Chapter 170: Conflict (1)
Editor: Atlas Studios
Mu Yangling looked directly at Old Hu. “Are the section’s oxen all at your house?”
Madam Hu-Fang felt a little awkward when she heard this. When Mu Shi was the section commander, he was very fair. Instead of hoarding the oxen for his own family, he distributed them to his subordinates to let them take turns ordering the oxen around. However, when it came to the Hu family, the five oxen were all raised in their house. However, facing the aggressive Mu Yangling, she couldn’t not answer. So, she nodded and said, “That’s right. Ah Ling, you want to use them? If so, I’ll ask your uncle to send them to you tomorrow.”
“No need. I’m just here to ask who went out to graze the oxen today.”
Hu Dian’s son, Hu An, carefully hid behind Madam Hu-Zhang and did not dare to show his face. At this moment, he was looking for his uncle with wide eyes. Hu Gui had already turned around and returned to the house when Mu Yangling questioned him.
“What’s wrong?” Madam Hu-Zhang walked forward with a smile and grabbed Mu Yangling’s hand. “Ah Ling, speak slowly. Your Grandma Hu is old and can’t withstand a scare.”
Mu Yangling sneered. “Grandma Hu can’t take the scare, but can my great-aunt take it? The seedlings I planted less than ten days ago were eaten by the oxen. It’s not like you don’t know that the crops in the fields are the lifeblood of the farmers. Who grazed the oxen today?”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s expressions changed drastically. With an ugly expression, Old Hu reached out to pull his grandson’s ear and asked, “Let me ask you, did you let the oxen eat their crops?”
Hu An shouted in panic, “I didn’t! I didn’t!”
However, Old Hu didn’t listen to his explanation. He picked up the stick and was about to hit him when Mu Yangling stopped him and pulled Hu An behind her. She said, “You don’t have to be in a hurry to find a scapegoat. If it was really Hu An who did it, I wouldn’t be so angry. The footprints in the field belong to an adult. No matter what, you have to call that person out today. If it was Hu An who was in charge of the oxen, I can understand that he lost control of the oxen seeing as he’s only four years old. But if it’s an adult, that cow has already eaten a portion of the crops. Isn’t it pretty obvious it was done on purpose?”
Madam Hu-Zhang was looking at her son nervously, but after hearing Mu Yangling’s words, how could she not understand? She turned around and ran back to the house to grab Hu Gui. “Why are you so ruthless? Little An is your nephew. He’s only four years old, but you’re making him a scapegoat. Come out and make things clear…”
Hearing the commotion in the room, Old Hu’s face turned ashen. Madam Hu-Fang also looked at Mu Yangling helplessly and said, “Ah Ling, your third uncle definitely didn’t do it on purpose. How about this? I’ll help you make up for the seedlings later. How about that?”
“How? Do you still have seedlings at home?” This was what Mu Yangling was most furious about. Now that the entire stockpile of rice had been planted, there was no way to make up for it even if they wanted to. How could she not be angry?
Dragged out by Madam Hu-Zhang, Hu Gui pushed her away angrily and said, “It was Little An who was overseeing the oxen. When I went over, the oxen had already gone into the fields. If I hadn’t dragged it out of your 13 acres of paddy fields, it would have eaten all the crops already.”
Gloating, Hu Gui said, “Everyone has a share in the oxen. Even if you want to blame someone, you can’t only blame our Hu family. Why should our Hu family be the one to graze the oxen? Your Mu family has never provided a single blade of grass since you received the oxen.”
“Bullsh*t.” When Madam Ma-Liu, who had rushed over, heard this, she went forward and shouted, “Did our family use the oxen? When we brought them back, Rocky had already stipulated that the oxen in the section would take turns to be used and let out to pasture. My family didn’t need the oxen. We’d already given them to the villagers, so naturally, we didn’t have to graze the oxen. Now that it’s your family’s turn to be the section commander, you even dragged all five oxen into your fields and let your subordinates graze them for you. Do you really think you’re a high-ranking official just because you’re a section commander?”
Madam Ma-Liu was not as easy to talk to as Mu Yangling. Her voice was very loud, and not long after, everyone in the village was alerted and came over. “Today, I want the Hu family to say in front of all the villagers—are you going to compensate us for the rice? How are you going to compensate? Although my Rocky is no longer the section commander, he’s now Little General’s personal guard. He’s not someone who can be easily bullied!”
Madam Hu-Fang quickly went forward and pulled Madam Ma-Liu back. “Good sister, I didn’t say that I won’t compensate. Aren’t we discussing it now?”
“What’s there to discuss? Hasn’t everyone finished planting the rice in the surrounding villages? How do you plan to compensate? The difference in days is too great. Can the rice planted later keep up with the ones planted earlier? Who would believe that your son didn’t do it on purpose? Ah Ling, tell me, why did you come to the Hu family?” She knew her grandniece well. If she hadn’t discovered something, she wouldn’t have attacked the Hu family directly.
Mu Yangling looked at Hu Gui with a dark expression and said, “You said that the cows were already in the field when you went there. From the looks of it, you were the one who herded the oxen all the way from the edge of your field to the river. There are no children’s footprints there.”
Hu Gui’s expression changed slightly. Old Hu glared at him. Seeing that the Mu family was clearly looking for trouble, he said in a low voice, “Then what do you want?”
Great-aunt sneered. “It’s not what I want, but what does your Hu family want?”
The villagers who had gathered outside to watch the commotion stood on tiptoe and watched the Hu family. Some even climbed up the tree to look inside. The Hu family members felt their faces burn.
Madam Hu-Jin leaned against the door and sneered. She went forward and pulled the frightened Hu An to her side to watch the commotion.
When Old Hu saw this, he glared at her. After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’ll compensate you with silver.” Now that the rice had been planted, they really couldn’t find any more seedlings to transplant for the Mu family. As it would be too late to plant them, they could only compensate with silver.
When Madam Ma-Liu thought of the money that Old Hu had extorted from her last time, she was furious. Holding back her anger, she said, “Alright, compensate me with 17 taels of silver.”
“What?! You might as well snatch it directly. The rice planted in your family’s 13 acres of land is worth nowhere near 17 taels.” Hu Gui jumped up and shouted.
However, Old Hu and Madam Hu-Fang’s expressions were ugly. They knew that Madam Ma-Liu wanted to settle the debt for the wine.
As expected, Madam Ma-Liu smiled coldly and said, “How is it not worth it? The rice seeds used by our family weren’t distributed by the military camp, but by our ancestors. We even placed them in front of the ancestor tablets and burned incense for three years. Our ancestors left a message that this kind of seed is high-yielding and incredibly precious. Yet, you deliberately let the oxen gnaw on a portion of the crops. You’re simply digging out my heart. I’m letting you off easy by only asking for 17 taels of silver. At least I didn’t ask your Hu family to give up the position of the section commander.”
Madam Hu-Jin threw away the melon seeds in her hand and went forward. “Auntie, you don’t have to be angry. My man is willing to give up the position of section commander. Since Big Brother Mu doesn’t care for it now, this position can be given up to a capable person in the village.”
“Squandering b*tch, do you have the right to speak? Get down!” Old Hu berated her.
Madam Hu-Jin smiled coldly and said, “Father-in-law, you don’t have to flare up at me. I didn’t say that. It was my husband who said it. If you’re unwilling, then chase me and my husband out.”
“You!” Old Hu pointed at Madam Hu-Jin, speechless.
Madam Hu-Fang said, “Second Daughter-in-law, this is not a place for you to speak. Get down.”
“Good child, this matter has nothing to do with you. Hurry up and step back. I don’t care if he gives up the position of the section commander or not. I only want them to compensate me with silver. Old Hu, are you going to compensate us with silver or not? If not, we’ll go to the platoon commander’s camp to ask for justice.”
Wouldn’t the platoon commander heed Little General’s words? Naturally, Little General would be biased towards the Mu family.