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墨書 Inktalez
"Master Zhou, your mother wants you to go out. It's chaotic out there, and she can't protect you anymore."
Just as he was about to escape by climbing the wall, a familiar voice called out to him. It was Hong'er, the only woman over twenty-five in the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion besides the madam, and her services were the cheapest. He had frequented her the most, given his limited funds.
Hearing her call, Zhou Yousheng felt weak and nearly fell to the ground.
"Hong'er, my dear Hong'er, since I often patronize your business, could you help me get out of here?"
The Drunken Fragrance Pavilion did have a back door, but for some unknown reason, the madam had sealed it today with bricks. That was why he was trapped inside. He decided to catch Hong'er's attention and slipped a few coins into her palm. Normally, she would be easily swayed by a few kind words and some coins; she would let him do as he pleased.
Hong'er bit her lip, looking troubled. Her mother had given her a gold ingot specifically to help Zhou Yousheng escape. The situation outside was already chaotic; if he didn't leave soon, the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion might not be able to do business again. If her sisters found out she helped Master Zhou leave, she would surely be ostracized.
"Master Zhou, it's not that I don't want to help you; I really can't."
Suddenly, two tall men approached from a distance, prompting Hong'er to speak up immediately. If she helped him today, she would likely be killed by those two men tonight. Besides, with their arrival, it seemed the situation outside had become unbearable. Initially, it was just some women causing trouble that her mother could manage, but now a gentleman's wife had shown up. Upon seeing her, her mother immediately wilted and sent Hong'er to bring Zhou Yousheng out. Realizing she might fail this task, she raised her voice so they would know she had tried.
Zhou Yousheng also recognized the seriousness of the situation. Normally, the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion would protect its customers fiercely due to the nature of its business and wouldn't let anyone force them out.
Moreover, Zhou Yousheng was cowardly and afraid of pain; seeing this situation unfold made him instinctively walk toward the exit without waiting for anyone to act. His face turned ashen.
"You see? You heartless wretch! You leave us old and young women at home to suffer while you indulge yourself here! My life is so miserable because of you! No one dares come to propose marriage after seeing our home like this! My child’s future is ruined because of you!"
As he stepped out of the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion's door, someone rushed over to him, hitting and cursing him as if wanting to vent all their pent-up emotions from the past few months.
He was wearing this year's most fashionable outfit, made of fabric that could feed their family for half a year. The Wu Family was envious of his attire, feeling a painful sting in their hearts. If they had spent that money on other things, how much could they have bought? They were immediately filled with regret, lamenting and crying even more fiercely.
Some bystanders saw him come out and felt a mix of sympathy, disdain, and mockery before gradually dispersing...
*
"Hey... Mom, be gentle, gentle, gentle. Daughter-in-law, you too, be gentle. Ouch, be gentle..."
On the way back to Daimiao Mountain, the two women from the Wu Family were searching Zhou Yousheng thoroughly. In the end, they only found a few dozen coins on him, which made them hate him even more. Each grabbed one of his ears and dragged him home while scolding and hitting him along the way. By the time they reached Daimiao Village, it was already dark. Zhou Yousheng was in such a state that he was unrecognizable; although his injuries weren't severe, his face was bruised all over—blue in some places, purple in others, with some areas sunken and others swollen—making it impossible to discern his features.
Initially, he had tried to resist but ultimately lacked the strength to fight back.
Zhou Guilian cooked a pot of porridge with a bowl of rice and added some water spinach leaves to make it look less watery. She also stir-fried some water spinach and made a soup with it while waiting for them to return for dinner. As soon as she heard some noise, she ran out with Zhou Xiaolian. Upon seeing Zhou Yousheng's condition, Zhou Xiaolian was so frightened that she burst into tears, and Zhou Guilian's eyes also turned red.
However, her tears were not shed because she saw her father beaten beyond recognition; rather, it was because her father had so much money to buy such fine clothes while they had to drink porridge and eat vegetable leaves every day.
The initial surprise and hope were replaced by anger and resentment as she said to them in a dull tone:
"You’re back; it's time to eat."
After saying that, she went straight into the house and began scooping porridge for dinner.
The Wu Family women hadn't eaten lunch that day and had been busy dealing with Zhou Yousheng all afternoon. They were already so hungry that their stomachs were touching their backs. Ignoring Zhou Yousheng sitting nearby, they sat down at the table to eat. However, upon seeing the porridge floating with yellow leaves and two plates of water spinach that had no oil at all, they were momentarily stunned.
"Gui Lian, didn’t I tell you to cook? What is this? How are we supposed to eat?"
Wu Family threw down the chopsticks and reproached Zhou Guilian, who was eating calmly nearby.
"Grandma, this is already the last bowl of rice at home, and I had to shamelessly ask Color Lotus for these dishes. If you can get something better, go ahead."
Zhou Guilian had eaten well at noon and had taken a nap in the afternoon, so she hadn't digested much. After casually drinking a bowl of porridge, she felt full. Seeing her grandmother complaining about this and that, she threw down her bowl and coldly retorted. Then she glanced at Zhou Yousheng, who was standing by the table staring blankly at the porridge and side dishes, gave him a hard push, and directly ran into her room.
Zhou Xiaolian quickly drank two bowls of porridge without complaint or comment, acting like a puppet. After putting down her bowl, she returned to her room.
"Zhou Yousheng, just divorce me; I can't live like this anymore."
You Shi also drank two bowls of thin porridge and finally couldn't hold back. She glared at Zhou Yousheng with a commanding tone that left no room for doubt.
Both Zhou Yousheng and Wu Family were stunned. Wu Family thought she was just venting since the men in the family were useless, and women only suffered alongside them. Although Zhou Yousheng was not engaged in proper work and indulged in gambling and drinking, he cared deeply about his reputation. Even though he had divorced You Shi, the people in the village would not see it that way. After all, everyone knew what kind of person he was. Moreover, if Gui Lian and Xiao Lian found out he divorced You Shi, they would definitely cut ties with him if she remarried.
He was still young and hadn't played enough yet, but fallen leaves must return to their roots; when he got old, he would have to come back. Without a wife at home, would he have to wash clothes and cook for himself?
"What are you talking about? We've been married for so long; don't you have any shame?"
However, as a man with traditional views, he couldn't bring himself to say a few comforting words. Instead, he grumbled a few words irritably, didn't drink any more porridge, and went back to rest in his room.
That night, You Shi did not enter the room. Zhou Yousheng tossed and turned in bed but never thought about how to live his life moving forward...
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. The old house of Er Dan was demolished, and he moved into a Thatched Cottage at the Brick Factory.
The Xia Family originally intended for him to move in with them, but it felt inappropriate. After all, he was the future son-in-law of the Xia Family, and it would raise eyebrows if he moved in before Xia Jihua officially entered the family. After much discussion, he resolutely decided to stay at the Brick Factory.
Of course, his house was built with Fire Bricks, designed according to Xia Muxin's plans. It featured two living rooms and two bathrooms across two floors. Although he couldn't understand the blueprints, he could tell from Shen Muhan's admiration that his house was likely one of a kind.
Most of the people helping him were acquaintances. The Xia Family was busy, so he felt hesitant to ask for help. However, on the first day of construction, his future father-in-law and nephew Xia Tieshu came to lend a hand. Even Xia Muxin and her husband visited twice, but they were always in a hurry due to supermarket commitments.
The villagers envied and resented him for renovating his house. The new place was significantly larger than the previous two rooms—three times bigger, in fact. Fortunately, the land belonged to his family; his parents had once occupied a Thatched Cottage there. However, over time it had fallen into disrepair and had become nothing more than a rotting pile of straw. He had spent all his savings to build two adobe houses, and now, just a few years later, he was building again...
"Mother, how can the Summer Forest family be so heartless? I am their elder brother after all; why treat us this way?"
It was already the fifth day. Zhou Yousheng's family was eating porridge made from rice bought with their last few copper coins mixed with vegetable leaves. Every day, Zhou Yousheng spent most of his time sitting outside watching Er Dan tear down the old house and start building the new one. The young men from the village were laughing and joking as they helped out. The Xia Family was just a stone's throw away from Er Dan's family, yet they were hauling goods over there with horse-drawn carts—one load after another—and he couldn't help but feel envious.
At the same time, he felt indignant for his own family.
They would rather help outsiders than their own kin; where was the justice in that?
Moreover, every day the Summer Forest father and son passed by without acknowledging him as if he were invisible. This left him unable to swallow his anger.
"Indeed! That whole family has turned heartless. Heaven has eyes; they will eventually face retribution."
Whenever the current state of the Xia Family came up, the Wu Family seethed with anger, wishing they could devour them whole.
"Mother, if we can't do it openly, then let's do it covertly. While they're resting at night, we can sneak into their storeroom and take some supplies. We won't sell them; at least we can fill our stomachs. Besides, there's still several days until harvest time. Our fields seem to be lagging behind others; it will probably take more than ten days before we can harvest anything. And it looks like the grain isn't doing well—most of it is only half-formed or empty."
His family had quite a bit of land, but they only cultivated a small plot—less than an acre—which barely provided enough food for four months after paying taxes. With autumn approaching and firewood not yet prepared, they would surely freeze come winter.
With a single word, he startled those lost in their dreams. The You family immediately set aside their tasks and gathered around, whispering and exchanging glances as they eagerly awaited the evening.
This person was quick and efficient, making the work seem effortless. With the harvest of the second crop of rice just days away, Er Dan gathered a team to ensure that the house would be built before the rice was collected. Considering it would take about half a month to complete, they were right on schedule.
The supermarket business continued to thrive, bustling with customers every day. Xia Muxin hardly needed to manage anything anymore; she simply checked the accounts daily and observed.
After returning from Tea County, Shen Muqing had become much more diligent, following Yan Zhouwan around like a shadow, eager to lend a hand with everything. However, Yan Zhouwan remained indifferent to him. The more she ignored him, the more frequently he appeared before her. Xia Muxin couldn't help but shake her head; it was one thing for Shen Brothers to remain unaffected by feelings, but once they did fall for someone, it could become quite complicated.
Due to the numerous tasks at hand, everyone slept soundly at night and went to bed early. Additionally, since it was Xia Muxin's time of the month, Uncle Shen found himself in a period of restraint—able to watch but not partake. After dinner, Shen Muhan prepared hot water for Xia Muxin and filled a hot water bag for her. Once she finished washing up, he took her upstairs and made sure she was comfortable before placing the hot water bag wrapped in cloth on her abdomen.
"Does it still hurt?"
Xia Muxin tended to feel cold during this time; every month when Koi Water arrived, she would suffer greatly. Shen Muhan took care of her attentively, being a healer himself, which proved beneficial for Xia Muxin. After several months of treatment, she had improved significantly; it was no longer as painful as before, and the blood clots had gradually diminished.
"Much better. You should rest early; we have to get up early tomorrow."
Xia Muxin turned over and snuggled into his embrace, seemingly finding a more comfortable position. She mumbled something before closing her eyes to rest.
Feeling pained by her worries during this time, Shen Muhan refrained from teasing her further and held her tighter before drifting off into a deep sleep.
As they say, under the cover of darkness with the wind howling high, this was when mischief could thrive.
For the Zhou family, this marked the beginning of a new day.
The night was dark, devoid of stars and moonlight, enveloping Daimiao Village in a shroud of blackness, yet it remained tranquil and serene.
Zhou Yousheng, of the Zhou family, along with two members of the Wu Family, took advantage of the deep slumber of Zhou Guilian and Zhou Xiaolian to stealthily slip out of their yard. Each of them carried a large sack, crouching low as they navigated through the darkness, heading straight for Xia Muxin's workshop.
The workshop was usually locked at night, but to their surprise, someone had carelessly forgotten to secure it. The outside was dark, and inside was even darker, where one could hardly see a hand in front of their face.
After some fumbling around, they began to fill their sacks with anything soft and fragrant they could find. However, there wasn't much to gather; by the time they were done, the sack was barely half full. They continued to search but found nothing more.
Considering that goods were shipped out daily and most finished products had already been moved to the Xia Family's warehouse, they felt that what they had collected was quite sufficient. They decided to sneak back home before anyone noticed.
They were thrilled at how easy it was to gather a half-full sack just by wandering around. Once home, they lit a lamp and examined the contents of their sack under the flickering light. After a hearty meal, they felt satisfied and went to bed.
"I think we should do this regularly," said You Shi as she lay down. "If we go every few days instead of daily, we’re less likely to get caught. Besides, I’ve heard that there’s no telling how much goods are shipped out each day. This little bit is probably not even worth their notice. Perhaps the workers are just being lazy and plan to move everything tomorrow. If they discover us, they won’t dare complain since it’s their own fault for not doing their job properly."
As she settled into bed, You Shi excitedly calculated her plans.
These were all things she had never tasted before; they smelled delicious. If she hadn’t been so full, she would have stuffed several more of those soft treats into her mouth.
Delighted with her scheme, she shamelessly began discussing it with Zhou Yousheng.
Zhou Yousheng was not one to sit idle; staying at home without food or play was suffocating him. However, he dared not entertain any bad thoughts at this moment. After all, You Shi had finally managed to appease him. If he misbehaved now, she might rally the villagers to witness as she wrote him a divorce letter. That would leave all responsibilities on his shoulders alone.
Sigh...
It's still better to be the younger one; at least I don't have to face that old woman three hundred sixty-five days a year. I just need to pay a little money each month to show my filial piety.
However, I can't help but reminisce about what I just ate. Besides, in Town, I had tasted some food from my brother, but tonight's meal was even better. I never expected that Xia Muxin could come up with such ideas. After all, back then, there was no way I would have kicked that Summer Old Man out of the house...
But what You said makes sense. These are all jobs that the Xia Family hired people for. How many of them would truly put in their best effort? If they could slack off, they would. And surely, there would be leftovers every day. I bet those people sneakily make these leftovers into breakfast every morning. Just thinking about it makes me swallow hard, and I nod in agreement with You's words:
"Alright, let's do it this way."
In the darkness, two pairs of fox-like eyes glimmered with a sinister light, both harboring ill intentions.
"Oh dear, what's wrong with my stomach? Why does it hurt so much..."
About two incense sticks' worth of time passed, and Zhou Yousheng and You had already fallen into a deep sleep. Suddenly, You curled up, clutching her stomach, her face contorted in pain as she groaned. She quickly put on her shoes and hurried toward the Toilet.
"What’s going on? It's the middle of the night and someone’s rushing for the Toilet. Who is it? Hurry up... oh dear..."
Just as You squatted down in the Toilet and pulled her pants down, a loud noise erupted. But after finishing, she realized she hadn’t brought anything to wipe with. Hesitating whether to go out bare-bottomed in the dark to find something, she heard Wu Family's voice coming from outside the toilet, sounding quite urgent.
"Mom, did you take any grass?"
The family couldn't afford toilet paper right now; they usually used fresh grass instead. It was kept not far from the Toilet because of the hot weather; if left outside, it would dry out and be uncomfortable to use. In her rush earlier, she forgot to grab some. At this moment, she had no choice but to seek help from You.
"Really such a worry..."
Holding up his pants, he cursed coldly but still ran to grab a handful of grass and stuffed it directly into the toilet from the doorway.
As soon as Zhou Yousheng stepped out of the toilet, the Wu Family rushed in like a cannonball.
“Mother, hurry up! I can’t hold it any longer!”
However, before the Wu Family could finish, Zhou Yousheng came running with his pants held up, anxiously pacing at the toilet door.
Thus, the three of them struggled through the night. By dawn, they were too exhausted to run anymore and simply sat at the toilet entrance, waiting for the next round to come...
“And then what happened, Ming Qi? You didn’t really guard the Zhou Family’s toilet all night, did you?”
Meanwhile, Xia Muxin from the Xia Family was laughing uncontrollably. Hearing such explosive and amusing news first thing in the morning made her incredibly happy. She never expected Shen Muhan to be so cunning, daring to give something laced with croton seeds to the Zhou Family. It seemed this lesson would be one they remembered for a lifetime.
“Uh... no, my lord said that this amount would keep them occupied for a whole day and night. I went to check early in the morning, and it turned out the three of them were just sitting at the toilet entrance waiting.”
Ming Qi scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he spoke honestly.
Sitting at the toilet entrance waiting...
Xia Muxin laughed even harder at this. It was about time the Zhou Yousheng family learned a good lesson for being so lazy and indulgent.
- End of Chapter -
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