Lin Kangping and Ziying were talking about Guiying, while Guiying was also scolded by Chunyu and Damao, especially Chunyu, who even picked up the chicken feather duster at home and slapped Guiying several times. "I'd rather die than have you, this stupid woman! Can't you see that Lin only has eyes for Ziying? You're still fantasizing about climbing high branches, but have you taken a look at yourself? With your ghostly appearance, how could Lin possibly take a liking to you? Originally, it was all because of your brother's affairs that things were messed up, and who knows how your second uncle's family is holding back their anger. We can't even smooth things over, but you're still adding fuel to the fire. Now, we won't be able to get any benefits at all. You stupid woman, you're useless and only good for causing trouble! How could I have a daughter as stupid as you?"

  "Guī Yīng snatched the feather duster from Chūn Yù's hand, glared at her, took a few deep breaths, and shouted: "Mother, what right do you have to scold me, what right do you have to hit me? If I hadn't heard you and Father telling Dà Máo to tear Zǐ Qíng's skirt, saying that as long as he touched Zǐ Qíng, she would marry him, how could I have thought of going to find Lín Kāng Píng? You're also eyeing Zǐ Qíng's things, wanting Big Brother to marry her. Humph, what does Zǐ Qíng have? Aren't they all things bought by Lín Kāng Píng for her? If I could marry Lín Kāng Píng, wouldn't that be better than Big Brother marrying Zǐ Qíng? If I wore those silk clothes and put on those beautiful accessories, who knows if Lín Kāng Píng would like me or not?"

  "Mother, you mustn't have any more ideas about the second uncle's family. And as for you, Guiying, our family will be ruined by you if you keep this up. You think you can compare to Zi Qing? You should take a good look at your own reflection in the water instead of trying to compete with her. Your mouth is pursed, your teeth are crooked, your skin is dark and rough, your eyes are big but sunken, and your hair looks like straw. To be honest, you're not even worthy of being someone's maid, let alone a wife."

  Chun Yu was furious upon hearing Da Mao's words, and she slapped him several times. She scolded: "I'd rather die than be a heartless thing like you! Is that someone else? That's your sister! You should be thinking of ways to help your sister, help your parents, but instead you're here pulling your sister's legs, making her worse off than a pig or dog. What good can you get from this? I'm telling you, Zi Qing is like the moon in the sky, but she has nothing to do with you now. Don't harbor any more illusions! Just be content with being relatives and live your own life honestly. Got it?"

  "Mother, I didn't think much of it anyway, but you and Father encouraged me. Don't worry, this time even if you beat me to death, I won't dare think about it again. However, regarding your sister, you still need to advise her well." Da Mao said.

  "Your sister, I have a plan in mind. Hey, you say, since that Lin kid is so rich, he can't help but take a young wife, which rich man can resist? Look at our family's old aunt, didn't she also take two? If we marry Guiying to Lin Kangping too. They're all our own sisters, not stronger than outsiders? Damao, what do you think of this idea? Or should we find your dad to discuss it?"

  Dai Mao was frightened and hastily pulled Chun Yu's sleeve, shouting: "Mother, you mustn't go. We can't make another mistake, if we do, Lin Kangping won't let us off."

  Chun Yu listened and asked, "Why not let us go? Which man doesn't like having three wives and four concubines? Besides, if you say you won't let us go, it's your uncles who can't be stopped by Lin Kangping wanting to marry."

  Dai Mao suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, and then he thought of something. On the day they fixed the engagement, Lin Kangping hadn't said that this lifetime only wanted Zi Qing alone? He hastily said: "Mother, you've forgotten, when Zi Qing got engaged, Lin Kangping did say that this lifetime he only wants Zi Qing alone."

  "Hmph, men's words are not reliable. You don't know what men are like, they're all thinking about the pot while eating from the bowl. Only your eldest brother-in-law is a stubborn fool." Chunyu said casually.

  His mother still didn't listen to his advice, and was probably still thinking of selling Guiying as a concubine. Da Mao couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart whenever he thought of Lin Kangping's methods. After some deliberation, he gritted his teeth and said to them: "Mother, do you know what happened to my hand? You've always been asking me who hit me, well today I'll tell you the truth - it was Lin Kangping."

  Chun Yu immediately rushed to Da Mao's side, grabbed him and wanted to take him out. As they walked, she said: "Let's go find them and settle the score. My son can't just be bullied like this for nothing. This is too cruel! Not only are there no good places on his body, but even a finger was cut off. Are you not allowed to live? You dead child, I asked you so many times, but you refused to say anything. If you had said something earlier, I would have helped you get revenge."

  Da Mao pulled away from Chun Yu's hand and shouted: "Mother, why didn't you say anything? I made my cousin lose face in front of the villagers. Why didn't you say anything? Guiying scalded my cousin's foot yesterday. I'm telling you this not to cause trouble for Lin Kangping or Second Uncle, but to tell you all not to plot against others again. Didn't Little Aunt say that the more we scheme, the further people will be from us? And Second Aunt, they even built a new house!

  Chun Yu was stunned after hearing it, when did her own son change his sex, could it be that he was intimidated by Lin Kangping's bravery, just as she was about to ask questions, the old man came in.

  The old man looked at Da Mao and asked: "Are your fingers really Lin Kangping's?"

  "No, I cut it myself, he forced me to cut it, otherwise, he would have chopped off my left hand." Da Mao said in a low voice.

  "What's going on, tell us carefully."

  Dà máo běn bù yuàn shuō, nà duì tā lái shuō, jiù xiàng è mèng yībān, kě lǎo yé zǐ de huà, tā yòu bù dé bù tīng.

  Translation:

  Dahmaubon didn't want to say that it was like a nightmare for him, but he had no choice but to listen to the old man's words.

  That afternoon, not long after lunch, the sky was overcast, and Big Miao hadn't planned to go out. At this time, almost everyone in the village was hiding at home by the fire, when a little kid who often played with San Mao came looking for him, saying that someone was looking for him at the entrance of the village, and even rode a horse. Big Miao still thought it was a fellow from the shop, and hurriedly went out to meet him, never dreaming it would be Lin Kangping.

  Lin Kangping didn't even ask any questions, and with one kick, he sent him flying a zhang away, almost rolling into the ditch. Da Mao got up, just about to scold someone, when Lin Kangping added another kick, sending him directly into the ditch. The ditch had a layer of thin ice, which made Da Mao's neck and face sting painfully. With great difficulty, Da Mao stood up and cursed: "What right do you have to hit me? If you hit me again, I'll shout for people! You're just an outsider, thinking you can show off in my home? If you've got the guts, don't leave, wait!"

  Dah Mao easily climbed out of the ditch, and Lin Kangping kicked him back in. This time he got a face full of mud, Dah Mao swallowed several mouthfuls of dirty water, after three or four rounds, Dah Mao finally behaved himself and stopped cursing.

  Lin Kangping then asked: "Do you know why I hit you?"

  "I know, because of Zi Qing, because I ruined Zi Qing's reputation, so I said that if you would break off the engagement, I would marry her." As soon as Da Mao finished speaking, Lin Kangping kicked him several zhang away again.

  This is it. Big Hair can't get up again. Lin Kangping walked to Big Hair's side, stepped on Big Hair's back and said: "You still haven't given up yet, today I'll see whether your bones are hard or my fists are hard. However, dealing with you doesn't require me to use my hands. Just a few kicks and you can't get up again." After finishing speaking, he used his toes to hook Big Hair. A beautiful parabola sent Big Hair back into the ditch.

  "Good brother-in-law, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that I wanted to marry Qing'er. It's just my foolish thoughts, wanting to eat swan meat when I'm just a toad. You are magnanimous, please forgive me this time. If I ever dare to think like this again, you can deal with me as you see fit. Just spare me this once."

  "Shut up, Qing'er is also someone you can call. And what about your sister's husband? Who is your sister's husband? You said something wrong and hit yourself twice as a punishment, wait for me to take action, it won't be just two slaps, you deal with it yourself."

  Dai Mao didn't dare let Lin Kangping take action, so he quickly slapped himself twice and scolded himself, "See if you'll remember this in the future, see if you dare to spout nonsense again."

  "Alright, you come up now. Even so, you will still forget, and I won't be able to stay by Qing'er's side recently. How can I make you remember me all the time?" Lin Kangping thought for a moment and said: "I've got it, cut off one of your own fingers yourself. This way, every time you look at your crippled hand, you'll remember today's lesson."

  "Brother-in-law Lin, please don't, don't look at the monk's face, look at my uncle's face, and spare me on his behalf. I definitely won't dare again, really won't dare again. Please, spare me." Da Mao crawled up to the shore and knelt down in front of Lin Kangping.

  "How dare you mention your uncle! When you were wearing those fancy clothes, didn't you think of your uncle? Speaking of which, I'm even more furious. Your uncle raised you for many years and let you study for many years. Is this how you repay him? Did all that studying go to waste? Today, I'll stand up for the old man and get some justice. Are you going to apologize or not?"

  Damao just kowtowed and refused to pick up the dagger on the ground. Lin Kangping made a wrong move, Damao's hand was dislocated, and he cried out in pain, almost rolling all over the floor.

  "Are you going to chop or not? I'm about to take action, but with only one hand."

  Damao heard this and thought that even if he met Yan Wang today, it wouldn't be a big deal. Scared, he hurriedly said: "Chop, I'll chop myself."

  Lin Kangping helped him reattach his hand. Da Mao picked up the dagger from the ground, gritted his teeth and cut off his own left little finger.

  Later, Lin Kangping also confessed how he knelt down and admitted his mistake on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and how he told the villagers about what happened that day. That's why there was that scene on the second day.

  The old man remained silent, while Guiying was frightened and blamed Damao for not speaking up earlier. Chunyu scolded, "Child, you've suffered greatly! That guy is even more despicable than a bandit, to actually lay hands on you like that. Come, mother will take you to find your second uncle to reason with him."

  "Stop right there, what kind of reason do you have to speak? If it weren't for your family's wrongdoings, Lin Kangping wouldn't be treating Damao like this. And didn't Guoying scald Ziqing's foot yesterday? You want to talk about reason, but don't you look at what you've done yourself? Damao losing a finger doesn't affect anything, but what about Ziqing? She's your own niece, and you're ruining her reputation like this. One thing after another, now you want to rush into marrying her off as someone's concubine. I think either your brain was squeezed by a door or kicked by a donkey, you didn't even consider that Lin Kangping wouldn't look down on Guoying. Who would marry their daughter off like this? This matter is settled here and now. Another day, you'll take Damao and Guoying to apologize, and make a good apology." The old man commanded.

  Chun Yu was still muttering to herself when Old Master glared at her.