sneered as she looked down at him, “Still harboring malicious thoughts, it seems you haven’t been beaten enough. As they say, a son becomes filial under the stick. You’re in such a state because you haven’t been beaten enough, so today I’ll educate you on behalf of your parents.”

Qiao Dalang was on the verge of collapse, shouting loudly, “Qiao Muniang, you wench, if you truly dare to harm me, I won’t let you off!”

With a slap from Muniang, Qiao Dalang writhed in excruciating pain. Muniang coldly stared at him, “Keep swearing.”

“You harl—” Before Qiao Dalang could finish his curse, another slap from Muniang landed, “Swear again.”

Dazed from the beating, Qiao Dalang’s eyes were filled with terror. The arrogance he had shown before had vanished. Now, he was absolutely certain that if he kept up his defiant talk, Qiao Muniang would indeed have the heart to beat him to death.

Muniang curled her lips slightly, “There, you can be obedient.”

Qiao Lianhua, who was standing by and watching her brother being beaten to such a state trembled, her lips quivering. “Muniang, we will never dare to treat you like this again, please let us go.”

Muniang smiled, “I would like to, after all, I should consider our sisterly affection, shouldn’t I? But just now you were threatening me, saying you’d take me to the authorities once we got out. Oh, and didn’t you also plan to use my affair with Wu Haoli to extort me today? If you were to leave today, wouldn’t I suffer a dreadful death?”

Upon hearing this, the Qiao siblings were filled with regret, kicking themselves for their actions. What does it mean to lift a rock only to drop it on one’s own feet? This was it! Why did they have to threaten her? Why did they try to extort her? If Qiao Muniang truly believed they would cause trouble once let go, wouldn’t she just kill them both there and then for a clean resolution?

“Muniang, I will absolutely not breathe a word about this! Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!” Qiao Lianhua was now beyond caring. She didn’t want to spend another moment in this ghastly place.

Qiao Dalang still hesitated for a moment. The prospect of losing the silver that was almost within his grasp was hard to let go of, he then said, “We never planned on speaking out anyway. Just give us a thousand taels of silver to keep our mouths shut, and we will not mention a word of it again!”

Muniang coldly said, “It seems you haven’t been beaten enough. Still dreaming? Qingya, go to the kitchen and get me a kitchen knife.”

Qingya responded at once, causing Qiao Dalang to jump, “What are you going to do?”

“What am I going to do? You’ll see!”

Qingya brought in a kitchen knife which Muniang took it in her hand to weigh, then scoffed, “Where should I start? Perhaps it might be good to start with…”
“You, you, don’t be serious!” Qiao Dalang’s forehead broke out in cold sweat.

“Then, the hand it shall be. Isn’t it the right hand that held the axe that chopped down my house beams?”

The nimble servant pressed his hand onto the table. Qiao Dalang’s breathing became rapid, “Don’t, don’t, don’t!”

Muniang gave him a cold glance and raised the kitchen knife high. Then, she swung the blade down, and Qiao Dalang almost cried out, “I absolutely won’t say half a word, or may I be struck by lightning!”

With a “thud,” the kitchen knife firmly embedded into the table surface, and Qiao Dalang howled, too afraid to look at his hand. However, the knife had embedded just a centimeter from his hand, its sharp blade eerily intimidating.

Qiao Dalang fell to the ground, his face ashen, though the knife hadn’t actually touched him, the experience was like having walked through hell. His trousers were wet, and an unpleasant odor spread through the air.