C6 Bullying

As soon as she stepped inside, Xiaodong hurried over, his thin face full of concern. "Sis, are you okay?"

Xiaoxia shook her head. Dealing with someone like Rongrong was no big deal for her, but she knew this wouldn’t be the last time they’d have to face her.

"By the way, where's Xiaoqiu?" She glanced around but didn’t see her.

"Xiaoqiu went down to the river to do laundry. She should be back soon!"

In fact, Xiaoqiu had returned shortly after everyone else had left. Born deaf and mute, she was unaware of what had happened at home.

Carrying a wooden basin, she walked to the backyard and hung the clothes out to dry. As she bent down to pick up the basin to leave, one of the garments fell.

She looked around. There was no wind. With a slight frown, she picked up the clothes from the ground. They were now dirty and would need to be washed again.

"Take that! Take that!" A voice called out. Not far away, on a rock, Xiaohua was aiming a slingshot at Xiaoqiu, shooting pebbles at her.

Xiaohua was the youngest son of Second Uncle Zhaozi and Second Aunt Zhou Guihua. Spoiled rotten, he was the apple of their eye. Xiaoqiu was used to being bullied, and since Xiaohua was the family favorite, she endured the hits in silence.

Quickly gathering up the clothes and getting ready to leave, Xiaoqiu was suddenly stopped by Xiaohua, who grabbed the wooden basin from Xiaoqiu's hands. Despite his youthful appearance, there was an unsettling fierceness in Xiaohua's eyes. "Hey, where are you going?" he demanded.

Xiaoqiu, unaware of the cruel nickname his cousin had for him, simply pointed at the basin in response.

With a loud thud, the basin hit the ground, scattering clothes everywhere. Xiaohua laughed triumphantly, clapping his hands and jumping around in glee.

"Uh...ah..." Xiaoqiu was flustered, unable to form a complete sentence, only managing anxious sounds.

"If Mom finds out you dropped the basin, she'll break your legs!" Xiaohua taunted, yanking down all the clothes hanging on the rack and stomping on them for good measure. After his mischief, he spat on the ground, mimicking an adult.

Xiaoqiu's face flushed with frustration, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at Xiaohua for a long moment before crouching down to pick up the clothes.

Just as he bent down, Xiaohua came at him again, swinging a slingshot. A sharp sting marked Xiaoqiu's face.

"Come on, get moving, mute!" Xiaohua jeered, pretending to ride a horse as he used the slingshot to whip at Xiaoqiu's body.

She held back her frustration and let it pass. Having been bullied often before, she was used to it. Causing trouble for her and her two sisters would be worse.

With this in mind, Shi Xiaoqiu braced her hands on the ground, ready to crawl forward. Shi Xiaohua felt even more triumphant, her small body wriggling with glee. She didn't notice someone secretly watching from the corner.

Suddenly, a stone flew through the air, accurately hitting Shi Xiaoqiu's hand. The pain made her hand go limp, and Shi Xiaohua, not sitting properly, tumbled forward. The backyard was full of stones, and her forehead hit one, leaving a large, swollen gash.

She touched her forehead and brought her fingers to her eyes, seeing the bright red blood. Shi Xiaohua was furious. "How dare you make me fall? You've got some nerve!" she shouted, aiming her slingshot at Shi Xiaoqiu.

Shi Xiaohua hadn't expected this to happen. Regardless of who was at fault, if Xiaohua got hurt while with her, Shi Xiaoqiu would be blamed. She had no choice but to endure it.

Even after venting her anger, Shi Xiaohua wasn't satisfied. Her forehead throbbed with pain. Pointing at the stone she had tripped over, her young face twisted with malice, she said, "You made me like this, and you won't get away with it. You better run into it yourself!"

Shi Xiaoqiu didn't move.

"Really? Can't even watch where you're going? I'll make you pay for that!" Xiaohua grabbed her and tried to push her against the rock.

Unfortunately, he was too young and not strong enough, so he struggled for a while but couldn't manage to push Xiaoqiu against the rock.

No way, he had to teach this mute a lesson!

She pushed him, and now his clothes were dirty. Mom would definitely make her pay for this!

"Just wait, I'll get Mom!" He threatened, ready to run off.

Xiaofeng, who had been hiding and watching from the corner, stepped in and blocked his path. He crouched down, giving a sympathetic glance at the pitiful Xiaoqiu. "Xiaohua, don't go telling Mom just yet. Think about it, she hit you so hard that it'll take a month for that bruise to heal. If you tell Mom, you'll just get another beating. It's not worth it!"