Chapter 15: The Acting Competition

Hua Ni’er’s Mother stared at Bai Tian, who stood tall and imposing before her with a stern expression.

A wave of panic rose within her.

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing!”

She shielded the children behind her.

In the village, Bai Tian was nothing but a scoundrel—drinking, gambling, beating his children, and abusing his wife.

If it were any ordinary man standing before her, Hua Ni’er’s Mother wouldn’t have been afraid.

If a man dared hit a woman, she would throw a fit without hesitation.

But this was a scoundrel!

She was terrified that the moment she started making a scene, she’d be pinned to the ground and beaten.

The barefoot fear no shoes.

At this moment, Bai Tian was the one with nothing to lose, while Hua Ni’er’s Mother was the one wearing shoes—hesitant and constrained.

“Go apologize to Juanjuan!”

Bai Tian had no intention of hitting a woman; he just didn’t want Juanjuan to be left with psychological scars.

But Jiang Dai, watching from not far away, was thinking more strategically.

【In this situation, this cheap husband of mine can’t just resort to violence. Besides, the most important thing right now is money.】

【The family’s Village Head has no money, and we can’t even put food on the table. Er Mao and Juanjuan can’t just take a beating for nothing!】

【But right now, I’m still pretending to be unconscious. Ugh…】

“Dad.”

Juanjuan, who had remained silent until now, spoke up timidly.

Bai Tian immediately turned to look at his only daughter.

He saw the little girl kneeling on the ground, tears welling in her eyes, mustering her courage to say, “She knocked Third Brother unconscious. She has to pay. Our family has no money for medical treatment.”

As soon as the child spoke, everyone present began to ponder.

Jiang Dai: 【Tsk! Juanjuan is such a clever kid. Truly my daughter! We’re so in sync! Now it’s up to her dad to step up.】

Bai Tian: 【Oh right! At a time like this, we need to extort money first. The family needs funds!】

The onlookers: Whoa, Hua Ni’er’s Mother has really gotten herself into trouble this time.

Hua Ni’er’s Mother naturally realized she was being extorted by the Bai family.

“Aiyo…”

Instinctively, she resorted to the classic village-woman quarrel tactic.

But Bai Tian sneered coldly: 【Here it comes, here it comes—the classic “aiyo”!】

Just as Hua Ni’er’s Mother began her theatrics, she was cut off by an even louder exclamation.

“Aiyo!”

“I can’t go on like this! If Er Mao doesn’t get proper treatment and recover from his injuries, I, Bai Tian, won’t care about my life anymore. You’d better watch out—one of these days, when I’m drunk, I might grab a hatchet and chop up your whole house!”

“I just decided to quit drinking, and my wife isn’t foolish anymore. Now it’s all ruined because of your kids!”

Bai Tian had never actually quarreled like this before, and he wasn’t sure if he was doing it right.

But it should be fine, right?

“Third Brother Bai, calm down! Don’t be impulsive!”

“Hua Ni’er’s Mother, your family is clearly in the wrong here. Er Mao is still unconscious! What if something serious happens…”

“Hua Ni’er’s Mother, this family isn’t one to mess with. Just spend a little money to avoid bigger trouble.”

The onlookers were quite helpful, chiming in with advice.

【Juanjuan’s dad, this isn’t cutting it. I’ll have to step in.】

At the perfect moment, Jiang Dai slowly opened her eyes from where she lay in Dachui’s Mother’s arms.

The moment she opened her eyes, she met her little daughter’s gaze.

Jiang Dai smiled faintly. There was no helping it—she just adored this clever little girl who was so in sync with her.

Then, she slowly rose to her feet, swaying unsteadily. Paired with her malnourished appearance, she looked as delicate as a willow swaying in the wind, evoking pity in anyone who saw her.

“Cough, cough… Aunties, sisters, elders, our family truly can’t go on like this.”

“Er Mao is such a pitiful child! If he dies, I won’t live either.”

The frail woman’s voice was filled with sorrow. Even the simplest words, spoken from her lips, tugged at heartstrings and evoked empathy.

Coupled with her perfectly timed expressions and demeanor, she effortlessly portrayed the image of a good mother, bullied and vulnerable.

【Heh! Let it be known that a good actor’s delivery is fundamental. Knowing when to shed tears and how to unleash them—I’ve mastered it perfectly.】

Seeing how impressively her parents were performing, Yun An, who was lying on the ground pretending to be dead, felt he couldn’t afford to hold them back.

【System, quick, quick, quick! Give me some artificial blood! Just a mouthful will do!】

【Consider it a loan! I’ll earn the favor points back soon!】

With the blood pack in hand, Yun An coughed violently twice.

Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, he impressively spat out a mouthful of blood.