Julie was about to go to the back mountain to chop some trees and gather firewood and wheat straw when she heard a woman's voice from outside.
"Julie, Julie, I have some good news for you." This foolish woman thought to herself, I better take advantage of her before she sells Lorrie.
From the sound of it, the little guy was still untouched. The woman couldn't believe Julie's luck — marrying three handsome husbands. How could someone so dumb deserve it? Luckily, Julie was easy to fool; just a few words and she believed anything.
Julie looked at the woman who barged right in without knocking.
The woman's name was Liu Hongjuan. She was in her twenties, with sly, narrow eyes, and a face full of scheming. Even though she was smiling, there was no real kindness in her.
Julie stayed silent but thought to herself: this woman was one of the original owner's so-called "good friends."
Normally, Liu Hongjuan liked to gossip and stir up trouble. She often told the original owner that the three husbands — Bailee, Haven, and Lorrie — were unfaithful and flirted with others, urging her to control them strictly and beat them often. If she beat them enough, they would behave and stay loyal.
The original owner believed her.
That's why she often hit and scolded the three husbands, scared they would cheat on her, and because she had no confidence in herself.
Julie had no feelings for the three men or any good impression of Liu Hongjuan.
Liu Hongjuan didn't have any kindness toward the original Julie either; she only wanted to use and manipulate her.
Julie also remembered that Liu Hongjuan had borrowed silver from the original owner a few times, totaling at least five taels, and had never paid it back.
Now that Liu Hongjuan came knocking, it was time to settle the debt.
Julie was lazy and disliked trouble, but she was not weak. Since someone dared to bully her, she would teach her a lesson.
Liu Hongjuan noticed Julie didn't come up to her smiling like before. Her eyes flashed with annoyance and anger, but she quickly forced a smile and softened her voice, pretending to be concerned: "What were you doing just now? I called you, why didn't you answer?"
As Liu Hongjuan reached out to grab her arm, Julie quickly dodged to the side.
A flash of cruelty crossed Liu Hongjuan's eyes, but she quickly put on her usual "caring sister" act: "What's wrong? Did those husbands bully you? I told you before, you're too nice to them. That's why they take advantage. You should just sell them all off! Tsk tsk, look at that bruise on your head, it's so pitiful. Come, let me rub it for you."
Saying that, she reached out, pretending to care but actually trying to hit her hard on the head.
Before she could touch her, Julie grabbed her hand, twisted it sharply, and with a loud crack, easily dislocated her arm.
Liu Hongjuan screamed in pain, cursing loudly: "Are you crazy?! Help! Julie's gone mad! She's trying to kill me! Help!"
Julie had a bad reputation in the village.
After her parents died, she wasted most of the family fortune. The village head didn't like her and didn't show her any kindness. Instead, he sent her to live in a rundown area near the foot of the mountain, far from any neighbors. It was lonely, deserted, and dangerous.
So even though Liu Hongjuan screamed for a long time, no one came to help her.
Julie found her noisy and annoying, so she directly dislocated Liu Hongjuan's jaw. Liu Hongjuan's eyes widened in terror. She realized she couldn't speak, and drool dripped from her open mouth. This isn't Julie anymore! This is a ghost! A monster!
She knew the old Julie very well. But now she wasn't sure anymore. Could she have been pretending all along? No, impossible! But still... it was terrifying.
Julie calmly popped Liu Hongjuan's jaw back into place and, without giving her a chance to react, grabbed her neck and said coldly, "When are you going to repay the ten taels of silver you owe me?"
Liu Hongjuan was shocked. Ten taels? Wasn't it only five? How did she know about the loan?
Only the two of them knew about the borrowed money.
Liu Hongjuan's mind raced, trying to think of a way to talk her way out of this mess. She planned to escape first and think of revenge later.
But Julie saw her shifty eyes and knew she was trying to avoid paying. However, if she didn't want to pay, then she'd have to pay with her life.
Julie tightened her grip, forcing Liu Hongjuan to choose between money and life.
Liu Hongjuan couldn't even speak now. Her face turned red and her eyes rolled back.
Bailee, Haven, and Lorrie were standing nearby, watching, scared and worried. They feared Julie might accidentally kill Liu Hongjuan. They were also afraid that maybe Liu Hongjuan's earlier words were true — that Julie really planned to sell them.
They didn't know what to do. They didn't dare intervene and could only watch anxiously.
Finally, Lorrie spoke up: "Let her go! She's already passing out!"
Julie loosened her hand, and Liu Hongjuan collapsed to the ground like a rag doll.
Shaking like a leaf, she crawled backward in fear. She had even wet herself. It wasn't that she was cowardly, but she had really thought she was going to die just now.
Julie's fierce gaze made her tremble. She wanted to say she would pay the money.
But when she thought about how much ten taels of silver was, her heart was full of resentment. She didn't want to pay a single coin.
She had always been the one tricking Julie out of money. Now Julie wanted to extort her?
No way. That much silver could buy her several beautiful husbands!
Julie saw her hesitation and knew she had chosen money over her life.
This time, without mercy, Julie pulled a dagger from her sleeve and waved it in front of Liu Hongjuan's face, then near her neck, as if deciding where to cut first.
Liu Hongjuan's face went pale. She tried to tell herself Julie wouldn't really do it.
But while she was comforting herself, Julie suddenly stabbed her left thigh with the dagger. The blade went in and came out quickly.
As Julie was about to stab the right thigh to make it symmetrical, Liu Hongjuan screamed like a pig being slaughtered: "Ahhh! You're crazy! Julie, are you mad? It's just a few taels! Have you forgotten we grew up together? How could you be so cruel?"
She even started crying, trying to appeal to Julie's feelings.
But she didn't realize that the Julie standing before her now had a completely different soul — one that felt nothing but annoyance at her noisy crying.