Chapter 18: Seventeen, come knocking on the door
"Shopkeeper Liu, among those two people, was anyone's arm injured?" Luo Shu asked. If the visitor was Luo Jiansen, his arm should still be in a sling and unable to move.
"No!" Shopkeeper Liu shook his head firmly.
Luo Shu slightly narrowed her eyes. If it wasn't Luo Jiansen, then who could be looking for them?
"Bang bang bang!" As she was pondering, there was another knock on the door.
"They must be the ones looking for us, Luo Shu. Why don't you three hide for a bit?" Aunt Chen looked anxiously at the three siblings. She knew a bit about the situation at Luo Shu's home from Luo Shan. If it really was their stepmother who had come looking, the siblings would definitely be at a disadvantage.
"Big sister!"
"Sis!" Both Luo Shan and Luo Zheng looked at Luo Shu, waiting for her decision.
"What must be faced will eventually have to be faced. Shopkeeper Liu, would you please open the door?" Since the other party was determined to find them, they might be able to hide this time, but not necessarily the next. It would be better to face it now.
Seeing the courtyard gate open, Shi Lanjiao and her husband, Wang Mugen, stepped forward, just about to ask Shopkeeper Liu if he had seen Luo Shu when their eyes caught sight of her in the courtyard. They both lit up with pleasure and stepped into the yard.
"Luo Shu, so you are here after all. We've been looking for you for a long time. Come back home with us," Shi Lanjiao said cheerfully, reaching out to pull Luo Shu.
"Who are you?" Luo Shu raised her hand to swat away Shi Lanjiao's hand, asking in a calm voice. She had no recollection of the middle-aged woman before her.
Shi Lanjiao's face flashed a hint of displeasure at her hand being swatted away, but her face remained smiling, "I'm your mother-in-law, Shi Lanjiao. Your mother has already promised you to our Er Bao." Once Luo Shu entered their Wang Family, she'd see how she would deal with this stubborn girl.
Luo Shu's smile was tinged with mockery, "My mother has long passed away. Are you saying she came to you in a dream?"
Shi Lanjiao was taken aback. She didn't expect Luo Shu to be so sharp-tongued, "I'm talking about your current mother, Wang Liying. She has already accepted a hundred silver pieces from us as betrothal money. You are now considered part of our Wang Family. Come on, let's go home. Er Bao is waiting at home to marry you."
Luo Zheng stepped forward, placing himself in front of Luo Shu, "My big sister would never marry any damned Er Bao. Get lost!"
Luo Shu smiled faintly, "Xiao Zheng, let your big sister handle this."
"Big sister." Luo Zheng turned to look at Luo Shu, and upon seeing her confident smile, he hesitated for a moment then stepped aside. If the other party dared to resort to force, he wouldn't mind getting into a brawl with them, as long as it prevented any humiliation to his big sister.
"Whoever took your money, go find them. Doesn't Wang Liying also have a daughter?" Luo Shu said with a cold laugh, looking at Shi Lanjiao.
At these words, Shi Lanjiao became enraged, pointing at Luo Shu and exclaiming, "Let me tell you, Luo Shu, whether you agree or not, you are destined to be married into our Wang Family."
"I really dislike people pointing at me. If you don't withdraw your hand soon, I won't mind crippling it," Luo Shu's voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling undertone.
Shi Lanjiao shivered involuntarily, hastily attempting to pull her hand back. She stopped halfway through. If she withdrew her hand now, she would lose the upper hand. If she couldn't subdue Luo Shu now, how would she manage once Luo Shu was married into their family? No, she must overpower Luo Shu today and show her how formidable her mother-in-law was.
Turning her head, she shouted at Wang Mugen, who was still in a daze, "Mugen, what are you standing around for? Go and get people."
"Oh!" Wang Mugen came to his senses, nodded, and walked toward the entrance.
Aunt Chen and Shopkeeper Liu quickly stepped forward, blocking the way of Wang Mugen, who was about to call for people.
"Aunt Chen, Shopkeeper Liu, there's no need to stop him, let him go," Luo Shu said with a grateful smile. She had now unlocked seventeen meridians and, although she hadn't generated inner Qi yet, she was more than a match for most people. Since they had come looking for trouble, she'd make sure they wouldn't dare to cause trouble again.
Seeing Luo Shu unafraid, Shi Lanjiao started to feel uncertain. Wasn't Luo Shu supposed to be a pushover? Why didn't she seem like one?
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With a cold laugh, Luo Shu glanced at Shi Lanjiao and then sat down beside the stone platform, "Aunt Chen, Shopkeeper Liu, please come sit."
"Sister, what if they bring a lot of people? What do we do then?" Luo Shan asked worriedly. Although there were three men among them, Uncle Chen was not in good health, and it was uncertain whether Shopkeeper Liu would help. Moreover, Xiao Zheng was so young.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen," Luo Shu said confidently, turning to look at Aunt Chen and her husband, "Uncle, Aunt, I'm sorry for the trouble."
"It's nothing, your stepmother is really too cruel. How could she do such a thing? Isn't this just like selling you off?" Aunt Chen said indignantly. But in this world, how many good stepmothers are there, really?
Before long, the sound of chaotic footsteps came from outside the door.
Wang Mugen led five or six burly men into the room.
Upon seeing this, Shi Lanjiao hurriedly greeted them, "If you hadn't come soon, I would have been bullied to death. Hurry! Go drag that wretched girl Luo Shu back."
"Sister!"
"Big sister!"
"Luo Shu!" Everyone looked at Luo Shu with concern.
Luo Shu smiled, shook her head, and stood up to walk towards the Wang Family men, "Aren't you here to take me back? Come on, then!"
The Wang Family men hesitated, looking uncertainly at Shi Lanjiao. Is this really the Luo Shu you were looking for? She didn't seem like someone easily bullied.
Shi Lanjiao was also puzzled. After all, she had asked many people in Luo Family Village, and they all said that Luo Shu was a good girl, hardworking and with a good nature. So why was the Luo Shu in front of her different from what she had heard?
Luo Shu swept a indifferent gaze over the crowd, her face showing a touch of impatience, "Hurry up, don't waste time."
"No matter, first take her away and then deal with it," Shi Lanjiao made up her mind and said. She refused to believe that once Luo Shu was brought home, she wouldn't be able to tame this girl.
Upon hearing this, the Wang Family men no longer hesitated and rushed towards Luo Shu. Since they had come to aid their big brother's family today, naturally they would do whatever their sister-in-law said.
Luo Shu smiled coldly, swiftly stepped forward, and threw punches at them. She was agile, and every punch was delivered with crisp precision.
Soon, cries of pain filled the courtyard; within moments, the Wang Family men lay scattered on the ground.
Luo Zheng and the others stood, mouths agape and faces filled with disbelief as they looked at Luo Shu. She was incredibly formidable!
Luo Shu dusted off her hands and turned to the stunned Shi Lanjiao, "Still want to take me back?"
"No! No! No!" Shi Lanjiao quickly waved her hands and retreated. She dared not take on such a formidable daughter-in-law.
Luo Shu snorted, "Then get out of here fast."
The Wang Family men, no longer daring to delay, scrambled to their feet, ready to run.
"Wait a minute!"
The Wang Family men, terrified, immediately stopped in their tracks, looking fearfully at Luo Shu. What did she want to do now?
"Wang Liying probably never has told you that her arm was broken by me, right?" Luo Shu said with a playful look at the Wang Family men. Her words didn't need to be overly explicit; as long as they were not fools, with a little thought, they would realize they had been used as pawns. Since Wang Liying wanted to scheme against her, then she needed to be prepared for the scheme to be turned back on her. She, Luo Shu, was not a pushover.
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Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone