Chapter 122: Old Scores and New Grudges

Chapter 122: Old Scores and New Grudges

Yes, it was fear.

This was the feeling Lu Mingchao slowly figured out.

Yunniang's reaction to this matter was unusually intense and out of the ordinary.

"Chaochao."

Tears streamed down her face as soon as Yunniang spoke.

"That father and son are monsters. I wish I could take them down."

"Yes, they deserve to be punished!"

Yunniang's words revealed bitter resentment, her crimson eyes glistening with tears, making one's blood run cold.

Lu Mingchao softly comforted her, "Mother, it's not worth throwing your life away for trash."

"I still want to keep enjoying your cooking for years to come, hear you nag, and take care of you when you're old. You need to be well."

"Mother, I actually knew about Lu Chunhe's existence for a long time. When he came today, I thought of purposely causing a stir to air out the conflict, so we wouldn't have to deal with minor squabbles in the future."

"It all happened so fast, I didn't expect it to reach your ears so quickly, making you worry."

Yunniang's hands finally loosened up, not as stiff and tight as before. She wiped her tears and rubbed her hands on her clothes before touching Lu Mingchao's face. "You always put yourself in danger."

"Mother, I took down Lu Chunsheng and Lu Bao right away." Lu Mingchao cooed softly, trying to cheer Yunniang up.

Yunniang sobbed as she explained, "I was at home chopping meat for dumplings according to your recipe, but we were out of ginger. I thought of going to Sister He Liu's to borrow a piece and give it back later when I bought some at the market."

"Sister He Liu's place always has plenty of ginger and garlic."

"Sister He Liu was cleaning fish, and I chatted with her for a bit. Her youngest son, who was running around the village, rushed in and said that the Xie family had been robbed."

"As soon as I heard, I didn't think much and snatched Sister He Liu's kitchen knife and rushed over. Only after I got there and heard Lu Bao cursing did I realize it wasn't a thief."

"By the way, where's the kitchen knife?"

Yunniang belatedly remembered the knife.

Kitchen knife: Knife me, today I set sail.

Feng Jinyu: Yu Yu me, tightly holding the knife.

"I gave it to Jinyu; she probably didn't realize and took it back." Lu Mingchao whispered.

Yunniang's tears streamed down, "I was so mad I wasn't thinking straight."

Lu Mingchao's brows furrowed slightly, she pursed her lips, hesitating for a moment, "Mother, is there something I don't know about?"

She saw clearly, Yunniang truly had the intent to kill.

Yunniang's hand trembled, her eyes flickered, and she even forgot to cry.

"What could there be? I was just very angry."

Lu Mingchao used a handkerchief to gently wipe away the tears from Yunniang's face, "Mother, only by knowing the enemy can I seek revenge."

Yunniang's tears, which had just subsided, began to flow again.

This time, she let her sobs escape freely.

Lu Mingchao frowned. For Yunniang to cry so bitterly, it couldn’t be over something trivial.

Yunniang wept for a long time, drenching several handkerchiefs.

"Lu Chunhe and Lu Bao are a father-son pair of beasts."

"About five or six years ago, they set their sights on Lu Miao and nearly lured her into the fields with a silver-plated hairpin."

"Mother also recalled the vile intentions of that father and son, fearing they might target you next."

Lu Mingchao was stunned.

Five or six years ago, Lu Minghui wasn’t even ten.

They’re worse than animals!

"Mother, is there more?"

A shadow of sadness fell over Yunniang’s face. "Chaochao, the split in the Lu family was actually your grandmother and father’s decision."

"When your grandfather was seriously ill, your grandmother unexpectedly got pregnant. Lu Chunhe secretly prepared an abortion drug and, while your father and I were in town selling firewood and buying rice, he tied up your grandmother and forced the medicine down her throat."

"The baby was already five months along."

"When your father and I got back from town, your grandmother was lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing."

"After that, your grandmother’s health declined, and she was constantly ill, always with her medicinal broth. Whenever the weather shifted, her bones ached and itched unbearably."

"Your dying grandfather knelt on the ground, begging your grandmother to spare Lu Chunhe for the sake of his imminent death, saying he needed to answer to Lu Chunhe’s birth mother in the afterlife."

"Your grandmother, who had always obeyed her husband and endured a lifetime of hardship, finally stood her ground. She agreed, but only if the family would split and ties would be severed right after the old man’s death."

"Word got around, and it seemed Lu Chunhe was eager to split the family and move to Dahe Village."

"That father and son are completely heartless monsters."

Lu Mingchao: I shouldn’t have called for help. I should’ve tied up that beastly father and son and tossed them into the mountains for the tigers.

"Mingchao, don’t be reckless," Yunniang said, gripping Lu Mingchao’s hand. "You just told me it’s not worth risking my life for those scoundrels."

Lu Mingchao's voice was heavy. "But seeing those scoundrels alive and well is unbearable."

"Mother, doesn’t grandmother hate them?"

And what about Lu Minghui?

"Chaochao," Yunniang gently patted the back of Lu Mingchao’s hand. "She did hate them. How could she not, after losing her own child?"

"But as she aged, not knowing when her time would come, she was determined to be buried with your grandfather in the Lu family grave, not wanting to end up a wandering spirit."

"For that, she would suppress her hatred."

Lu Mingchao could not judge Granny Lu's choices with a modern perspective.

"My Chaochao is a treasure. Staying far away from those monsters is the safest," Yunniang warned anxiously. "Don’t take them on directly. A fight to the death isn’t worth it." Lu Mingchao silently thought, only equals are worthy of a fight to the death.

"Mom, it’s not about whether we stay away or not."

"But the Lu Chunhe family will swarm like flies to a stink."

"Mom, your daughter won’t be an egg smashing against a rock."

Unless she’s the rock herself.

But Lu Minghui probably has plenty of time and is eager to step in.

After all, she had time to meddle in Sun Zhiye’s business, so why wouldn’t she make time to settle the old score over that silver-plated hairpin?

…

Lu Bao, being in his prime and in good shape, woke up again.

This time, the cold woke him up.

"Dad…"

Lu Bao was in so much pain he couldn’t open his mouth, his words slurred.

He who hunts eagles all day got pecked by one today.

First, he got whacked with a blunt stick and slammed into the wall, then Yunniang slapped him dozens of times.

If he doesn’t avenge this grudge, he doesn’t deserve the name Master Bao!

As Lu Bao shook him, Lu Chunhe groggily woke up.

"Dad, what do we do now?" Lu Bao covered his face, gasping as he spoke.

It was both ridiculous and comical.

Lu Chunhe’s head was ringing, the sound of slaps still echoing in his ears.

He’d actually been slapped by meek little Yunniang.

Yunniang must’ve lost her mind.

"Do you know anyone in Changxi Village? Get them to find your mom and bring her family here."

"After taking such a beating today, we’ve got to make that mother and daughter pay."

A man’s got calves under his knees.