Chapter 16: Lady Li's Reminder

“But you can't beat someone like that!” Huang Meng muttered, lacking conviction.

“Alright, alright, it’s not a big deal. Since Da Zhuang and Er Zhuang were the ones bullying first, there’s nothing more to say. Huang Meng, I’m not trying to lecture you, but you need to raise your children properly; don't wait until they're grown and uncontrollable to regret it! As for Mrs. Zhou... her face just looks a bit swollen; a little compress and she'll be fine.” As the Village Chief said these words, he felt he was going against his conscience, yet he still had to maintain an air of impartiality. Without waiting for Huang Meng's response, he waved his hand, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Huang Meng felt unwilling, but he was outnumbered and didn't dare confront Wen Youshan directly. He could only endure it for now, thinking that there would be plenty of opportunities for revenge in the future.

On this side, Sun Laifu and Little Mrs. Li returned home and immediately reported the details of the incident to Mrs. Li. Mrs. Li was stunned upon hearing it. "That Youshan woman is that formidable?"

"Isn't she! Mother, I was startled myself today. The look Deng-shi gave Mrs. Zhou clearly showed she wanted her dead. And you wouldn't believe that her thin, frail frame could beat Mrs. Zhou so badly that she couldn't even fight back. You should have seen it—Mrs. Zhou was beaten until her face looked like a pig's head! Tsk tsk, there are plenty of women who fight in the village, but I've never seen anyone as ruthless as Deng-shi." Little Mrs. Li patted her chest, feeling a mix of excitement, lingering fear, and a bit of gossip-hungry curiosity.

Mrs. Li's brow furrowed deeply, filled with worry. "Neither Huang Meng nor Mrs. Zhou are easy characters. Since they won't get the upper hand openly, they certainly won't let this go. Laifu, go to Youshan's house in a bit and have a good talk with him about this."

Little Mrs. Li nodded in agreement.

***

On the other side, Chen Ningya had just returned home. She first went to the room to check on the children, and only after ensuring there was no chaos in the house did she return to the courtyard. Wen Yuanliang and Wen Yuanzhen stood obediently in the center of the courtyard, looking as if they were ready to follow her every command. Chen Ningya couldn't help but smile. "What are you standing there for? If you have nothing to do, go look after your younger siblings and practice your calligraphy while you're at it."

"Yes!" the two shouted in unison and instantly vanished from sight.

Once they were gone, Chen Ningya's expression darkened. She stood outside the fence, staring at the house down the mountain for a long time. When she went to the Huang family today to seek justice, she had already prepared herself. The Huang family likely wouldn't let this rest, and she certainly wouldn't let it go either.

In her past life, it was this pair of wolfish husband and wife who had secretly sold Wen Yuanjing and Wen Yuanxing after the Wen family fell into trouble. With new grudges and old hatreds combined, if she didn't finish that couple off, she wouldn't be called Chen Ningya.

Thinking of this, Chen Ningya called Wen Yuanliang over and whispered in his ear for a long while.

Wen Yuanliang's eyes gradually lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

***

Wen Youshan had been busy outside all day. Thinking of the harvest from today's traps, the lines on his face softened significantly. Just as he was striding toward home, he was suddenly startled by a child jumping out mid-way. Looking closely, it was Sun Laifu's eldest son, Sun Qing. "You brat, who are you trying to scare?"

Wen Youshan gave Sun Qing a disgruntled pat on the head.

Sun Qing wasn't annoyed; he made a face and said, "Uncle, my grandma told me to wait for you here. She says she has something to discuss with you."

Without a second thought, Wen Youshan followed Sun Qing to the Sun family home.

By this time, the Sun family had already started preparing dinner, with wisps of cooking smoke curling upward. Wen Youshan strode into the courtyard and called out, "Auntie, what do you need me for?"

He also wanted to get home quickly; his family might already have dinner ready waiting for him, and since he had caught quite a lot today, he needed to go back and sort through it all.

As soon as he finished speaking, an old woman emerged from the side room and, without a word, pulled Wen Youshan into the main hall.

Entering the room, Wen Youshan was still bewildered. "Auntie, what is it exactly? I feel like you're acting a bit strange today."

"Strange? Of course I'm acting strange!" Mrs. Li sat down and whispered, "You weren't home today—do you know something happened in the village?"

Wen Youshan shook his head honestly. "What big thing could happen in the village? Did some family get into a fight, or did some woman lose something again?"

If something truly major had happened, someone would have gone into the mountains to find him long ago.

Mrs. Li slapped her thigh. "Oh! You actually guessed right. There was a fight in the village today."

"Hah! A small matter!" Wen Youshan picked up a bowl and took a large gulp of water, not caring at all.

Mrs. Li was exasperated, her voice rising significantly. "Your wife beating Huang Meng's Mrs. Zhou until her face looks like a pig's head is a small matter?"

*Pfft!*

Wen Youshan looked at Mrs. Li in shock, droplets of water still hanging from the corner of his mouth. "Auntie, you must be joking!"

"Joking my foot!" Mrs. Li grew anxious, wishing she could pry open Wen Youshan's head to see what he was thinking. "When has I ever joked with you? Today, Huang Meng's two boys snatched Yuanliang and Yuanzhen's snacks, so Deng-shi took the children to the Huang house to demand an explanation. You know what kind of person Mrs. Zhou is—she can turn a wrong into a right even when she's in the wrong. Who in the village dares to provoke her?

Well, before they could even exchange a few words, they started arguing. I heard Deng-shi is also someone who doesn't back down with her words. How could Mrs. Zhou take being scolded? She lunged straight at Deng-shi and they started fighting."

Wen Youshan stood up immediately in fright. Mrs. Li hurriedly pulled him back. "I haven't finished yet, what's the rush!"

"Auntie, I have to get back quickly to check. By the way, where is my wife hurt?" Wen Youshan asked worriedly, wondering if he should go find the village doctor for some medicine first.

Mrs. Li was somewhat speechless at Wen Youshan's reaction, holding onto him firmly to prevent him from leaving. "I'm telling you, your wife is perfectly fine. It's Mrs. Zhou who was beaten beyond recognition. Deng-shi even made a threat, saying that if the Huang family bullies your children again, she will definitely show up at their door with a kitchen knife. My daughter-in-law said Deng-shi's expression at the time didn't look like a joke; it looked like she really meant to fight the Huang family to the death. I'm telling you this to make you stay alert and see how to handle this. Also, you should try to persuade Deng-shi as well. One should show mercy where possible; although Mrs. Zhou is a piece of work, making things this tense doesn't look good."

In Mrs. Li's view, this was just a minor conflict between children; there was no need to turn it into a blood feud.

Wen Youshan nodded, agreeing to everything Mrs. Li said, and only then was he allowed to leave.

On the way back, Wen Youshan's joy from the harvest had long since vanished. When he entered his house and found the whole family waiting for him to eat with great enthusiasm, the gloom in his heart was swept away. He grinned and asked, "Are you all waiting for me?"

"Dad, eat, eat! Mom cooked eggs today, they smell delicious!" Wen Yuanhong swung his legs, staring longingly at the eggs on the table with saliva pooling in his mouth.

Wen Youshan put his things down, washed his hands, and immediately sat down. "Alright! Let's eat!"

He took the first bite before anyone else could pick up their chopsticks.

Although there was only a large bowl of green vegetables and a large bowl of egg drop soup on the table, everyone ate heartily, clearing the table in the shortest amount of time.

After the meal, Wen Yuanliang took it upon himself to collect the bowls, Wen Yuanzhen finished washing up, and Wen Yuanhong led Wen Yuanjing to the side room to play with their little brother, leaving only Wen Youshan and his wife in the main hall.

(End of Chapter)