Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 57

Wang Lanhua was not willing to back down. She was the kind of person who remembered the sweetness but forgot the pain, ever since Ying Su had taught her a lesson last time, she had already forgotten how much it hurt.

“If we don’t get an explanation today, we’ll stir up a storm! So young, yet already so heavy-handed, when he grows up, will he be a mountain bandit?”

The corner of Ying Su’s lips curved in a cold smile. Since they wanted to make a fuss, why not make it even bigger?

“What kind of explanation do you want?” She asked lightly, her expression calm as clouds, though in her heart she was already plotting how to scare them off properly. She had never raised a son, didn’t even know how, but she couldn’t bear to see her little bun suffer even the slightest grievance. Even if her child really did hit someone without reason, she would stand behind him.

Hearing this, greed flashed in Wang Lanhua’s eyes. She secretly nudged Li Guihua with her hand, exchanged a glance, and said, “Since you’ve beaten my son like this, you must pay for the medical fees! And you’ll have to provide good food and drink for him for a while before this can be settled!”

Li Guihua immediately echoed her, the two women acting in perfect unison.

These days, everyone knew that the Li family had come into money. Shen Cuihua had silver. If it were some other family who had gotten rich, they would have no choice but to swallow their envy and curry favor. But a widow with a stepchild, suddenly wealthy? That kind of thing made people itch to take advantage. Who wouldn’t want to extort a little?

Now that such an opportunity had fallen into their laps, they would not let it slip by!

“How much silver do you want?” Ying Su’s harmless-looking smile grew even sweeter. Her brows arched slightly, and a flash of sharp light passed through her phoenix eyes.

Liu Chuncao tugged at her sleeve, then cursed at Li Guihua and Wang Lanhua in her fiery way, “What’s wrong with you two? Got your heads stuck in money jars? You don’t even know the full story and already you’re asking for silver? Kids fighting is normal! And you adults barging in here, don’t think people don’t see what you’re really after!”

“Liu Chuncao, what’s that supposed to mean? Sure, children fighting is common, but your Dazhuang and Huzi bullied mine, why shouldn’t we come? If you want to spoil your kids and let them act tough at home, fine, but don’t let them run wild outside! Hitting people and still being so arrogant, where’s the justice in that?” Li Guihua shot back furiously.

Ying Su bent down and whispered something into Li Jinfeng’s ear. The little girl’s eyes widened in surprise, but Ying Su winked at her. Only then did the girl spin around and dash quickly into the courtyard.

All this time, Dazhuang had been hiding behind Madam Li. Suddenly, he raised his head and called out to Li Guihua, “They started it! They cursed at Auntie first, that’s why Huzi hit them!”

As soon as he said that, everyone understood what had happened. So the cause of this whole mess lay with Li Guihua’s and Wang Lanhua’s boys. If they hadn’t cursed, how would they have gotten beaten?

“You hear that? It was your sons who cursed first! And you claim your kids were beaten, Dazhuang and Huzi aren’t even as big as them! How hard could they have hit? Dazhuang and Huzi are both covered in bruises themselves!” Liu Chuncao shouted angrily, her face flushed.

Li Dalang had arrived late because he had been tying up the ox cart. As a grown man, he didn’t want to quarrel noisily with women, but he had heard everything clearly. He knew Huzi and Dazhuang had struck first, so he admitted his kids weren’t blameless. Wanting to keep the peace, he thought it better to settle things quietly.

Since his purse was full these days, he didn’t mind paying a little for the doctor. He tugged at his wife’s sleeve, signaling her to stop arguing.

After a month of running a shop in town, Li Dalang now valued his reputation. Seeing the villagers all gathered at his gate watching the drama, he felt ashamed.

So he thought for a moment and then said to Li Guihua and Wang Lanhua, “Dazhuang and Huzi are still small, it’s natural for them to be ignorant. Since your children are hurt, how about this, I’ll pay for you to take them to town for treatment.”

But would Wang Lanhua and Li Guihua agree to that? Of course not. Their minds were whirring with schemes, this fuss wasn’t about doctor visits. How much harm could four or five-year-old children really do to each other? What they wanted was silver!

“That won’t do! What if you find some random doctor to fool us? We’ll take the kids ourselves. You just hand us the money, and we’ll pay the doctor directly!” Li Guihua’s eyes gleamed as she instantly came up with an excuse.

“How much silver do you want?” Ying Su suddenly raised her brows and asked in a flat voice.

“At least one tael!” Wang Lanhua said smugly, then quickly corrected herself, “No, one isn’t enough. At least… at least two taels!” She thought, since this little slut could build a tiled house, she must have plenty of money. Why not ask for more? The thought filled her with glee, easing the resentment from the times she’d been humiliated before.

The onlookers all sucked in a sharp breath. Asking for that much was outrageous. The kids’ faces were swollen and scratched, yes, but nothing serious. A doctor’s fee would at most cost a few dozen copper coins, and with how sturdy village children were, they’d probably heal on their own in a few days. This was nothing but extortion.

Liu Chuncao’s hands went to her hips. She spat on the ground. “Oh, you’ve got dreams! Why don’t you just go rob someone?”

Even Li Dalang hadn’t expected Wang Lanhua to demand so much. His face darkened.

But Ying Su’s smile only grew gentler. “Your son’s worth only two taels? Isn’t that too little? He’s your flesh and blood. Shouldn’t you value him more?”

Wang Lanhua blinked in surprise, then greed filled her eyes. She probed cautiously, “Then… then three taels?”

Ying Su’s lips curled into a deep, knowing smile. Li Guihua sensed something was off about her attitude and kept silent.

Just then, Li Jinfeng ran back out from the courtyard holding a kitchen knife. She held it out to Ying Su and said, “Sister-in-law, here’s the knife you asked for!”

Ying Su took it. The gleaming blade made everyone instinctively retreat a step. Both Li Guihua and Wang Lanhua’s faces changed. Wang Lanhua, uneasy, asked, “What… what are you doing?”

Li Guihua tugged her son a few steps back. She remembered how Shen Cuihua had been known as the mad widow. People said she was normal now, but what if her madness came back at this moment?

“You said your son’s worth three taels, didn’t you? Well, I have three taels here. But from the looks of him, his injuries aren’t worth that much. Why don’t I give him a few cuts myself to make it match?” Ying Su’s smile grew dazzling, her white teeth gleaming alongside the cold edge of the knife, sending chills through the crowd.

Wang Lanhua’s legs nearly gave out. Still, bolstered by the presence of the villagers, she forced herself to bluster, “You’re trying to scare me? Don’t think I’ll back down just because you’ve got a kitchen knife! No matter how you twist it, I’m in the right here, you owe me silver!”

Even now, Wang Lanhua refused to let go of her demand.