PWE – Chapter 73 Whether you have it or not, I’ll know after I check!

Lü Qiuying was utterly stunned.

The wooden latch on the courtyard gate wasn’t even fastened. So why… why couldn’t the door open?

She tugged at it a few more times, but the door felt as if it had been nailed shut. No matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge.

Taking a step back in shock, Lü Qiuying exclaimed, “What’s happening? Why won’t the door open? Why won’t it open?!”

Xiao Wange said, “This door obeys me. If I tell it not to open, how would it dare open? Lü Qiuying, you wanted to run out and call people over, didn’t you? I’m afraid that little idea of yours… won’t be happening today.”

“You—!”

“Today I’m going to use the move ‘close the door and beat the dogs.’ I haven’t beaten dogs in a long time—honestly, I’m feeling a bit excited.” Xiao Wange’s voice was icy, her expression full of biting mockery.

The moment they heard the words “close the door and beat the dogs,” Wu Yueying and Xiao Zhenqiang both shivered involuntarily.

They didn’t know what had gotten into Xiao Wange, but now she was unbelievably quick and agile. She had taken them down with only a couple of swift kicks. And with her movements that sharp—and with Zhan Zeyan, a trained soldier—if the two of them decided to “close the door and beat the dogs,” none of them would be able to fight back.

For a moment, all of them were afraid.

But Wu Yueying believed that as long as they screamed loudly enough, someone nearby would hear. As long as someone heard their cries for help, they would be saved.

So Wu Yueying tore open her throat and shouted, “Help! Help! A daughter is beating her own mother! She’s beating her mother!!”

Seeing Wu Yueying start screaming, Xiao Zhenqiang and Lü Qiuying began shouting as well, all of them loudly crying for help.

Xiao Wange let out a cold laugh. She suddenly kicked Wu Yueying in the stomach again and said, her voice chillingly low, “Go on—shout all you want. I’d love to see who would come save a black-hearted stepmother like you.”

Meanwhile, Zhan Zeyan held Xiao Zhenqiang down and searched him. He pulled out five or six yuan and handed it toward Wange.
“Wange, he has a little over five yuan. Not even six.”

Seeing the only money he had being taken, Xiao Zhenqiang panicked and grew furious. Like a madman, he roared, “Give it back! Give my money back! Zhan Zeyan, you bastard! Helping Xiao Wange, that unfilial wretch, beat us—lightning will strike you too! You—mmph—!”

Before he could finish, Zhan Zeyan rose and planted his right foot hard onto his chest.

Lowering his gaze, Zeyan stared coldly at him. “Honestly, I didn’t want to lay a hand on you. But you bullied Wange before, and today you tried to bully her in front of me. My wife—no one bullies her. Anyone who bullies her, I’ll return the favor. So…”

As his voice fell, his expression sharpened viciously. His foot pressed down harder, ruthlessly grinding into Xiao Zhenqiang’s chest. Zhenqiang let out a muffled groan, feeling as if the air was being squeezed out of his lungs. His face flushed red, and he began to struggle to breathe.

Seeing her husband suffering, Lü Qiuying rushed toward them. “You bastard! Let go of Zhenqiang! Let him go!”

But before she got close, Xiao Wange kicked her down.

Pinning her to the ground, Wange glared coldly. “Your son dropped a bowl once, and you blamed me for not watching him properly—you slapped me twice for it. Lü Qiuying, I remember that debt clearly. Since you’re here today, you can repay it.”

“Xiao Wange, you dare?! If you dare hit me, I—”

“Why wouldn’t I dare? I even dare hit Wu Yueying. Hitting you… is barely worth lifting a hand.” With that, Wange bent down and slapped her twice across the face.

Both slaps landed hard. Lü Qiuying’s cheek immediately swelled up—red, puffy, and ugly.

Lü Qiuying wailed, clutching her face as she glared at Wange. “Xiao Wange, you damned girl! You’ll die a horrible death! You’ll die horribly!”

“Heh. I definitely won’t die horribly. But you—your outcome won’t be good.” Wange said coldly, then slapped her again. Lü Qiuying tried to dodge, but Wange was far too quick.

She attempted to crawl up, but Wange held her down, making it impossible to move.

Wange searched Lü Qiuying’s pockets and pulled out two yuan. Straightening up, she said, “You told me you had no money. Then what’s this?”

Grinding her teeth, Lü Qiuying reached for it. “I earned that money myself! I didn’t take it from your family! Xiao Wange, give it back! Give it back!”

Wange snorted. “A lazy woman like you, claiming you earned money? I don’t believe it—and even you don’t believe it.”

Lü Qiuying: “……”
Her lie exposed, she felt burning humiliation on her face.

But no matter what, she couldn’t let Wange take the money.

She stared angrily, ready to argue again.

But Wange had already turned to Wu Yueying—ready to search her next.

Sensing her intention, Wu Yueying clutched her pockets tightly. “I don’t have money! Not a single cent!”

That kick earlier had knocked the breath out of her. Only now had she recovered enough to speak.

Wange swatted her hands aside. “Whether you have money or not—I’ll know once I check.”

“You damned brat—robbing your own mother, you—”
She didn’t finish—Wange slapped her across the mouth. “Shut up.”

Wu Yueying’s lips trembled from the pain. She couldn’t speak another word; her mouth felt like it was falling apart from the sting.

Lü Qiuying tried to get up to help her mother-in-law. But just as she rose, Wange flicked a stone at her. It struck her leg, and she collapsed again with a cry.

After searching a bit, Wange pulled out over ten yuan from Wu Yueying’s pockets.

She stuffed the money into her own coat and then kicked Wu Yueying hard.
“All of you had money on you, yet you came to ask me for money? Do you think I’m running a bank? Do you think you can take whatever you want from me? Wu Yueying—you’re shameless and naive.”

The kick landed squarely on Wu Yueying’s stomach. Her body stiffened, her face twisting in agony.

…

After thoroughly dealing with the three of them, their faces were bruised and swollen like pig heads.

Looking at their miserable appearance, Wange said, “Today you returned less than thirty yuan. You still owe more than 270. You’d better gather it quickly. Otherwise, I won’t mind going to your home to collect it. But if I go myself… I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle the pain.”

Wu Yueying was both furious and terrified.

She didn’t dare answer a word—only lowered her head trembling, cursing Wange silently in her heart.

Wange told them to get out. The three of them fled toward the gate as if they’d been pardoned.

This time, the gate opened at a light pull.

Lü Qiuying was stunned again. The door that couldn’t be opened no matter how hard they tried earlier—why did it open so easily now?

But this wasn’t the time to think. It was time to let others see Xiao Wange’s true face—how she had beaten them like this!

The three rushed out as if racing toward reincarnation.

As they stepped out, Wange quickly pinched a spell and cast it on them. With that spell… let’s see how they planned to slander her in front of others.

…

After running out, the three headed straight toward the village office.

They wanted to report Wange to the village chief and party secretary—to let everyone know how vicious and unfilial she was.

But before reaching the office, they ran into Zhao Lijuan and several villagers on the road.

Zhao Lijuan and the others were preparing to go into the mountains to gather firewood. There was no farming work in winter, and they couldn’t stay idle.

Seeing Wu Yueying’s group rushing over, Zhao Lijuan frowned slightly, faint annoyance on her face.

They looked like Wange’s relatives. She had heard they weren’t good people and had bullied Wange before.

She tried to walk past them.

But—

Wu Yueying suddenly called to her, “Oh—you’re the party secretary’s wife, Comrade Zhao Lijuan, right? Comrade Zhao Lijuan, hello! I’m Wange’s mother, Wu Yueying. I’ve been to your village before—you remember me, don’t you?”

Zhao Lijuan wanted to say she didn’t.

But after a brief frown, she nodded. “Mm, I remember.”

She didn’t like lying, even to people she disliked. So she answered honestly.

“Oh good, you remember.”
Wu Yueying quickly stepped closer.

She shoved her face toward Zhao Lijuan. “Comrade Zhao Lijuan, look at my face… isn’t it pitiful? Xiao Wange did this—my unfilial daughter beat me! I hadn’t seen her return to her maiden home for so long and worried something happened to her, so I brought my eldest son and daughter-in-law to check on her. Who knew—she didn’t welcome us, and she even beat us up! Look at me, and look at my son and daughter-in-law—their faces are covered in wounds from that evil girl! That girl… she’s vicious. Every hit was deadly, like she wanted us dead!”

Looking at their clean, uninjured faces, Zhao Lijuan’s expression darkened in displeasure.

“Comrade Wu, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. You say she hit your faces, but your face looks perfectly fine. Your son and daughter-in-law look fine too—where are these supposed injuries? Comrade Wu, I know you and Wange don’t get along, but even so, you shouldn’t slander her like this.”