Chen Jicheng instinctively struggled to free himself.
He wasn’t even old enough to tie his hair in a proper topknot yet, so his hair was styled into two buns resembling horns. Yu Li grabbed one of the buns with a steady grip that he couldn’t shake off no matter how much he struggled. The tug on his scalp hurt so much that he almost burst into tears.
Even worse, Yu Li coldly forced him to apologize.
Looking at Yu Li’s expressionless face, Chen Jicheng felt a surge of fear. Unable to bear it any longer, he finally broke down and started bawling loudly.
As he cried, he stammered, “S-sorry…”
Yu Li lowered her gaze to look at him and finally released her grip, leaving him to collapse to the ground and cry.
She ignored the others, paid for the goods, and took the wrapped fabrics and embroidery threads from the shopkeeper. She politely bid him farewell.
The shopkeeper, still stunned by her actions, responded sluggishly with a few “oh, oh, oh” sounds before hesitantly saying, “Miss, come back again when you have the chance.”
After Yu Li walked out of the embroidery shop, Yu Qin seemed to snap back to her senses. She hurriedly went to help Chen Jicheng up from the ground, her expression a mix of shame and anger.
She hadn’t expected Yu Li to do such a thing, completely disregarding her face.
It was truly outrageous.
“Brother Cheng, don’t cry,” Yu Qin comforted softly. “She actually dared to hit you. I will definitely tell my grandmother about this, and she will teach her a lesson.”
In Yu Qin’s mind, Grandmother Yu was an exceptionally authoritative figure in their family. Her word was law, and all the uncles, aunts, and cousins had to live under her thumb.
She had even witnessed Grandmother Yu whipping Yu Jin and the others with a rattan cane before, scolding them as lazy women who didn’t do any work.
Yu Jin and her sisters could only cry while enduring the beatings, not daring to resist.
Chen Jicheng cried for a while and then looked up to find the shopkeeper and others staring at him. He belatedly realized how humiliating the situation was and felt a surge of shame and anger. The pain on his cheeks only added to his frustration.
“How could she hit me?” he said angrily. “Why didn’t you tell me she would resort to violence?”
If it hadn’t been for Yu Qin mentioning earlier that her cousin from her second uncle’s family in the countryside was a troublemaker, causing her parents no end of worry, he wouldn’t have insulted Yu Li when he saw her, thinking he was standing up for her.
Yu Qin was momentarily at a loss, biting her lip in embarrassment before replying awkwardly, “I-I didn’t know she would hit people. You know I haven’t been back to the countryside for over a month. I heard she’s been causing a lot of trouble at home recently—being unfilial to her elders and defying them. Both Grandmother and Grandfather are so upset with her that my father has been troubled for days. He’s been planning to visit the countryside after Cousin Qian and Sister Yang’s wedding…”
Her words were also intended to explain things to the people around them.
Everyone had witnessed Yu Li hitting someone just now. If they looked into it, it was indeed Chen Jicheng who had first humiliated her. While Yu Li’s actions were wrong, they could be considered justifiable under the circumstances.
Yu Qin didn’t want people to think Chen Jicheng’s behavior was instigated by her.
Sure enough, the expression of the young lady from the Yang family softened slightly.
At first, she had been irritated by the whole situation, thinking it was disgraceful for Chen Jicheng to bully a rural girl. Even if the girl wasn’t pretty, calling her “ugly” so blatantly was too much.
But hearing that she was unfilial and even defied her elders…
If that was the case, Chen Jicheng’s actions seemed to be a justified reprimand. It was just unfortunate that he ended up being the one taught a lesson instead, which made the whole thing somewhat laughable.
After this incident, the young lady from the Yang family lost interest in shopping for clothes.
Today, she had come to buy clothes with Yu Qin, having heard that the embroidery shop had recently stocked new designs from the city. She had planned to buy some for Yu Qin as well.
Yu Qin was her future husband’s cousin.
The two of them had a good relationship, with Yu Qin often flattering and trying to please her, which made her feel quite at ease. Spending some money to buy her clothes and jewelry was no big deal—after all, the Yang family was wealthy.
The Yang girl looked at Chen Jicheng and saw that most of his face was swollen. She said, “Go to the medical clinic and have it looked at. Don’t let it cause any serious problems.”
After all, he was her future husband’s brother, so she couldn’t just leave him unattended.
To be honest, although Chen Jicheng’s actions earlier had their reasons, his sarcastic attitude still made her uncomfortable.
Even if you’re trying to reprimand someone, it’s unnecessary to call them “ugly” over and over and even drag in their family.
The Yang girl knew her own looks were plain and deeply disliked it when people commented on a young lady’s appearance.
Yu Qin noticed her growing impatience and secretly felt alarmed but didn’t dare to say much, fearing it might backfire.
She helped Chen Jicheng up and followed the Yang girl out of the door.
The three of them headed straight to the medical clinic—specifically, the best one in the county, Huichun Hall, where they sought out the most skilled doctor, Doctor Xu.
When Doctor Xu saw Chen Jicheng’s swollen face, he was somewhat surprised. It was clear at a glance that he had been beaten.
However, after examining him, he found that although it looked alarming, the injury was superficial. His face hadn’t been damaged, and applying some ointment would suffice. It was evident that the person who hit him had remarkable control over their strength.
“It’s nothing serious. Just apply the ointment for a few days,” Doctor Xu calmly prescribed the medicine.
“Really?” Yu Qin asked, still uneasy. “Doesn’t he need to take some medicine as well?”
With half of his face swollen, Chen Jicheng mumbled, “Doctor, it hurts so much…”
The swollen area felt like it was being pricked with needles—sharp and stinging—and the pain seemed to worsen. He had never suffered like this before and was so uncomfortable that he wanted to cry.
Doctor Xu chuckled and said, “It’s swollen, so of course it hurts. Just apply the medicine, avoid getting it wet, and don’t sleep on that side of your face. It’ll be fine in a few days.”
Hearing this, the three had no choice but to take the medicine and leave.
The Yang girl then promptly headed home, while Yu Qin and Chen Jicheng also went back to their respective homes.
When Chen Jicheng returned home, his family reacted with shock and anger at the sight of his swollen face, though those reactions need not be elaborated. Meanwhile, Yu Qin anxiously went to find her mother, Chen Shi.
Chen Shi was in the kitchen preparing a meal. When she saw her daughter return, she was a bit surprised and asked, “Weren’t you out shopping with Ah Hui today? Why are you back so soon?”
Ah Hui was the Yang girl’s given name.
Whenever her daughter went out with Yang Hui, they usually spent the whole day out, often having meals at restaurants. Yang Hui’s family was wealthy and didn’t hesitate to treat Yu Qin to food and entertainment, occasionally buying her clothes and jewelry as well.
Chen Shi was quite pleased with her future niece-in-law’s generosity.
The only dissatisfaction she had was that Yang Hui came from a merchant family. Qian Ge’er was a promising scholar with a bright future ahead, and in Chen Shi’s eyes, he could marry a government official’s daughter. Marrying a plain-looking merchant girl seemed like a bit of a compromise.
Yu Qin said, “Mother, we ran into Second Uncle’s daughter, Li Niang, at the embroidery shop…”
She recounted what had happened at the shop.
When Chen Shi heard this, she was so furious that she threw the firewood stick she was holding to the ground and angrily said, “What right does she have to hit Cheng Ge’er? This is outrageous!”
“Yes, exactly!” Yu Qin chimed in, “She’s changed—she even dares to hit people now.”
Last time when Grandmother Yu and Yu Laosan came to town, their family happened to be out. Later, Yu Laoda mentioned casually that after Chen Boqian’s wedding, he would take some time to return to Qingshi Village with them, saying there were matters to attend to back at home.
What kind of matters?
Naturally, it was because Yu Li from the second branch had been acting disobedient and causing trouble at her parents’ home, giving both Grandmother and Grandfather headaches.
The Yu family’s eldest branch still thought of Yu Li as she had been before and didn’t believe she could cause much trouble.
A submissive country girl—how much of a fuss could she make, really?
However, since even Grandmother had come to town to complain to Yu Laoda and hoped he could come up with a solution, as a filial son, he was naturally obliged to go back and take a look.
Yu Qin hadn’t taken this matter to heart when she first heard about it.
She and Chen Jicheng were of a similar age, with him being half a year younger. The two cousins had grown up playing together, and Chen Jicheng had always been good to her. When she heard about Yu Li, she casually vented her complaints to him.
Running into Yu Li this time was pure coincidence. Chen Jicheng, being an impulsive teenager, wanted to stand up for Yu Qin when he saw Yu Li in person.
After her initial anger, Chen Shi quickly calmed down, though she looked at her daughter with some disappointment. “Why would you talk about the Yu family’s affairs outside? Be careful—if your father finds out, he’ll scold you.”
Yu Qin whispered, “But Brother Cheng isn’t an outsider…”
In her mind, her maternal family was like a second home, and since she got along well with Brother Cheng, she didn’t think it was a big deal to share a few words.
Chen Shi was momentarily at a loss for words. She wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to scold her daughter.
Her daughter had been pampered since childhood, often living in the county to avoid the hardships of village life. Chen Shi didn’t want her to grow up like the girls from the second branch, worn down by rural living.
Her daughter must not live like a village woman.
Chen Shi immediately set aside the cooking and said, “Cheng Ge’er was beaten this time, and the Chen family will certainly be angry. We should go pay them a visit.”
Not to mention that Cheng Jicheng’s provocation of Yu Li stemmed from her daughter’s complaints, and the one who hit him was a girl from the Yu family. No matter what, the Chen family would hold a grudge against the Yu family, and that grudge might even extend to them.
If this matter wasn’t handled properly, it could affect her two sons who were studying with the Chen family. Her elder sister-in-law might also grow disappointed in Yu Qin. Chen Shi still hoped to marry Yu Qin to her second nephew, Chen Zhongxun.
Scholar Chen and his wife had two sons and one daughter.
The eldest son was married and had three sons: Chen Boqian, Chen Zhongxun, and Chen Jicheng.
The second son had one son and one daughter.
Among the younger generation, Chen Boqian and Chen Zhongxun were the most promising scholars. Scholar Chen had high hopes that these two grandsons would pass the provincial exams and fulfill his dream of becoming a successful scholar.
Chen Shi naturally set her sights on the outstanding second nephew. While her elder nephew’s marriage had long been planned by the family, the second nephew’s future was still flexible, so there was no need to settle for a merchant girl.
She had her eye on Chen Zhongxun, hoping her daughter could one day become the wife of a scholar.
—
After leaving the embroidery shop, Yu Li went to buy some things.
First, she bought half a pound of salt. She had used salt yesterday to cure two pounds of pork, and there wasn’t much left at home. Then, she purchased some daily necessities, such as soap beads.
Working as a butcher inevitably left some odors on her, so she needed soap beads to wash up properly.
By the time she finished shopping, the money she had earned that day was all spent.
Looking at her now-empty money pouch, Yu Li once again felt the pinch of her financial situation. She decided she’d have to slaughter a few more pigs and deliver goods to more customers tomorrow.
Having no money, Yu Li didn’t buy anything else and headed straight home.
Under the scorching midday sun, Yu Li walked quickly all the way.
By the time she returned to Qingshi Village, it was already noon.
At this hour, the villagers had all gone home to eat and rest, leaving the streets empty. No one saw her entering the village from the entrance.
When she got home, Zhou Shi was sitting in the main room sewing clothes, while the two children were crouched in the shade of the courtyard, practicing their writing with sticks in the sand.
Seeing her return, the two children happily ran over to her.
Zhou Shi quickly set aside her work and said, “Li Niang, you’re back! Are you hungry? I saved some food for you.”
Even though she didn’t know when Yu Li would return, Zhou Shi had still prepared a meal for her. If she didn’t make it back for lunch, she’d likely come home in the afternoon.
Yu Li set down her things, washed her hands and face to cool off a bit, and then sat down to eat.
The meal consisted of leftover meat from the day before, a bowl of salted vegetables, and a plate of boiled greens drizzled with the sauce from the braised meat.
Although she had eaten meat buns and braised meat earlier at the butcher shop, the long walk back had made her hungry again. She finished every bit of food on the table.
After eating, she leisurely drank the tea the two children had poured for her.
Zhou Shi said, “Li Niang, it’s still early. Go to your room and rest for a while—get some more sleep.”
Thinking about how Yu Li had gotten up in the middle of the night to travel to the county for work, Zhou Shi couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, worried that such hard work would take a toll on her health.
Yu Li agreed and handed the embroidery screen materials, threads, and salt she had bought to Zhou Shi. Then she took the soap beads to her room, intending to find some clothes and take a bath.
When she entered the room, she glanced at the bed and saw Fu Wenxiao lying there quietly asleep. She moved gently to avoid disturbing him.
While bathing, Yu Li used the soap beads and found that they lathered well and had a faint medicinal fragrance. The cleaning effect was excellent.
No wonder they were the most expensive.
Though it had hurt to spend the money, she had still chosen to buy the soap beads.
After her bath, Yu Li felt fresh and fragrant. She sniffed herself and was pleased to find no trace of sweat or the smell of blood from slaughtering pigs. That was great—she didn’t have to worry about offending anyone with her scent.
After all, she wasn’t sleeping alone. There was a patient on the bed, and she couldn’t disturb his rest.
Feeling clean and refreshed, Yu Li returned to the room and lay down carefully on the outer side of the bed. She quickly fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, it was almost evening.
Yu Li sat up, still wrapped in her blanket. The heat had made her sweat profusely while she slept, and she felt momentarily disoriented, unsure of the time.
“You’re awake?”
A clear, pleasant voice sounded from beside her. Yu Li turned her head sluggishly and saw the man sitting quietly by the bed.
He sat there calmly, as if he had no presence at all, not disturbing her rest.
Yu Li made a small sound of acknowledgment, got out of bed, and began tidying her clothes. Perhaps she had been too restless from the heat while sleeping—her collar was slightly open, but thankfully nothing had been exposed.
She went to the table to pour herself some water and, as an afterthought, poured him a cup as well.
Fu Wenxiao’s gaze lingered on her briefly before he asked, “Did things go smoothly today?”
“Quite smoothly,” Yu Li replied with a faint smile. “The pigs behaved and let me slaughter them without struggling, and I even earned some extra money for delivering goods and running errands…”
Fu Wenxiao listened quietly, his eyes resting on her.
Though her tone was calm, he could sense her good mood and satisfaction with her work. It seemed she was doing well in her job.
Then, she added, “But when I went to buy something, I ran into someone unpleasant who insulted me and my sister. So I slapped him.”
Fu Wenxiao was slightly surprised. He frowned and asked, “Do you know who he was?”
“He’s my aunt’s nephew from her maternal family. His name is Chen Jicheng, according to what Yu Qin said.” Her tone was composed. “He had the nerve to call my sister ugly. How is my sister ugly?”
They were just a bit thin now, but once they were properly nourished and filled out, they would undoubtedly grow into beautiful girls.
Fu Wenxiao finally understood the reason behind her actions. With a warm tone, he said, “You did the right thing.”
She was truly a good person—responsible and deeply protective of her sisters, unwilling to tolerate anyone insulting them.
Hearing his approval, Yu Li’s mood brightened further.
As expected, Fu Wenxiao was indeed a good man, someone fair and understanding, who wouldn’t think her actions were wrong.