Chapter 282 - The Five Brothers

Chapter 282: The Five Brothers

Xiao Chaolai's words were like a sharp dagger stabbing deep into Xiao Luo's grandparent's hearts.

Xiao Zhiyuan had returned home to set up a farm, so a lot of money was invested in it. Over the past few years, life had been very hard for the family. It was not only hard on Xiao Zhiyuan. Xiao Luo's grandparent's also had been enduring skepticism from the people around them. In the Luo's village, Xiao Chaolai was one of the most prominent figures who spurned Xiao Zhiyuan by Xiao Luo's grandparent's ears from time to time.

"Xiao Chaolai, you… You…"

Xiao Luo's grandmother was extremely mad. She grabbed a broom to shun off the crowd. "Scram! Every one of you, get lost! Don't be at my gates!"

An Yuan looked slightly panicked. She took a few steps back, fearing that she'd be hit by the broom.

Xiao Chaolai immediately glared at her with dilated pupils and hideously shouted, "Try touching me, you old fart! I'll dig a hole and bury you alive!"

As soon as his words fell, an enormous hand approached him without prior warning and grabbed the collar of his shirt. A powerful force burst forth from its five fingers. Xiao Chaolai felt his feet detach from the ground. His collar was gripped so tightly that it strangled his neck. An intense feeling of suffocation promptly surged to his brain.

Xiao Chaolai looked at Xiao Luo with his eyes widened. He couldn't believe that Xiao Luo was so powerful that he could lift him off the ground with one hand.

Everyone else was completely startled. Xiao Luo being so strong was genuinely unexpected.

With a cold expression, Xiao Luo solemnly said, "Uncle Chaolai, I think I'll still address you as 'Uncle' for the time being. I already said that whoever bullies my grandpa and grandma should scram as far as they can. Have you let my words flit by like a breeze?"

Faced with Xiao Luo's glare, Xiao Chaolai subconsciously quivered in fear. This was a kind of perilous aura given off by an angry beast. When he was young, he had gone hunting in the mountains. These were the very eyes of a relentless wolf. There was no way he could have mistaken that.

Xiao Luo squinted his eyes. He had a contemptuous smile at the corner of his lips. "I don't care what you say about me, whether at my back or right in my face. I will only ever laugh it off. But my family members, especially my grandpa and grandma, aren't people that any of you can humiliate. Consider this a little punishment. If there's a next time, I'll cripple one of your legs!"

The voice was gentle but filled with a chilly aura.

Upon finishing his sentence, he flung out his arms. Xiao Chaolai was thrown away with absolutely no room for resisting. He heavily fell in the paddy field right in front of the grain-sunning grounds. Following a loud splash, he was like a chicken in soup. What's more, it was a soup full of mud.

"Gulp."

Everyone uncontrollably swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Aside from being terrorized by Xiao Luo's strength, they were even more startled by the hostility he had displayed. They only now realized that they didn't understand this kid, who had grown up under their watch, at all.

When An Yuan realized that Xiao Luo had his eyes fixed on her, her body shivered. She panickily asked, "Little bastard, w-w-what are you planning to do?"

Xiao Luo didn't say a word. He silently advanced toward her step by step with a countenance as cold as snow and eyes that emitted streams of chills.

He had killed a lot of people. With him infuriated, his foul semblance erupted from his body. An Yuan was only a regular woman in a rural village, so how could she possibly hold herself against such a powerful tension? Her legs immediately turned wobbly. She fell bottom down to the ground.

Xiao Luo stood in front of her and stared at her condescendingly. "Can you leave our grain-sunning grounds?"

It may have seemed like a request, but his tone rendered his words undefiable.

An Yuan had burst into a cold sweat. She rolled and crawled away from the grain-sunning grounds of Xiao Luo's house.

Xiao Luo looked at her playfully and said, "According to your seniority, I should be calling you 'Aunt.' In fact, that's the way I addressed you. I've always respected you, but what about you? Little bastard here, and little bastard there… Do I owe you something? Or, is that we are well-deserving of you making us a target of mockery and criticism for things like my dad setting up a farm or me not finding a wife?"

"I…"

An Yuan was rendered speechless. She was unable to find the words to refute him.

"A woman opening her throat to rambunctiously spout obnoxious words is the behavior of a shrew," Xiao Luo said with a smile. "It will only devastate your image in a person's perspective. Tell me, what exactly are you after? I'll give you a piece of advice. Try practicing the silent chant. It will be good for you!"

Subsequently, he turned to face the crowd and unhurriedly said, "To all my uncles and aunties, we all call ourselves Xiaos, and peace is what we should value. May there be less sarcasm and more sincerity. I, Xiao Luo, still respect every one of you. You are still welcome at my house!"

Those who were there to watch the drama unfold with a neutral stance couldn't help but feel their faces turn hot. Xiao Luo was indirectly criticizing them for not being kind to his family.

Xiao Luo said nothing more. He turned his head around and smiled gently. "Grandma, I'm hungry."

His grandmother promptly put down her broom and revealed a kind smile, "Alright, I'll go to cook at once. I'm going to make you your favorite veggie taros."

Xiao Luo nodded and replied, "Alright."

"You've grown up, Xiao Luo!"

Xiao Luo's grandfather patted his shoulders with praise as he followed his wife into the house to assist her in cooking lunch.

Xiao Luo had no desire to linger outside any longer. He turned around and walked into the house.

"Xiao Luo, this isn't over. If you don't apologize and compensate me a couple of hundred bucks for throwing me to the ground, I'm telling you, Chaofa and the rest will be coming back for the New Year soon. You will be bawling when the time comes." Xiao Chaolai had already climbed out from the paddy field. He was drenched and covered in dirt. Unable to contain his anger, he rambled some harsh words at Xiao Luo.

Upon hearing him, Xiao Luo halted his steps. He turned around and sarcastically asked, "If I remember correctly, you have four other brothers, right?" He pointed at Xiao Chaolai and An Yuan. "You have more in numbers. May I assume that is why you are emboldened when talking about the others and fearless of everything?"

"Hmph!"

Xiao Chaolai snorted and arrogantly lifted his nose, silently admitting to the statement.

That was indeed the truth. With five brothers and their respective sons, they had a big bunch of people. No family in the Luo Village had more men than them.

Although they had never beaten up someone from the same village, they had a history of doing so at another village. The reason was that one of their son's wife insisted on a divorce, so the five brothers went to wreak havoc at the girl's house. They had beaten up her family. It was even said that they hoisted up the girl and beat her.

It was precisely because of these glorious deeds that they had built prestige within the village. Only a few people in the village dared to disobey them.

For instance, there was a boulder used to pray for protection from the gods, which was transported back from the river with the entire village's effort. After using it, the five brothers shifted it in front of their own house, making it their private property. People in the village only dared to complain in private. No one dared to stand up and call out that it was unreasonable.

It was public property, and everyone had made their contributions. How could it be privatized?

The five brothers were just bold enough to do so. Xiao Chaolai even spouted some arrogant words when he was drunk, saying that the boulder belonged to their family and they'd beat up whoever disagreed.

"Uncle Chaolai, I have to remind you, we are now in a society ruled by law," Xiao Luo said with a playful smile. "You can't be king because you have bigger fists or larger numbers. Everything goes by the word 'reason.'"

If he hadn't been from the same family, Xiao Luo wouldn't have wasted his saliva. If he was a gangster, he would have whacked him until he submitted.