Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 130

Just as Li Dalang rushed over, he happened to hear what Li Zhi had said. Picking up the words, he snapped coldly, “Third Uncle, we know better than anyone what kind of person Cuihua is to our family. If she isn’t close to us, then who is?”

His words were clearly mocking the relationship between Li Zhi’s family and theirs, implying that it couldn’t compare to Shen Cuihua’s bond with them. Li Zhi was so furious he nearly exploded, and only Madam Feng Qiufang and Li Yunyao’s quick action in pulling him back kept him from lashing out further.

Seeing that Li Dalang was also defending Shen Cuihua, Feng Qiufang tugged on Li Zhi’s sleeve, signaling him to drop it.

Li Zhi, however, jabbed a finger at Liu Chuncao and scolded, “All of you have been bewitched by that vixen’s charms!”

Customers in the shop had started to gather and watch. Liu Chuncao’s face darkened, her voice lowered but filled with anger. “Third Uncle, Third Aunt, if you make a scene like this in my shop, how am I supposed to do business?”

Li Yin quickly pulled Li Zhi toward the door, whispering, “Father, say less, don’t make a spectacle of yourself.”

Li Dalang’s expression was as dark as ink. He said coldly, “Third Uncle, Third Aunt, can’t you talk at home? Why come to my shop to stir up trouble? What exactly are you trying to do?”

Ever since taking over as shopkeeper, Li Dalang had become far more confident. Wearing his long robe, face stern, he exuded enough authority to actually intimidate.

Feng Qiufang’s face paled. She exchanged a glance with Li Yin, who hurried to drag his parents out of the shop.

But Li Zhi was already burning with rage. Once outside, he shook off Feng Qiufang’s hand with a snarl. “Why are you pulling me back? I’m not swallowing this humiliation!” Saying so, he turned as if to march right back into Weixuan Shop.

Feng Qiufang’s expression changed. She let go of him, her face falling as she jabbed a finger at him. “Go on then! Go! Let’s see what you get out of it! Didn’t you see how Chuncao and her husband were protecting Shen Cuihua?”

Li Zhi’s face darkened further. “I don’t believe it!” He growled.

Feng Qiufang quickly stepped closer, her voice low and sharp. “Use your head for once! Don’t you wonder why Chuncao and her husband are protecting her so much? Back when she was a fool, did they ever care about her? But now, suddenly, they treat her like a precious treasure?”

Li Zhi froze at that, suspicious. Feng Qiufang shot him a look, lowered her voice even more as she pulled him along, muttering, “Since Cuihua recovered from her madness, have you ever seen her suffer a loss? Haven’t people in the village tried to step on her and her child? But did any of them succeed? Even Li Ergou, who suffered a massive loss at her hands, hasn’t dared make a move since!”

Li Yunyao leaned in, listening intently. She quickly chimed in, “Mother, I think Cuihua is terrifying sometimes too. Last time I brought Miss Wu to their shop…” She recounted everything that had happened that day, especially the moment when Ying Su had grabbed her arm with that fierce, menacing look.

Li Yin trailed behind, a bitter smile on his face. He knew his parents were burning with anger; it wasn’t the time to speak up for Ying Su, so he could only follow in silence.

Feng Qiufang’s eyes narrowed in thought. “And remember that ink orchid we brought back from the Zhangs? It had been completely snapped in two. But overnight, she somehow made it whole again! Doesn’t that seem strange to you? Flowers don’t just grow broken branches back. This isn’t stage magic. Could she really have some kind of supernatural power?”

At those words, a flash lit up in Li Zhi’s mind. His eyes brightened. “Do you remember Li Ergou’s matter? She said herself that he strangled her to death, and that she went to the underworld to meet Erlang. Erlang pitied the child and let her return to life, even teaching Li Ergou a lesson!”

Feng Qiufang’s face went pale. She whispered, “Could she really know some kind of ghostly arts?”

All their faces changed at that. After a long silence, Li Zhi frowned. “If she didn’t have something strange about her, how could the eldest brother’s family suddenly be doing so well? How could a widowed fool build a house so quickly? How could Dalang and Chuncao, just by working, suddenly afford to open a big furniture shop in town?”

“Maybe a deity is helping her?” Feng Qiufang suddenly blurted out.

Li Zhi’s face drained of color. He glared fiercely at her. “Don’t talk nonsense about gods and spirits! You’re just scaring yourself! That little woman must have her ways of making money. Take that orchid for example, she must know some secret techniques. I need to think carefully about this…”

With hands clasped behind his back, he walked forward in deep thought.

A sly idea flashed across Feng Qiufang’s mind. She hurried up to him, whispering quickly. Not long after, Li Zhi’s face twisted into a greedy smile. “I need to go home right away and discuss this with Father.”

Li Yunyao crowded close, straining to listen. She only caught words like “marriage proposal” but couldn’t make out the details. Still, she felt certain it had to do with Shen Cuihua.

That night, after the little bun had fallen asleep, Ying Su slipped quietly from bed. She changed into a dark outfit, tore a strip of cloth from her old clothes to wrap around her face, and slipped silently out of the house.

The Zhang household was quiet, the only light coming from lanterns hanging under the eaves, with the sound of summer insects filling the courtyard.

The night maids, Xiao Si among them, were dozing against doorframes and pillars. A shadow as light as a swallow, moving like a ghost, darted through the yard without leaving a sound.

Ying Su’s breathing was nearly inaudible. Twisting her body into an impossible angle, she slipped through a narrow window, her movements soundless. By the faint moonlight, she could see inside.

The room carried a faint powdery fragrance. Ying Su padded to the bed, her eyes flashing.

There lay Zhang Yun, the girl she’d once briefly encountered. Fast asleep, she clutched a soft pillow bought from Weixuan Shop.

Because of the summer heat, she wore only underpants and a bright red embroidered dudou with mandarin ducks playing in the water. Against the darkness, it was strikingly vivid. Her chest rose full and plump under the fabric, and Ying Su’s lips curved into a sly smile. Who would have guessed this seemingly demure girl had such a fiery side?

Slipping back out without a sound, Ying Su surveyed the courtyard, identified the main house, and slipped inside again through another window. This time she had the right place.

On the bed sprawled two people, sleeping like pigs. The man was a mound of greasy white flesh, shirtless, snoring thunderously, one meaty hand clamped over the woman’s chest. This was none other than Master Zhang himself.

The woman beside him looked to be about Ying Su’s age. A sudden, wry curiosity sparked in Ying Su’s mind, just how could such a delicate body possibly endure being smothered under all that greasy pork belly?