Chapter 22: Making Trouble

Chapter 22: Making Trouble

When Wei Liuhua secretly came to find Qiu Huanian, he was tending to the vegetable patch in the yard.

The soil had been plowed and neatly arranged into ridges. He had gathered a large bundle of long sticks, about the thickness of a coin, from the mountain and spaced them out on both sides of the ridges, tying them in groups of six to make bean trellises. He had planted two ridges of sword beans.

The sword beans were thriving, and these two ridges would be enough to feed the whole family throughout the summer and autumn. They made a perfect stew with meat.

In the remaining space, Qiu Huanian planted a ridge of bok choy, a ridge of eggplants, and a ridge of chili peppers. Along with the already existing leeks and green onions, the small garden now had a full variety of vegetables.

The fertile black soil of the northeast was a natural blessing, and without the need for additional fertilizer, the seeds would sprout as long as they were watered.

When Qiu Huanian saw Wei Liuhua, he put down his farming tools, washed his hands, and invited her to sit in the yard to talk.

After Wei Liuhua finished recounting the conversation between Zhou and Zhao, Qiu Huanian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

The ins and outs of the traffickers' kidnapping case were only known to those who had attended the banquet at the clan leader's house in Du Village. Magistrate Wang had instructed them not to spread the information before the case was closed, so none of them had spoken about it. Qiu Huanian had specifically warned Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng, so Wei Liuhua naturally didn't know the specifics.

"Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui have been arrested and haven't returned yet?"

"It's been half a month. Zhou couldn't wait any longer and came yesterday to demand an explanation."

Qiu Huanian nodded. Logically, Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui were only peripherally involved in the traffickers' case and hadn't participated in the earlier series of incidents. Magistrate Wang had kept them detained, which suggested that the case was more deeply entangled than he had thought.

Magistrate Wang had acted swiftly in arresting them, so the Qiu family hadn't had the chance to ask for details. They probably didn't yet know about Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse's roles in the matter.

Otherwise, they wouldn't just be going to Zhao to make trouble—they would have come to find them as well.

Qiu Huanian shook his head and changed the subject, "Zhao is going to the prefectural city to accompany Du Yunjing for the imperial examination?"

Wei Liuhua smiled, "They're already packing and will leave in the next couple of days. They'll be gone for over a month. I can finally relax a bit and openly go back to my parents' home to harvest sugar beets."

Qiu Huanian's sugar beets were running low again, and Wei Liuhua was eager to make some money.

Qiu Huanian thought of something, "I feel like the sugar beets from your parents' village are sweeter than those from other places."

"Probably because they've been planting them for so long. They always save the seeds from the best-growing plants, so over time, they've all become sweeter."

Qiu Huanian's heart stirred. In modern times, sugar beets used for sugar extraction were introduced from abroad, but they were also cultivated varieties. If that was the case, why couldn't he cultivate them in ancient China?

Qiu Huanian initially thought of buying some of the best sugar beet seeds from them to cultivate himself, but then he reconsidered. The sugar beets from Wei Liuhua's parents' village were sweeter not just because of the seeds but possibly also due to the village's climate, soil, and water quality. If he tried to grow them elsewhere, it might be a wasted effort.

"The next time you go back to your parents' home, ask those willing to select the best sugar beet seeds and plant them in the same area with added fertilizer. If they can grow even sweeter sugar beets, I'll buy them at three copper coins per pound." Qiu Huanian decided to let the villagers try it first.

Three copper coins per pound—a sugar beet root weighed about two pounds, so it would be worth six coins, which was equivalent to two eggs!

Wei Liuhua's eyes lit up at the thought, and she wished she could go back to her parents' home to plant sugar beets herself.

Brother Hua never spoke without reason. If he said this, it meant that sweeter sugar beets could indeed be cultivated. Making money in the mountains wasn't easy, so Wei Liuhua decided that the next time she went back to her parents' home, she would carefully instruct her parents and brothers to make sure they did this well!

After chatting for a while, Wei Liuhua got up to leave. The gluten in the pot had just finished steaming, and Qiu Huanian cut a few slices for Wei Liuhua to take back for Youge to eat. These were plant-based proteins and could provide nutrition for the child.

Wei Liuhua happily accepted them and tucked them away at the bottom of her basket. Before leaving, she remembered something and added, "Brother Hua, you told me to keep an eye on Li Guer. I've been watching her these past few days, but I haven't seen her do anything with the paper package you mentioned."

Qiu Huanian had reminded Wei Liuhua to pay attention after he accidentally saw Li Guer acting suspiciously near the back mountain.

"Has anyone in your family suddenly felt unwell?"

"No. Brother Hua, are you saying... the paper contains medicine?" Wei Liuhua was startled and quickly tried to recall. "Yunhu has always been the one to fetch water for the house, and I'm the one who cooks. If she had done something, we would have noticed something was off."

"I'm just guessing; it could be something else. Either way, you should be careful."

Wei Liuhua thanked him repeatedly, still shaken with fear. "Fortunately, she’ll be going to the prefectural city in a few days, so she won’t be able to harm my Youge."

As for Du Baoquan, Du Yunjing, Zhao, and Fu Bao? Who gives a damn about them!

If it weren’t for Yunhu’s indecision and lack of a good excuse, Wei Liuhua would’ve already raised hell about splitting the family.

Qiu Huanian had thought the Qiu family couldn’t pin the arrest of Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui on him, but in the afternoon, while he was selling sugar in town, Meng Wudong suddenly rushed into the tofu shop.

"Brother Hua! Stop selling sugar for now, come home quickly and see."

Meng Yuanling, standing nearby, was startled. "Second brother, what’s going on? Speak clearly!"

Qiu Huanian covered the basket of sugar and looked at Meng Wudong, who took a breath and said, "Your family members have come to Du Village looking for you, a large group blocking the village entrance and refusing to leave. Even people from other villages are going to watch the commotion. I heard people talking about it on the way and hurried back to tell you."

Qiu Huanian frowned deeply. "What exactly did they say?"

"They’re demanding to see you, calling you unfilial, and they won’t budge unless you show up. Your father is also there, and... he’s holding your mother’s memorial tablet..."

Meng Yuanling, being impulsive, couldn’t help but curse, "Pfft! They sold Brother Hua themselves—there’s no ties left. Who cares if he’s unfilial?"

"Anyone who asks around would know that Brother Hua sells sugar in town every afternoon. I think they deliberately caused a scene when Brother Hua wasn’t there to make a big fuss!"

Even strangers passing by knew about it. They slapped the ‘unfilial’ label on him first, so they could twist his arm later.

Qiu Huanian took a deep breath. "I’ll head back with the mule cart first."

"Hurry! Be careful—I’ll take care of the sugar for you."

Qiu Huanian drove the mule cart back to the village and halfway met Bao Ren and his wife, who had come out to look for him. The three rushed back to the village entrance, where the Qiu family was still carrying on, wailing and shouting.

"Xueer! Look at the good son you gave birth to! He resents me for selling him because of poverty, and he won’t save his own brothers!"

"During the famine, every family was starving. We sold him so he could survive! If it weren’t for that, how could he have such a good life now!"

"Sister Mei, you left too soon—otherwise, you’d be rolling in your grave over the black-hearted brat you birthed. Your memorial tablet is here, and he won’t even come out to pay respects!"

"Even as a child husband, he’s still Qiu family blood, yet he ignores his parents, lives it up every day, and has no conscience left!"

At the entrance of Du Village, Qiu Chuanzong, the original host’s father, and his stepmother Zhou, holding a paper memorial tablet, were loudly crying and cursing. More than ten Qiu family members from Shangliang Village surrounded them, confronting the people of Du Village.

The clan leader had gone to the county town today to visit Yuncheng and buy things for the prefectural exam, and hadn’t returned yet. Du Village lacked a respected person to take charge.

On Du Village’s side, Du Yunse’s handsome face was filled with hidden anger. He wanted to speak out several times but held back due to the status of the two opposite and the memorial tablet they held.

It must be said, the Qiu family indeed found a good breakthrough. No matter how resentful Qiu Huanian was towards the Qiu family, he couldn’t let go of his deceased mother. They stood in front holding Mei Xueer’s memorial tablet, and even the people of Du Village couldn’t push them away.

Someone with sharp eyes saw Qiu Huanian and finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Hua! Brother Hua is back!"

Although reason told them that Qiu Huanian wouldn’t gain anything from this matter, for some reason, the people of Du Village felt that as long as Qiu Huanian was there, all difficulties would be resolved.

The Qiu family had already created enough momentum and started to scold even more fiercely upon seeing Qiu Huanian.

"Unfilial son! How dare you come back!"

"Ungrateful wretch, ignoring your parents, the Qiu family gave birth to and raised you for nothing!"

"A nasty piece of work like him deserves to be dumped and sold off by his in-laws!"

"Hand over the money you made and give it back to the Qiu family, or we won’t leave today."

"If you still have a conscience, go to the county office and plead for your brothers’ release!"

...

With Bao Ren and Meng Fuyue shielding him, Qiu Huanian pushed through the crowd to stand beside Du Yunse. Facing Du Yunse’s concerned gaze, Qiu Huanian shook his head with a smile and looked toward the Qiu family.

"Plead at the county office? So Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui got nabbed by the county, huh?"

"If they were arrested, would my plea even matter? Am I some long-lost relative of the county magistrate?"

His blunt question left the Qiu family, who had been evasive, at a loss for words.

They couldn’t very well admit they hired traffickers to snatch you, and when the plan fell apart, they got caught, so now you should go beg for their release!

The folks from Du Village and neighboring villages, there to gawk, perked up their ears. Seriously, why should Qiu Huanian be the one to beg the county to let Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui go?

"You—you—" Qiu Chuanzong stammered, struggling to respond.

"What does this have to do with me? You’d better explain it first, or how am I supposed to plead?" Qiu Huanian feigned complete ignorance.

Qiu Chuanzong was stumped, but Zhou’s eyes lit up with a scheme. "Brother Hua, it’s no use playing dumb. Isn’t it because you think Du Yunse is broke and you’re looking to hitch your wagon to a richer family? Your brothers got tangled up in a traffickers’ case trying to help you—you can’t just abandon them!"

As she spoke, Zhou glanced at Du Yunse beside Qiu Huanian. She didn’t believe any man could stomach such a thing. Even without proof, if Du Yunse started doubting, Qiu Huanian would have to back down and settle the matter, and the plan would be halfway to success!

Qiu Huanian, hearing her, didn’t bat an eye, showing none of the panic Zhou expected. Instead, he turned directly to Du Yunse and asked, "Do you believe it?"

Du Yunse looked at him, his eyes filled with trust and indulgence. "That’s a load of crap."

Qiu Huanian chuckled. "Did you hear that? My husband says he doesn’t buy it. Your instigation skills are pretty weak."

The onlookers, who had been harboring doubts, saw Du Yunse’s outright dismissal and dropped the matter. The young couple’s bond was unshakable—who’d be foolish enough to meddle?

Zhou was stunned. How could there be a man like Du Yunse in the world, one who didn’t even suspect infidelity? Just as Zhao had said, Qiu Huanian had long become a fox spirit, bewitching men left and right!

Seeing Zhou’s failure, Qiu Chuanzong finally snapped to action and played his trump card.

"When we sent you off to the Du family as a child groom, there was no sale contract signed. You and Du Yunse aren’t officially married, so you’re still part of the Qiu family."

In front of everyone, Qiu Chuanzong smirked smugly, his eyes narrowing with a threat. "A parent’s word is law. If you don’t obey me, I’ll go to the county office tomorrow and have a trafficker sell you off!"