Qiao Suiman carried his bamboo basket home, walking out of the mountains and onto the village path. Many people along the way were gossiping about Qiao Chengfu. Their voices were filled with anger. They clearly had also heard about the three taels of silver he owed to the gambling den. They looked at him with sympathy.
Qiao Suiman silently pinched his thigh, his eyes red as he glanced around, looking utterly devastated. For a moment, the women and fulang gathered to chatter fell silent.
Except for that persistent Wang Ling’er. “Tch, look who it is. First, you brought misfortune to your mother, then your father. Next, don’t go cursing your own brother-”
Before she could finish, a sharp-edged stone flew over and struck her, shutting her up. She immediately shrieked, “You little bitch! How dare you hit me!”
Qiao Suiman didn’t stop. He picked up stones from the roadside one after another and hurled them at Wang Ling’er. Setting down his bamboo basket, he strode toward her while throwing them. “Shut your filthy mouth!”
After throwing all the stones in his hand, he was still not satisfied, so he grabbed Wang Ling’er’s hair and slapped her several times on both sides. His hands were far stronger than Wang Ling’er, who had never done a day of hard labor in her life.
Wang Ling’er, who was two years older than Qiao Suiman, had followed the village boys to bully him since childhood. Back then, Qiao Suiman was afraid of causing trouble and getting beaten at home, so he had avoided her as much as possible, only for her to grow bolder. But now, with his elder brother and Qin Yu-ge firmly on his side, Qiao Suiman no longer had to endure.
Wang Ling’er kept screaming. Among the gathered women was Li Da’s mother, who hurried forward to intervene. “Are you trying to kill someone, you little whore? Let go!”
Qiao Suiman, blind with rage, wouldn’t back down. Anyone who dared curse his brother and brother-in-law would pay! He twisted his body and elbowed Li’s mother away, then shoved Wang Ling’er to the ground, stomping on her several times until her hair was disheveled and her clothes were covered in footprints.
Wang Ling’er stared in horror as her beloved dress was splattered with mud, her face scraped raw and stinging from the blows. Being kicked repeatedly, she shrieked and scrambled to her feet, claws bared like a beast ready to strike back.
Qiao Suiman didn’t back down. He fought Wang Linger fiercely, ignoring the pain as they tumbled together. Pinning her down, he kept hitting her, shouting, ‘How dare you curse my brother! You’re the one who’ll die badly! You’re the real bitch!”
The onlookers were momentarily stunned by Qiao Suiman’s ferocity. Was this truly the same pitiful ge’r they’d known before? As the fight escalated violently, with Li’s mother even joining in to help Wang Linger, the crowd finally snapped out of their daze and rushed forward to pull them apart.
“What’s going on here? Why are you fighting?”
Qiao Suiman was seething, his face flushed. Even as someone held his arms back, he kept kicking forward, making it hard for the fulang restraining him.
Wang Ling’er was panting on the side. She didn’t need anyone to hold her, as she had no strength and only whimpering in pain.
Li’s mother, once pulled away, also lost her nerve. She had only wanted to teach this little ge’r a lesson. Ever since Qin Yu had humiliated her last time, many outsiders had been mocking her.
But who knew that he would fight like Qiao Ruifeng and not care about his life. Even she, used to hard labor, couldn’t handle him.
Seeing the two troublemakers subdued, the crowd turned to console Qiao Suiman. “Man-ge’r, don’t bother with their filthy mouths. It’s not worth fighting them.”
“She deserved it! She is so vicious that she can say such things. Her mouth should’ve been beaten rotten!”
The woman who said this was lightly elbowed by another, who shot her a warning look. They’d barely calmed things down so why pour oil on the fire? If this kept up, they wouldn’t be able to hold Qiao Suiman back.
The woman reluctantly shut her mouth. Still, she couldn’t help thinking Wang Ling’er was truly vile. And Man-ge’r’s aim was impressive and not a single hit missed. It was satisfying to watch!
“The village chief! The village chief is here!”
Qiao Suiman’s sharp ears caught the announcement. He stopped struggling and silently gathered tears in his eyes. As soon as Village Chief Yu Ping approached, he burst into loud sobs.
Qiao Ruifeng had just finished chopping wood and was carrying it to the west side of the village with Lu Dongqing. Coincidentally, Lu Dongqing had been discussing matters with the village chief that morning when Qiao Chengfu’s death interrupted them, so the two had gone to Yu Ping’s house to finish their conversation.
After Qiao Ruifeng explained their arrangements and Lu Dongqing concluded his business, they were about to leave when someone rushed in, shouting that Xiao Man and Wang Ling’er were fighting.
The three hurried over. As they approached, they heard Qiao Suiman’s heart-wrenching cries. Lu Dongqing’s chest tightened. Pushing through the crowd, he saw Qiao Suiman being held back, tear-stained, with red scratches on his neck from fingernails.
He frowned, his heart ached slightly, but he resisted the urge to step forward. He was a stranger, and Yu Ping was here to resolve the dispute. There was no reason for him to step forward and ask questions; otherwise, it would bring rumors to Qiao Suiman.
Qiao Suiman had been wailing dramatically, but the sight of his brother and Lu Dongqing made him pause mid-cry. He choked on his own saliva, coughing violently. Still, between coughs, he managed to say, “Village Chief, Wang Ling’er, cough, she cursed me, and, cough, she cursed my brother! That’s why I hit her!”
Qiao Ruifeng clenched his fists, glaring daggers at Wang Ling’er. Yu Ping was equally furious. These Wangs are always causing trouble!
Seeing the situation turning against her, Wang Ling’er wailed loudly. “He’s lying! Village Chief, look what he did to me!” The split on her lip stung as she spoke. “My good clothes are ruined! I paid four mace of silver for this dress!”
“Enough!” If anything, this only made Yu Ping angrier. Back then, Wang Ling’er had insisted on becoming a concubine, shaming Xiahe Village. Later, she was resold by her master’s family, and Lin Xiuhua had wailed at his doorstep daily, begging him to bring her back.
He had gone to great lengths to negotiate her return to the village, yet her family remained unrepentant, constantly stirring up trouble!
Yu Ping pointed at the fulang still holding Qiao Suiman steady. “He family’s[mfn]何家的 – (one’s) family or (one’s) household, in this case, it’s the He[/mfn], come and explain.”
He family’s fulang was honest to a fault. Nervous at being singled out, he recounted everything that had happened word for word, repeating every insult Wang Ling’er and Li’s mother had uttered. The crowd grew even more incensed.
“Just like her mother, she is a heartless creature!”
“Exactly! So young, yet so vicious! She should worry about herself; otherwise, she will offend someone and be punished sooner or later!”
Qiao Ruifeng strode forward, grabbing Wang Ling’er by the collar. “Go back and tell your father that I will blame him for everything you said. After the funeral, I will not let him go!” Then he pushed Wang Ling’er away.
Yu Ping was equally furious. He had watched the Qiao siblings grow up, suffering hardships yet turning out decent. Now that they were capable adults, it galled him to see them still being bullied.
After a moment’s thought, Yu Ping declared sternly, “Wang Ling’er, I never should’ve been lenient and brought you back. The third offense is unforgivable. You’ve stirred up trouble twice already. One more incident, and I’ll have that family resell you. Whether you toil like livestock or a slave, it’ll be no concern of Xiahe Village. Don’t forget, your deed is still in their hands!”
Wang Linger paled in genuine fear. If her father knew that she had offended the Qiao family again, he would beat her to death. Moreover, she could not go back to that household, because the madam would sell her to a brothel![mfn]she’s referring to the household where she became a concubine[/mfn]
“Village Chief, no! I don’t want that! They’re lying! I didn’t curse-”
Yu Ping ignored her, turning instead to Li’s mother. “And you! Always meddling in their nonsense. One more time, and your husband can forget about village work!”
These people never stopped causing trouble. How old are they, yet still brawling like children? Pathetic.
Li’s mother immediately fell silent. No matter how much she hated the Qiao family, she couldn’t jeopardize her husband’s livelihood. This was about putting food on the table! Shooting Qiao Suiman a resentful glare, she reluctantly left.
With her only ally gone, Wang Ling’er kept wailing, but everyone else avoided her like the plague, even those who had been chatting with her moments ago.
“Alright, everyone, go home. What’s the point of standing around?” At Yu Ping’s dismissal, the crowd scattered. The Qiao brothers thanked the village chief, who nodded wearily before heading home.
Seeing no advantage to be gained, Wang Ling’er struggled to her feet, spat viciously, and limped home, fearing that she would be punished again.
Only Lu Dongqing remained. After a moment’s hesitation, he clenched his fists, mustering his courage to approach Qiao Suiman. “Don’t take their words to heart. You… you’re fine. Life and death have nothing to do with you.”
Qiao Suiman’s eyes widened, and tears dried on his face. Still recovering from the earlier outburst, it took him a second to process the words. “I know. As if I have that kind of power. She’s just rotten to the core!”
Suddenly, he felt miserable. He must look utterly disheveled, and for some reason, he didn’t want Lu Dongqing to see him like this. He wiped his face with his sleeve. “We… we still have things to do. We should go. The coffin… thank you for your help.”
Lowering his head, he tugged at Qiao Ruifeng’s sleeve and turned to leave.
“It’s no trouble. It’ll be ready by noon tomorrow.” Lu Dongqing, just a love-struck youth himself, didn’t press further when Qiao Suiman seemed eager to leave. He stood there, watching them walk away.
With each step, Qiao Suiman grew sadder. Earlier, he could fake his sobs, but now his chest felt heavy. He sniffled, fighting back tears. Why did he have to come and see me like this?
Qiao Ruifeng studied his brother’s expression, then glanced back at Lu Dongqing, catching a fleeting look of surprise and poorly concealed concern. Tch. This guy.
Carrying the bamboo basket Qiao Suiman had set down earlier, Qiao Ruifeng’s thoughts were a tangled mess. From what he’d seen these past few encounters, Lu Dongqing was quiet but knowledgeable, skilled with his hands, and kind-hearted. Whether that kindness extended to everyone or just one person remained to be seen.
He looked down at his brother, still stewing in embarrassment, and sighed softly. Fine. He will discuss this with A-Yu later.
If Lu Dongqing is a decent man and has feelings for Xiao Man, it might not be a bad thing. Sure, he was a refugee, but their family wasn’t much better off. As long as Xiao Man liked him, that was enough.
Back home, Qiao Suiman listlessly fetched water to wash his face, cleaned the mud off his clothes, and returned to the main hall to sort the freshly picked wild vegetables. But as he worked, he suddenly froze, lost in thought, before snapping back to reality after a long pause.
Todo mundo já notou 🤭