The smile on Yun Manman's face remained unchanged as she stood quietly listening to their praise.
There was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. What should I say now?
In the end, she managed a stiff reply.
"Eat as much as you like. I'll have Mother cook a few more pots of meat. I can't give you gold or silver, but today, you can eat your fill of meat at my Yun Family home."
"Yun Zhen, your father isn't even here yet! Who told you to start the feast? And you're letting this money-losing girl give the meat away! Does this family have any rules left?"
An angry shout came from the courtyard entrance. Everyone turned to look, their mouths glistening with grease.
At the entrance stood Old Man Yun, Old Woman Yun, Yun Wang and his wife and children, and Yun Fa and his wife, with their daughter following behind them.
Old Man Yun first swept his shrewd, clouded eyes around the courtyard, greed and satisfaction flashing in them.
"Yun Zhen, come take my bedding inside and put it away properly. I'll go see which room I want to live in myself."
Old Woman Yun looked at the grand, spacious residence, her venomous eyes brimming with envy and resentment.
Everyone behind her stared at the residence in shock, their envy and resentment on full display.
Yun Zhen rose and looked at the people at the entrance. Every one of them carried a bundle on their back; they clearly intended to move straight in. Anger flashed in his eyes.
"Old Master Yun, I have no father or mother now. Your sons are behind you. You'd better not mistake me for one of them."
Old Man Yun had not expected Yun Zhen to say such a thing. His shrewd, clouded eyes filled with viciousness.
"You're my own flesh-and-blood son! Now that you've prospered, you don't want to acknowledge me? Everyone, look at this unfilial son!"
The people from other villages began looking at Old Father Yun differently.
Only those from the same village knew the details. Hunter Zhang swallowed the meat in his mouth and challenged him outright, his lips still greasy.
"Old Man Yun, wasn't it that second wife of yours who forced Yun Zhen to sever ties back then? How can you stand here twisting black into white now?"
"Exactly! We saw it ourselves back then. Now that Lass Yun's family has built a new house, how do you have the gall to come running back?"
Old Woman Yun narrowed her slanted eyes and planted her hands on her hips.
"Who do you think you are? Get out of my house! You're eating our food, yet you dare criticize my old man!"
The village chief slammed his chopsticks hard onto the table, anger on his face.
"You people from the old Yun household, what trouble are you stirring up now? Yun Zhen's family has already registered as a separate household at the government office. They have nothing to do with you."
Old Man Yun had not expected Yun Zhen to have already registered his household. A few traces of regret flashed in his eyes. Had he known Yun Zhen would prosper, he should never have severed ties back then.
Yun Fa finished surveying the courtyard and suppressed the amazement and greed in his eyes. Once they moved into this courtyard, given his parents' ways, the biggest and best would undoubtedly belong to his son.
"Eldest Brother, no matter what, we're all family. You've built a new courtyard, but instead of honoring Father and Mother, you let outsiders criticize them. You truly are far too unfilial."
Yun Wang also withdrew his gaze and hurried to accuse him. "I'd say this girl of yours is old enough. Hurry up and marry her off instead of letting her ruin the family. All this meat has gone to waste. Leave managing the household to Mother from now on."
Yuanwei, Madam Zhou, Yun Zewu, Yun Zeren, and the little ones immediately shot their gazes toward Yun Wang.
This fat pig actually dared criticize Sister Man.
Old Father Yun could accept the old Yun household calling him unfilial, or even humiliating him.
But his daughter was good in every possible way. They absolutely could not speak ill of her. Old Father Yun's angry voice rang out.
"Old Master Yun, you'd better go home and have your sons fulfill their filial duties to you. Even if I've prospered, it has nothing to do with you. This is Manman's home. It has not one copper's worth of connection to any of you."
Old Man Yun's furious face flushed red. This beast truly intended to be so heartless. His old eyes seemed steeped in poison as he glared at Yun Zhen.
He raised the dry tobacco pipe in his hand and lunged at him.
Yun Manman's gaze sharpened. She stepped in front of Old Father Yun and seized the tobacco pipe.
With one palm strike, she sent Old Man Yun flying toward the entrance.
Panic flashed in Old Man Yun's eyes. Just as he was about to fall, Yun Wang hurriedly caught him from behind, barely steadying him.
Coldness laced Yun Manman's violet eyes. "You want to hit my father in my own home? Old Man Yun, you really don't know what's good for you!"
The villagers forgot to hold the meat in their mouths, their jaws dropping as they stared at Yun Manman.
The girl had clearly been at the very back just a moment ago.
Yet when Old Man Yun tried to hit Yun Zhen, she had appeared with a whoosh.
Old Man Yun was shocked, angry, and humiliated. Where had this money-losing girl sprung from?
How could a girl have such strength?
"You rebellious money-losing girl! Do you have any regard for propriety or filial duty? I'm your own grandfather, yet you dare lay a hand on me! A wasteful, money-losing girl like you who disrespects her elders ought to be drowned in a pig cage immediately!"
Yun Manman's brows drew together slightly, unmistakable impatience flashing in her eyes.
Could she kill these fleas now?
She couldn't outargue them. So fucking annoying!
Seeing Yun Manman's expression, Old Man Yun looked smug. No matter how capable she was, she was still just a girl who had never seen the world.
"Yun Zhen, come help me into the courtyard and get me settled! Everything you learned about filial duty must have gone into a dog's belly. All you ever do is give people reason to point fingers behind your back."
He even straightened his short tunic with an air of importance, his unruly brows bristling. "Why aren't you going in? What are you standing around here for? Aren't you tired of carrying all that?"
With that, he tugged at Old Woman Yun beside him, and the two headed into the courtyard.
Panic flashed in Yun Zhen's eyes. If they shamelessly moved straight in, he had no way to drive them out.
What was he supposed to do?
Clang! Clang!
Two crisp metallic sounds rang out, followed by a voice as chilling and cold as ice.
"Don't spurn the face I'm giving you. This is my courtyard. None of you from the Yun Family have the right to enter. Get lost!"
Old Man Yun and Old Hag Yun both went pale.
Their eyes filled with terror as they stared at the two sections of tobacco pipe in front of their feet. This money-losing girl was actually this formidable.
She had thrown the broken sections straight into the ground. If those had struck their bodies...
Looking at the residence so close before him, Yun Wang burned with impatience. They had been just about to move in, so why had this little bitch come out to stop them again?
He stepped forward and kicked one of the pipe sections over.
"Yun Manman, don't think you can soar into the heavens just because you have a little ability. I'm your own uncle! I don't believe you'd really dare lay a hand on me. Hmph, aren't you afraid you'll turn into a shrew and never find a husband?"
Yun Wang's eyes remained fixed on the inner courtyard. As soon as he finished speaking, he headed straight inside.
Yun Manman's expression sharpened, and a dagger slid down from her wrist into her palm.
Whoosh!
Before the crowd had swallowed the meat in their mouths, they heard Yun Wang's agonized scream.
Their pupils contracted, and they drew deep breaths, not daring to let them out.
Yun Wang had collapsed on the ground, a dagger gleaming with cold light embedded straight in his thigh.
Blood slowly seeped out and soaked his trousers, but none flowed onto the ground.
The girl who had thrown the dagger looked cold, her violet eyes utterly indifferent. Her voice carried mockery and disdain.
"What does it matter to me whether you believe it or not? I told you, if you're not afraid to die, you can try forcing your way in."