Chapter 37

Grievance

Zhang Decai’s wife and three children ran out of the village from a small road and hired a mule cart to rush to Green Mountain City. They went to Zhang Defa’s house in a panic.

When Mrs. Zhao saw Zhang Defa, she cried, “Uncle, what do you think we should do? The child’s father was captured by the village chief, and the two people who went last night were also captured by that bitch.”

“How can that be?” Zhang Defa was stunned when he heard that. The two tall men had actually been captured. What should he do?

Zhang Defa was so anxious that he kept circling around. He frowned and thought of a solution. After thinking for a long time, he still had no idea. Zhang Defa thought to himself, ‘Looks like I can only ask my in-law, Mr. Zhu, for help.’

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ll go find my in-law, Mr. Zhu.”

After saying that, Zhang Defa hurriedly drove the ox cart towards the academy. When he arrived, he spent some money and hired the academy’s gatekeeper to call Zhang Guisheng out.

Zhang Defa told Zhang Guisheng what had happened and said with a frown, “Guisheng! We can only ask your father-in-law for help now. Otherwise, if those two people expose me, they will drag you down!”

“You shouldn’t be in a hurry to find trouble with her. When I have an official title in the future, will I still be afraid that I won’t be able to make up for it?” Zhang Guisheng looked at Zhang Defa unhappily. After thinking about it, he bit his ear and whispered, “Father, you can’t look for Sir. The best way now is to let Second Uncle acknowledge this matter. Hurry up and look for Second Uncle. Let him shoulder it alone. It’s better than dragging us all in.”

Zhang Defa’s eyes lit up. “Yes, I’ll go find your second uncle now.”

Zhang Defa turned around and drove the ox cart out of the city. Not long after he left the city gate, he saw the village chief driving the ox cart towards the county city.

Zhang Defa hurriedly went over to stop the village chief and begged, “Village chief, please allow me to speak to my second brother.”

The village chief looked at Zhang Defa. “You can talk, but you have to promise me that you’ll move out of West Mountain Village immediately.”

Zhang Defa said angrily, “You’re adding insult to injury.”

The village chief looked at Zhang Defa with a dark expression. “You’re too ruthless. The villagers don’t agree to you living in the village. If you’re unwilling, so be it. Don’t block us from sending the thieves to the government office.”

Zhang Defa had no choice but to agree. “Alright, I’ll move when I get back.”

Zhang Defa had just reached the ox cart. “You son of a bitch!” Li Mei hissed and pounced over to scratch Zhang Defa’s face. She kept fighting. Li Qing and Liu Changmin clenched their fists and looked at Zhang Defa.

Zhang Defa gritted his teeth and did not say a word. He carried Zhang Decai off the ox cart and whispered into his ear to tell him what Zhang Guisheng had said. He promised in a low voice, “Second Brother, don’t worry. I’ll take care of sister-in-law and niece. Since that bitch is fine, you’ll be only beaten a few times. I’ll find someone to take care of her.”

Although Zhang Decai had originally planned to do so, he still felt a little cold when he heard Zhang Defa say it. He replied, “Brother, don’t worry. I also planned to do so.”

Zhang Defa carried Zhang Dacai back to the car. He looked at the Xu brothers and threatened, “Brother Xu, you have to consider carefully what you should say when you reach the government office. I’ll double what I promised.”

Li Qing rushed over and shouted, “Shameless. You’re colluding.”

Zhang Defa looked at Li Qing and the others disdainfully. Without a word, he turned around and got into the ox cart to drive away.

Li Yu sent the pickled vegetables to Shun Feng Inn and paid the bill with Shopkeeper Liu before rushing home with the ox cart. After waiting for a while, she felt extremely annoyed and told Xiao An before going up the mountain to hunt with her machete and bow.

The village chief brought a few people and reported the situation to the county magistrate. After the county magistrate reported the situation to the county magistrate, a meeting was held on the spot. As expected, the Xu brothers changed their minds. As there were no adverse consequences, the county magistrate sentenced Zhang Facai and the Xu brothers to 20 strokes of the paddle each. They would serve for a year and compensate Li Qing and his sister with 20 taels of silver.

Zhang Defa paid the fine and watched as Zhang Decai was sent to prison by the bailiffs. He smiled at Li Qing disdainfully.

When Li Qing saw this, he secretly vowed to study hard and make a name for himself so that no one would dare to have designs on his sister again.

Li Yu vented her anger on the mountain and hunted three wild goats, two mules, and more than ten hares and pheasants. After putting some in the space, she carried the rest down the mountain and went home. She sent one wild goat and one mule to Steward Huang’s house before driving the ox cart back. Just as she left the alley, she saw Li Qing and the others returning.

When Li Qing saw Li Yu, he jumped down from the ox cart and ran over to climb into Li Yu’s car. He called out, “Sister, I’m so useless.” Tears of humiliation fell.

Li Yu thought that Zhang Deicai and the Xu brothers had been released. “Were Zhang Decai and the Xu brothers released?”

Li Qing shook his head and told Li Yu the verdict. When Li Yu heard this, she felt that it was better than she had expected. After all, there were no actual consequences. In this world, such a verdict was considered not bad.

Li Yu looked at Li Qing’s aggrieved expression and patted his back. “Feeling aggrieved and indignant is the most useless thing one can do. What you have to do is to improve yourself and become stronger. Only then will they obediently shrink their tails and not dare to offend you again.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Li Qing thought about Li Yu’s words for a while and replied solemnly, “Sister, I’ll remember it.”

Li Yu followed the village chief’s ox cart to the village in the evening. Li Mei and her husband alighted from the ox cart in front of the village chief’s house and returned home with Li Yu and her brother.

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Yu asked Xiao An to go back. Li Mei handed the money to Li Yu and instructed, “Yu’er, be careful at home. Aunt’s house will probably be ready by the end of August. When the house is fixed, you can stay at my house.”

Li Yu smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Look, those two are no match for me. What are you afraid of?”

Li Mei felt that it made sense. Even if she joined forces with Liu Changmin and, they would not be a match for Li Yu.

“All in all, you guys have to be careful.”

Li Yu went to the kitchen to carry the goats and mules out. He said to Li Mei, “Alright, I’ve hunted the mules and goats. Bring one back. I’ll send the goats to the village chief’s house.”

“Yes! We should thank the village chief. If he hadn’t approached the county magistrate, he wouldn’t have been sentenced so easily.”

Li Yu drove the ox cart and Li Qing to the place where Li Mei and her husband were repairing the house. Then, she drove the ox cart to the village chief’s house. When she arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, Li Yu saw the village chief and Chen Yaohui sitting under the eaves and discussing something.

Li Yu tied the ox to the tree farm outside the village chief’s house. He stood at the door with the wild goat and shouted, “Grandpa Village Chief, I’m coming in!”

The village chief, father, and son looked up and saw Li Yu standing at the door with a wild goat. They all stood up.

“Xiaoyu, come in quickly.” Chen Yaohui quickly went to the door. “Why did you send this over? It’s so expensive.”

Li Yu smiled at Chen Yaohui. “I was lucky today. I hunted two and sold one. This is for the village chief and grandfather to nourish themselves. It’s been hard on you today.”

The village chief smiled politely and said, “I’m the village chief. Everyone should look for me if something happens. You’re too polite.”

Li Yu placed the goat under the eaves. Li Qing went forward and bowed to the village chief. “Grandpa Village Chief, sorry to have troubled you today.”

The village chief looked at Li Yu and his sister and thought about their performance today. He suddenly felt that he should build a good relationship with these two children. After thinking about it, the village chief said to Li Qing, “The county deputy was my classmate when I was in school. He’s already an official now that I’m a farmer. I heard that you’re studying. Remember to get along well with your classmates in school in the future.”

Li Qing bowed and replied, “Thank you for your advice, Grandpa Village Chief. I’ll remember it.” Everyone was polite again before Li Yu and his sister bade farewell and returned home.