Chapter 237: Ending
Editor: Atlas Studios
Liu Ting rushed home upon hearing the news. Considering their youngest son was already eight years old, he’d thought that he would not have another son. Thus, news of his wife’s pregnancy came as a surprise for him.
When Shu Wanniang heard that Madam Liu-Zhao had affected her fetal qi, she gave Mu Yangling some silver pieces and said, “Your aunt’s fetal qi was affected largely because she has been coming over to help us plow the land for the past few days. Their family doesn’t have much money now. Go to the city and find Physician Pang to buy a few sets of medicine for them, as well as a few hens and eggs.”
Giving someone items was more acceptable than outright giving them money. Mu Yangling took the money and whispered into her mother’s ear, “I knew Father would secretly leave you money…”
Blushing, Shu Wanniang knocked her daughter’s head. “Hurry up and go. Why are you so long-winded?”
Mu Yangling gave the money to Xiuhong and asked her to buy the things while she carried her tools into the mountains to set up traps.
Xiuhong bought the items and sent them over to the Liu Residence. Eldest Great-aunt Liu was just fretting about the money for the medicine, so when she saw her send the medicine over, she had mixed feelings and did not know what to say.
“Great-aunt, this is from Aunt Mu. She said to let Aunt Ting rest well and not worry about work in the fields. Tomorrow, Cousin and I will come over to help.”
Eldest Great-aunt Liu stroked Xiuhong’s hair and smiled. “Help me thank your Aunt Mu. Tell her that when your Aunt Ting recovers, I’ll get her to thank her personally.”
Xiuhong only smiled.
When Liu Ting lifted the curtain and saw her, his gloomy expression softened slightly as he asked with a smile, “Xiuhong, why are you here?”
“Wanniang bought some things for your wife. Xiuhong sent them over.” Eldest Great-aunt Liu waved the things in her hand and said, “I’m going to brew medicine for your wife. Don’t go out and make a fool of yourself, lest your father beats you up.”
Liu Ting agreed with a smile, but Xiuhong felt that he was lying. His nonchalant look was very similar to how her cousin had promised Mu Shi that she wouldn’t go deep into the mountains, but she still ran into the mountains the next day.
The smile on Xiuhong’s face widened, and her eyes almost sparkled as she said, “Great-aunt, Uncle, I’ll go back first and let Aunt rest well. My grandmother also said that she wants to come and see Aunt. She’s still sad because of Third Great-aunt’s words, and will probably only come in two days.”
Liu Ting narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Tell your grandma that your Aunt Ting is fine and she doesn’t need to come over.”
Xiuhong responded and turned to run.
Liu Ting’s eyes turned to the Fang Residence with a faint smile on his lips. Startled by the look on his face, Eldest Great-aunt Liu said carefully, “Son, go in and accompany your wife. I’ll stew chicken for her tonight…”
In fact, Liu Ting really didn’t do much. It was just that as his authority in the village increased, he would intentionally or unintentionally ostracize the Fang family. The Fang family would always have conflicts with other families because of various matters. By the time Liu Daqian realized that something was wrong, the Fang family had already been isolated by the entire village. Madam Fang-Liu looked as though she had aged ten years. Not only had this setback not tame her hostility, but it actually intensified. She would snap back at anyone who would speak to her.
Anger rose in Liu Daqian’s heart, but looking at his eldest son, who was already in charge of the family, he suppressed the anger in his heart and only said, “Don’t go overboard. After all, we’re biological relatives. She’s my sister.”
At that time, Liu Ting said very seriously, “Father, I’ve long stopped. They’re the ones who are perpetuating this.”
Liu Daqian was speechless for a moment. He could not tell if his son was telling the truth or not because his sister’s temper was indeed awful. However, although she was not very popular in the Nearhill Village in the past, there were a few families that were close to her. Now, the Fang family seemed to be living alone on a deserted island. It was as if they were invisible to the entire village. Even the Fang children were ostracized.
Second Great-aunt Liu only had one comment about this. “This is retribution. If it weren’t for her back then, would the Mu family have been ostracized by the entire village?”
Of course, this was said in the future. At this moment, Madam Fang-Liu still did not know that this conflict would bring such serious consequences to her and the Fang family. When she heard that Madam Liu-Zhao was pregnant and her fetal qi was affected after being pushed, she stayed at home and refused to go out.
After waiting for a few days and seeing that Liu Ting did not come looking for her, she felt relieved and went about her business. However, she did not know that Liu Ting had been keeping an eye on her. Likewise for Liu Lang and Liu Lun.
In the evening, when she returned late, a shadow suddenly rushed out of the corner and floated in the air, shouting at her. Madam Fang-Liu was so frightened that she fell to the ground and screamed. The shadow disappeared with a whoosh.
Madam Fang-Liu was so frightened that she lost control of herself. She fell hard and accidentally sprained her waist. When Fang Zhuzi found her, Madam Fang-Liu’s entire body was emitting cold air. She pointed at his head shakily and said, “Son, there’s a ghost in our village. A ghost floated there just now.”
Fang Zhuzi rolled his eyes and picked her up. “Are you seeing things? How can there be ghosts in this world? Why would ghosts look for you when you didn’t do anything wrong?”
Madam Fang-Liu wanted to say that she had really done many guilty things in her life, but she could not say it in front of her son.
When she returned home, the more Madam Fang-Liu thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. If there truly was retribution, it should have come more than ten years ago. Why hadn’t it appeared until now?
Moreover, they had already moved to another village. Recently, she had only offended her big brother’s family and the Mu family. The Mu family was not staying in the same village as them, so it was definitely not Mu Yangling’s doing. Then, it could only be her big brother’s family.
Madam Fang-Liu gritted her teeth and asked her son to go to the Liu Residence to seek justice.
The Liu Residence and Fang Residence were not far apart. These two days, Fang Zhuzi had been smelling the fragrance of meat coming from the Liu Residence, so he had been craving it for a long time. Hearing this, he immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, wiping his mouth: “I will go over and take a look, it must be those brats playing around.”
When Fang Zhuzi went over, the Liu family had almost finished eating, and there were only a few pieces of meat left on the plate. He stared at the table and asked: “Uncle, Cousin, are you guys eating?”
Liu Ting looked at him with a dark expression. “What are you doing here?”
Fang Zhuzi came back to his senses and immediately asked with a straight face, “My mother was frightened by a child on the way back just now. I came over to ask where Ah Lang and the rest were earlier on.”
Eldest Great-aunt Liu slapped her chopsticks down and glared at him with a knife-like gaze. “What do you mean? Are you suspecting that my Ah Lang pranked your mother?”
Sneering, Madam Liu-Zhang said, “What a joke. How old is Ah Lang? How old is Aunt? How can he scare Aunt? Don’t tell me Aunt did something guilty and saw something she shouldn’t have seen?”
Liu Yang also shouted, “Big Brother was playing with us just now. San’er from next door can also testify.”
Just as Fang Zhuzi was about to say, “You two colluded together. It can’t count.” He saw Liu Ting stand up and move his hand. His eyes widened as he asked, “What are you doing?”
Liu Ting looked at him indifferently and asked, “Your mother bullied my wife, and now you’re bullying my son?”
Fang Zhuzi took a few steps back and stammered, “I-I’m just here to ask where Ah Lang was just now. I didn’t say that he must have done it.” After saying that, he turned around and ran away, not daring to pursue this matter.
Liu Ting looked at his son, who had been silent all this while. His hand moved, but he still did not hit him in front of everyone. However, when he was sleeping at night, he pressed his son against the brick bed and beat him up. Liu Lang shouted, “She didn’t see me! I hung a shirt on a stick and swung it around to scare her.”
Liu Ting said angrily, “Who asked you to do this? She’s old. What if she dies from fright? If you do such a thing again in the future, I’ll break your legs.”
Liu Lang said with reddened eyes, “She bullied Mother!”
“Even so, you shouldn’t be the one to act. Am I a dead person?” Liu Ting beat him up. Liu Lun and Liu Yang watched the entire process and could not help but shrink their necks.