The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

The argument on the first floor was still ongoing.

Zheng Fengnian stood at the top of the stairs, holding a wooden stick, staring at Zhao Lin and Xu Nian with bloodshot eyes.

No matter how Zhao Lin tried to persuade him, he refused to back down.

Zhao Lin glanced down at the watch on her wrist; the hands were already pointing to noon, and her anxiety deepened.

"Zheng Fengnian, whether you marry off your daughter or not, it's already noon. Let me see Xiaona. She's young and must be hungry. It's time for lunch."

Zheng Fengnian glared at her fiercely.

"That brat won't starve if she misses a meal! The wedding party will arrive this afternoon, so don't cause me any trouble!"

Seeing that the other party didn't seem to be joking, but rather genuinely wanted to marry off their daughter, Zhao Lin's expression immediately darkened, and she spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Zheng Fengnian, Chinese law stipulates that the legal marriage age for women is 20. Parents are not allowed to permit or force minors to marry, nor are they allowed to arrange marriages for minors."

"You married off your 12-year-old daughter to someone else for money; that's child trafficking, and you'll be imprisoned."

"Sentence him? What kind of sentence is that!" Zheng Fengnian scoffed. "I live in this remote mountain village. What right do those monsters and scoundrels down there have to control me? I'm the boss here! Even the village chief can't touch me. Who do you think you are, daring to boss me around like that!"

As he spoke, he raised the wooden stick in his hand and pointed it directly at Zhao Lin's face.

If Xu Nian hadn't been standing by, making him hesitant, he probably would have attacked Zhao Lin on the spot.

Seeing his aggressive and unreasonable demeanor, Xu Nian felt her anger ignite instantly, and a surge of resentment rose from the depths of her heart.

He grabbed a thick tree branch from the side, stared intently at Zheng Fengnian, and looked menacing.

"Don't be impulsive." Zhao Lin patted his shoulder, suppressing her anger, and whispered in his ear. "Let's go down the mountain to call the police and let them handle it."

"By the time the police get here, it will be dark." Xu Nian reluctantly put down the branch, clenching her fists, her anger still simmering.

Seeing Zheng Fengnian's appearance, Xu Nian's mind was instantly filled with the image of Xu Xi's biological father—that equally cold-blooded and ruthless man who didn't treat children like human beings.

Those two beasts don't deserve the word "father" at all; they are utterly unworthy of being called fathers.

But he also knew that with his current status, he absolutely could not do anything out of line, otherwise he would only be causing trouble for Xiaoxi.

Even in this secluded little mountain village.

Moreover, Zhao Lin and Qi Yu are the village's teachers, highly respected in the village, and he cannot tarnish their reputations.

Suddenly, he realized something was wrong.

What about Xu Xi?

Yes, where did Xu Xi go?

During the time they were arguing, Xu Xi seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

He turned around and looked around for Xu Xi's figure.

Just then, a rustling sound came from outside the door, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

Could it be that Xu Xi brought in reinforcements?

As he was thinking this, a little boy with a runny nose ran in.

"You brat, why aren't you studying at school? What are you doing home?"

Upon seeing who it was, Zheng Fengnian was instantly enraged and roared at the little boy.

"Old man!"

Zheng Xiaoyi knelt down with a thud, sobbing with snot and tears streaming down her face.

"Don't sell my sister! I don't want her to leave! Please, old man!"

He cried as he clung tightly to Zheng Fengnian's leg.

"Let go! Let go, you little idiot!"

Seeing that his beloved youngest son dared to disobey him, Zheng Fengnian was furious and kicked hard at the leg that Zheng Xiaoyi was holding.

Zheng Xiaoyi held on very tightly, and after a few attempts, he was completely unable to shake off this stubborn plaster. Under the influence of alcohol, his body became somewhat unresponsive, and he accidentally fell to the ground.

"You son of a bitch, you ingrate! I've wasted my time raising you!" Zheng Fengnian viciously raised the stick and struck Zheng Xiaoyi hard on the back, making him wail in pain.

"Zheng Fengnian, are you crazy? He's just a child, how could you hit him like that!"

Zhao Lin and Xu Nian rushed forward and grabbed the drunk man's arms tightly.

"Mind your own business! You old hag, I'm disciplining my own kid, why are you interfering?"

Zheng Fengnian shoved Zhao Lin away with such force that Zhao Lin staggered back two steps and almost fell.

Then, he picked up a wooden stick and hit Zheng Xiaoyi repeatedly.

Xu Nian seized the opportunity, grabbed his freed arm, pressed him against the wall, and held his wrist tightly, preventing him from moving.

But the drunkard was surprisingly strong, and Xu Nian, who was already in her thirties, gradually began to lose her strength.

He gave Zhao Lin a wink, signaling her to quickly take the child and leave.

Zhao Lin understood, immediately picked up Zheng Xiaoyi who was lying on the ground crying, and left the house.

Just then, crisp footsteps came from the stairs, and two figures, one tall and one short, slowly walked down the stairs. It was Xu Xi and Zheng Xiaona, who was holding her hand.

"You shameless woman!"

Seeing his daughter, who was about to become part of the bride price, being taken away, Zheng Fengnian flew into a rage.

He shoved Xu Nian aside, bent down to pick up the wooden stick from the ground, stared fiercely at Zheng Xiaona, and suddenly threw the stick hard towards Zheng Xiaona.

"Watch out!" Xu Xi reacted quickly and immediately warned, but the wooden stick flew too fast, and Zheng Xiaona was so frightened that she froze and had no time to dodge.

In a flash, Xu Xi didn't hesitate at all. He turned around abruptly and hugged Zheng Xiaona tightly, using his back to shield her from the solid blow.

"Bang!" The wooden stick struck Xu Xi's back with a dull thud.

"Ah!" Xu Xi gritted her teeth, her whole body stiffening with pain as a piercing pain shot through her back, and she couldn't help but scream out in agony.

Zheng Fengnian grinned maliciously as he walked up the stairs, his eyes filled with malice. He raised his hand to attack Xu Xi.

Just then, he took a solid punch to the face.

With a muffled thud, the force was so great that Zheng Fengnian staggered back two steps, and a bloody tooth flew out of his mouth.

"You fucking...you're asking for it!" Xu Nian cursed, her eyes bloodshot, completely enraged.

The girl he cherished and pampered was actually hurt by this beast.

All rationality vanished at that moment, leaving only the fury of revenge.

He grabbed a thick tree branch from the side and charged at Zheng Fengnian, and the two immediately began to wrestle.

Zheng Fengnian wasn't about to back down either. He picked up a wooden stick from the ground and waved it wildly at Xu Nian, cursing incessantly, "You son of a bitch, you bastard, I'm going to beat you to death!"

The two fought their way from inside the house to outside, using every ounce of their strength.

After a fight, Xu Nian had a slight advantage in strength, punching Zheng Fengnian repeatedly in the face, leaving him with a bruised and swollen face.

However, in terms of endurance, he could not compare to Zheng Fengnian, who was strong and robust and had worked in the fields for many years.

Gradually, he began to lose strength, his steps became unsteady, and he couldn't help but take a few steps back. He leaned against a tree trunk and gasped for breath, trying to regain his strength.

Just then, Zheng Fengnian found an opening and, taking advantage of Xu Nian's momentary pause to catch his breath, suddenly raised his wooden stick and slammed it hard into Xu Nian's shoulder.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Xu Nian gasped in pain, clenching her teeth. Her entire arm felt numb and powerless, as if she had lost all feeling in it.

The thick branch in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

Zheng Fengnian grinned menacingly as he swaggered toward Xu Nian, ready to give him a good beating once he was rendered unable to fight.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.

"Thump!"

With a muffled thud, Zheng Fengnian was sent flying several meters away, crashing heavily to the ground.

A dark shadow flashed by, and Xu Xi's eyes lost their color. She exuded a cold aura, straddled Zheng Fengnian, grabbed his collar, and repeatedly lifted his head, slamming it hard against the ground.