C7 I'll Slap You to Death!

"I'm a pig-raising soldier? Why on earth would the villagers call me that?" Shen Yong brooded, feeling downcast.

"Alright then! It's fine! If they say I'm a pig-raising soldier, so be it! I'm back now anyway! Raising pigs in the village could actually be a good thing! Given the current pork prices, if I do it right, I could make a killing! ..."

Lost in thought, Shen Yong began to zone out.

Suddenly, Zhao Sangou, in a falsetto, called out to the youths he'd brought along, "Brothers! That idiot's frozen in place! He's definitely having one of his episodes! Now's our chance, grab him! Tie him up first!"

"Yes, Brother Dog!"

Seven or eight young men, armed with wooden sticks, steel pipes, and ropes, charged at Shen Yong, confident in their superior numbers.

But before they could even reach Shen Yong, their weapons mysteriously vanished from their hands, and one by one, they thudded to their knees.

"You lot think you can tie me up? Bring a hundred thousand more like you, and you still wouldn't lay a finger on me!"

Shen Yong tossed the sticks, pipes, and ropes to the ground with a dismissive gesture.

The young men were left gaping, question marks practically floating above their heads.

"What just happened? How did my stick end up in his hands?"

"Why am I kneeling all of a sudden?"

"When did he even make a move?"

Zhao Sangou, in disbelief, rubbed his eyes, unable to trust his own sight.

"Big brother! Did you catch what just happened?"

Zhao Sangou, with an effeminate twist, approached Zhao Dabiao for answers.

"I didn't see a thing! I didn't even catch it when he slapped me before!"

Zhao Dabiao replied, shaking his large head.

"Big brother! After he slapped you, your face looks like a pig's behind. Are we really going to let that slide?"

Zhao Sangou pressed.

"No, we can't let this go!"

Zhao Dabiao yelled at Shen Yong, "Shen Yong! We three brothers are reasonable men! You can't just beat me black and blue without consequences! You owe me compensation for my medical bills!"

At that moment, Zhao Dabiao no longer dared to call Shen Yong a fool, nor did he dare to raise a hand against him. He even chose his words with extreme caution, fearing another thunderous slap from Shen Yong.

"How can you have the audacity to ask me for medical expenses after what you've done? Something so vile, do I really need to spell it out in front of all these people?" Shen Yong glared at Zhao Dabiao.

Zhao Dabiao was suddenly tongue-tied, realizing that Shen Yong was sparing him some dignity, and he couldn't just throw it back in his face.

"Before we even get into the medical fees, there's the matter of the fifty thousand yuan you owe us! You're paying it back today, no excuses!" Zhao Erhu bellowed.

"Erhu! You've got to speak with some integrity! I borrowed only thirty thousand yuan, and it hasn't even been half a month. How on earth can you demand fifty thousand? That's even steeper than a loan shark's rates!" Shen Wanshan protested vehemently.

"Dad, take a breath," Shen Yong soothed, patting his father's shoulder. "Dad, Fat Tiger slapped you, right? Let's pay him back three times over."

"Yong, let's just let it go," Shen Wanshan implored.

"Dad, we can let anything slide, but not this," Shen Yong insisted.

Shen Wanshan gave a slight nod. "Fine."

Shen Yong gestured to Zhao Erhu with a crook of his finger and said icily, "Fat Tiger, come here and kneel before my father!"

"I... I won't kneel! I refuse to kneel! You could beat me to death, and I still wouldn't kneel!" Zhao Erhu declared defiantly.

"I'll count to three. If you don't come here and kneel before my father willingly, I'll turn you into something resembling that steel ball," Shen Yong warned, pointing to the solid steel ball on the ground with a chilling tone.

Zhao Erhu glanced at the steel ball, a shiver running through him. He looked desperately at Zhao Dabiao and Zhao Sangou for help, but they wouldn't dare intervene. Both gave a nod, signaling Zhao Erhu to swallow his pride and kneel.

Left without support, Zhao Erhu knew he was beaten. Before Shen Yong could even begin the countdown, Zhao Erhu lumbered over to Shen Wanshan and, with a thud, collapsed to his knees.

"Uncle Wanshan! It's all my fault! I never should have slapped you! Please, hit me back!"

Zhao Erhu feigned a look of earnest repentance.

"I... I've never hit anyone in my life!"

Shen Wanshan, a man of integrity for most of his life, had never struck another person. Now, faced with the prospect of hitting Zhao Erhu, he found himself hesitating.

Amid Shen Wanshan's quandary, the crowd of onlookers began to shout encouragement.

"Old Shen! Give him what for!"

"Old Shen! Channel the vigor you had swinging that pickaxe in your youth! Really let him have it!"

"Grandpa Wanshan! You've got to discipline this naughty uncle! He's been nothing but trouble!"

The calls overwhelmingly favored Shen Wanshan delivering a slap to Zhao Erhu, with both the elderly and children's voices chiming in.

"Dad! Remember how he slapped you! Give it back to him just like that!"

Shen Yong rooted for his father, "Dad! Slapping him is as easy as popping Sweet Beans in your mouth. Once you've slapped him once, you'll be itching to do it again. Just start off light!"

With the crowd's anticipation building, the ever-honest Shen Wanshan finally lifted his hand and swung it towards Zhao Erhu's ample cheek.

"Smack!"

The sound that followed was crisp, yet faint.

Shen Wanshan's slap was as gentle as one might swat a mosquito, and probably not even strong enough to squash one!

"Dad! How did that feel? You've got two more slaps to go! Put some muscle into the next one!"

Shen Yong encouraged.

"Uncle Wanshan! Think about the slap I gave you earlier; I knocked you right out of your wheelchair! Aren't you angry? Go on, hit me as hard as you can!"

Zhao Erhu, confident that Shen Wanshan's advanced age and weakened limbs meant he couldn't deliver a powerful blow, taunted him without fear, "It's just three slaps! Come on, let's have it!"

At these words, Shen Wanshan felt a surge of indignation, his rage igniting.

"How can you be so vile?! I'll slap the life out of you!"

Shen Wanshan swore, wound up his hefty palm, and unleashed it onto Zhao Erhu's face.

"Whack!"

The slap landed with the force of thunder, echoing loudly across the plain!

"Ouch!"

Zhao Erhu cried out in agony, tumbling to the ground, unconscious.

"Wow, I might have put a bit too much muscle into that one!"

Shen Wanshan's hands shook as he spoke.

He hadn't realized that his anger-fueled slap packed more punch than his younger days swinging an iron pickaxe at rocks!

The onlookers erupted into cheers.

"Nicely done! Old Shen really landed that one!"

"Old Shen has finally delivered his first-ever slap. It wasn't easy, but he's outdone himself!"

"Grandpa Shen! You're incredible! That slap could've knocked Uncle Fatty right into the next life!"

A child in the crowd declared Zhao Erhu dead, prompting Shen Wanshan to respond hastily, "Yong! I was just heated and might've gone overboard. Quick, check on Erhu. Is he actually dead?"

Panic set in for Shen Wanshan.

It was his first time striking someone!

He couldn't have a death on his hands!