Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 109: Chapter 107 Past Events: Sister Guihua’s Kindness

This remark made all three of them burst into laughter!

All of them were laughing heartily!

The two of them had been busy all afternoon and finally managed to seal the mouth of the well, leaving a small opening. The babbling stream bubbling out from below the well’s mouth, although not large in volume, was clean and sweet – it’s virtue was its clarity and sweetness.

After Zuo Xingyu and the others had thoroughly investigated and questioned everyone in Upper Village, they set off back to the small town.

Along the way, they were discussing in detail their findings.

They left Upper Village through the village road, crossed a small river, took a few turns around the bay, waded through a small stream, and arrived on the main road. It just so happened that they ran headlong into a few people who were hurriedly coming their way.

Zuo Xingyu sharply refocused his gaze: “It’s you!”

“It’s you!”

The other party also shouted out!

The person coming was none other than Zhang Shixin, who had hurriedly made his way from the Zhang family’s mansion.

Today, from the moment he stepped out of his house, every single thing had gone wrong!

He inadvertently stepped into a pond, and while sitting down for breakfast, he was dragged into a brawl by idle men, which left his forehead all bruised up. After finally managing to leave the clinic, he was hit by the tail end of a horse whip belonging to a galloping horse. This had not only marked his freshly changed clothes with a muddy stain, but also left a painful welt where the whip had landed!

It truly was a saying that, when a person has bad luck, even drinking cold water can cause a toothache!

What god of fortune did Zhang Shixin offend today?

He did suspect that lowly person of some foul play, but upon careful consideration, he dropped the idea. He was sure that the lowly person wouldn’t dare to sabotage him behind his back!

But he had underestimated a woman’s jealousy.

At the moment, his usual handsome appearance looked like a dog who had lost its home, completely disheveled. As his gaze met Zuo Xingyu’s, he shouted out.

“It’s you! What are you doing here?”

Zuo Xingyu’s eyes lingered deeply on him, then raised the corner of his mouth slightly in a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. He said, “Businessman Zhang, it’s strange you ask me this. I, Zuo, am here to investigate a case, naturally. I wonder, what brings Businessman Zhang here?”

“I…I, I am here to collect rent, of course!”

Zhang Shixin was showing signs of nerves, his gaze flickering.

“And you? What are you doing in the Upper Village? Zuo, don’t forget your initial promise!”

The surrounding temperature abruptly dropped, and it felt as if even the air was frozen.

Zuo Xingyu’s gaze suddenly darkened, eyes as deep as two vast black ponds. They seemed capable of sucking someone in whole, causing instinctive shivering.

“The words I’ve spoken, I, Zuo, naturally remember!”

Zuo Xingyu took two steps forward, whispering in his ear, “Let me remind you, Businessman Zhang! Don’t treat everyone else as fools! Since you’ve already given her up and allowed her to marry someone else. If I, Zuo, find out you’re up to anything underhanded, I might not dare to do much, but I could still have you eat prison food for a few days, free of charge!”

With a couple of cold chuckles, Zuo Xingyu stood straight, holding his big blade against his chest, arms crossed, and his sharp eyes pierced Zhang Shixin’s heart straight away.

“You! – Zuo Xingyu! Don’t be too smug too soon, don’t push your luck!”

Zhang Shixin was raging mad, his handsome face twisted into an extremely hideous expression. “What are you, Zuo Xingyu? All talk, no action! Weren’t you kicked aside by Sisi? At least she chose me over you in the beginning! You’re even worse than me, you dare to act self-righteous here! What are you planning now? You’re not trying to pester her to death, are you? Pah! What a joke!”

Zuo Xingyu cast a somber gaze. The ominous sound of his voice sent chills down everyone’s spine: “I’ve recently heard an interesting joke, I wonder if Businessman Zhang would like to hear it?”

“Not interested! Xiao Shitou, let’s go! Don’t bother with this self-important know-it-all!”

Businessman Zhang had no desire to listen further. With Xiao Shitou by his side, he turned to leave.

“Leaving so soon, Businessman Zhang? Just the other day, a colleague from the capital mentioned something interesting. Apparently, a certain gentleman in our Yanqing County was so determined to take a concubine that his poor wife had no choice but to sabotage their own family’s business, leaving her scatterbrained husband with no time for anything else but running off to the capital city. In the end, he even had to grovel to his own father-in-law, begging for forgiveness. Even after barely preserving his family business at the cost of several tens of thousands of shiny silver pieces he still felt grateful to his father-in-law, the one who orchestrated his downfall… Tsk tsk! Businessman Zhang, wouldn’t you say this story is amusing?”

Zuo Xingyu stood half-turned, a hint of mockery creeping up on his face as he watched Zhang Shixin turn back.

Zhang Shixin nearly tripped over in shock!

“Back off! I don’t need your help!”

With a harsh shove, he pushed off Xiao Shitou who had come forward to help steady him. Barely managing to stand upright, he turned to point an accusing finger at the nose of Zuo Xingyu.

“Incredible, Constable Zuo! Now you’re a gossiping woman! Since you seem to be so interested in such rumors, why don’t you go to the eunuch chamber to fulfill your ambitions? That way, all our troubles will be solved, won’t it? Haha…” Then, with a great laugh, he proudly strode off.

The eunuch chamber was where men were made eunuchs.

Zuo Xingyu remained at the spot, fixing a cold stare at Zhang Shixin’s departing figure with a smug smile, then sweeping a look over the bystanders who were watching curtailed by curiosity.

“What are you staring at? Let’s go!”

Meanwhile, Zhang Shixin strode away with fury in his belly, muttering venomously once Zuo Xingyu was out of sight, “A small man in power! I, Zhang Shixin, will wait and see how long you can maintain your arrogance!”

“Master, are we still heading to the Upper Village now?” Little Shitou tentatively inquired, fearful that he’d end up as the defusing kit for his master’s anger.

“What Upper Village? To home! I wish to a word with THAT despicable woman. Find out if what Zuo Xingyu said was true! Onwards!” declared Zhang Shixin in a huff.

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Xiao Shitou hustled to keep up, grousing to himself: Going back? What could you possibly do to Madam at home?

Our master’s father-in-law, Old Master Gan, controls half of the private salt trade in the capital. That’s a big-money business! Our master has been doing nothing but jockeying for his favor! If Madam wasn’t the illegitimate daughter of Old Master Gan, would our master have had a chance to marry her?

Yes, he may curse her a bit now, but in front of Madam, wouldn’t he be just like a mouse before a cat? He’s hurrying back home to endure her wrath, but what for?

Xiao Shitou kept these thoughts to himself while he caught up.

Meanwhile…

While Liu Sisi was busying herself at the stove, Guihua came to visit.

“Sisi! Your cooking skills are really something else! Even the simplest dishes turn into delicacies when made by you! They taste much better than the ones I cook. You know, both Zhang Yun and Zhang Peng compliment your cooking skills.” Guihua kept herself busy helping Liu Sisi sort the vegetables.

Liu Sisi was currently preparing the fish that Zhang Yun and Di Xuan had brought back from the river. “Keep complimenting me, Guihua! You’re praising me so much, I can barely tell east from west.”

“That’s not a praise, I just stated the fact.”

Guihua glanced up at Liu Sisi, who looked noticeably more refreshed today. Unable to resist her curiosity, she lowered her voice: “Sisi, have you and Brother Ye Lei…consummated your marriage yet?”

This was the second time Guihua had asked, and it made Liu Sisi uncomfortable. “…Guihua, why would you…” ask something like that?

“Ah, it’s pitiful! You’ve been married for months and you’re still a virgin. If this were known, you’d be the laughingstock.”

Guihua slid closer to her and quietly handed her a small packet, “Here! In the evening, give this medicine to Brother Ye Lei and that will sort things out!”