Fifty taels is no small sum, you could buy two ugly women with that. Madam Qian is clearly trying to rob us.
Xiao Yuchuan laughed, âMadam Qian, your life isnât even worth fifty taels, do you really dare to ask for that much!â
âYour life isnât even worth fifty taels,â Madam Qian blushed red from his words, âYour wife was only bought for sixteen taels, her life is worth just that amount!â
âWho said that,â Xiao Yuchuan coldly replied, âMy wife is the most expensive wife in the village. Whose wife can earn three hundred taels, letâs hear it!â
ââ¦â
Madam Qian was silenced momentarily, and the others couldnât argue.
With the wives and daughters-in-law in the village, those who can make a bit of money are many. Some can sell a bit of vegetables, most can make a few copper coins from embroidery, and the more capable can do some small business, like selling wonton soup in town. But they all earn small change, none of them are as capable as Su Qingyue.
âWhat of it if sheâs expensive!â Madam Qian shouted, âIs she exempt from paying compensation because her life is worth more?â
Su Qingyue laughed, âWhen did I ever beat you? Try talking with your conscience.â
âYou did beat me!â Madam Qian screamed, holding herself, âOh, my whole body hurts, I might be dying! If I die, fellow villagers, it was Su Qingyue who killed meâ¦sheâs a murderer!ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
One of Madam Qianâs husbands, Qian Duodi, who was also typically lazy, said, âXiao Family, if you donât pay, weâre not leaving today!â
He took a stool from the yard and sat down on it.
Wang Qigu and Madam Li Wang, who were originally supporting the Qian Family, heard that they were asking for fifty taels and became envious. They didnât want the Qian Family to pick up such a good deal, so they stood to the side to watch the fun and stopped backing them up.
Madam Qian let out a wail, âThe wife of the Xiao Family wants to commit murder and not pay! Thereâs no justice! Thereâs no justice!â
Carrying his wife, Qian Duotianâs hands were sore. His wife was ugly, but not lightweight. But for the sake of getting some money, he had to bear the weight and show that his wife could no longer stand due to being âbeatenâ, âMy wife has been beaten by Su Qingyue to the point that she canât even walk anymore, the Xiao Family must pay compensation!â
Xiao Yishan was furious, his face ashen, âEveryone get out of my house!â
âOh, Yishan, we must talk this through surely.â Qian Duotian, seeing that they had more people on their side, wasnât scared of him, âIf you donât pay compensation today, hand over Su Qingyue and weâll send her to the government office tomorrow!â
Someone who was watching the commotion then said, âXiao Family, you should compensate a bit. Fifty taels is unnecessary, but you should at least pay a bit for the medical expenses.â
âYes, these days, itâs not good to provoke a lawsuitâ¦â
âYou should compensate a bitâ¦â
Xiao Yishan didnât want his wife getting involved in a lawsuit and was a bit wavering.
Xiao Qinghe was also silent and indecisive.
âGo to the officials then! Whoâs scared of who!â Xiao Yuchuan roared, âDidnât you hear my wife? She said she didnât hit Madam Qian. That ugly woman wants to extort money from us because she sees that weâre getting rich!â
âWhoâs extorting? Whoâs ugly!â Madam Qian wouldnât stand for it. Among the younger generation of wives and daughters-in-law in the village, the first ugliest used to be Su Qingyue. Now everyone thinks Su Qingyue has a good figure, just an ugly face, everyone was equally ugly.
She couldnât bear it when people called her ugly, âIf Iâm ugly, am I as ugly as your wife? Su Qingyue is famously the ugliest wife in the whole area!â
Xiao Yuchuan looked at her contemptuously, âMadam Qian, with your yellowish skin, a face full of freckles, a pointed mouth, monkey cheeks, soulless squinting eyes, a big rotten mouth⦠youâre so hideous itâs disgusting. My wife is a whole lot prettier than you!â