Grandma 07

Liu Yun felt her legs go weak. She looked around helplessly, her gaze finally settling on her idle husband. A surge of resentment rose in her heart—this fool! Not only couldn’t he earn money, but as a grown man, he couldn’t even make a single decision!

"It was Fang Jianshe who told me to steal it! Mom, please, for the sake of family, just let it go!"

Fang Jianshe was stunned. He had no idea what she was talking about! Though he usually deferred to his wife’s opinions, even he knew the gravity of this situation.

"Liu Yun, don’t spout nonsense!" Under his mother’s piercing glare, Fang Jianshe felt a chill. Others might not know, but he did—his mother was fully capable of sending her own son to jail!

"Mom, it wasn’t me! I had no idea! She’s the one who kept saying you were trying to take Second Brother’s compensation money. Then today, when she heard you went to the village committee, she left the house. I didn’t even know what she was doing—it wasn’t me!"

Liu Yun was livid. "Fang Jianshe! Are you even a man? I must’ve been blind to marry you!"

The Village Party Secretary sighed as he looked at Zhao Yumei. "Well, Aunt Zhao, what do you think we should do…?" He understood the severity of the matter. If Zhao Yumei insisted on pressing charges, things could get ugly.

Zhao Yumei watched the couple tear into each other like dogs, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Fine, I’ll let it go. But from today on, if either of you dares to covet my son’s blood money again, I’ll send both of you to jail! And I want all the villagers here as witnesses!"

The quarreling couple hastily swore they’d never think of it again. The Village Party Secretary and the villagers were surprised—Zhao Yumei wasn’t going to pursue this further?

Only Fang Zhiyi knew the truth: she couldn’t. The bank card had no money in it.

Still, if it were up to him, he’d have dragged the Village Party Secretary to check the balance, then turned around and accused them of stealing the money.

But unfortunately, the old lady had already transferred the funds, making that impossible.

Zhao Yumei strutted through the village like a victorious rooster, deliberately passing by her eldest son’s house—only to see her furious daughter-in-law storming out with her two sons in tow, dragging their luggage behind them.

She was shouting something at the person inside—presumably her eldest son.

"Well, well, if it isn’t the little thunderstruck hussy running back to her parents? Disgraceful." Zhao Yumei’s sharp tongue was in fine form.

The daughter-in-law turned and glared at her, teeth clenched in rage. Ignoring her husband’s protests from inside, she marched away without another word.

The eldest son peeked out, his face ashen, but at the sight of his mother, he immediately ducked back inside without a word.

Zhao Yumei couldn’t care less. She reached out and took Fang Zhiyi’s hand. "Come on, Grandma’s taking you out for a treat!"

As they walked away, Fang Zhiyi heard the sound of things being smashed inside his uncle’s house.

The next day, Fang Zhiyi followed Zhao Yumei’s instructions to fetch the village carpenter to repair their doors and windows—"to keep thieves out," she said. She also scolded him for leaving the house unlocked.

Fang Zhiyi was indignant. You carry the money-filled passbook on you at all times—what’s left in the house worth stealing?

But as he walked down the road, someone blocked his path.

He looked up and sighed. This world really was relentless.

Standing before him was the grandson of his great-aunt, his hair soaked with sweat. Fang Zhiyi remembered that his great-aunt had married into the neighboring village. The kid must’ve run all this way just to find him—what a hassle.

"You remember what I told you? If you don’t come with my grandma, I’ll beat you up every single day!"

Fang Zhiyi nodded. "I remember."

The boy faltered, momentarily thrown off by the calm response. After a pause, he added, "My grandma said if you give her the money, she’ll buy me lots of nice things. I’ll even share some with you—how about it?"

What kind of twisted logic was that? Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "No thanks."

"You—!"

Before the boy could react, Fang Zhiyi leaped up and slapped him across the face. He had to admit, the old lady’s slapping technique was truly refined—crisp, loud, and deeply satisfying. The only downside was his current height.

Of course, he wasn’t stupid. The moment his hand landed, he turned and bolted. It took the boy a few seconds to recover before he gave chase.

Fang Zhiyi channeled everything he’d learned from his grandmother: "Help! Murder! Robbery! Outsiders are kidnapping people!"

By the time Zhao Yumei rushed to the scene, the boy had already been pinned down by two villagers, still cursing and thrashing in defiance.

Fang Zhiyi stood to the side, utterly unfazed. After traveling through so many worlds, he’d been cursed at by far worse—this kid was nothing.

Zhao Yumei strode forward and whacked the boy across the mouth with her cane. The villagers collectively winced.

"You little bastard! Fang Cui sent you, didn’t she?" Zhao Yumei recognized the brat.

Fang Zhiyi got another firsthand look at his grandmother’s terrifying prowess. That same day, she dragged him and the captive cousin straight to the neighboring village. From the moment they arrived, she launched into a tirade, airing every dirty secret about Fang Cui’s past—stealing food, seducing men—you name it. In her mouth, curses were as common as punctuation.

Naturally, Fang Cui rushed out to save her grandson, but Zhao Yumei cut her off before she could even speak.

"Teaching your own grandson to be a robber? Sounds exactly like something you’d do!" Zhao Yumei scanned the crowd. "Do you all know this sister-in-law of mine nearly became a convict in her youth?"

Fang Zhiyi watched as Fang Cui’s face paled.

Zhao Yumei bellowed her stories to the crowd. Though embellished, Fang Zhiyi could tell from Fang Cui’s worsening expression that the old lady was working with a foundation of truth.

Finally, Fang Cui snapped. She’d always had a good reputation in this village, and now her venomous sister-in-law was dredging up old scandals in front of everyone. She couldn’t take it anymore—she lunged at Zhao Yumei, claws out.

But when it came to fighting, Zhao Yumei had spent decades fearing no one. Even if she couldn’t win, she’d make sure her opponent regretted it.

Fang Cui was no match. The villagers wanted to intervene, but Zhao Yumei’s threat—"Lay a finger on me, and I’ll collapse right here! Then I’ll move into your house!"—left them paralyzed. As for the cousin, one solid whack from Zhao Yumei’s cane had already traumatized him—probably lost a tooth or two.

It wasn’t until the village chief arrived that the situation de-escalated. But with both parties being elderly women—a sister-in-law and her husband’s sister—all he could do was mediate.

Zhao Yumei still got the last word, vowing to beat Fang Cui and her grandson on sight from now on.

She returned home triumphant.

Fang Zhiyi supported her as they walked, casually mentioning, "Grandma, I just remembered something."

"Tell me, and Grandma will handle it!" Zhao Yumei was in high spirits, as if she’d rediscovered her glory days.

"The other day, I heard my mom—" Fang Zhiyi noticed Zhao Yumei’s expression darken and quickly corrected himself, "I mean, that woman who claims to be my mom—say she’s bringing a reporter here."