Chapter Sixty-Five: You, a Mere Woman, Dare to Compete
“You’re simply bullying us too much. How many people from our village can compare to your tall and sturdy villagers?”
Old Chu understood Tang Zhong’s intentions; he was trying to play the hypocrite after doing something wrong. Tang Zhong wasn’t acting without restraint—he needed a legitimate excuse to claim this land for Great Valley Village. If he did that, no other village could jump out and accuse them of wrongdoing.
“That’s not right for you to say. Your villagers are small and weak, not real men. Is that supposed to be our fault? Ha!” Tang Zhong’s words were a blatant mockery, ridiculing the men of Lotus Village for their lack of masculinity. The villagers of Great Valley roared with laughter upon hearing this.
“This land is mine because I dug it. No one can take it away,” Gu Xiaoyao said calmly, looking at the arrogant man. Anything that entered her pocket would never be handed over so easily. As a plant-type ability user, she loved nothing more than growing her favorite foods on her own land. She hadn’t had the opportunity before, but now that she did, she would never let anyone take away the plot she had worked so hard to dig.
“Village chief, there’s a woman here who’s got some backbone. She says she won’t hand over the land she dug. What’s hers is hers,” the man called out to Tang Zhong, laughing loudly and enjoying the feeling of strength over weakness.
Tang Zhong responded with a careless “Oh,” glanced over, and pointed at Gu Xiaoyao, addressing the people of Lotus Village. “Look at that, even a woman is braver than all you men. But bravery alone is useless—if you won’t accept the challenge, I’ll take this land right now.”
He was pushing the people of Lotus Village to make a choice instead of wasting time with endless arguments.
“You’re useless too. If she’s digging here, why not just take her hoe away? This land now belongs to our Great Valley Village.”
Gu Xiaoyao slammed her hoe into the earth with a loud thud, staring intently at Tang Zhong across from her. Her eyes burned as she asked, “If we compete with your men, how much good land are you willing to wager? And if you lose, you won’t play dirty, will you?”
Tang Zhong threw his head back and laughed. The idea that a little woman dared to say such things was truly amusing. The people of Lotus Village were holding back because they knew they stood little chance of winning, hoping to drag things out.
“What, you think you have the skill to take on my men? Tsk, tsk. The world’s gone mad—who would have thought Lotus Village would rely on a woman to hold the line?”
Gu Xiaoyao thought he was talking too much nonsense. He was the one who’d proposed a contest between the two villages, with the winner claiming more land.
“You were the one who suggested this competition. Or do you think your men can’t beat me?”
Her eager gaze made Dahua anxious, while the others from Lotus Village quietly shifted their eyes to the two hanging in the tree. Cheng Jin’s wife was no pushover—perhaps she really had the ability to bring down the men of Great Valley Village.
“Cheng Jin’s wife, don’t act recklessly. The men of Great Valley Village are all strong and robust. How could you beat them?” Old Chu thought the matter needed careful consideration and couldn’t be decided so casually.
“Village chief, negotiating won’t work. They clearly want to take it by force. Since that’s the case, we might as well accept the challenge. It’s better than waiting for nothing,” Gu Xiaoyao understood the chief’s hesitation but saw no reason to waste time.