Chapter 7: Fatty Girl

Shao Diandian smiled and said, "Uncle Dao, what a coincidence."

In her memories, the original owner had always addressed him this way. His real name was Zhang Dao. Years ago, he had worked as an escort guard alongside Shao Kang. Eventually, both gave up that life; one became a low-level thug in town, while the other turned into a village bully. In the early years, they kept in touch, but they had gradually drifted apart.

Perhaps because being called "Uncle Dao" put him in a good mood, Zhang Dao smiled and asked, "How is your father doing lately?"

Shao Diandian replied, "Same as always. You, on the other hand, Uncle Dao, seem to be looking more spirited than ever."

She could rattle off such pleasantries endlessly, though she wasn't sure if he had the patience to listen. Naturally, Zhang Dao had no such time to waste. He was here on business today, not to chat with a girl he barely knew.

He got straight to the point. "Niece, I’m an old acquaintance of your father’s, and since you’ve called me uncle, I’ll let you off the hook today."

With that, he cast a malicious gaze toward Old Man Li. "Old man, my brothers are a bit short on cash lately. How about lending us some silver to spend?"

Old Man Li was inwardly desperate. The ox cart didn't just hold his own belongings, but those of the fellow villagers as well; he couldn't afford to pay them back if everything were stolen! His daughter-in-law was about to give birth, and his wife had told him to sell the last two laying hens to cover the expenses. The money he carried was for his grandchild’s birth! What was he to do?

"Brothers, move in!"

"You got it, Brother Dao!"

"Uncle Dao." Shao Diandian spoke calmly. "There are things of mine on that ox cart."

"Oh?" Zhang Dao signaled for his men to stop. He looked at Shao Diandian with a smirk. "Which items are yours?"

Shao Diandian smiled faintly. "All of them."

Zhang Dao’s brows furrowed, and his expression darkened. Old Man Li looked at Shao Diandian in astonishment. He certainly didn't think "Fatty Shao" was protecting him; he just thought she was incredibly bold to dare steal from a town thug.

Zhang Dao walked up to Shao Diandian. She remained seated while he stood over her. He stared straight at her. "Are you sure everything on that cart is yours?"

"If you don't believe me, Uncle Dao, you can ask him." Shao Diandian acted as if she were completely unfazed, as if she hadn't felt the threat in his gaze or tone.

Zhang Dao sneered. "My niece is quite different from before."

Shao Diandian smiled. "People grow up, after all."

What a calm and collected girl! Zhang Dao looked over at Old Man Li. The old man kept his head down, silent. Since they were going to be robbed anyway, it made no difference to him whether it was by Fatty Shao or these men.

Shao Diandian said, "Uncle Dao, you said you wouldn't make things difficult for me. You wouldn't go back on your word, would you?"

Zhang Dao clenched his fists and grabbed Old Man Li by the collar. "Hand over the silver you're carrying!"

Old Man Li reached for his money pouch, but only pulled out a few scattered copper coins. Where was his money?!

Shao Diandian said with a sigh, "It seems you’re having a streak of bad luck today, Uncle Dao."

Zhang Dao’s knuckles cracked. "Hmph!" He let go of Old Man Li in a rage.

Shao Diandian said with a smile, "Safe travels, Uncle Dao." She then turned to Old Man Li. "Aren't you going to head back to the village? How long do you want my father to wait?"

"I..." Old Man Li was heartbroken over his two hundred copper coins! His hard-earned money! Who had stolen it?

Shao Diandian snatched the whip and drove the ox cart away. Zhang Dao watched coldly as the cart rolled past. Suddenly, he caught the scent of sorghum liquor. Shao Kang didn't drink!

He roared, "Stop right there!"

*Damn it!* She had been exposed!

Zhang Dao was never a soft-hearted man. The only reason he had been wary of Shao Kang was not because of any deep bond, but because they had maintained a mutual non-aggression pact. Yet, this girl had dared to deceive him, making a fool out of him! He couldn't tolerate this and decided to teach her a lesson.

"Boss, that little girl..." one of his men asked.

"Give her a taste of trouble, make her kowtow a few times, and leave the goods," Zhang Dao ordered. This was routine for them.

Two large men quickly closed in on Shao Diandian. An ox cart wasn't like a horse-drawn carriage; it couldn't accelerate instantly. The moment she realized things had turned sour, she knew a fight was inevitable.

She looked at the shadows on the ground, grabbed the large pig trotter she had just bought, and slammed it backward! Fast, accurate, and ruthless—it hit the man square in the face! He collapsed to the ground, dizzy and seeing stars.

But that only took care of one; the other grabbed her sleeve. Shao Diandian didn't hesitate to kick him! A kick from a two-hundred-pound person was not something just anyone could withstand. The man’s ribs broke instantly, and he collapsed, spitting blood.

Those two were easy enough to deal with, but Zhang Dao was different. He was a trained fighter who had been to the magistrate’s office and had even killed men. With her current chubby body, Shao Diandian was no match for him.

Zhang Dao’s first move sent her flying off the ox cart. Luckily, her thick padding kept her from injury. But then came his second strike. She could have dodged it, but Old Man Li was behind her. If the blade hit the elderly man, he would surely die. Shao Diandian gritted her teeth and blocked with her chubby arm. She succeeded, but the back of her hand was slashed.

"You’re forcing me to use my ultimate move..."

Shao Diandian gritted her teeth and shouted behind Zhang Dao, "Father! You're here!"

Zhang Dao looked back. When he realized he’d been tricked and turned to grab her, she was gone. *Where did that fat girl go?!*

*Thump... thump... thump...*

Heavy footsteps, one by one, seemed to make the ground shake. Zhang Dao’s heart sank. He looked up.

"I—am—here!"

With the strength to lift mountains and a spirit that conquered all! Shao Diandian stepped onto the ox cart, vaulted herself, and landed squarely on Zhang Dao with her entire weight!

"Gah—!"

Zhang Dao was knocked unconscious, splayed out on the ground like a toad, his tongue lolling out, eyes rolling back.

Shao Diandian was exhausted to the point of collapse, lying on the ground in an 'X' shape, gasping for air. This body was too heavy, just too heavy... If it were her previous life, she could have handled eight men empty-handed without gasping like this... She had to lose weight! She was going to starve herself!

On the way back, Shao Diandian remained cold, like a vengeful spirit. Old Man Li assumed she was in a foul mood because of the fight. He drove the cart to the Shao residence and waited for her to unload her goods. To his surprise, she only took her own things and then shut the door coldly!

He was stunned. Hadn't Fatty Shao fought those men to protect the goods? He sat blankly on the cart. His foot seemed to step on something. He looked down and saw his lost money pouch. That wasn't right; he had checked everywhere earlier—it hadn't been on the cart. He looked at the tightly shut door of the Shao house, his expression becoming complex.

Once inside, Shao Diandian dove into her room. She was injured. In her past life, she had suffered sword wounds and gunshot wounds—it had been nothing. But she had overlooked how sensitive this body’s pain receptors were; it felt ten times more painful than it should have. Now that she was alone, she finally couldn't hold it back.

She looked at the gash on the back of her hand and burst into tears. "It hurts so much—"