Chapter 46: Beating Li Hu

Chapter 46: Beating Li Hu

Fortunately, there was a cloth shop near the market entrance.

He Zhiran purchased nearly thirty cotton quilts and a large quantity of thread and needles, asking the shopkeepers to deliver them to the inn.

Glancing at the clock in her space, she had half an hour left before her meeting with Zhou Laoba.

Struggling with the wooden cart, He Zhiran hurried to find a shady spot to rest.

She parked the cart outside a high wall and casually sat on a large stone.

Taking advantage of the downtime, she entered her space to check if her shop had passed the review.

To her disappointment, the message on her phone screen read, "Please wait patiently."

He Zhiran withdrew her consciousness, bored, and looked around.

For some reason, she had an inexplicable premonition of something amiss.

A nagging feeling told her that something was amiss.

It was likely that Li Hu was up to some mischief.

Though she sensed trouble, He Zhiran couldn't immediately discern how Li Hu intended to make her life difficult.

As the hours ticked by, and noon passed, He Zhiran grew increasingly suspicious.

Given Zhou Laoba's character, he didn't seem like the type to break a promise.

Moreover, their errand for supplies shouldn't have taken this long.

He Zhiran promptly made a decision - she wouldn't wait any longer. She would return to the inn alone.

Regardless of what trick Li Hu had up his sleeve, she would be on time, and that was all that mattered.

Without hesitation, she pushed the wooden cart towards the West City Inn.

Yunlai County wasn't a large place, and after about half an hour's walk, the inn's entrance came into view.

He Zhiran was just about to push the wooden cart through the gate when a whip lashed towards her face.

Fortunately, she was quick-witted and dodged it in time.

But the attacker showed no mercy, delivering a second blow directly at her face.

"Mrs. He, you dare to run away? Watch me beat you to death!"

Li Hu swung the leather whip with a ferocious expression, as if he held a deep grudge against He Zhiran.

Already frustrated by the sudden attack, He Zhiran's anger flared even more when she saw Li Hu's menacing countenance.

She raised her hand and mercilessly seized the whip that was aimed at her.

With a clever maneuver, she pulled both Li Hu and the whip out of the gate together.

Seizing the opportunity while Li Hu was still unsteady on his feet, He Zhiran swiftly kicked him in the waist.

Li Hu grunted in pain, and the whip slipped from his grasp.

Clutching his aching waist, he pointed at He Zhiran and began to curse fiercely.

"You contemptible wench! To dare lay a hand on an officer, I suppose you don't wish to reach the northwest alive."

The commotion at the entrance drew the attention of the other officers and prisoners, who hurried over to investigate.

They found He Zhiran standing with her hands on her hips, glaring furiously at Li Hu, who now resembled a scolding shrew, too afraid to retaliate but not to insult.

Seeing his comrades arrive, Li Hu instantly found his courage.

"Captain, you're just in time. Seize this contemptible woman! She's lawless, attempting to escape and even daring to attack me!"

By now, He Zhiran was thoroughly enraged by Li Hu. Witnessing him playing the victim, she swiftly delivered a kick, connecting with his filthy mouth without any hesitation.

Li Hu grunted, reaching out to cover his mouth.

When he removed his hand, two bloodstained teeth were in his palm, revealing the force with which He Zhiran had struck him.

It was clear that she hadn't vented her anger yet. Just as she was about to continue attacking Li Hu, Peng Wang finally spoke up.

"Mrs. He, stop."

Despite her fury, He Zhiran still retained her reason.

She knew well that among these officials, Peng Wang was the one she couldn't afford to offend. He was their leader, and crossing him would mean endless trouble for the Mo family in the future.

"Gentleman Peng, I'll spare him for your sake, but there must be an account for what happened today."

If this had happened in the past, Peng Wang would have unconditionally defended his subordinate without listening to any explanation.

However, the parties involved today were different.

Li Hu had inexplicably been assigned to his team half a year ago.

At first, Peng Wang didn't think much of a new addition. But he soon discovered that Li Hu was greedy, lustful, and often played cunning tricks on his fellow brothers.

Over time, Peng Wang grew to dislike Li Hu intensely.

Suspecting that someone might be manipulating Li Hu from behind, Peng Wang refrained from kicking him out of the group but would occasionally give him a warning.

As for the other party, He Zhiran, in Peng Wang's eyes, this woman was not only skilled but also intelligent; it was unlikely that she would engage in a conflict with Li Hu without reason.

Moreover, judging from He Zhiran's visibly furious expression, Li Hu must have committed an unforgivable offense.

Peng Wang misjudged the situation, assuming that Li Hu had lusted after He Zhiran's beauty, causing his old habits to resurface.

If it had been any other matter, He Zhiran's composure would not have been shaken to such an extent.

Regardless, Li Hu was still under his command, and Peng Wang couldn't allow He Zhiran to publicly expose Li Hu's true nature before everyone.

This way, it would also bring disgrace upon him as their leader.

"Enough bickering. Follow me."

Seeing the officials fall in line behind Peng Wang and head towards the guest rooms, He Zhiran swiftly scanned the area but failed to spot Zhou Laoba.

He Zhiran suddenly felt as if she had just woken up from a dream.

It was likely that Li Hu had been waiting at the door to assault her, simply to avenge Li Rouer.

The real threat to her stability was Zhou Laoba's disappearance.

With this realization, He Zhiran abandoned her cart and hurriedly followed after them.

"Sir Peng, Sir Zhou is in danger."

Li Hu, at the back of the group, quickly turned his head and glared at He Zhiran with fury.

He slurred, "Isn't this all your fault?"

He Zhiran was too lazy to listen to the slurred words of this man.

"Peng Official, Sir Zhou and I agreed to meet at the market entrance, each of us to purchase our own supplies, and we would reunite before noon. I returned to the market entrance as promised, but waited for a long time without seeing any sign of Sir Zhou. I thought he might have rushed back first due to some urgency. Concerned that everyone might be worried, I hurried back. However, just as I reached the main gate, Li Hu attacked me, accusing me of attempting to escape. I didn't see Sir Zhou return, yet he and Li Hu went shopping together. Why did Li Hu come back alone without any explanation, and unjustly accuse me? I suspect that Sir Zhou must have encountered some danger."

Upon hearing He Zhiran's account, the Mo family's ladies became indignant.

The hot-tempered second sister-in-law was the first to step forward.

"Official, although we've been sentenced to exile, everyone has seen what my younger sister-in-law has done these past few days. Even if she hasn't accomplished anything significant, she has certainly worked hard. She must not be bullied like this."

"Anyone who bullies my Ninth Sister is a bad person," Mo Hanyue also bravely spoke up in support.

In their hearts, the matter of Zhou Laoba's safety paled in comparison to He Zhiran being bullied.