Chapter 8: A Farce Triggered by a Chicken

What was that pile of white meat on the stove?

Meat? Where did the meat come from?

Just then, Old Lady Gu’s gaze fell upon a pile of chicken feathers behind the stove. It was as if she had been pricked in the foot by a steel needle; she leaped three feet into the air and let out a wail as if she were mourning the dead: "My heart, my precious Huahua!"

The speckled hen that laid eggs the most diligently, the one she cherished and loved the most, had already become meat on the chopping board.

"You slut! You slut! I’ll tear that rotten mouth of yours to shreds to pay for my speckled hen's life!"

Old Lady Gu was filled with regret. She had smelled the aroma of boiling meat that morning and had assumed it was the Zhang family next door eating meat again, even cursing them under her breath several times. She never imagined that it was her own chicken that had met its end.

The chickens in the house were all raised by her; each one was her lifeblood.

Faced with her property being plundered and her beloved pet being slaughtered, Old Lady Gu was overcome with such urgency and fury that the fear Song Liyun had instilled in her vanished completely.

Suddenly, her back no longer ached, her legs no longer hurt, and she became full of vigor. With a ferocious expression and gnashing teeth, as if she wanted to tear someone limb from limb, she didn't even wait for help and lunged at Song Liyun.

Song Liyun did not fight back. Instead, she waved her arms in terror and screamed, "Grandma, don't hit me anymore! I just wanted to kill the chicken to show my gratitude for Second Uncle's hard work!"

If one ignored the kitchen knife in her hand, she looked exactly like a frightened young girl.

As Song Liyun shouted and cried, she swung the kitchen knife in a chaotic mess. No matter how furious Old Lady Gu was, she dared not get close. She could only raise a firewood stick and jump up and down, cursing, "You little slut, put that knife down! See if I don't beat you to death!"

The more she cursed, the more energetically Song Liyun jumped around, causing Old Lady Gu to strike wildly here and there with her stick. Pots, bowls, and basins were sent crashing to the floor, and the kitchen was instantly in a state of total disarray.

Song Lao'er had a splitting headache!

How did things get so rowdy after just a few words? He roared several times to stop them, but Old Lady Gu wouldn't listen at all and kept chasing Song Liyun.

Finally, when the basin of chicken was the only thing left unscathed in the kitchen, Song Liyun "struggled" out of the doorway from under Old Lady Gu’s stick and hid behind Song Lao'er.

After the exertion, Song Liyun’s face was flushed, her eyes were bright, and she muttered, "Second Uncle, save me! Don't let Grandma beat me to death. Second Uncle, you love Yun'er the most. When I marry into the Xue family later, I'll take all the Xue family's silver and give it to you to use."

Silver, silver!

Song Lao'er’s muddled head suddenly cleared, and his little schemes spun rapidly: The girl was saying that once she married into the Xue family, not only would he get fifty taels, but he could also bring back more silver in the future.

He grabbed the firewood stick Old Lady Gu was swinging and roared, "Mother, what are you making a scene for? The girl said she killed the chicken to thank me for arranging her marriage. It’s just a chicken, how much is it worth? I’ll return ten to you in a couple of days."

Old Lady Gu had already been aching all morning, and this commotion left her gasping for air.

She put her hands on her hips, pointed at the hiding Song Liyun, and said viciously, "I don't care! I don't want money, I want to beat her to death... She dares to eat... eat my speckled hen today, tomorrow... tomorrow she’ll dare to tear the roof off! I’d rather beat her to death than let her have an easy life."

All the old and new grudges welled up in her heart; Old Lady Gu didn't notice that Song Lao'er’s face had turned black.

Seeing his mother still acting recklessly, Song Lao'er snapped the firewood stick in his hand and threw it on the ground. He tilted his head and squeezed a sentence through his teeth: "Mother, if you make any more trouble, don't blame your son for being unfilial."

Song Lao'er had been spoiled by her since he was a child, and he had inherited her short temper; he was ready to use his fists at the slightest disagreement.

While he wouldn't go so far as to beat his mother, smashing pots and bowls or hitting his wife was a daily occurrence.

He was usually greedy for wine and spent lavishly, so the family money was never enough to squander.

Now that he could get silver by selling his niece, and perhaps even have a chance to ask for a few drinks later, he wasn't about to let his mother ruin his plans.

When Old Lady Gu saw her son turn against her to protect that little slut, her heart felt like it was being twisted, and her whole body ached. Her legs went weak, and she sat on the ground, wailing loudly: "Oh, Heavens! Just come and take me! The son I raised with such hardship won't listen to me anymore, letting that little slut bully me! I don't want to live anymore..."

Song Lao'er had been used to his mother’s tantrums since he was a child. He didn't care at all, ignored her, turned to Song Liyun, and squeezed out a bright smile: "Good niece, Second Uncle has remembered your words today! From now on, Second Uncle’s wine and food money is on you!"

Song Liyun also revealed a sincere smile: "Second Uncle, don't worry. Your niece keeps her word. There will definitely be enough for you to drink your fill!"

…………………………………………

On the kang table in the main room, the boiled chicken was placed in the center, with a dish of oil-fried peanuts and dried sweet potato chunks as snacks for the wine.

Song Defu sat cross-legged on the kang, took a sip of wine, and another flush of alcohol added to his already ruddy, round face.

He looked at Song Liyun, who was burying her head in tearing at a chicken leg, and said, "Second girl, are you keeping your word? You aren't just fooling your Second Uncle, are you?"

Song Liyun took a bite of chicken and a bite of peanuts, her mouth glistening with oil, and said vaguely, "Don't worry, Second Uncle. Once I marry into the Xue family, I will serve the master of the Xue family until he is completely submissive. I'll make him go east and not dare to go west, make him go up the mountain and not dare to go down to the river.

The Xue family has plenty of money; what’s a few taels of silver for you, Second Uncle?

I’ll be the mistress of the house; it’s only right that I take half the family property. Even if the master of the Xue family doesn't agree, he won't have a choice."

Song Lao'er listened with a beaming face and nodded repeatedly: "Right, the second girl speaks well. Once you enter the door, you'll be the mistress of the Xue family. Just let a few coins slip through your fingers for your Second Uncle."

He still had some self-awareness; the Xue family wasn't a charity. On the surface, they were just local squires, but they kept a lot of street thugs in their house and did plenty of extortion behind the scenes.

Song Lao'er didn't dare to ask for half the Xue family's fortune; he would be satisfied with just some pocket money.

Thinking of the Xue family's silver flowing into his house endlessly in the future, he felt an unbearable itch and was filled with regret.

If he had known the second girl was this sensible, he shouldn't have been greedy for the two hundred wen monthly wage at the restaurant and kept her in the city.

If he had sent her to Master Xue a few years earlier, he could have been drinking good wine for a few more years.

Looking at the gluttonous Song Liyun, Song Lao'er pushed the plate toward her with "affection": "Eat, eat! If one chicken isn't enough, we'll kill another."

Song Liyun grinned: "Second Uncle is so kind. Then let's kill another fat one."

As she spoke, her hands didn't stop. She reached out to grab the chicken, and while Song Lao'er wasn't paying attention, the chicken in the basin disappeared with eerie speed.

In the kitchen, Old Lady Gu had swollen eyes, her voice hoarse from crying. She cleaned up the broken bowls and plates while wailing: "That thousand-cut beast, she won't die a good death after eating my chicken."

It was unclear whether she was cursing Song Lao'er or Song Liyun.

Little Gu sat listlessly in front of the stove, feeling completely exhausted.

She had been tormented by Song Liyun today, but Song Lao'er didn't believe a word of it. Not only did he not show any concern, but he also scolded her for being useless.

So, when Old Lady Gu was making a scene in the kitchen, she had hidden in the main room and didn't come out. As a result, Song Lao'er grabbed her by the collar, dragged her to the kitchen, and slapped her, telling her to cook for Song Liyun.

Bah!

That thing, Song Lao'er, only cared about his own comfort and enjoyment. He didn't even believe his wife when she was beaten, and now he wanted her to cook and serve that little slut!

Anger brewed in Little Gu's heart. She didn't dare to target Song Lao'er, so her focus naturally shifted to Song Liyun.