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墨書 Inktalez
Driven to desperation, he finally proposed this suggestion.
"Sir, please take it slow."
As she looked at the trail of blood that wound its way along the path, Xia Muxin felt a chill in her heart. She cast a cold glance at the Zhou Family while struggling to help the Summer Old Man to his feet, softly advising him.
"What are you staring at? Who knows if his injuries are from going to some unsavory place and not satisfying someone, and besides, he has received so much allowance over the past month without bringing back a single coin. Why should we bear the burden for him?"
With two daughters now in such a state—one locked in the woodshed and the other wearing a constant expression like a wooden puppet—this was all because of Xia Muxin. Zhou Yousheng was seething with anger but had nowhere to vent it. Seeing Xia Muxin glaring at them with such audacity, he sarcastically remarked.
"I feel ashamed for your whole family. Each of you is healthy and capable, yet you rely on an old man to support you. You waste your life as if you're looking into a mirror, and still have the nerve to criticize others. Sooner or later, you'll get what you deserve."
Xia Muxin's lips curled slightly. How could she not know that the Zhou family was not only ugly in their treatment of women but also had men who were equally despicable? She believed firmly that good and evil would be repaid in kind; it was not that retribution was absent, but simply that the time had not yet come.
"Hey, you worthless scoundrel! You dare come to my doorstep and act wild? I've put up with you for months now. What's wrong with cursing this Old Immortal? Look at you—do you have anyone in your family who is whole? Don't think just because no one calls you a whore who sleeps with everyone that you're something special. In my eyes, you're nothing but a lowly whore."
Zhou Changyuan, who couldn’t earn money and was scorned by his wife, confronted Xia Muxin today. He rolled up his sleeves as if ready to fight, his face twisted with rage as he pointed at her, spewing words that were utterly unbearable.
He wasn’t like his older brother who couldn’t produce a son and became an easy target for ridicule.
At that moment, Songzi came over supporting Aunt Xia. Seeing the Summer Old Man swaying unsteadily, she hurried forward to help him, her voice choked with emotion.
"Father, you..."
But she could only break down in tears. The Summer Old Man had always treated her well; he never looked down on her for being an orphan. Since marrying into the Zhou family, he had treated her like his own daughter and got along well with Jihua. However, their good times were short-lived; once the Zhou family arrived, their world turned dark.
Because she had no parents of her own, seeing the Summer Old Man felt like seeing her real father. The love of a father was something she could only experience through him. Thus, even as a daughter-in-law in this family, he was her true father in her eyes.
Their family was small, and their wishes were modest; they simply wanted to live together peacefully and safely.
Just like Jihua, as long as they knew she was alive, their hearts could find peace.
As Muxin said, as long as one is alive, there is hope.
"Get lost, Jinx! No one wants a wild seed like you around. Don't bring your bad luck to my doorstep."
Upon seeing Aunt Xia, Zhou Changyuan waved his hand dismissively, his expression full of disdain, which made Xia Muxin want to hit him. She had assured him that she was fine, but when it came to her family, things were not so fortunate. Seeing her mother and Songzi helping her grandfather out of Zhou Changyuan's yard, she placed her hands on her hips and declared:
"Zhou, clean up your mouth! If you don't, next year on this day will be your memorial day. And you all better watch out; if you provoke me, you'll regret it. Aren't your roots in the outer village? Well then, I’ll kindly help you return to where you belong!"
The last phrase about returning to one's roots struck the Zhou family like a sharp blade, piercing their hearts. That was a place they never wanted to revisit. Besides, those who could leave had already moved away; the land could not be farmed, the fields could not be sown, and even the water was not clean. They lived in constant fear that beasts would invade their home. Just thinking about it sent chills down their spines.
Xia Muxin had heard about that place by chance at the Brick Factory when Er Dan Ge mentioned it. It was a remote little village that had been cut off from the world due to government construction. What was once a beautiful village with clear mountains and waters had vanished overnight—grass withered, trees died, and the water became contaminated. Those who drank from it fell ill with strange diseases. Eventually, everyone who could leave did so; those who couldn't moved to other mountains to cultivate new land. It was said that many hunters coming to Daimiao Mountain were from that village.
"You cold-blooded heartless person! Today I’ll beat you to death and see whose memorial day it is next year!"
Zhou Changyuan was tall and strong; he had always been domineering whether in the past or present. Though usually quiet, he had a fiery temper and was easily provoked. Xia Muxin's words were like salt on their wounds. Grabbing a broom, he charged at her.
Xia Muxin stood right where they stacked firewood. Seeing his aggressive approach didn’t frighten her; instead, she grabbed a sturdy branch. As Zhou Changyuan swung the broom at her, she crouched down and swiftly struck his calf with all her might.
The branch was solid and heavy; Xia Muxin put most of her strength into that blow. With a loud thud, Zhou Changyuan buckled at the knees and fell to the ground with a crash.
At the same time, he couldn't help but contort his face in pain.
Xia Muxin showed no mercy and struck him again on the back. Instantly, there was a loud crack as his spine protested under the impact.
Zhou Changyuan, however, simply climbed down.
After a couple of breaths, Xia Muxin was slightly out of breath but still couldn't vent her anger. She pointed at the other members of the Zhou Family and declared, "If you have the guts, come at me! I’m not afraid of you. Today, whoever dies is just unlucky."
She had steeled herself; she wouldn't let this family think she was just a pretty face.
"You... you... Changyuan... ah..."
"Head of the family..."
Dajuan was frightened by Xia Muxin. Seeing Zhou Changyuan lying on the ground motionless, she rushed over, shaking him while crying out loudly.
The Wu Family was even louder, wailing at the top of their lungs, making sure everyone knew about their troubles.
At the same time, they grabbed Zhou Yousheng and Zhou Changsheng, cursing them fiercely: "Useless! This little vixen is bullying us right in front of you! Look at our lives; what a mess! Are you really going to let a cheap little girl push you around like this?"
Zhou Yousheng and Zhou Changsheng were already furious, their eyes burning with rage as they wished they could devour Xia Muxin whole.
Provoked by the Wu Family's taunts, they both raised their fists and charged at Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin dropped the large wooden branch she had been holding and picked up two smaller sticks, one in each hand.
After all, she had practiced fencing before; her technique might be a bit rusty, but today was just right to teach this blind Zhou family a lesson.
Seeing her strange stance, Zhou Yousheng and Zhou Changsheng were momentarily stunned. However, You Shi rushed forward and shoved a hoe and a shoulder pole into their hands, sternly saying,
"Hit her, hit her to death! She said it herself—whoever dies today just has bad luck."
Upon hearing this, both men, with red eyes, swung their tools at Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin dodged left and right, and amidst the back-and-forth, she was already drenched in sweat.
The commotion attracted quite a few villagers. When they saw the Zhou brothers desperately attacking Xia Muxin, they were alarmed and rushed over to intervene.
"Hey, brothers! Do you have no shame? Two grown men bullying a girl in her teens like this? Stop it, quickly!"
"Yeah, what’s wrong with you? All day long you’re up to no good, just jealous of others. Bullying a girl like this—are you even human?"
"Put down your tools right now, or we won’t hold back!"
The villagers shouted to stop them and tried to find ways to block the attack. Suddenly, a handful of dirt was thrown at them, catching several off guard and covering them from head to toe.
"What are you all doing? Don’t you have anything better to do? Or is it that you’re not satisfied until you’ve bullied this girl? Why do you need to meddle in my family’s affairs? We can handle her ourselves!"
With a glance exchanged between the Wu Family and You Shi, they threw handfuls of dirt back at the villagers. Seeing them caught off guard and unable to approach Xia Muxin for the time being, the two stepped forward with fierce expressions and began shouting at the villagers.
"Ah..."
At that moment, Zhou Yousheng, distracted by his own arrogance, was poked in the nose by Xia Muxin. The stick was small but sharp; it pierced deeply into his nostrils. Once the branch was pulled out, blood began gushing from his nose.
Seeing himself bleeding, Zhou Yousheng let out a cry of agony. With bloodshot eyes, he raised the hoe and charged at Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin's eyes narrowed as she aimed at the two members of the Wu Family. A smirk appeared on her lips as she sprinted towards them with lightning speed. Just before Zhou Yousheng's hoe came crashing down, she bent her waist, and with a loud clang, the hoe hit the ground.
"Mother..."
"Mother..."
Zhou Yousheng and the others cried out in unison, their voices filled with desperation.
The woman from the You family stared wide-eyed, her lips quivering. After a moment, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground.
Xia Muxin tossed aside the branch in her hand, casting a cold glance at them before turning to leave.
Seeing this, Zhou Changsheng rushed forward, gripping a broom tightly. With all his strength, he aimed the broom handle at Xia Muxin's back.
Xia Muxin was walking fine when suddenly pain shot through her foot. She bent down to investigate, just as a shadow flew over her head. The villagers gasped in shock as Zhou Changyuan tumbled headfirst into a nearby bucket of excrement.
Perhaps due to others' laziness, the bucket was half-filled with urine, and the stench could be detected from afar. As he fell in, it splashed everywhere, covering the ground in foul liquid that was unbearable to approach.
Xia Muxin couldn't tell if she wanted to cry or laugh. She pulled a sharp stone from under her foot and strode away briskly.
The villagers were left in a state of mixed emotions—neither able to help nor ignore the situation. Ultimately, it was Zhou Changyuan who struggled and rolled on the ground with the bucket before finally freeing his head.
He gasped for air immediately; as he opened his mouth, urine sprayed from his nose and eyes. The villagers pinched their noses and turned away in disgust.
Zhou Changyuan sat on the ground, pounding his fists against the earth. With a shout, he dashed towards the river and plunged into its depths.
When Xia Muxin returned home, she found her mother truly preparing a meal for Summer Old Man.
In the morning, some pancakes were made but not finished. Songzi was helping him catch his breath while serving him tea.
Meanwhile, the Summer Old Man was eating the pancakes voraciously, disregarding his image.
"Grandpa! Please eat slowly."
Xia Muxin walked over and softly said this before moving to Aunt Xia's side.
"Mother, let me take care of him. You go spend some time with Grandpa."
Aunt Xia, still wiping her tears, was helped up by Xia Muxin. With a sigh, she left the stove.
Xia Muxin washed the rice, sliced some meat, and chopped up some vegetables, then cooked a pot of porridge.
It was evident that Grandpa hadn't eaten in a long time. His pants were riddled with holes, and his clothes were tattered. He was covered in thick layers of dirt, varying in color and thickness, indicating that the journey had been extremely arduous. His palms were even scraped raw, with visible patches of white bone; she could only guess that he had crawled back from Town.
At this moment, it wasn't wise to give him a heavy meal. She decided to let him drink some porridge to warm his stomach first and then gradually nourish him back to health.
The porridge didn't take long to cook since the fire was burning brightly.
Xia Muxin took a large bowl and filled it to the brim before bringing it over.
"Grandpa, eat slowly. There's more in the pot."
She placed the porridge in front of him, put a spoon in it, and reminded him gently.
"Mother, you all keep Grandpa company. I’ll go heat up some water for bathing."
After finishing all of this, he said a few words to his mother and then took the wooden bucket to the back room.
Aunt Xia nodded with wet eyes and then went into her own room. A few days ago, Muxin had bought a lot of fabric, and since she had some free time, she made two sets of clothes for the Summer Old Man. The child's father was very pleased when he saw them and said that when he returned, he would take him home for a few days and bring the clothes along.
It had been a few years since he last made new clothes.
Just as Xia Muxin finished boiling water, her father and the others returned. Upon entering the house and seeing the Summer Old Man in such a state, they immediately knelt before him and began to cry.
"Forest, it's my fault as a father. I'm sorry for your family. Why are you crying? As long as your family is well, what does it matter to me?"
The Summer Old Man had drunk some porridge, which made his stomach feel much better, but he was still weak. Seeing Summer Forest like this, he shook his head and choked out his words.
"Father, Brother, you came back just in time. I've boiled water; hurry and help Grandpa clean up. Remember, don't soak the wound with water. From now on, our family will never be separated again."
Upon hearing this, Summer Forest quickly nodded. Aunt Xia handed the clothes to Xia Tieshu and watched as the three of them entered the back room.
In the past few days, Xia Muxin had tried making a few bottles of alcohol. After all, working at the Brick Factory was physically demanding, and it was common for everyone to get minor injuries. Since she was not allowed to go out under Shen Muhan's supervision, she thought about making a few bottles and was pleasantly surprised by her success. She then asked Ming Yi to get her some clean cotton, which she used to make several cotton swabs; the swab sticks were carved by her brother.
She had always been skilled at handicrafts, and even with such casual efforts, her work was not inferior to modern craftsmanship.
When her father and brother helped their grandfather out, Xia Muxin went over to greet them and immediately began disinfecting his wounds.
In this era, there was no tetanus; fortunately, it was just some abrasions from stones. If it had been from iron objects, it would have been troublesome. Now all that was needed was to disinfect and bandage the wounds regularly.
Shen Muhan had left some external wound medicine with her; it was clearly high-quality stuff not meant for ordinary people. After cleaning the Summer Old Man's wounds, she sprinkled the medicine powder on them and then bandaged them with gauze.
Shen Muhan understood medicine, and Ming Yi did too; their carriage was always stocked with plenty of medicine and gauze supplies.
Xia Muxin, being meticulous, took some supplies home to keep for later use.
"Does it still hurt?"
The most severe injury on Summer Old Man was on his thigh, as if something had scratched it. There were some black specks inside that hadn't been cleaned out, leading to surrounding inflammation. Due to infrequent dressing changes, the wound had not healed.
Xia Muxin had been working on the heated needle for a long time, during which Summer Old Man remained silent, quietly watching the family with a warm smile in his eyes.
"All done, Grandpa. You look tired. Would you like to take a nap first?"
After putting away all the tools and noticing the contented smile in Summer Old Man's eyes, Xia Muxin let out a slow breath. His dark circles suggested he hadn’t slept well in a long time, so she suggested it.
"Yes, Dad, you should rest for a bit. Our Muxin is doing well now. From now on, you don’t need to go anywhere; just stay with us. We’ll always be together as a family. Also, the Zhou Family doesn’t dare bully us anymore, so you can rest easy."
Summer Forest quickly chimed in, and others nodded in agreement.
Feeling exhausted, Summer Old Man nodded and was supported by Summer Forest and Xia Tieshu into the back room, where he lay down on the bed shared by Iron Tree and Songzi.
In the evening, Shen Muhan and the others returned with a large wild boar weighing over two hundred pounds.
Xia Muxin was delighted. She instructed Ming Yi and the others to clean the wild boar. Her brother's foot had healed enough for him to help out; his knife skills were quite good and he could handle this task just as well as Ming Yi and the others.
Soon after, Xia Muxin sent about two pounds of wild boar head to Aunt Liu, Er Dan Ge, several people from Brick Factory, and the village chief's family. They kept several dozen pounds for themselves and sent the remaining one hundred twenty pounds overnight to Fortune and Longevity Restaurant, which amounted to one hundred twenty taels.
"I heard you got into a fight today."
On the way back, Shen Muhan didn’t drive himself but sat in the carriage with Xia Muxin. Seeing her happily counting the banknotes in her hand, he asked with a warm gaze.
His voice was cold yet warm to the heart. Xia Muxin tucked away the banknotes and met his deep gaze, nodding as she replied,
"Yes, I fought them, and I defeated them thoroughly."
Today had been a stroke of luck for her; the Zhou Family had brought this upon themselves, and even the Heavens could not stand by any longer.
"As long as you're not hurt, next time we should bring Ming Yi along. You just need to direct from the side."
Shen Muhan furrowed his brow, scrutinizing her before speaking softly.
Oh...
Xia Muxin looked at him in mild surprise, realizing he was genuinely not angry and actually wanted to help her fight. In that moment, she felt like an accomplice in wrongdoing.
And she was the one in the wrong...
"So I can hit whoever I want from now on?"
After thinking for a moment, she asked with lingering doubt.
Shen Muhan relaxed his brow, gazing at her with certainty as he nodded.
"Then... what if the target is you? What if Ming Yi doesn’t dare to hit you?"
It seemed that he was the one who had bullied her the most up until now. If she wanted to hit him, could she really do that?
"I knew you were up to no good, Girl."
Shen Muhan seemed to have anticipated what she would say. With a swift motion, he pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her slender shoulder. With a mix of helplessness and affection, he spoke softly.
Xia Muxin felt a tickling sensation in her ears as his breath brushed against them, the minty scent of him mingling with her own breath.
This feeling was unfamiliar, reminiscent of the legendary notion of love, yet it brought a sense of calm to her heart. Perhaps ever since they met, wherever he was, she felt secure.
Being held by him like this made Xia Muxin feel a bit shy. She glanced at his picturesque features, her cheeks flushing slightly as she struggled to break free, only to find him tightening his hold.
She should have known his possessiveness; once he set his mind on something, it was hard to change it. So she dismissed the thought.
"You really are a handful, girl. How many more years do we have?"
Seeing that she had stopped resisting, Shen Muhan relaxed his grip a little. A faint smile curved his lips as he closed his eyes in fatigue. Breathing in the subtle scent of vanilla from her, he became somewhat entranced and slowly let out a seemingly nonsensical remark.
Xia Muxin furrowed her brows, realizing he was being playful again. Turning to look at him, she found that he had already fallen asleep.
The sound of his steady breathing filled her ears, and she gazed at his peaceful sleeping face. After a long moment, she murmured softly:
"So you have a cute side too."
- End of Chapter -
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