Chapter Sixty-One: Resistance Is Useless

It was clear that Madam Liu’s resistance was futile; as soon as her hoe came down, Gu Xiaoyao deftly subdued it.

“I’ll ask you once more: do you want to work, or do you prefer to rest on the side?”

Madam Liu felt powerless. The force she sensed from the handle of her hoe left her unable to move it even a fraction, no matter how hard she tried. The coldness in Gu Xiaoyao’s eyes resembled a chilling aura lingering in the darkness of night, frightening Madam Liu so much that she shivered.

“I—I don’t want to work…” Madam Liu stammered, trembling but managing to speak determinedly.

Gu Xiaoyao took the hoe from her hands, her icy expression softening as she agreed, “Very well. If you wish to rest, I’ll allow it.”

Madam Liu stared at her in disbelief, but when she finally came to her senses, she realized her designated resting place was tied to the trunk of a tree.

Some villagers couldn’t bear to watch, feeling Gu Xiaoyao’s methods were excessively harsh. After all, they were family; even if someone refused to work, it was unseemly to tie them to a tree or hang them up.

“Gu Xiaoyao, your mother-in-law’s words may be unpleasant, but she hasn’t committed any grave crimes. Isn’t your treatment a bit inappropriate?”

“That’s right. So many people are watching—if you tie them to a tree, they’ll surely resent you deeply.”

The Dahua family, on the other hand, found Gu Xiaoyao’s actions gratifying; Liu and her two companions needed a strong hand to keep them in line. If Gu Xiaoyao hadn’t been capable, she might have suffered several beatings by now.

“If you want to eat, you must work. That’s the rule here,” Gu Xiaoyao declared.

She wasn’t oblivious to the villagers’ opinions, understanding that her approach would make her unpopular. Yet some people needed to be disciplined, made to suffer a bit so they wouldn’t stir up trouble later.

“My eldest brother isn’t working, so why does he get to enjoy good food and drink at home while we have to labor here? You’re being unfair,” Chu Qingsong protested, suspecting Gu Xiaoyao of hypocrisy. If she were truly fair, she wouldn’t let her brother stay at home; he should be here, too.

“He is my husband, so he has the privilege of not working. And you—what are you to me?” Gu Xiaoyao looked at him with a mocking smile, rolled a lump of mud in her hand, and tossed it right at Chu Qingsong’s forehead, making him cry from the pain.

Ignoring the trio’s curses, Gu Xiaoyao called her younger brother over and resumed work with the hoe. Even without the three of them, she worked swiftly.

“Sister-in-law, let’s catch some field mice later! The mice here are big and fat; roasting them at home will surely be delicious,” Dahua said during a break, having noticed several burrows on the riverbank.

Field mice in the wasteland were bound to be plump, as no one hunted them here, and their numbers had grown rapidly.

“Certainly, we can start now. I’ll mark the spots; you and my brother can catch them together. I need to finish digging this stretch,” Gu Xiaoyao replied, scanning the burrows with her mental focus and instantly judging which ones hid the fattest mice.

She set down her hoe, broke a long branch, and began sticking it into the burrow entrances.

“Just flood these holes, and you’ll find the fattest mice inside,” she instructed.

Gu Xiaoshu naturally trusted his sister’s judgment; even if she claimed there was silver hidden inside, he’d believe her without question.