After kicking him down, Sang Weiguo fell to his knees.
Disciplining spoiled brats shouldn’t be done with ladylike weapons; a burning iron poker was far more effective. Still, this kid was a rare little gem—he actually dropped gold coins, so taking a beating was well worth it. Watching the Merit Value points pouring in, Sang Zhi felt absolutely delighted.
As for the cries for help and wailing? Who cared about those?
Back when she was limbering up, she had already exchanged points with the System. For half an hour, to any outsider, the courtyard would be as silent as the grave. With a weapon in hand and her own ruthless mindset, the three of them couldn't extract even a shred of advantage from her.
Sang Zhi kept in mind the lesson that one shouldn't strike the face; she focused her blows on areas that wouldn't be visible to others. After being subjected to her relentless "education," the trio’s attitudes—ranging from skepticism and insults to pleas and flattery—had undergone a complete, earth-shattering transformation.
She only stopped when she grew tired of hitting them.
The three huddled together in a corner, shivering. Sang Zhi used the tip of the poker to lift Sang Weiguo’s chin. "Tell me, where did Sang Bei go?"
Back when their parents died and their eldest brother was imprisoned, they had claimed they couldn't afford to raise two children. The original owner had given up her chance at survival to her younger brother and returned to her hometown. Who would have thought that by the time she heard news of him again, he had been missing for years? Sang Bei was the same age as Sang Weiguo, yet their fates were poles apart.
Sang Weiguo winced in pain, his body trembling like a sieve as he looked at the poker. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his own mother clamped a hand over it. Liu Meili looked at Sang Zhi as if she were a wild beast. "We really don't know..."
They couldn't say. If they did, they would surely be beaten to death.
Sang Zhi knew they wouldn't tell the truth while they still held onto hope, so she didn't press further. She had other things to attend to, so she let the three of them off for the moment.
"You, go make me something to eat..." She pointed the poker at Liu Meili.
The woman scurried off to the kitchen. Seeing the sister and brother trying to get up, Sang Zhi knocked against the wall with a look of displeasure. "Who told you two to get up? Hands on your heads, keep squatting!"
The siblings had always treated her like a servant, and now that the roles were reversed, they looked utterly unwilling. However, the moment they saw her waving that iron poker, they were terrified into compliance.
Early that morning, Sang Zhi had hidden away all the food in the house, keeping only enough for her own meal. Once she was full, she headed out.
Liu Meili’s stomach growled. Looking at the empty kitchen, she cursed viciously. It wasn't even time for the food rations yet; that little wretch had squandered everything. Was her whole family supposed to drink the northwest wind?
"It's over!"
She rushed to where they hid their money. Five minutes later, cries of utter despair rang out. Liu Meili was devastated. Her little stash, her passbook—everything was gone!
"Go get your brother! Tell your father that the little mongrel has revolted, and she's driving this family to their graves!"
...
In the original story, the female lead's younger brother was sold off by these cheap aunt and uncle, and he was the first to die. After his death, her eldest brother was executed the following year, and eventually, the original owner passed away as well. The book only briefly touched upon why the eldest brother was imprisoned; such things were all too common during the ten-year period of upheaval.
Since she had been reborn into this young girl's life, she naturally had to save her family. But without the original owner's memories, she had to rely on herself.
The book mentioned that Granny Cai had arranged a path for her. Her great-uncle was apparently a retired high-ranking leader in the military. His children weren't around, and after retiring, he lived alone in the military compound. She certainly couldn't find Sang Bei on her own. She had to seek external help, and that meant pinning her hopes on her great-uncle.
After finishing her business at the hospital early that morning, Sang Zhi detoured to the department store. Since she was about to pay a visit, she couldn't go empty-handed. Now that she was flush with cash and needed a favor, she couldn't afford to be stingy.
She first bought herself two new outfits. A bottle of Maotai cost seven yuan, but it required a purchase permit. She had traded two brightly colored floral bedsheets with the System to get her hands on two of them before she could make the purchase. But after that, her Merit Value was down to eighty points. If anything unexpected happened, she wouldn't even have enough for a trade. She had better go back and give those little brats another beating to see if she could squeeze out some more gold coins.
After she left, Jiang Yan, who had just entered the store, turned his head, sensing something. He was also there to buy gifts for an old superior.
"What is it?" Feng Xiangdong asked, puzzled.
The person was already gone. Jiang Yan withdrew his gaze. "Let’s go."
...
Back at the residential compound, someone grabbed the hem of Sang Zhi's clothes. A young girl with pigtails whom she didn't recognize spoke in a soft voice.
"Sister Sang, your aunt and uncle called the police and the factory leaders to your house. They said they're going to arrest you."
Sang Zhi glanced around. A woman had lowered her head; she was likely afraid of being seen and causing trouble, so she had sent the child to deliver the warning. Sang Zhi stroked the little girl’s cheek and handed her a few White Rabbit milk candies. "Thank you..."
The woman’s intention in sending the message was to help her hide, but the final outcome was far from certain.
The door to the Sang house was wide open. Even though the security department had cleared the crowd several times, people kept gathering again. When Sang Zhi returned, she saw the mother and daughter covered in slap marks, crying in front of the factory leaders.
"She stole the money in our house and beat us half to death! Leaders, you have to seek justice for us!"
Sang Zhi had always been careful not to strike the face. Their theatrical display was proof that they didn't dare show their bodies but were desperate to ruin her. Thinking of this, she gathered her strength and slapped Sang Weiguo across the face.
Under the stunned gaze of the family, she shoved him out in front of the crowd.
"Everyone look. This slap mark is the one I just left. You can compare it to the marks on my aunt and cousin’s faces."
Given how much force she had just used, Sang Weiguo’s chubby, fair face swelled up immediately. The three of them stood there, the marks on their faces plain to see. The marks on the mother and daughter were clearly much larger than the one on Sang Weiguo. Moreover, all three marks were different; it was obvious the mother and daughter had been unwilling to hit themselves, so they had slapped each other.
The neighbors cast knowing looks.
Sang Zhi’s second uncle, who had been watching everything, felt the veins on his forehead throbbing. But he was a man of deep cunning and managed to hold back his furious eldest son. His tone was calm. "Even if you want to prove your point, you shouldn't hit your brother in front of so many people. Look, his face is all swollen."
Well, wasn't that a convenient reversal of blame.
But Sang Zhi was a better actor. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look pitiful and forlorn. "If I don't explain myself, I'll never be able to wash the mud off my name. Second Uncle, you once said that since I’m living under your roof, I should know my place as a burden and let my sister and brother have their way in everything. But... but I have already given up enough."
With these tea-party-style remarks, the crowd's sympathy shifted entirely toward her.
"Living under someone else's roof? A burden? How is Sang the Second even shameless enough to say that!"
"That’s right, it’s clearly his family who’s been freeloading! They’ve occupied the place so long they really think it belongs to them?"
"Pah! So shameless!"
"Sang Zhi, don't be afraid! If you have any grievances, we’ll stand up for you!"
"That's right! Good will prevail over evil—we're here for you!"
Sang Jiqing, with his square face and medium build, looked scholarly and honest behind his glasses. Even though his face had turned the color of a pig's liver and he was furious enough to explode, he had to maintain the magnanimity of an elder and coaxed her like he was soothing a child.
"Xiao Zhi, as elders, we won't hold a grudge against a younger one. There’s a misunderstanding about your aunt. Let’s go inside and discuss it."
Hypocrite.
"I have nothing to hide. I’ll say it right here."
Her cheap uncle was indeed cunning; he seemed to have anticipated her refusal, so he didn't argue. Instead, he turned and whispered helplessly to the police.
Sang Yun covered her face, a gleeful expression appearing as her brother comforted her. *Let yourself be smug for a moment; you’ll be crying soon enough!*
Sang Zhi covered her face, pretending to sob. But there wasn't a hint of moisture beneath her palms, and her full, red lips curled slightly.
The real show was finally about to begin.