Chapter 35: The System Has Found Its Master

Jiang Xiaxia had no idea how bizarre the expressions of those around her were. Remembering her grandmother’s advice, she quickly patted her small hands together and then planted them firmly on her waist. "Beat her to death... and say! Not dead!" she declared.

Taking a deep breath to hold it in, Jiang Xiaxia puffed out her cheeks, paused for ten seconds, and then finished the sentence: "...don't say!"

Jiang Dalin, having reached the old Jiang household first, scurried inside to wake his uncle. He urged him to stop the fuss, telling him that his aunt had returned. However, no sooner had he stepped inside than a chill ran down his spine. He felt as though something headache-inducing was about to happen.

Dalin stopped in his tracks, turning his head to count the people in the room. Uncle Zhuguo’s second son was there, as was his wife and their three children. "Good!" he thought, "that should be fine."

Just as he felt relieved, his own son, Tiedan, came trotting in. The boy’s face showed lingering fear mixed with inexplicable admiration. "Dad, Auntie Dahong fainted!"

"What?" Dalin’s eyes widened as he looked back at the boy. "Who did it? Was it Zhi’en’s grandma?"

"No, no, it was a little sister!" Tiedan shook his head, raising his hand to pat his own head. "With a thud! It was so loud!"

Hearing the word "sister," Dalin immediately knew who he meant. He reflexively blurted out, "That’s your cousin, don’t talk nonsense!" But upon hearing his son’s description, he let out an "Oh, my heavens!" and slapped his thigh, rushing back outside. That girl’s strength was terrifying! His own hand was still numb from earlier—could Han Dahong’s head be okay?

Inside the room, Jiang Zhuguo kicked his second son, who was hunched over looking for clean clothes. He looked at him with a hint of disdain, his voice sounding genuinely frail. "Your mother is back. Why aren't you going out to greet her?"

"Let Dad go first!" The second son’s face was square and upright, looking extremely serious, though his fox-like eyes softened the severity.

Watching his son’s silent demeanor and recalling the trouble from a while back, Zhuguo felt a headache coming on. Just as he was about to scold him, the second son added, "Mom is still waiting outside! The team leader hasn't gone in yet—could it be that Mom has already crossed paths with Auntie Dahong?"

Zhuguo scrambled to his feet, tidied himself up quickly, and turned to rush outside. Only a few steps later, he turned back, grabbed his second son by the ear, and snorted. "Follow me out, and call your wife too. Learn from me and your mother about how to handle things in this village!" Both of them were educated, so why were they so slow-witted and easily manipulated? As he spoke, he didn't forget to glance at the three children in the corner. "You lot come out and watch too!"

The three children exchanged glances and silently followed.

Once the whole family reached the doorway, they were stunned by the inexplicably quiet atmosphere. Seeing Han Dahong lying stiffly on the ground, Zhuguo’s brows knit into a frown, his expression heavy. He walked quickly to Jiang Hua, looking her over from head to toe, meticulous and thorough. Seeing that she hadn't thinned out and her face still held a healthy glow, he realized she hadn't suffered much during her time away. Only then did he slowly shift his gaze to his youngest son.

"Dad!" Jiang Jing called out as soon as he saw Zhuguo, then turned to greet the others, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law!"

Zhuguo reached out and patted his youngest son’s shoulder heavily. Feeling the firm, powerful muscles beneath his palm, he was taken aback. A look of surprise flickered across his brow. He thought to himself: *Wasn't it said the third son was seriously injured? Looking at him now, he doesn't look injured at all—he's full of vitality!*

"Uncle, are you ever going to finish your family reunion? How are we going to handle this situation?" Dalin asked, unable to contain himself as he watched the family acting as if they had plenty of time for long conversations. There was a person lying on the ground! Couldn't they deal with the mess at hand before catching up?

Some of the onlookers had wanted to step forward to help Han Dahong up, feeling a bit of pity. But Jiang Hua had returned. She was a formidable figure in the village, the only woman to have faced the Japanese head-on, and the villagers held her in deep respect. Seeing her standing there silently, no one dared to step forward. Besides, in this weather, lying on the ground for a while wouldn't hurt; Han Dahong was wearing a padded jacket, after all.

"Don't touch her!" a young man standing behind the group whispered. "Last time, Dad was kind-hearted and pulled Auntie Han’s niece out of the river, and they forced him to take responsibility for her! If you pull Auntie Han up now, Dad will have to take responsibility for another person!" That brief sentence summarized the gist of Han Dahong’s usual antics.

Zhuguo glanced at Dalin. "Your aunt is back. Matters involving women are for her to decide. Why are you calling for me?"

"But this—"

"Grandpa!" A crisp, clear voice interrupted Dalin.

Jiang Xiaxia bounced in front of Zhuguo to catch his attention. "Me, Xiaxia!"

Zhuguo frowned as he looked at the little girl bouncing before him, then peered at her with anticipation. He couldn't help but reach out to touch her head. "Whose child is this? How did they raise her? She’s like a little scrawny monkey!"

Xiaxia tilted her head, thinking. She took out the notebook she’d gotten from Commander Lin and handed it to Zhuguo. "Grandpa, a gift!"

Zhuguo was stunned. He couldn't help but look at his wife; seeing her nod slightly, he accepted it. Seeing him take it, Xiaxia let out a small sigh of relief. Grandpa was still the same Grandpa—he looked exactly the same, just with a few more lines on his face. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, *Good thing I prepared a gift for him first, otherwise, with Grandpa’s petty nature, who knows if he’d hold this against me later.*

Back when she was still a system, her grandmother had nagged her, saying that even in his sixties, Grandpa still remembered that when they were in their twenties, Grandma had dinner with a male colleague and didn't bring him along. Every time Grandma and Grandpa fought, he would bring that up.

After secretly exhaling, she pointed a small finger at Jiang Jing behind her. Under Zhuguo’s puzzled gaze, she said in a milky voice, "Uncle raised me!"

Zhuguo looked at Jiang Jing, then at Xiaxia, then glanced at his wife and the granddaughter following behind. Suddenly, he bent over, took off his shoe, and hurled it at Jiang Jing’s forehead. "I'll beat you to death, you damn brat!"