Chapter 23

 

When Xu Shuyue regained consciousness, she was surrounded by darkness. The warmth of the heated brick bed beneath her provided a familiar sense of safety.

As the tension in her body eased, she slowly opened her eyes, glancing around. She quickly realized that she was in her own room.

She struggled to sit up, startling Madam Wei, who had been dozing lightly. With a quick strike, the older woman lit a candle, its flickering light illuminating Xu Shuyue’s pale, bloodless face.

“Oh my! Shuyue, you’re finally awake!” Madam Wei exclaimed, her voice tinged with relief.

Heaven knew how worried she had been when she found out her daughter-in-law had accidentally hit her head and fainted. Worse still, Xu Shuyue had remained unconscious for an entire day. Fearing that the village herbal doctor might be unreliable, Madam Wei had insisted Qi Qingfeng borrow Yu Yougen’s ox cart to fetch a proper physician from town.

Now, looking at her awake and alert, Madam Wei’s heartache turned into a wave of guilt. She shouldn’t have brought Shuyue out today!

Feeling remorseful, she turned to the small table and picked up a bowl of warm rice porridge she had kept for her. She moved to feed her personally.

But Xu Shuyue immediately stopped her. “Mother, I can do it myself.”

Seeing her insistence, and noticing that she didn’t seem to be forcing herself, Madam Wei finally let go and handed her the bowl. But she didn’t stop nagging. “The doctor said you injured your head, so you absolutely cannot eat anything spicy or sour these next few days… Heaven help us, and right when we should be feasting for the New Year!”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Madam Wei furrowed her brows and grumbled, “Honestly, Shuyue, how could you be so careless? How did you not see such a big hoe lying on the ground? You tripped over it and knocked yourself out!”

Xu Shuyue, spoon halfway to her mouth, stiffened.

She distinctly remembered what had happened. Xu Laoda had taken a stick and struck her from behind!

But listening to Madam Wei now, it sounded as though she had simply tripped and fallen on her own, causing the wooden handle of a hoe to flip up and knock her out.

Who twisted the truth?

Her body was still weak after an entire day of unconsciousness, but Xu Shuyue forced herself to finish the porridge to regain some strength. She then popped a piece of dried apple into her mouth to moisten her throat and casually asked, “Mother, who told you that I was knocked out by a hoe handle?”

Madam Wei, tidying up the dishes, replied absentmindedly, “How should I know? By the time I arrived, there was already a crowd gathered around you.”

She recalled the scene vividly. She had just finished heating water with Madam Liu and was carrying it into the courtyard when she saw a large group of villagers huddled together.

Before she could even ask what was happening, two older women were already carrying Xu Shuyue’s unconscious body, shouting for someone to fetch the doctor.

The mere memory of that moment made Madam Wei’s heart tremble. She patted her chest and said, “Shuyue, you were so pale back then, it was terrifying! Your father-in-law and I nearly had a heart attack!”

The genuine concern in her voice made Xu Shuyue’s lips curl up faintly.

But she didn’t forget the real issue at hand. Lowering her voice slightly, she asked, “Mother, when you arrived in the courtyard, did you see Xu Laoda?”

“Xu Laoda?” Madam Wei didn’t mind her addressing him so informally. Ever since the incident when Xu Laoda had come to the Qi family home to bully Xu Shuyue, Madam Wei had stopped considering him as an in-law. Now, hearing Xu Shuyue’s question, she felt a sense of unease and truthfully replied, “I didn’t see him. But I don’t know if he was there before I arrived. Why are you asking, Shuyue?”

Xu Shuyue rarely mentioned her elder uncle unless something was wrong. Madam Wei’s instincts told her there was more to this than she knew.

Not one to keep secrets from her mother-in-law, Xu Shuyue said bluntly, “Mother, I wasn’t knocked out by a hoe handle. Xu Laoda hit me.”

Madam Wei was shocked.

Then, after a brief moment, she frowned in doubt—not because she didn’t believe Xu Shuyue, but because it didn’t make sense.

“There were so many people in the courtyard. Why would Xu Laoda suddenly go crazy and attack you?”

She thought for a moment and guessed, “Did he try to demand money from you again?”

That was the only reason she could think of for Xu Laoda to approach Xu Shuyue.

As for why the attack had no consequences…

It likely had something to do with that man who had entered the courtyard just before Xu Shuyue lost consciousness.

Trying to recall the man’s appearance, Xu Shuyue described, “Mother, is there anyone in our village with a centipede-like scar on their face?”

Madam Wei’s expression changed slightly. “You’re talking about Wang Laizi?”

He was the village rogue, notorious for causing trouble. Madam Wei quickly warned her, “Why are you asking about that man? He’s bad news—always picking fights, chasing stray dogs and cats, completely useless! Our village’s reputation is already suffering because of him.”

Xu Shuyue sighed.

“It seems Wang Laizi saw Xu Laoda hit me.”

A wave of exhaustion washed over her. Perhaps that blow to the head had truly drained her energy. She closed her eyes for a moment and said wearily, “Since you say he’s not a good person, I can guess what happened. He must be blackmailing Xu Laoda.”

“If he failed once, he’ll definitely try again.”

She smiled faintly, her voice calm and composed.

“I’ll just wait and see.”

Meanwhile, back at Xu Laoda’s house, Madam Chen was fuming.

She jabbed a finger into her husband’s forehead, furious. “Xu Laoda, are you stupid or insane?! I told you to go get money from Xu Shuyue, and what did you do? You hit her over the head in broad daylight, with people watching!”

She was nearly fuming with rage. “Now, thanks to you, Wang Laizi is demanding ten taels of silver to keep quiet. Ten taels! Do you even know how much that is?! Even if we sold both me and our son, we couldn’t afford it!”

Madam Chen was so furious she didn’t even know what to say to Xu Laoda anymore. In her rage, she grabbed and pinched him, venting her anger on his arm. Xu Laoda, already in a foul mood, felt his temper flare as she nagged at him.

Annoyed, he shoved her away and snapped, “What else could I do? Xu Shuyue wouldn’t come with me, so I had no choice but to resort to drastic measures!”

Madam Chen nearly exploded. “Your so-called ‘drastic measures’ were to knock her out and try to abduct her?! Are you out of your damn mind?! What kind of idiotic, self-destructive plan is that?!”

If Xu Shuyue wouldn’t come willingly, they could have just waited for another chance. After all, they lived in the same village—there would always be a moment when she was alone. But instead of waiting, this brainless oaf had acted in broad daylight, right in front of witnesses!

Madam Chen was so furious her intestines were twisting into knots. How had she ended up marrying such an idiot?!

Xu Laoda’s face darkened at her scolding, and instead of admitting fault, he pushed the blame onto her. “I told you to go instead, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look where we are…” He clenched his fists. Wang Laizi was threatening to report him to the authorities unless he handed over ten taels of silver!

Where the hell was he supposed to get that kind of money?!

Madam Chen stared at him in disbelief. “Are you seriously blaming me for this?!”

Her eyes bulged with anger as her face twisted into a furious snarl. “Xu Laoda, are you even a man?!”

Xu Laoda scowled, keeping his mouth shut. He was the kind of person who would never admit he was wrong, no matter what.

But Madam Chen had had enough. She exploded completely, immediately turning around and gathering her belongings.

Xu Laoda’s heart skipped a beat at her sudden actions, and he forced himself to ask gruffly, “What are you doing?”

Madam Chen shot him a glare full of disgust. “Isn’t it obvious? Xu Laoda, I can’t live like this anymore! You deal with this mess on your own. If you can’t, then go rot in prison, but don’t drag me and our son down with you!”

With that, she grabbed her packed bundle, stormed into the courtyard, picked up their son who had been playing outside, and left without looking back.

Xu Laoda stood there, dumbfounded, completely at a loss.

—-

Xu Shuyue rested for two days. By then, her body felt stiff and sore from lying down too long, so she got up to move around. She crushed walnuts and peanuts into small pieces and made another batch of nut brittle, preparing treats for the children who would visit during the New Year festivities.

Meanwhile, Madam Wei was busy in the courtyard making pig’s blood tofu.

Qi Ansheng hadn’t asked for any share of the pork from the slaughter, but he had brought back a large basin of pig’s blood, thinking Xu Shuyue had probably never eaten this kind of dish before. Madam Wei, not wanting to waste it, decided to make it into something special.

She crumbled some tofu over a bamboo sieve, then poured the pig’s blood over it. After letting it sit overnight, the mixture had coagulated into a firm, vibrant red mass with a slightly bouncy texture. She carefully crumbled it into smaller pieces, mixing it thoroughly with the tofu residue.

The tofu dregs, once white, were now fully stained red. Madam Wei methodically shaped the mixture into small oval balls, arranging them neatly on another bamboo tray. After leaving them to set for a few days, she would air-dry them for two weeks before they were ready to eat.

Just as she finished placing the trays in a safe spot, Qi Qingfeng returned from outside, bringing news he had gathered.

Madam Wei frowned, murmuring, “Shuyue was right after all.”

Qi Qingfeng’s tone was serious. “On the day of the pig slaughter, someone saw Wang Laizi and Xu Laoda together. The next day, people started gossiping about how Madam Chen and Xu Laoda had a huge argument, and she went back to her parents’ home. After that, Wang Laizi began hanging around their house, constantly leeching off them.”

Madam Wei’s brows furrowed deeper. “Xu Laoda hasn’t retaliated?”

Wang Laizi was notorious for being a scoundrel, but Xu Laoda wasn’t exactly a decent person either. How had they not fought yet?

Qi Qingfeng sneered. “Not only has he not fought back, but according to the neighbors, Xu Laoda is actually being very respectful toward Wang Laizi.”

How could he not be? Wang Laizi was a witness to his crime. If he spoke up, Xu Laoda would be in serious trouble.

Madam Wei sighed. “Shuyue took a hit for nothing, then.”

Xu Shuyue had been the real victim, yet Wang Laizi had turned the situation into an opportunity for extortion.

Patting her son’s arm, she instructed, “Let’s not mention this to your sister-in-law. No need to upset her over it.”

Qi Qingfeng didn’t respond immediately. His lowered eyes flickered with something unreadable before he glanced toward the kitchen, where Xu Shuyue was busy making nut brittle.

Without another word, he simply said he was going to find Eldest Brother Liang and Second Brother Liang, then left.

Xu Shuyue, sensing something, looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of his tall, straight figure disappearing through the doorway.

Curious, she grabbed two pieces of nut brittle and headed outside, giving one to Qi Ansheng, who was weaving bamboo baskets, and the other to Madam Wei.

As she casually bit into hers, she asked, “Dinner’s almost ready. Where did Qingfeng go?”

Madam Wei, chewing her brittle, waved her hand dismissively. “That boy always has his own ideas. Who knows?”

With that, she headed to the backyard to pick some cabbage for dinner.

Xu Shuyue watched the entrance of the courtyard thoughtfully.

That evening, at dinner, Xu Shuyue noticed a small dried scab on Qi Qingfeng’s knuckle. She didn’t say anything, merely observing silently.

The next day, an elderly village woman came to chat with Madam Wei. While gossiping, she mentioned, “Did you hear? Someone beat Wang Laizi up real good last night!”

Hearing this, Xu Shuyue’s hand, which had been shelling peanuts, paused briefly.

Her gaze flickered subtly as she swept her surroundings with a glance. Across the courtyard, Qi Qingfeng was sitting under the eaves, calmly reading.

Without hesitation, she grabbed a small jar of healing ointment, walked over, and placed it in front of him.

The movement cast a faint shadow over his book.

Qi Qingfeng raised his head, looking puzzled at first. But when his eyes landed on the ointment, his expression darkened slightly.

Feigning ignorance, he asked, “Sister-in-law, what’s this for?”

Xu Shuyue tilted her head, her eyes glancing briefly at his injured hand.

Qi Qingfeng followed her gaze and saw the small scab on his knuckle. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Sister-in-law, you’re quite observant.”

Xu Shuyue crossed her arms, amusement glinting in her eyes. “What, you didn’t beat up Xu Laoda as well?”

She took an educated guess. “Or were you afraid I’d be upset if I found out?”

Qi Qingfeng remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

It wasn’t because he was afraid of her reaction. He simply felt Xu Laoda wasn’t worth dirtying his hands over.

Xu Laoda had willingly sold off his own niece, then watched coldly as she went to sweep her parents’ graves alone. That alone spoke volumes about their relationship.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Shuyue smirked. “Good.”

Being looked after like this felt nice.

Her mood lightened, and she playfully teased, “Qingfeng, how about doing one more favor for your sister-in-law?”