"Hmph!"
Lin Fan snorted coldly, "A death sentence can be avoided, but living punishment is unavoidable."
"Sister-in-law, go to the backyard and get a vine, pick the one with more thorns."
"Oh, got it."
Xia Xue first went into the house to get scissors, then went to the backyard.
In less than a minute, she returned with a thorny vine, "Xiao Fan, go easy on them, just teach them a lesson."
Lin Fan grinned, "Don't worry, this thing won't kill anyone."
This kind of vine was called a thorn vine, covered with dense thorns.
Chen Ergou and the other two panicked immediately upon seeing this.
"What are you going to do?"
"You'll know soon enough."
Lin Fan sneered, revealing a set of white teeth.
Soon, the three were beaten by Lin Fan, scurrying around with their heads in their hands.
"Hahaha..."
"Well beaten!"
"Xiao Fan, hit harder! We'll block the gate and make sure they can't escape!"
The villagers, enjoying the spectacle, egged him on.
"Nobody runs! Whoever runs gets whipped more. Weren't you guys so tough just now, smashing my things? Kneel down!"
Under Lin Fan's powerful martial arts, Chen Ergou and the other two covered their heads and knelt in a row.
The three wished they were dead. They couldn't escape and couldn't win. They had never been so embarrassed in their lives.
"Wang Daniu, step forward and tell me, dare you come to my house to cause trouble again?"
Whap, whap, whap!
Lin Fan whipped Wang Daniu relentlessly, making him jump and yelp.
He wanted to make Wang Daniu feel the pain, to teach these three scoundrels a lesson so they wouldn't dare to trouble him at home again.
Wang Daniu cried with a snotty nose, "Stop hitting! I really don't dare anymore, I know I was wrong! Just let me go like a fart."
"Hahaha, what a coward!"
The villagers burst into laughter.
Lin Fan frowned, seeing that all the thorns had fallen off the vine, "These thorns are too flimsy. They fell off after just a few whips."
"Sister-in-law, go get another new vine."
Hearing this, the three turned green, "Don't hit us anymore! We really know we were wrong, please let us go."
The thorn vine truly hurt when it whipped, it felt like it reached the bone!
Lin Fan looked up at the sky and pondered for a moment before saying, "It's not impossible to let you go. What about the things you broke?"
"We'll pay! We'll pay!"
The three said in unison.
Lin Fan nodded slightly, "Alright, I'm a reasonable person. Ten thousand yuan each."
"This..."
The three were stunned.
"This is too much! We didn't break that much stuff!"
"What do you mean you didn't break much?"
Lin Fan glared, "Putting aside everything else, that vase alone is an antique of over a hundred years. It could fetch at least a hundred thousand at auction. Ten thousand is already a good deal for you."
"There's such a thing?"
The three exchanged glances.
"Xiao Fan."
Xia Xue hesitated, but Lin Fan quickly winked at her, signaling her to remain silent.
Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, "It seems you're not willing to pay, are you? Sister-in-law, go get another vine, and make sure it's thicker than the last one."
"No... please don't get another one! We'll pay, we'll pay, alright!"
The three secretly groaned. They were idle layabouts, and paying ten thousand yuan would probably bankrupt them.
Lin Fan waved his hand, "Hmph, you're getting off easy. Hurry back and get the money. If you don't bring the money before dinner, I'll personally visit you with the vine."
The three felt like they had been granted amnesty and scrambled away.
"Hahaha, that was so satisfying!"
"These three scoundrels, they used to harass the village girls and young women quite a bit."
"Yeah, well beaten! Wonderfully beaten! The village bullies are crying!"
"Xiao Fan, I didn't expect you to be so skilled not only in medicine but also in combat. When did you learn this?"
The villagers praised Lin Fan incessantly.
"I just practice when I have free time," Lin Fan replied perfunctorily.
After the villagers left, Xia Xue tidied up and said, "Xiao Fan, is our vase an antique? How come I never knew?"
Lin Fan chuckled, "If I hadn't called it an antique, how could I have made those three pay?"
"But the compensation is too much!"
Xia Xue felt a bit uneasy.
"It's not too much at all. If we don't teach them a lesson, what if they come back to cause trouble?"
Lin Fan sighed, his sister-in-law was too kind.
"Xiao Fan, will they really send the money?"
Xia Xue doubted that Chen Ergou and the other two would return.
"If they dare not come, I'll break their legs!" Lin Fan said confidently.
"By the way, Xiao Fan, where exactly did you learn your martial arts? Be honest!" Xia Xue demanded.
"Self-taught, hehehe..." Lin Fan chuckled.
In fact, he had mentioned more than once that he had received a mysterious inheritance, but Xia Xue never believed him. What could he do?
In the evening, Wang Daniu and Li Erdan timidly brought the money.
Lin Fan frowned, "Where's Chen Ergou? Is he refusing to pay?"
"No, Er Gou went to the town's clinic to treat his injuries. He asked us to bring the money," Wang Daniu stammered.
Lin Fan thought about it; Chen Ergou had three broken ribs from him.
He took the money, counted it, and said impatiently, "Scram! And don't set foot in Luofeng Village again, or I'll break your legs."
"Yes, yes."
The two cast a fearful glance at Lin Fan and turned to leave.
Lin Fan handed the money to Xia Xue, "Sister-in-law, here you go. Buy some new clothes when you have time. Spend it all, don't be frugal. It's money earned for free, anyway."
Xia Xue's brows furrowed, "So much money. By the way, does this count as ill-gotten gains?"
"Definitely not."
Lin Fan shook his head, "Sister-in-law, think about it. They steal and do petty thievery all day. Can the money they make be considered legitimate?"
Xia Xue nodded and said nothing more.
After dinner, Lin Fan went to Song Yue's house.
"Sister Yueyue, come on, I'll take you to see my sister-in-law's orchard."
"Xiao Fan, what's there to see in the orchard this late at night?"
Song Yue was puzzled, "Besides, I've been to your sister-in-law's orchard before and even helped out. What's there to visit?"
Lin Fan beckoned her closer, "Sister Yueyue, come with me, I'll show you a treasure."
Song Yue's face flushed, and she said coquettishly, "You're annoying! Why do we have to go to the orchard to see a treasure? What if someone sees us?"
"It's much better to do it in my house."
Her coy behavior made her look like a young unmarried girl.
"Oh, what's the point of always being at home? Come with me."
Lin Fan pulled Song Yue out of the house.
"Xiao Fan, I didn't expect you to be so romantic." Song Yue said shyly.
"People learn and grow up!"
Lin Fan led Song Yue to the orchard and found a secluded spot.
Under the dim moonlight, only a pair of entwined figures could be seen.