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Ding Cuihua's hands trembled even more violently, and she could barely stand, needing to lean against the nearby cabinet for support.
As she looked at Lu Fu's expression, a wave of panic surged within her. Seeing Lu Yao about to speak again, she hurriedly stepped forward and slapped him across the face.
Through gritted teeth, she scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting, you ungrateful child? Can your father still deceive you?"
After saying this, she turned to Lu Fu and forced a smile. "Old man, Xiao Yao has had too much to drink. You know his bad habits; don't take it to heart. Once he wakes up, he'll surely realize his mistake."
Lu Yao still tried to protest but was silenced as Ding Cuihua firmly covered his mouth. She fought back her heartache and gave him a few hard pats. "Stop talking nonsense! Your father is only doing this for your own good. Why can't you understand?"
Perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol or the exhaustion from her slaps that made Lu Yao drowsy; he lay on the ground, drifting into a deep sleep.
Ding Cuihua's earlier panic had not subsided; her forehead was slick with sweat from anxiety as she pressed her hand against her aching lower back, grimacing in pain. "I've hurt my back; it really hurts!"
Lu Fu watched Lu Yao in this state and let out a deep sigh, reminding himself repeatedly that this was his only son—his one and only child. If something happened to him, there would be no second chance.
He closed his eyes and leaned weakly against the wall, gasping for breath. The commotion in the house had been so loud that Wen Qian and Lu Zheng in the thatched cottage could hear it clearly. Lu Yao's voice had not been lowered at all; on the contrary, he had deliberately raised his voice.
The two exchanged glances, and Wen Qian smiled slightly while Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Wen Qian explained to Lu Zheng with a hint of amusement in her tone. "Lu Yao loves to drink, but when he gets drunk, he has this habit: if someone indulges him, he'll say sweet things; if they don't go along with him, he'll go wild and spill everything—regardless of who is listening."
"Besides," she continued with a chuckle, "he probably lost his composure too; isn't that just making things worse?"
She had only learned about this after marrying into the family over the past few years. When things went smoothly for him during the day, Lu Fu and Ding Cuihua spoiled him while Zhang Yan also catered to his whims. He lived a comfortable life, and after drinking, his temper would improve.
She recalled an incident when Lu Yao had gone completely mad after drinking before. It had caused quite a scene in the village since he had insulted the village chief—bringing up the chief's ancestors as if they were being dragged out for judgment.
At that time, Lu Yao had been slacking off during the busy autumn harvest season while everyone else was working tirelessly in the fields. Instead of helping out like everyone else, he had sneaked off to drink and nap in the woods until the village chief discovered him and woke him up.
"Lu Yao! Wake up! Everyone else is working hard while you're slacking off here! You're going to get criticized!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yao groggily woke up but was displeased; he pointed at the village chief and cursed loudly: "Who do you think you are? You dare meddle in my business? Get lost!"
In front of everyone in the village, the village chief was humiliated and struggled to contain his anger as he called out to him again.
"What's with your drunken antics? Get up and get to work!"
Lu Yao squinted to see that it was the village chief, his face flushed from drinking, filled with disdain. He could barely stand but still attempted to kick.
"Village Chief! Don't you know who I am? Just a petty official like you thinks you can boss me around? Who gave you the right?"
"Apologize to me quickly, or I won't let you off easy. You're just pretending to be important in this village, flexing your authority!"
Lu Yao's words became increasingly harsh, darkening the village chief's expression. The onlookers around them dared not speak, their eyes glued to the unfolding drama.
Eventually, the incident faded into obscurity. The villagers were curious but only managed to glean bits and pieces of information about it. She learned by chance that Lu Yao's father had given the village chief fifty yuan, along with five kilograms of pork, two kilograms of brown sugar, five bottles of liquor, and five packs of cigarettes, which smoothed things over.
Lu Yao also received a few hard slaps from his father for his behavior.
Years passed, and Lu Yao never repeated his mistakes. In her view, it was primarily because he had grown accustomed to a better life.
Lu Zheng smirked slightly; he had been like that as a child too, though he had forgotten over the years. As a kid, he often stole drinks and would get beaten when he drank too much. He never let Lu Yao off easy either; he beat him until he dared not provoke him again.
Wen Qian looked at him in surprise, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
If he had hit Lu Yao, then life under Lu Father and Ding Cuihua would surely be even more unbearable for him; he might even face harsher beatings.
Lu Zheng smiled at Wen Qian, raising his hand as if to touch her hair but was met with her dodging away, leading to an awkward laugh from him.
"It's all in the past."
Wen Qian stood up uncomfortably; she still wasn't used to others touching her. In the past, those who wanted to touch her hair mostly pulled at it or hit her.
Her once lustrous black hair had turned dry and yellow like weeds; although she still had a fair amount of hair left, it was often broken and uneven.
Wen Qian touched her hair; what used to flow down to her waist now barely reached her shoulders.
Partly for ease of maintenance and partly because her body couldn't handle such long hair anymore. More importantly, it reduced the chances of being yanked by Ding Cuihua during beatings.
Suddenly, she noticed movement from inside the house and looked up to see Ding Cuihua helping Lu Father out.
Ding Cuihua spotted Wen Qian standing in the yard and shot her a fierce glare.
"Ugh, that wretched girl," she thought. They now held leverage over her; once they found someone to back them up, they would have no trouble dealing with her.
Lu Father struggled to walk and needed Ding Cuihua's support. As he passed by Wen Qian, he cast a deep glance at her.
The years had etched deep wrinkles into Lu Father's face, making it look like bark; his high cheekbones gave him an intimidating appearance while his murky little eyes darkly scrutinized Wen Qian.
Wen Qian suddenly felt a chill run down her back. She clenched her fists and stared directly into Mr. Lu's eyes, and in that moment, she caught a glimpse of a cold smirk lurking within them.
In the blink of an eye, Mr. Lu returned to his usual demeanor, slowly walking out of the courtyard with Ding Cuihua supporting him.
It wasn't until he had left the yard that Wen Qian felt a cold sweat break out on her back, and she let out a sigh of relief. When Mr. Lu had been staring at her, it was as if he were a venomous snake hiding in the shadows, ready to strike with lethal precision.
A strong feeling rose within her. If Mr. Lu weren't already old and if Lu Yao weren't such a disappointment, she would have been dealt with cleanly before Lu Zheng even returned. Her intuition told her that Mr. Lu had not been an ordinary man in his youth.
As Lu Zheng stepped out of the house, he immediately noticed Wen Qian standing in the courtyard, looking somewhat frightened. He hurried over to her, concern etched on his face.
"What’s wrong?"
Wen Qian's face was pale; deep down, she had come to some unsettling realizations about certain matters. She managed a weak smile, casting a puzzled glance at Lu Zheng before quickly averting her gaze and slowly making her way toward the thatched cottage.
Lu Zheng certainly harbored significant secrets as well—secrets that were not to be trifled with. The fact that Mr. Lu and Ding Cuihua had gone out was something to take seriously. As the saying goes, "No one visits the Three Treasures Hall without a reason." They wouldn’t have ventured out unless it was absolutely necessary; tonight was bound to be lively.
After dinner, Wen Qian and Lu Zheng planned to go to bed when they suddenly heard the sound of the front gate being opened. Although they tried to keep their voices low, it was unusually clear in Lu Zheng's ears, and Wen Qian noticed it too.
The courtyard was filled with disordered chatter.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, followed by Ding Cuihua's voice from outside. "Lu Zheng, Wen Qian, come out for a moment! We need to talk to you both."
After a while without any response from inside the thatched cottage, Ding Cuihua glanced anxiously at Mr. Lu sitting in the courtyard. Receiving his silent cue, she continued knocking on the door.
"Hurry up and come out! It’s urgent!"
Lu Zheng and Wen Qian exchanged glances before quickly getting dressed and heading toward the door. As they opened it, they saw Ding Cuihua rushing towards Mr. Lu.
In the next moment, two strange figures appeared at the entrance, muttering incessantly and bouncing around nervously.
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