"Big brother, big sister-in-law." Zhan Laosan, sitting on the ox cart, saw his elder brother and his wife and jumped down before the cart had even stopped. "Big brother, help me lift the water buckets. We got lucky today and bought two turtles, these are great for replenishing the body."
"Shut up, the whole village can hear you!" Zhan Laotou glared at his youngest son, who spoke too quickly.
Zhan Laotou intended to roast these two turtles privately to nourish the whole family; they wouldn't even be enough for a single bite for the villagers if served at a banquet.
Zhan Laoda and Li Shi, whose hearts had been hanging precariously, finally relaxed. Their father was in the mood to buy groceries and prepare a banquet, which meant the matter was truly resolved.
Hearing the voices in the courtyard, Ma Shi came out from the kitchen. She looked awkwardly at the people moving things from the ox cart. Her elder brother and sister-in-law didn't know that Xiao Yu had been beaten by their mother.
Zhan Laosan turned around and saw his wife, standing as stiff as a wooden post. He couldn't help but curse in annoyance, "What are you standing there stupidly for? Lend a hand!"
"Dad, you're back." Ma Shi replied, grabbing Zhan Laosan's arm and pulling him aside. She glanced guiltily at her elder brother and sister-in-law and whispered, "Mother hit Xiao Yu!"
"She hit Xiao Yu?" Zhan Laosan was stunned for a moment, then roared, "Why did Mother hit Xiao Yu? Are you mistaken? Did Mother hit Sanlang?"
Given Sanlang's disposition of tearing down the roof if not beaten for three days, Zhan Laosan occasionally spanked him.
"Even if my Sanlang is disobedient, he wouldn't provoke ruffians to come and smash our house, nor would he have the audacity to give away ten taels of silver. He dares to make decisions about the family's money, as if the elders of the Zhan family are all dead?" Xiao Yao Shi, standing at the entrance of the main hall, had a somber expression.
Sanlang always favored Xiao Yu, and he wasn't as good to Niuniu. Anyone who didn't know would think Xiao Yu was Sanlang's daughter! Xiao Yao Shi's thoughts were disgusting and malicious, but she dared not voice them.
When Zhan Lao Er heard Xiao Yao Shi's words, he slammed the bamboo basket in his hand onto the ground and reprimanded coldly, "What nonsense are you spewing? If Xiao Yu made a mistake, she has parents and elder siblings to teach her. If you can't speak properly, go back inside and do your work!"
When Zhan Laotou heard the words "elders are all dead," his face turned cold. Old people are most sensitive to talk of death. However, as a father-in-law, it wasn't appropriate for him to scold his daughter-in-law. Hearing Zhan Lao Er scold Xiao Yao Shi, Zhan Laotou nodded with satisfaction. Lao Er was indeed the most sensible.
On the way back from the county town, Zhan Laotou explained the situation. After hearing Zhan Lao Er's analysis, Zhan Laotou also felt that Zhan Feiyu needed to be properly disciplined. At only seven years old, daring to make decisions about ten taels of silver, what would she be like in a few more years!
"I'm going to see Xiao Yu." Li Shi dropped the words and walked towards the east wing.
Zhan Laoda, too, stopped bothering with moving things and hurried after her. He doted on his only daughter like a precious gem, and Xiao Yu had never been hit since she was little.
"Big brother, I want to see Xiao Yu too!" Zhan Laosan also worried about his niece.
Pushing open the bedroom door, a strong smell of medicinal ointment wafted out. Zhan Feiyu was sleeping soundly, lying on her stomach. She had been applied with ointment, and the quilt was only covered up to her waist, exposing her back where a bruised wound was terrifyingly swollen.
The bruise was two fingers wide, and in the more severe spots, it looked as if the skin was about to break. Against her fair skin, the red and purple marks were shocking.
"Xiao Yu!" Li Shi choked out a cry, and tears immediately streamed down her face. She hadn't expected Zhan Feiyu to be so severely injured; it was as if they were trying to beat her to death!
Zhan Laoda clenched his fists tightly, staring blankly at the bruised, swollen, red and purple wound.
"Is Mother crazy? How could she do that!" Zhan Laosan, who entered a moment later, shouted. He rushed to the bedside and looked at the sleeping Zhan Feiyu with concern.
Zhan Laosan had been beaten that morning, and he also had bruises on his face and body. But he was a rough man, whereas Xiao Yu was a seven-year-old girl.
The bedroom was eerily quiet. Ma Shi glanced around and muttered softly, "She was also hit on the leg with a stick. Mother really intended to beat Xiao Yu to death. If I hadn't stopped her, Xiao Yu would probably be dead by now."
After speaking, Ma Shi puffed out her chest to take credit. Today, she had saved Xiao Yu's life. If her elder brother and sister-in-law were grateful, it would be even better if they gave her some money as a reward.
"Mother?" Zhan Feiyu, awakened by the noise, opened her eyes and called out hazily.
After being carefully held by Li Shi, Zhan Feiyu suddenly burst into tears, "Mother, it hurts so much, my back bone hurts, my thigh hurts too, Mother..."
"Don't cry, Xiao Yu, don't cry, Mother is here!" Li Shi hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face. Every cry of pain was like a knife twisting in her heart.
Zhan Feiyu cried until she was out of breath, her whole body convulsing as if she were about to faint. Her tear-blurred eyes looked towards Zhan Laoda, "Dad."
"Dad is here, Xiao Yu, don't cry!" Zhan Laoda's face remained stern, but this honest and simple man's eyes reddened. He hugged Li Shi and Zhan Feiyu, comforting her in a hoarse voice, "Dad is back, Xiao Yu, don't be afraid."
The Zhan family was accustomed to Zhan Feiyu's precocious and witty demeanor, especially after she started attending private school. Every day, she would return home and study diligently by the lamplight, sleeping later than everyone else and waking up earlier than the roosters, so sensible that it was heartbreaking.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu's voice hoarse from crying, Zhan Laosan and Ma Shi also felt a lump in their hearts. Even if she had made a mistake, how could a seven-year-old child like Xiao Yu be treated with such harshness?
"I'm going to find Mother!" Zhan Laosan suddenly turned and strode out of the bedroom.
In the courtyard, Zhan Laotou and Zhan Lao Er both heard Zhan Feiyu's loud crying. Neither of them took it seriously; which child hadn't been spanked?
But upon seeing Zhan Laosan's furious expression, Zhan Laotou's heart skipped a beat. "Laosan, what are you doing?"
"I want to ask Mother if she intended to beat Xiao Yu to death, otherwise how could she be so cruel!" Zhan Laosan retorted angrily, continuing his steps towards the main house. Thinking about it, he became even more enraged. "It's only five taels of silver, is Xiao Yu's life only worth five taels of silver!"
On the way back, Zhan Lao Er had mentioned that it was wrong for Zhan Feiyu to take it upon herself to hand over the silver to the village elder. Zhan Lao Er was eloquent, and after his words, Zhan Laotou also put on a stern face.
Zhan Laosan, however, sneered. Xiao Yu was the one who obtained the ten taels of silver. What was wrong with holding a banquet to thank the villagers? Should the villagers help them fight and get beaten for no reason? His second brother just liked to scheme and calculate, wanting everything to be done according to his wishes. In Zhan Laosan's opinion, Xiao Yu had acted openly and generously. He never expected Zhan Laotai to brutally beat Zhan Feiyu over the money.
"I'm right here, what? Are you going to hit me a couple of times to vent your anger for your niece?" Zhan Laotai walked into the courtyard with a stiff face, looking coldly at her furious youngest son.
A sharp glint flashed in Zhan Laotai's eyes. She didn't blame her youngest son for being impulsive, but resented Zhan Feiyu, a mere girl, for having the means to get her uncle to stand up for her.
"Mother, you almost beat Xiao Yu to death!" Zhan Laosan shouted indignantly. If it were an outsider, he would have grabbed a cleaver and fought to the death, but this was his own mother.
"It would have been peaceful if she had really died! The ruffians who stirred up trouble came this morning, and now you're instigating you to stand up for her. This is trying to ruin our Zhan family!" A sharp scolding voice rang out. Zhan Laotai's sinister gaze fell upon the east wing. "What are you crying for? No one has died in the family, there's no need for a funeral lament!"