Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"I want to marry Feng Liulang!"
This time, Zhou Cailian was definitely not just speaking out of anger. After receiving two slaps just now, she had made up her mind; for the position of Top Scholar's Wife, she had to marry Feng Liulang.
One day, she would make those who had bullied her and looked down on her taste the bitterness of their actions.
At this moment, even though her cheeks were swollen, she still held her head high and glared at everyone.
Even in such a night, everyone was intimidated by her terrifying gaze.
Zhou Guilian, however, was furious. At this moment, she felt a surge of anger rising to her head, making her want to go mad. Seeing Zhou Cailian so brazenly defiant, she raised her foot and kicked at her fiercely, almost crazily cursing:
"Do you have no shame? Why don't you just die?"
After cursing, she hugged herself and began to cry loudly.
She had already thrown away her dignity and pride to seek a marriage proposal from the Feng Family. Now, her younger sister was pregnant with his child; how could she ever show her face in Daimiao Village again?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She kicked harder without considering that Zhou Cailian was still a pregnant woman at that moment.
Zhou Cailian coldly watched her former sister, tightly protecting her abdomen with both hands. This child was her only bargaining chip as the Top Scholar's Wife; it absolutely could not be harmed.
"Hey, we are sisters; let's talk things over calmly and not resort to violence!"
Some people could no longer bear to watch and stepped forward to intervene. One person took the lead, followed by other villagers who gradually joined in to persuade.
"Clearly, they are the ones in the wrong, yet you still want to help her."
Zhou Guilian found Zhou Cailian's pregnant belly particularly glaring and tried her best to kick at her abdomen. After being stopped by the crowd, she began to cry loudly, seeking sympathy for her plight.
Throughout it all, Feng San Niang merely watched coldly, not uttering a word in defense of either party. Feng Liulang stood there with a pale face, as if he had lost his soul, seemingly oblivious to everything happening around him.
With the commotion finally dying down, everyone felt exhausted. Seeing that the two sisters had calmed down, they exchanged some comforting words and yawned as they made their way back.
"Are you still lying on the ground waiting for someone to help you? What a disgraceful fool."
As everyone left, Wu Family glared coldly at Zhou Cailian, who was still on the ground, and scolded her harshly.
Her life would eventually be driven to an end by their anger.
They were all a bunch of fools, worthless trash.
Zhou Guilian cried until she was exhausted and then stomped hard on Zhou Cailian's hand before turning away and heading into the house without looking back.
Zhou Cailian gasped in pain but bit her tongue in silence, her eyes filled with resentment as she glared at the retreating figure, a murderous intent brewing in her heart.
The night was cold, yet no one extended a sympathetic hand towards her. After all, she too was a victim...
The next day, Xia Muxin woke up early.
It felt like she hadn’t slept so well in ages, but she seemed to remember something happening with the Zhou family before she fell asleep, and after that... she couldn’t recall anything.
Could it be that her period improved her sleep?
“How are you feeling? Still in pain?”
Shen Muhan had also woken up at some point. Seeing her puzzled expression as she touched her head and walked out, he gently asked.
Xia Muxin looked down at her abdomen and realized she didn’t feel any pain at all. Perhaps the internal energy he had transmitted to her had a significant effect. Noticing Shen Muhan staring at her, seemingly waiting for her response, she smiled lightly and shook her head.
“Don’t wash with cold water for the next few days. Just call Ming Yi and the others if you need anything.”
Seeing that her complexion was normal and she didn’t look as pained and helpless as yesterday, Shen Muhan felt relieved and gave her this advice.
Xia Muxin shot him a meaningful glance, but after a long moment, she simply replied with a silly “Oh.”
He was making too much of a fuss; it was just her period.
That woman wouldn’t understand.
And feeling pain was normal; while hers might have been a bit severe, she would get used to it eventually.
However, Shen Muhan kept his word and didn’t let her do anything. Just as she reached out, he pulled her over, and the only thing she did was stir-fry the vegetables that Ming Yi and the others had washed and chopped.
This was quite suffocating, and he even prepared a warm bath for her.
He seemed to know her body better than she did, adjusting the temperature perfectly.
So, while the first day was painful and uncomfortable, the following days were much better.
Today, her period finally ended, and she felt like a bird released from its cage, eagerly spreading her wings to soar.
She heard that the Feng Family and the Zhou Family were preparing for a wedding between Zhou Cailian and Feng Liulang. Zhou Guilian had been throwing tantrums for days, breaking everything she could at home. The Wu Family and the You Family were furious and locked her in the woodshed.
This news surprised Xia Muxin.
In the eyes of the Wu Family and the You Family, a daughter from the Zhou Family held value only if she had status; they favored those who could fetch a high price, completely devoid of any warmth of familial affection.
Zhou Guilian and Zhou Cailian didn’t know how to hold themselves back; they were reaping what they sowed.
The weather had been gloomy for several days. Xia Muxin visited the Brick Factory a few times to calculate the current stock, secretly hoping for a stretch of sunny weather so she could plan for firing the kiln.
“Songzi has become quite adept at fishing now. Just yesterday, his brother made him a large bamboo net, and he went out early this morning,” Aunt Xia said.
These days, Aunt Xia had been preparing new clothes for the baby in her belly. Every morning, she would sit on a rocking chair under the eaves doing needlework. From afar, seeing Songzi busy at work made her chuckle.
Songzi had a great interest in Net Fish, and now he had expanded from one Bamboo Net to four, each larger than the last.
Life had improved, and this kid had gained quite a bit of strength; he was growing like a tender sprout.
There were indeed plenty of fish in Donghe. At his current speed, he could catch about fifteen pounds of fresh fish each day, which was no small business for Xia Muxin.
She had already completed the design for their new house, saving the first batch of bricks for her own construction.
"Mother, Sister, hurry! Grandfather has been beaten!"
Suddenly, Songzi rushed back with an anxious expression, shouting before even entering the house.
Grandfather had returned last night. According to Ming Yi and the others, they had seen an old man with a hunched back enter the Zhou family's courtyard, and he hadn't come out since. It had been nearly two months since they last saw him, and the family was quite worried. Now that they heard he had been beaten, concern flashed across their faces.
Father and Brother Ming Yi, along with some strong men from the village, had gone to gather Firewood. Xia Muxin had built a large Thatched Cottage next to the clearing specifically for storing Firewood.
Shen Muhan had also gone out early today for some business.
Brother's leg was almost healed; he could move freely now and had gone to find Ermiao early in the morning.
Now there were only the three of them left at home.
"Muxin, hurry! Go check on your grandfather; his health isn't good, so be careful not to hurt him."
Aunt Xia moved slowly, her face turning pale upon hearing that her father-in-law had been beaten. She hurriedly set down her needlework and struggled to get up, urging Xia Muxin to go ahead while she made a laborious attempt to run.
“Songzi, support your mother and let her take it easy. I’ll handle things with your grandfather, so don’t worry.”
Xia Muxin was startled by her mother’s actions and quickly called for Songzi to help before running out herself.
“Get lost! My family doesn’t keep freeloaders!”
From a distance, they could hear the shouting from the Wu Family, and the hunched figure down below was none other than her grandfather.
Zhou Yousheng and his brothers were present, along with several daughters-in-law, all of them looking as if they had swallowed gunpowder, their brows furrowed in anger.
“Get out of here! My family doesn’t take in beggars. Don’t you have your own son? Why are you hanging around my house? Looking for a free meal?”
Zhou Changyuan kicked Summer Old Man in the thigh, looking down contemptuously at the pained expression on Summer Old Man’s face as he spat out cruel words.
“Have some mercy and leave us alone. Thanks to your granddaughter, our family is already falling apart. Look at you now, like a useless person. You’ve been expelled from school, your health is weak, you can’t lift a hand or carry anything. You’re worse off than my little Lian, who’s already one foot in the grave. Do you expect us to take care of you?”
Zhou Changsheng also glared at Summer Old Man with disdain and spoke coldly.
Initially, they had coveted his little savings, but now that he had been kicked out of school, he was nothing but a burden. Eating costs money, clothing costs money, even medical treatment costs money. Their family wasn’t wealthy either. Besides, after all these years of calling him “father,” they felt they had repaid him enough.
Taking care of him in his old age should be the responsibility of his own son.
"Old Man Summer, it's not that we are heartless, but we ourselves are struggling to make ends meet. Look at the children, they are all pale and thin. Besides, we haven't received any money for two months now, and we haven't gotten a share of anything. How can we support someone like you? Doesn't the school provide you with a pension? I heard that educated people like you usually get one."
Zhou Changsheng's wife is named Dajuan. She works as a helper in a restaurant in Town, earning fifteen coins a day. She doesn't spend much time at home, returning every few days or ten days. Naturally, she has seen more of the world and has long been curious about the high treatment given to Master. She knows that when people like him retire, the school or the court will give them some silver for their old age.
So she thought about probing further.
Old Man Summer had one leg that seemed to be injured and was bleeding profusely. He looked significantly thinner than he did two months ago. At this moment, upon hearing Zhou Family's words, he could only laugh bitterly.
Over the years, he had figured out this family's true nature; they would abandon everything for money—dignity, face, even selling their bodies.
He never expected them to treat him well or thought of relying on them; he only wanted a small room where he could quietly watch the forest from afar and then leave without a trace. However, as soon as he suggested wanting a small house, he was driven out.
He was dragged into Zhou Changyuan's yard by Zhou Yousheng and the Wu Family, enduring this humiliation.
At this moment, there was no hatred in his eyes; he only blamed himself for being powerless, unable to lift his head under the pressure from the Wu Family while still shamelessly living on.
His leg had been injured for some time; it happened while he was trying to save a drowning child. He thought the child would drown in that pond but was saved instead. At that time, a lot of dirty water entered his lungs, and the school hired a doctor, spending quite a bit of silver. He also got cut on his thigh by shards from the pond. But despite the time that has passed, the wound still hasn't healed.
He couldn't take advantage of the school's resources nor could he let his injury delay the children's education, so he voluntarily resigned. The school agreed and gave him a pension. Fortunately, when returning home, he hid this pension; otherwise, it would have been snatched away by these heartless wolves.
As a seasoned Master, he taught his students with integrity and emphasized filial piety but unknowingly invited wolves into his home. His life had truly been pathetic.
He had no intention of treating his illness; everyone dies eventually; it’s just a matter of time. As long as the forest family remains safe and sound, that is enough for him.
He dragged his injured leg, slowly crawling forward. In the yard of Zhou Changyuan's house stood a dozen people, all watching coldly.
"Grandpa..."
Seeing this scene, Xia Muxin felt a lump in her throat and quickly walked over to support him.
"Muxin..."
Upon seeing his granddaughter, Summer Old Man couldn't help but feel his eyes well up with tears, which he forced back.
At that moment, he felt weak and powerless. He had tried several times to turn back and look at them, but his leg wouldn't move. After crawling a short distance, he fainted on the road, only to be carried back by some of his students who recognized him.
Since early yesterday morning, he had secretly crawled out. After a day and night without food or water, he returned late at night to find the Forest Family had closed their door. He lay at the entrance of their yard for half an hour before finally using a pile of firewood to help himself up, dragging his injured leg back to the Zhou family.
However, he discovered that his bed had been dismantled. He knocked on the doors of the Wu Family and Zhou Changyuan's house, but was met with impatient curses. Left with no choice, he sat down on the ground to rest for a while.
When he woke up that morning, he found he couldn't move his entire leg. The Wu Family and others saw this and immediately asked about the tuition fees from the past two months. He explained that it was for medical treatment, but the Wu Family didn't even let him have breakfast.
With no other options left, he finally suggested this idea.
- End of Chapter -
Comment 0 Comment Count