Chapter 12: A Crushing Beating

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“What do you mean by that, Zhang Dao?” Shao Kang’s tone shifted, and so did the way he addressed him.

Zhang Dao’s smile vanished instantly. “What do you mean by that? Didn’t your precious daughter tell you when she got back? Offending me, Zhang Dao, isn’t something that can be settled so easily! If I don’t restore my face today, how am I supposed to keep running things around here?”

Shao Kang frowned at him. “Your injury—was it Da Ya who did it?”

In truth, Shao Kang had already noticed Zhang Dao was hurt, but he wasn’t truly concerned. Since Zhang Dao didn’t bring it up, he didn’t feel like asking.

Zhang Dao snorted coldly. “Cut the crap! Don’t want to hand her over? Fine.”

He pulled a dagger from his pocket and slammed it onto the table between them.

“Keep one hand!”

Shao Kang’s gaze landed on the cold blade. “If I keep my hand, will you let Da Ya go?”

Zhang Dao narrowed his eyes, sneering. “That depends on my mood. If I’m feeling generous, maybe I won’t bother with that fat bastard.”

Shao Kang slowly picked up the dagger from the table.

Zhang Dao couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “Brother Shao, Brother Shao, is it worth losing a hand for a daughter who’s both fat and dumb and won’t ever get married? Remember back when we traveled all over together? Everyone said you were one of the best escorts around.”

Shao Kang’s voice dropped low and dangerous. “Tell me, who’s the fat bastard?”

Zhang Dao was caught off guard.

The next moment, Shao Kang’s dagger lunged straight toward his face—

Zhang Dao never dreamed Shao Kang would strike so suddenly!

He knew his dozen-odd men were guarding the backyard, and Shao Kang must have seen them on the way here—

He wasn’t afraid of hurting himself and wouldn’t be able to leave—

Zhang Dao was injured; this move was unavoidable. However, a powerful bodyguard behind him swiftly grabbed Shao Kang’s right wrist.

But Shao Kang’s attack was a feint, or rather, a deliberate bait for the two of them.

His left hand quietly snatched up a nearby white porcelain vase and smashed it hard down on Zhang Dao’s head!

He cracked Zhang Dao’s skull on the spot!

No one behind could stop it!

Shao Kang had been farming in the countryside for years, almost making people forget how reckless he was as an escort back in the day.

A bodyguard rushed forward, trying to punch Shao Kang to the ground, but was kicked hard in the chest and fell heavily.

Shao Kang grabbed Zhang Dao’s collar and punched down hard!

“Fat bastard, huh?”

“Fat and dumb, huh?”

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“Have you forgotten how I single-handedly got you back from those mountain bandits back then?”

Yes!

How could he forget? They were ambushed by bandits; their escort goods were stolen, and he was captured.

It was Shao Kang alone, fighting desperately to bring him and the goods back!

The price paid was heavy; Shao Kang’s right hand was nearly crippled. His return to farming was not without reason.

The hand Shao Kang used to punish him was that very crippled right hand.

Though weaker, it was enough to punish a badly injured Zhang Dao.

Shao Kang slammed Zhang Dao onto the ground and rained down a flurry of punches like snowflakes.

As long as he didn’t kill him, he would beat him senseless!

“Zhang Dao, I don’t provoke you, you think I’m scared of you?”

“You dare bully my daughter! You’re courting death!”

Zhang Dao was beaten into questioning his own existence.

Meanwhile, the bodyguards guarding the backyard had heard the commotion but assumed Shao Kang was the one getting beaten.

The more they listened, the more suspicious it became, and they finally charged in en masse.

By then, Zhang Dao was swollen and bruised, barely clinging to life.

Seeing this, the crowd’s faces changed, and they lunged at Shao Kang with bared teeth and claws.

One-on-one or even two or three against him was no problem for Shao Kang, but facing a dozen men in turn was truly overwhelming.

Just as the situation inside was turning desperate, the door was violently kicked open by a small, chubby leg!

Shao Diandian and Shao Erdan burst in, wielding wooden sticks, fierce and determined.

“Let go of my father!”

Shao Erdan shouted as he jumped in.

There’s a saying: the weak fear the strong, the strong fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear those who have nothing to lose.

These thugs were ruthless, but the Shao family, protecting each other, were fearless.

After a fierce fight, the dozen or so thugs were all knocked to the ground, and no one dared advance.

The three Shao siblings stood panting.

Shao Kang threw the stick at Zhang Dao’s feet, breathing heavily. “Zhang Dao, remember this: if I can beat you once, I can do it again! If you ever set your sights on my daughter again, I’ll chop you up!”

The three walked out of the clinic.

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The fight had been messy. Shao Kang’s right hand was numb, and his foot was twisted. Shao Erdan had taken a punch to the face and was bleeding from the nose.

The only one unscathed was Shao Diandian.

Not because she was the best fighter, but because the two men took most of the blows for her.

“Why did you come?” Shao Kang asked.

“Erdan said you were called into town by Zhang Dao’s men, so I guessed something was wrong,” Shao Diandian replied.

Shao Kang said, “Don’t come next time. I can handle it.”

Shao Diandian hesitated. “Aren’t you going to ask how I offended Zhang Dao?”

Without thinking, Shao Kang said, “What’s there to ask? No matter what, you wouldn’t have started it. He’s clearly the one bullying you. Did you lose out?”

His answer was so different from what she expected that Shao Diandian was momentarily stunned.

“No,” she said.

The small wound on her hand was trivial; she cried because of her constitution, not the severity of the injury.

“Dad has told you countless times not to cause trouble outside!”

“Be obedient, be a good kid, don’t make your parents worry.”

“It takes two to tango. Why do they only target you and no one else? Look for your own faults first.”

These were the earnest, well-meaning words she heard most as a child. Even when it wasn’t her fault, they never listened to her explanations.

A phrase like “be strict with yourself and lenient with others” brushed off the exclusion and bullying she endured.

Shao Diandian looked at Old Man Shao. “You’re not mad I didn’t tell you I hurt Zhang Dao when I got back? If I had, you wouldn’t have gone to meet him so unguarded today.”

Shao Kang waved dismissively. “As long as you didn’t lose out, that’s fine. If I don’t go see him, he’ll come looking for me one day anyway. It’s the same! Besides, you’re sixteen, not sixty! Why worry so much?”

Twenty-six, she added silently in her heart.

She could have been more thorough; she didn’t know why she hadn’t spoken up sooner.

It was a subtle feeling she couldn’t describe.

While pondering, Shao Kang spoke again. “By the way, since you two came, who’s watching the kids?”

Her son-in-law was sick and couldn’t watch the three little ones.

Of course, they couldn’t count on Wei Ting; the guy couldn’t even get out of bed.

Shao Diandian said, “I found someone.”