Chapter 54: Return ◇

◎ We must avenge our mother! ◎

"Your mother first shoved me, then you struck me with a slap. My mother stepped in to shield me. I was too occupied with saving lives earlier to settle the score with you then, but now I must seek justice for my mother."

Hua Zhan furrowed his brow. So this was how his wife had sustained her injuries. If it were a man standing before him now, he would have taken the culprit aside to teach them a lesson. But given that it was a young woman, his frown deepened even more.

Fortunately, the daughter-in-law was not about to let her off the hook, following up with, "The injury of Hua Baogui is in no way the fault of my family. On the contrary, I have gone above and beyond by providing manpower, carriage, and financial resources to transport him to the medical clinic for treatment. If Hua Baogui were to pass away, the blame would not rest on me; but if he survives, then he owes us a debt of gratitude. However, your deliberate act of harming me and my mother is irrefutable evidence. When time allows, I will accompany my father to the yamen to file a lawsuit against you for causing bodily harm."

She then turned to Hua Zhan and asked, "Father, when are you free?"

Hua Zhan replied, "I'm free right now. We can go anytime."

The exchange between the father-in-law and daughter-in-law seemed to confirm their decision to report the incident to the authorities. This frightened Hua Baogui's wife, whose face turned pale. She had accidentally knocked out Mrs. Chen with just a gentle push, and with so many witnesses present, she was sure to be held accountable. Would the officials send someone to arrest her?

Thinking of this, she tried to force a flattering smile, but it only made her look more miserable. "It wasn't intentional, Miss Yu Lian. You're from an esteemed family, so please forgive a small person like me this once? I promise to personally apologize at your residence when we return!"

Yu Lian didn't respond immediately. She continued toying with the documents, speaking calmly, "If I were to strike you and then apologize, would you accept it?"

Of course not! Who would willingly endure a beating and let it slide with just an apology? If she were to be struck, she would certainly rally her family to demand compensation before she'd be appeased!

After some thought, she gritted her teeth and said, "Shall I fetch a bone for your mother-in-law to make soup, to nourish her body?"

Yu Lian chuckled. "My family doesn't lack a single bone."

"A pound of fatty meat!"

"Two pounds! That's the limit!"

"Very well, very well, shall I offer you the old hen from my household that lays eggs?"

Yu Lian lifted her gaze to meet her father-in-law's, and Hua Zhan's furrowed brow remained unrelaxed, his eyes conveying a mixture of helplessness and confusion.

He had never imagined that the manner in which rural folk offered apologies and compensation could be so vulgar and inexpensive, with pork and hens, though crude and common, held as treasures in their hearts, yet still subject to haggling.

In days gone by, anyone who dared to offend Lady Hua Zhan would have to atone with humble apologies, kneeling and bowing with fear and trepidation, begging for forgiveness and compensation, even if it meant losing everything they owned. As long as they could avoid his wrath, preserve their life and rank, what value could mere worldly possessions hold in comparison?

Yu Lian proved more amenable to the rural lifestyle than her father-in-law. She promptly held up two fingers. "Two hens, one rooster, and a clutch of chicks. As for the other two pounds of meat and the bone, include those as well. My mother's constitution is delicate and frail; she needs gradual nourishment to regain her strength."

Hua Baogui's wife: "!"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. How could anyone be so shameless? Pushing and slapping were common occurrences in village disputes; women would even roll in the fields while fighting, slapping each other and pulling hair. What was a push or a slap compared to that?

Who would have thought Mrs. Chen was so delicate that she fainted from just one hit?

"Besides... my husband was only trying to help your family, and he got injured at your place. He lost so much blood. Your mother is fine, just fainted – a pinch on her Renzhong point would wake her up. I still need to keep those chickens to nourish him. The doctor said he almost didn't make it. Please, don't hold this against us."

Yu Lian: "You can either sue or compensate – choose one. If not for the fact that we're neighbors, I'd drag you to the courthouse right now."

Dashu's wife, quick-witted, interjected, "Third Brother, hurry up and get ready to take our master to the courthouse. It'll take some time to go there and back. Be swift about it."

Sanshu seemed dazed at first, but his older brother's nudge snapped him out of it. He rushed out, saying, "The carriage is outside, Miss Yu Lian. Are we leaving now?"

Yu Lian also made a move to stand, and Hua Zhan took a few strides towards the exit.

Hua Baogui's wife plopped down on the floor, weeping, "I'll pay! I'll pay, alright?! If my in-laws find out I gave away all our chickens, they'll kill me!"

A small smile tugged at the corner of Yu Lian's lips. Her words reminded Yu Lian that Hua Baogui's mother was no pushover. To avoid any potential accidents and disputes later, Yu Lian borrowed paper and pen from an attendant and personally wrote down the reason for Hua Baogui's wife's compensation: two hens, one rooster, and a clutch of chicks, et cetera.

After finishing the note, she asked Hua Baogui's wife to come over and sign it.

Hua Baogui's wife, though somewhat clever, initially refused, claiming she was illiterate and unable to write. Yu Lian then suggested that she could simply put her thumbprint on the paper.

With a twinkle in her eye, she said, "I won't deny my debt. I'll bring the chicken to your house right away."

Yu Lian replied, "Sanshu, let's go."

"Alright!"

Hua Baogui's wife grumbled, "...Stamp! Everyone in the village says you're kind-hearted and gentle, a lady with no airs. Why are you being so difficult and insisting on settling this with me?"

"I don't put on airs, and I'm kind because you're all my fellow villagers, part of the same clan and community as the Huas. Being related by blood means we're in the same boat, so I treat you kindly. But if someone acts unreasonably, harms my family, or bullies my loved ones, I will not let them off lightly."

Standing beside his daughter-in-law, Hua Zhan glanced at her profile. He saw her focused expression, her eyes shining with determination. He smiled slightly; her temperament reminded him of Hua'er.

Recalling his eldest son, he suppressed the smile on his lips.

Once Hua Baogui's wife reluctantly stamped her thumbprint, Yu Lian handed her a receipt from the medical clinic. "This is for five taels and half an ounce of silver. I've covered it for now. When you return, please bring the silver to our house."

Hua Baogui's daughter-in-law: "..." How could there still be more!

Being forced to sign the compensation agreement had already made her reluctant, but at least it didn't require spending any silver. The chickens were being raised by her mother-in-law, so it was just a matter of buying two or three catties of meat and bones, which she could afford with her personal savings. Compared to being beaten and imprisoned by the local authorities, she was willing to part with that money.

But five taels and half a tael of silver! Where would she get such an amount? Even if she did have it, she wouldn't be willing to spend it all at once - that was enough for her family's expenses for two or three years!

She stubbornly refused to take the receipt and dared not nod her head. She initially intended to argue her case and shift the blame onto Yu Lian, but when Hua Zhan gave her a glance, Hua Baogui's daughter-in-law immediately froze.

She stammered, "I don't understand this. You should talk to my parents-in-law about it." Her mother-in-law was domineering and stingy; no one except her son could coax a copper coin out of her. By pushing the issue to her mother-in-law, she had a good chance of avoiding the debt.

Yu Lian smiled slightly and put away the receipt, not in a hurry.

There would come a time for them to pay.

If the clinic hadn't insisted on seeing the silver before treating the patient, Hua Baogui's minor ailment wouldn't have cost him his life in such a critical situation. And Hua Baogui's wife didn't have that much silver on her. Yu Lian wouldn't have helped pay if that were the case.

But she wasn't truly naive. She wouldn't spend the money without expecting to get it back. Five taels and half a tael of silver could buy two high-quality sets of calligraphy tools or commission two fine swords from a blacksmith - both of which would be useful for the twin boys.

Yu Lian had originally planned to purchase some tools for her father-in-law after settling the house and land matters, if there were any remaining funds. The twins, who had been spoiled in the past, had forgotten most of what their former tutor had taught them as time passed, and their martial skills were barely beginner level. Her father-in-law spent his days doing mindless farm work, seemingly occupied but inwardly troubled, carrying unresolved issues. It might be better for him to train the twins, diverting his attention and perhaps improving his mental state.

The twins, crouching fearfully before their grandmother, suddenly sneezed. They could never have imagined that even at this critical moment, their eldest sister was still thinking of making them "suffer."

"Grandmother... what should we do? Will that person die? Will Father and Eldest Sister be arrested by the soldiers?"

The old lady seemed to have aged overnight. She had only wished for a peaceful life, but a life was lost in the process of building their house. She knew that regardless of whether it was their fault or not, if Hua Baogui died on their land, they would be implicated!

No matter how reasonable the villagers were and understood it wasn't their fault, with a life lost, if that family made trouble over time, they would be considered at fault, even if they were innocent. How could they then live peacefully?

Besides, all of Lian'er's money had been spent. If someone actually died, could the house still be built? She was afraid of disappointing Lian'er, who had pinned all her hopes on this place, wanting to establish a solid life here with her family. If something truly happened, she feared Lian'er would be heartbroken.

The old lady sighed. "They won't be arrested. Go and check on your mother. See if she's awake."

"Why did Mother faint? Who hit her? We must avenge Mother!"

The old lady patted her grandsons' heads. These two were really inferior to their eldest brother. They were brash but lacked wisdom. People said you could predict a child's future at three, yet they were already six or seven and still so foolish.

How could they compare to their big brother Dingdian?

The carriage didn't return until dusk. Sanshu accompanied his employer, his sister-in-law, and others, including the third son from his uncle's family, back home. He then drove the carriage back, as Lian'er had asked him to stay at the clinic tonight to keep an eye on Hua Baogui. If the man survived the night, he would bring him back; if not, he would retrieve the body.

Hearing the sound of the carriage, the elderly lady hurried out and called, "Jian'er, Lian'er, come in quickly."

Recalling something, she asked Aunt Mei to promptly bring out the dinner that was still warming on the stove. They had waited all day without eating, anticipating the arrival of her son, daughter-in-law, and their family.