He started by killing his abusive father, and from then on, he embarked on the road to wealth.

Chapter 55 Outrageous Acts by Meng Fuqing

Meng Fuqing took out her vines and smiled obediently and respectfully, "Grandpa and Grandma, please."

Dan Chong and Dan Wu were shocked by Meng Fuqing's bandit-like behavior.

"You little brat, are you out of control?" Shan Chong hadn't expected Meng Fuqing to have this kind of personality. He angrily rebuked Shan Qiyu, "You just stood by and watched her talk back to her elders?"

Shan Qiyu watched coldly and said only, "Uncle and Aunt, come inside and have a cup of tea!"

She didn't know what her daughter was going to do, but she knew her daughter knew what she was doing.

"Snapped!"

Startled by the whip that Meng Fuqing suddenly swung at their feet, Shan Chong and Shan Wushi staggered back, the sand and gravel on the ground hitting their faces, finally causing them to completely shed their arrogant demeanor.

Once inside, Shan Chong and Shan Wu were restless. "What exactly do you want?"

Meng Fuqing glanced at them and said to Shan Qiyu, "Mother, I have something to say to them. You take Ali and go out first. Remember to close the door."

Dan Qiyu was a little worried, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "Call your mother if anything happens."

Meng Fuqing nodded in agreement.

After the door closed, the room became dim. Meng Fuqing leaned against the back of the door, looking at the elderly couple, Shan Chong and his wife, with a half-smile. "Shan Ziyi is gone without a single finger, and you still haven't learned your lesson?"

Dan Chong was taken aback, looking at Meng Fuqing who had suddenly become strange and sinister, a nameless fear rising in his heart. "You're saying this... do you know something?"

Reminded by him, Shan Wu also realized what was happening. Her eyes gradually reddened as she looked at Meng Fuqing, and she suddenly lunged at him, "Was it you? Was it you who caused my grandson to lose a finger? Was it you who prevented him from taking the imperial examination?!"

"Snap!" Meng Fuqing swung the rattan cane at Shan Wu's neck. The cane wrapped around her neck, and Shan Wu instantly lost her voice. The momentum made her stagger a few steps and kneel in front of Meng Fuqing.

Sitting to the side, Shan Chong was in a daze, completely unable to comprehend that Meng Fuqing could do something so outrageous and beyond his comprehension.

Meng Fuqing pulled the rattan cane upwards, making Shan Wu look up at her. "Grandma, when did I say I did it? But this has taught me something—"

She chuckled softly. "His fate depends entirely on you, understand?"

With Meng Fuqing choking her by the neck, Shan Wu was almost suffocating, her cloudy old eyes filled with terror.

She never imagined that the quiet Meng Fuqing would have such a terrifying face.

Dan Chong finally came to his senses, both shocked and furious. "Meng Fuqing! Aren't you afraid...aren't you afraid..."

Meng Fuqing's icy gaze fell on him. "If none of you are afraid, why should I be? If you dare to step into my house again, try and see if I can make you afraid."

Seeing that Shan Wushi was starting to stick out her tongue, she retracted the vines after repairing the surface wounds on Shan Wushi's neck.

Dan Chong, who hadn't dared to approach before, rushed forward immediately and raised his hand to slap Meng Fuqing. Meng Fuqing swung a vine at his face and, as he screamed, quickly stuffed a tattered burlap from the table into his mouth.

While he was unable to make a sound, she struck him three, four, five, or six more times before stopping.

She used less force with each hit, and even used her supernatural ability to heal the skin, afraid that she would break this old man's bones and make him completely dependent on her.

Even so, it still took him a long time to recover from the single charge.

He glanced at Meng Fuqing hastily, his fear barely concealed. At that moment, all pretense of seniority and all sense of face were trampled to the ground.

He staggered to his feet, helped his wife up, and as he opened the door to leave, he heard Meng Fuqing's voice again.

"Watch what you eat, understand?"

Dan Chong led Shan Wu out of Meng Fuqing's house without looking back.

Dan Qiyu and Meng Ali, who were in the kitchen, stared in disbelief as the two staggered away, unable to react for a moment.

She asked Meng Fuqing, who was walking towards the kitchen, "Qingqing, what's wrong with them?"

"It's alright, Mother. We gave them a good talking-to, they should have seen the light by now. Don't worry, they shouldn't come to our house again."

Shan Qiyu then nodded.

She had gotten used to Meng Fuqing occasionally spouting words she didn't quite understand, assuming they were taught to her by a fairy.

"What's wrong with your cousin? Why can't he take the imperial examinations?" Wasn't he doing well in his studies?

Meng Fuqing then told Shan Ziyi about how he was caught cheating by the bookmaker, had a finger chopped off, and had to pay out money. Shan Qiyu sighed and didn't ask any more questions.

Walking through the village, Shan Chong and Shan Wushi thought that their miserable state would be seen by others, and they could take the opportunity to accuse Meng Fuqing of his treason.

Unexpectedly, no one spoke a word to them until they reached the village entrance; at most, someone would give them a disdainful look.

Dan Chong looked at his wife beside him, looking lost and dejected, and suddenly realized that something was wrong.

My wife was pulled like that, yet there wasn't even a single red mark on her neck?

He raised his hand and touched his face again. It was burning with pain, but he couldn't feel any redness or swelling. He looked at the back of his hand that had been hit earlier—it hurt, but there was no injury.

Just moments ago, he was preoccupied with the idea of ​​exposing Meng Fuqing's true colors, ruining her reputation, and making her universally hated. But at this moment, all of that vanished.

It was at this moment that he truly took to heart the words Meng Fuqing had spoken, words he had previously dismissed.

He was both terrified and bewildered, with only one thought in his mind—something strange about Meng Fuqing!

Not daring to do anything more, he quickened his pace and left Mengjia Village with his still-recovering wife.

Meng Fuqing wasn't worried that the old couple would tell anyone that he had beaten someone without leaving a mark, since anyone would have to believe it anyway.

The reason Xie Jin returned from the mountain around noon was because of one thing—he went to town to stockpile supplies.

He said there had been changes at the border, and his men would join him in a few days, bringing the latest news on the day they met.

What struck her as odd was that Meng Linlang, whom she had confirmed was a reborn person, remained silent.

If only I could get some information from Meng Linlang.

At lunchtime, Meng Ranran rushed home.

"Ranran? Why are you back? Have you eaten? Come on, sit down and eat!" Shan Qiyu was a little surprised.

The day after learning that her second daughter had become Dr. Zheng's apprentice, she brought some things as a gift for the apprenticeship. She had originally planned to let the child come home for lunch, since it was a year of famine and food was precious. Her family was not lacking in food, so it would be inappropriate for her to eat her master's food.

Unexpectedly, Dr. Zheng said there was no need, as he could afford to provide the little girl with food. So she started sending some things to Dr. Zheng's house every now and then.

She said to Meng Ali, "Ali, go get a pair of chopsticks for your second sister."

Meng Ali nodded and ran to the kitchen with her short legs.

“Mother, elder sister, I overheard Master and elder brother talking about something, and it didn’t feel right. I wanted to come back and tell you about it.”

Meng Fuqing asked, "Is it about the border?"

Meng Ranran's eyes widened in surprise. "Sister, you know?"

“Xie Jin told me,” Meng Fuqing said. “Tell Mother what they said again.”

Meng Ranran immediately recounted what she had heard, "...Mother, what should we do if a war breaks out?"

Shan Qiyu had already put down his chopsticks, his face solemn. "Your grandfather said that the barbarians in the north are savage and bloodthirsty. They are not good people. They not only rob and kill indiscriminately, but in years of famine, when they can't get food, they even eat people. If they attack, we will be at their mercy if we don't run away."