Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 5

Ever since he was young, Li Dalang had doted on his younger brother. He believed that Shen Cuihua had cursed and killed Erlang, so in a fit of rage, during Erlang’s seven-day mourning, he locked Shen Cuihua up together with Erlang’s corpse for seven full days. Unexpectedly, when he opened the door the next day, Shen Cuihua had gone insane.

Li Dalang wanted to sell Shen Cuihua off to a broker woman, but who would take in a lunatic? He asked several times but no one was willing to buy her. Out of pity, the kind Madam Li felt Shen Cuihua was truly pitiful and persuaded him to let her stay.

But some time later, Shen Cuihua’s belly started to swell. Rumors spread all over the village, people said all sorts of things, the worst being that Shen Cuihua and Li Dalang had been fooling around.

When this reached Li Dalang’s wife, she was so furious she nearly beat Shen Cuihua to death. Li Dalang didn’t stop her either, on one hand, he hated Shen Cuihua for putting a green hat on his dead younger brother, and on the other, he felt she had shamed their whole family.

Since Shen Cuihua had been bought into the Li family, outsiders couldn’t intervene. Even the village head said it was their family’s private matter and refused to meddle. If not for Madam Li’s kindness and repeated pleas, Shen Cuihua’s life wouldn’t have been spared. Still, Li Dalang’s wife threw her out of the house.

Madam Li secretly set her up in an abandoned thatched hut at the back of the village. Behind Li Dalang’s back, she would sneak food to her every few days, barely keeping mother and son from starving to death.

“Elder, you must make the decision for me! That crazy widow has attacked people more than once or twice, many in the village have been scratched by her! This time she clearly beat my Ergou half to death! If something happens to him, I… I won’t live either!”

Zhang Duomei, realizing she had said something wrong earlier, stopped quarreling with Madam Li. Instead, she crawled forward to clutch Village Head Zhang’s leg and cried bitterly.

“Cuihua may be a little crazy and foolish, but Duomei, you can’t just spit blood and blame her for everything! Don’t pin every dirty pot on her head! Everyone in the village knows what kind of person Ergou is. Now look at him, shouldn’t you be looking for a doctor instead of making a scene here? Or do you not care whether he lives or dies?” Madam Li scolded, fiercely protective.

Inside the thatched hut, Ying Su heard Madam Li defending her. Her bright, alluring phoenix eyes flickered slightly. Beside her, the little bun whispered, “Mommy, all these years, it’s been Grandmother secretly sending us food and protecting us. Without her…”

The child’s face dimmed. Ying Su understood. Her own clothes were still wet, but she held the little bun’s hand and stepped out of the hut.

Seeing her, Madam Li hurried forward, carefully checking over both mother and child. Only after confirming they were unharmed did her worried expression ease slightly.

Ying Su studied Madam Li for a moment, connecting her with the woman from her predecessor’s memories. She understood, this was her kind-hearted mother-in-law. The little bun in her arms called out, “Grandmother…”

Madam Li’s face lit up with a warm smile at once. She was about to say something to the child when Zhang Duomei suddenly cut in.

“You little slut, your heart is venomous! Look at what you’ve done to my Ergou, pay me back my man!” She rushed forward to strike Shen Cuihua, but Madam Li quickly blocked her. Village Head Zhang immediately called for a few women to restrain Zhang Duomei and scolded, “What’s all this racket? Hurry and get a doctor to see what’s wrong with Ergou!”

Zhang Duomei feared the village head somewhat, so she dared not continue making a fuss. She only wiped her tears and said, “His hands and feet are broken! How can a lone woman like me fetch a doctor?”

Village Head Zhang glanced at Li Ergou, trembling all over as though he had seen a ghost. Unease rose in his heart. Turning to the villagers, he ordered, “Go fetch Old Liu from the east side of the village to take a look.”

Old Liu was the village’s herbal doctor. Usually, for minor ailments and fevers, everyone went to him for medicine.

One villager hurried off to summon him. Meanwhile, Zhang Duomei clung to Li Ergou, wailing even more miserably, cursing vilely between sobs. Ying Su simply stood there, black eyes amused, watching the farce unfold.

She wondered, what exactly was Zhang Duomei trying to achieve? Everyone knew Shen Cuihua was a penniless lunatic. If not for money, then what was all this noise really about?

Finally, someone in the crowd noticed something strange and whispered, “Look closely, doesn’t Shen Cuihua seem a bit different today?”

At once, all eyes turned to Ying Su. Soon after, people chimed in, “That’s right! She hasn’t gone mad today! Before, whenever Shen Cuihua went crazy and attacked people, no one could hold her back!”

“Look, she’s even holding that wild brat’s hand!” One villager exclaimed in surprise.

Everyone knew Shen Cuihua never touched the child before. She even used to beat him in her crazed fits! Now, not only was she calm, but her actions were completely unlike her old erratic self. Standing silently with the child in hand, she seemed no different from a normal person.

“Cuihua, are you better now?” Madam Li, hearing the villagers’ discussion, looked Ying Su over with growing excitement.

The crowd all stared at Shen Cuihua, but she gave no reply. She simply stood still, holding the child like a wooden figure.

“I knew it, how could a madwoman turn normal? She’s been crazy for five years. If she were going to get better, it would’ve happened long ago!” one villager sneered.

Disappointment flashed across Madam Li’s face. She reached out and stroked the little bun’s head.

Just then, Old Liu the herbal doctor arrived. He stepped forward, glanced at Li Ergou, and his face changed. Striking two sharp blows to the back of Li Ergou’s neck, he then pulled a thick needle from his medicine box. Pressing firmly at the center of Li Ergou’s forehead, he plunged the needle in!

A stream of black blood oozed out. Zhang Duomei stopped crying at once and hurriedly asked, “Doctor Liu, what’s wrong with my Ergou?”

“He’s been possessed, must’ve seen something he shouldn’t have!” Old Liu said grimly as he withdrew the needle.

Li Ergou, who had been stupefied all this time, finally came back to himself. The first words out of his mouth were, “Shen Cuihua is possessed by a ghost! Save me! Save me!”

Old Liu slapped him hard across the face and shouted, “Your soul’s back!”

Li Ergou was dazed for a moment before regaining his senses. When he looked up and saw Ying Su not far away, smiling strangely while holding the child, he shivered violently and hid behind Zhang Duomei.

Following his gaze, Old Liu also looked at Shen Cuihua. Stroking his beard, he sighed, “It seems Ergou’s fright really does have something to do with Shen Cuihua.” Then he bent down to examine Li Ergou’s broken wrists and ankles. “The ankles can still be treated,” he said. “But as for the wrists, even if they’re set, they won’t be very nimble in the future. He won’t be able to lift heavy things.”

Zhang Duomei’s expression instantly twisted into fury. “Elder, did you hear that? This crazy bitch actually broke my Ergou’s hands and feet! If his hands are useless, how are we supposed to live? Today it’s his limbs, tomorrow she might just take his life! If you don’t drive this lunatic out of the village, I won’t live anymore!”