Zhang Da really hadn't expected Zhou Gu'er to be like this.
He had seen her a few times before and always sidled up to say a word or two. He'd even teased her once. Every time, she would just blush and run away, too scared to utter a single word to him. The most aggressive she had ever been was a single glare. But now she was daring to tell him to get lost? And staring at him so fiercely? 'This isn't like her at all,' he thought. 'Isn't she supposed to be incredibly timid and meek?'
"What are you yelling about? You're the one who showed up on my doorstep. And you're yelling at me? I haven't even done anything to you."
Zhang Da grumbled, dissatisfied.
"Look carefully. This is a public road, not your house. I was just passing by and stopped for a moment because I felt unwell. What do you mean I showed up on your doorstep? Stop talking nonsense."
In her past life, Zhou Gu'er had never dared to speak to Zhang Da like this. If she talked back, he would beat her. Coupled with her naturally timid personality, she had always been submissive and accepting of her fate. So, whenever she faced Zhang Da, she was almost always silent.
Sun Jiaming watched Zhou Gu'er. He recognized her as Zhou Mazi's daughter. He knew she had been brought to the village by Aunt Zhou and that her life was difficult, with a father like Zhou Mazi. He had seen her a couple of times but had never spoken to her. He'd always thought the girl was very timid, but seeing her today, she didn't seem weak at all. She was articulate, too.
She said she felt unwell, and Sun Jiaming took a closer look. Her complexion did seem a bit pale.
"What do you mean, 'nonsense'? When I say you came to my doorstep, you came to my doorstep! You wanna play tough with me? We'll see if I can't teach you a lesson."
Zhang Da had no regard for Zhou Gu'er. His plan was to drag her into his house. Even if nothing happened, the resulting gossip would ruin her reputation, not his. 'Who knows,' he thought, 'it might even be a blessing in disguise. I might be able to marry her for cheap.'
Seeing Zhang Da reach for her as he spoke, a flash of disgust crossed Zhou Gu'er's eyes. She utterly despised this man.
She sidestepped, dodging his hand.
But Zhang Da wasn't about to give up. He grabbed Zhou Gu'er's arm and began dragging her toward his house.
Zhou Gu'er was furious. 'This bastard! How dare he try to drag me away in broad daylight! It's outrageous!' In her last life, this man had ruined her. How could she possibly let it happen all over again?
Zhou Gu'er raised her foot and started kicking, aiming for Zhang Da's feet and legs—anywhere she could reach, she kicked.
"You damn bitch! You dare kick me? If I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't know who you're messing with!"
Zhang Da was enraged. Zhou Gu'er had used all her strength, and his leg throbbed with pain from her kicks.
He yanked hard on Zhou Gu'er's arm, refusing to let go, and raised his other hand to slap her. He was going to hit her today, drag her into his house, and see if she'd still defy him!
When Zhou Gu'er saw he was about to slap her, she pulled back with all her might, creating some distance between them. Then, she forcefully lifted her leg and kicked out at him.
As luck would have it, the kick landed squarely on Zhang Da's crotch, right on his family jewels.
That single kick was filled with all the resentment from her past life. She truly wished she could kick Zhang Da to death.
With a howl, Zhang Da cried out and let go of Zhou Gu'er's arm. He clutched his groin, bent over, and started hopping on the spot. It felt like he'd been kicked so hard that something had broken; the pain was excruciating.
Zhou Gu'er had put a lot of force into the kick. When Zhang Da abruptly let go, she lost her point of leverage. Combined with the fact that she hadn't fully recovered her strength, she lost her balance and stumbled backward.
"Are you alright?"
Someone caught her from behind, steadying her by the shoulders. As soon as Zhou Gu'er was stable, he quickly released his hands.
It was none other than Sun Jiaming.
Sun Jiaming had already started to head over when Zhang Da began dragging Zhou Gu'er toward his house. What he hadn't expected was for Zhou Gu'er to be so feisty, actually daring to kick Zhang Da.
He had hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should intervene. He didn't know if Zhou Gu'er needed his help.
But in that moment of hesitation, he saw Zhang Da raise his hand to hit her. That settled it. He couldn't just stand by and let Zhang Da bully a decent young woman.
By the time he got there, Zhou Gu'er had just kicked Zhang Da and was about to fall from the momentum. Sun Jiaming dropped what he was holding and managed to catch her just in time, preventing her from falling.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Thank you."
Zhou Gu'er hadn't even noticed anyone else was there. Zhang Da was such a nightmare to her that all her attention had been focused on him, and she was oblivious to her surroundings.
After thanking him, she turned to look at the person who had helped her.
He was a young man, about five-foot-ten, with a crew cut. He wasn't fat or thin—his build was just right.
He had a healthy complexion and a pair of very bright eyes. He wasn't what you'd call strikingly handsome, but he looked sharp and full of life.
She felt like she had seen him before but couldn't recall his name.
"You... you... damn... damn... bitch... you... you dare kick me... I'm... I'm not through with you."
Zhang Da was still hopping around, unable to speak properly through the sheer pain.
"You're not through with me? What gives you the right? Yes, I kicked you, but it was self-defense. I can justify my actions to anyone. If you dare spout nonsense or lay a hand on me again, I'll do more than just kick you. I'll do worse."
Zhou Gu'er's hatred for Zhang Da was a lifetime deep. In her past life, she hadn't dared to resist. But now that she had a second chance, she would never be weak again. She would never marry Zhang Da. If he tried to bully her, she was truly capable of anything.
"You... you damn bitch, still talking tough? T-Today... if I don't teach you a lesson... my... my name isn't Zhang!"
Zhang Da stopped hopping, but cold sweat beaded on his forehead from the pain. He couldn't stand up straight, yet he had no intention of letting Zhou Gu'er go.
"That's enough. What kind of man bullies a young woman?"
Sun Jiaming said, looking at Zhang Da with disapproval.
"This is none of your business, Sun Jiaming. We've always stayed out of each other's way. I don't bother you, so don't you bother me. This damn bitch has nothing to do with you. Get out of my way."
Zhang Da didn't want to provoke Sun Jiaming, but he wasn't willing to let Zhou Gu'er off the hook either. He had suffered a major humiliation today.
"You lay one finger on her and see what happens. Don't think there's no one in this village who can handle you. She was just walking down the road, how is that any of your business? She felt unwell and stopped for a moment—is that a crime? Then you try to drag her into your house. Is that something a human being would do? You're talking about not letting her go? Why don't you ask if she's going to let *you* go!"
Sun Jiaming despised Zhang Da and had no intention of showing him any respect. He wasn't afraid of him in the slightest.
Zhang Da opened his mouth but didn't speak immediately. Deep down, he didn't want to make an enemy of Sun Jiaming. The Sun Family was doing well for themselves, and Sun Jiaming was young and strong—Zhang Da knew he couldn't win in a fight against him. But to just let Zhou Gu'er go like this... he couldn't stomach it.