Felix Thorne was hauling manure. The dung that had composted all winter was the best fertilizer, and it had to be carried to the fields one shoulder-pole load at a time. Phoebe Huxley was also hauling manure. She was strong and did the work of a man, so she could earn full work points.

"Daddy, someone bullied me! My hand hurts..."

Tang Xiaonan had been working herself up, and the moment she saw Felix Thorne, she burst into tears, pitifully holding up her hand.

"Who did this? Jim, are you useless?!"

Felix Thorne’s face darkened instantly when he saw the dark purple bruise circling his daughter’s tender white wrist. He whirled on Jim Thorne, cursing.

’Useless boy. Can’t even protect his sister at school. All he knows how to do is eat.’

"Teacher Golding did it. She pinched me and broke my hand. Mr. Xavier set it for me."

Tang Xiaonan tattled pitifully, her eyes welling with tears. Just then, Phoebe Huxley came over with her empty shoulder pole. When she heard the words "broke my hand," she jumped in fright, dropped the pole, and rushed over.

"Which Teacher Golding pinched you?"

A foul stench assaulted her nostrils. It was overwhelming. Tang Xiaonan held her breath and whispered, "The Teacher Golding from our village. Her son, Ulysses Spann, tried to steal my meat, and Teacher Golding punished *me* for it!"

Phoebe Huxley knew exactly who she meant. Her face turned livid. "Ulysses Spann tried to steal your meat?"

"Yeah. He tried to steal my meat and even spat at me, so I hit him."

"Good for you. Serves that little bastard right. Is that Golding bitch here?" Phoebe Huxley asked viciously.

"No. Ulysses Spann’s sister yelled at me, and when Teacher Golding came back, she yelled at me too. Then she dragged me outside to punish me. WAH... She pulled so hard she broke my hand! It hurts... Mama... I don’t want to go to school anymore! Teacher Golding is a bad person..."

Tang Xiaonan wailed at the top of her lungs, holding her right hand high. The bruise circling her wrist was a shocking sight. In reality, the injury wasn’t serious. A child’s skin is tender, and Tang Xiaonan’s was especially delicate, so it didn’t take much force from Phoenix Golding to leave such a mark.

But in Phoebe Huxley’s eyes, her daughter’s hand had been broken by that damn bitch—the very same damn bitch who was trying to seduce her husband. Phoebe Huxley, who wasn’t one for overthinking things, immediately jumped to a conspiracy theory.

’Abusing my Xiaonan on her very first day of school... She’s definitely targeting me. That damn bitch is trying to send me a message!’

"I’m gonna kill that bitch!"

Phoebe Huxley rolled up her sleeves and stomped off. Felix Thorne ran after her, yelling, "Let’s get the story straight first!"

"Story straight, my ass! That damn bitch did this to Xiaonan’s hand, and you want to protect her? Felix Thorne, are you even a man? Xiaonan is your own flesh and blood! Are you going to abandon your own daughter for that bitch?"

Phoebe Huxley unleashed a torrent of abuse. Normally, she’d try to save face for Felix Thorne in public and would do as he said. But today, old and new grievances came bubbling to the surface. It would have been a miracle if someone with Phoebe’s explosive temper could have held back. She swore she’d kill that bitch Phoenix Golding, or her name wasn’t Huxley!

"What are you saying in front of the children? Let’s go home first!"

Felix Thorne’s face was as black as thunder, a truly frightening sight. The other villagers who were working nearby didn’t dare approach to mediate. Instead, they pointed from a distance, waiting for the drama to unfold.

"Bah! What part of that was nonsense? Felix Thorne, you’re just determined to protect that old flame of yours, aren’t you? Fine! I won’t count on you to stick up for Xiaonan, but don’t you dare get in my way. I’m going to kill that damn bitch today, and if anyone tries to stop me, I’ll chop them to bits!"

Phoebe Huxley snatched a shovel off the ground and, with a mighty heave, drove it into the mud. The blade sank halfway into the earth. The onlookers’ hearts trembled. Who would dare try to stop her now?

Seeing things were about to get ugly, someone secretly ran off to warn Phoenix Golding. Phoebe Huxley was a shrew who wasn’t afraid to get violent, and Phoenix Golding’s small frame was no match for her. She would be eaten alive!