"Exactly, my mother would never look down on you! You're an ugly monster!" Lu Yun shouted angrily at Lu Jizu.
"Ugly monster!" Lu Yu glared at Lu Jizu with disdain.
"My mother would never do those shameful things," Lu Hua said softly.
"You... you little brats, I'll beat you to death—" Lu Jizu said, rolling up his sleeves and charging towards Lu Yun and the others menacingly.
Lu Ye stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and threw him fiercely to the side.
Seeing her man thrown to the ground, Li Xianglan immediately wailed at everyone, "Oh, Lu Ye hit someone, everyone look! Lu Ye hit my husband! What are you all standing around for? Beat this wolf cub to death!"
The villagers dared not make a move. This kid Lu Ye had always been fierce, like a lone wolf in the desert, since he was young.
Lu Ye didn't even spare Li Xianglan a glance, turning to Clan Leader Zhang instead, "And you! Clan Leader Zhang! Your granddaughter Zhang Lanlan wanted me to marry into the Zhang family as her live-in husband. I refused, so your Zhang family held a grudge and colluded with the Lu clan to ban my family from using the village well. My parents searched for water everywhere every day, leaving the little water they had for my younger siblings, while they themselves... were literally thirsted to death! I will remember this debt firmly!"
Bai Sheng was shocked. Before the original owner came to the Lu family, such a thing had happened!
As expected, someone was coveting her cheap husband!
Bai Sheng's gaze searched through the crowd and easily found her target—a beautiful girl, her face flushed red, biting her lower lip.
So this was her "love rival." She looked alright, more than ten times better looking than the original owner, who was dark, thin, and had dark spots on her face.
However, Zhang Lanlan was also looking at her, her eyes filled with resentment.
What a desert white lotus! Bai Sheng unceremoniously rolled her eyes a few times.
Zhang Lanlan showed a hint of disdain, shifted her gaze to Lu Ye, and began to cry pitifully, "Little Ye brother, Grandpa... wouldn't do this. You might... might have misunderstood them."
"Yes, Little Ye, you... you misunderstood?" A boy with a slight wheeze in his voice suddenly walked out from among the villagers, seemingly having just arrived.
This boy looked about the same age as Lu Ye, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a slender build.
Lu Ye shot the boy a cold glance and remained silent.
Bai Sheng searched her mind and found that the original owner had no impression of this boy.
"Xuan Yi, why are you back?" Zhang Lanlan turned to look at Li Xuan Yi, a few crystal tears hanging on her cheeks, looking particularly like a pear blossom in the rain.
"The martial arts academy gave us a few days off," Li Xuan Yi's gaze was fixed on Zhang Lanlan, and even a blind person could tell his intentions towards Zhang Lanlan were obvious.
Zhang Lanlan glanced at Lu Ye and, as if to avoid suspicion, dodged Li Xuan Yi's gaze.
A faint disappointment flashed across Li Xuan Yi's face.
Clan Leader Zhang was not as easily provoked as Clan Leader Lu. He snorted contemptuously and said arrogantly, "That's right, the county records do stipulate that this well belongs to the entire village, but it was dug by my Zhang family's ancestors! Since the village head and Clan Leader Lu have unanimously decided to let my Zhang family manage this well, then I, Zhang Hongda, have the right to decide who is qualified to use the well!
You, Lu Ye, were born of a lowly slave. My Lanlan fancied you, and you should thank your ancestors for burning high incense! Yet you are arrogant and trample on my Lanlan's dignity. If I don't teach you a lesson, I'll be letting down the ancestors who dug this well!"
He, Zhang Hongda, wanted the whole village to see that whoever dared to offend their Zhang family would suffer the same fate as Lu Dajiang and his wife – to be thirsted to death!
"Grandpa... it wasn't you, don't talk nonsense..." Zhang Lanlan tugged at Clan Leader Zhang's sleeve, her expression nervous as she looked at Lu Ye.
"Humph, it was I, the clan leader, who did it! What can he, Lu Ye, do to me?" Clan Leader Zhang shook his head, his expression very haughty. His Zhang family had connections in the county government, and who in the entire Huangsha Village dared not give him face!
Hearing Clan Leader Zhang's words, Li Xuan Yi's expression flickered with embarrassment. He thought for a moment, walked up to Lu Ye, and lowered his voice slightly, "Little Ye, right now, there's only one well in the village. For Lu Hua and the others, I think you should apologize to Clan Leader Zhang in front of everyone. Otherwise, without water, even the strongest person can't survive for a few days. A true man can bend and stretch..."
"Shut up!" Lu Ye coldly interrupted Li Xuan Yi, "I told you, we are no longer brothers. If you're here to watch the show, then please watch quietly."
"Little Ye..." Li Xuan Yi's eyes dimmed. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he didn't, and awkwardly stood aside.
Bai Sheng looked at the two and made a bold guess.
These two were good brothers before, but they fell out for some reason. Zhang Lanlan liked Lu Ye, and Li Xuan Yi liked Zhang Lanlan.
Wow, a love triangle!
She just didn't know if Lu Ye liked Zhang Lanlan. Lu Ye only said he didn't want to be a live-in husband at the Zhang family's house, not that he didn't like Zhang Lanlan. After all, in Huangsha Village, apart from Grandma An, Zhang Lanlan was the best-looking.
Men, who would say they don't like beautiful women? Bai Sheng could walk backward on her hands!
Lu Ye looked at Clan Leader Zhang, a hint of mockery on his lips, "Your Zhang family controls the only water well in the village, and you repeatedly claim it was dug by your Zhang family ancestors. May I ask, Clan Leader Zhang, is there any proof?"
Lu Ye's words instantly caused a considerable stir among the surrounding villagers. The village head and Clan Leader Lu exchanged glances, their eyes moving slightly.
Huangsha Village had been established for nearly a thousand years. Although it was located in the hinterland of the desert and the environment was very harsh, thanks to a very deep well in the village, the villagers could barely eke out an existence.
However, in the past two years, due to the drought, the well water had receded, all the sparse crops had withered, and only a few desert plants had survived. The entire village had fallen into a severe survival crisis.
To save the village, the clan leaders discussed letting the Zhang family manage the well and distribute a limited amount of water to the villagers daily.
A flicker of panic flashed in Clan Leader Zhang's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "How could there be no proof? A few days ago, I entrusted someone to go to the county government to obtain a deed as proof. In a few more days, the proof will be in my hands! You can see the evidence anytime!"
The village head and Clan Leader Lu were slightly startled. If the well were truly brought under the Zhang family's name, wouldn't they have to curry favor with Zhang Hongda every day from now on?
Bai Sheng sneered, "It is said that this well has been around for seven to eight hundred years. Even if you entrusted someone to find connections and get this proof, it cannot truly prove that the well was dug by your Zhang family ancestors. Your Zhang family is merely using power to oppress people and using the well to command the villagers!"
Hearing this, Clan Leader Zhang could no longer remain calm. He looked at the villagers with a slight panic and angrily rebuked Bai Sheng, "You, an outsider, a lowly slave, who gave you the nerve to spout nonsense here and sow discord in Huangsha Village?!"
Bai Sheng walked up to Lu Ye, smiling, and linked her arm through his, "Of course, it's the courage my husband gave me. Moreover, whether I'm spouting nonsense or not, everyone's eyes are sharp, and time will prove people's hearts!"