Chapter 27 1/2

“You did well before, but now we need to stir up even more trouble,” said the fair-faced scholar, giving orders to the woman with folded hands.

“Not enough yet? Didn’t we already spread rumors about the Zhou family withdrawing?” The woman, with her hands in her pockets, couldn’t help muttering.

“I say it, and you do it. Where do all these words come from?” Yu Lingxiao gave the woman a stern look, as if her words had pricked his heart.

He had thought that once the Ji family heard the rumors in the village, they would change their minds, but seeing Ji Taoyu so indifferent to him was unexpected.

Remembering their past harmony, Taoyu’s current attitude towards him was driving him crazy.

No matter what, he just wanted Taoyu back by his side now.

The woman hesitated, “I’ll do as you say, but you have to pay more.”

Yu Lingxiao sneered disdainfully and threw a silver ingot at her, “Get the job done, and you won’t lose out. But if you can’t keep your mouth shut, there’ll be consequences.”

The woman picked up the money from the ground, smiling happily, “I understand, I understand. It’s my fortune to work for Mr. Yu.”

Yu Lingxiao impatiently waved his hand, “Hurry up and leave. Be careful on your way out, don’t let anyone see you.”

“Got it.”

The woman put the silver into her pocket and happily left.

“Lingxiao, why did you bring Wang Pozi to our house again? Didn’t mother say not to associate with such people?” Seeing the woman leave the house, Sun Yuanniang entered unhappily.

“That venomous woman, she’s caused a lot of trouble for our family in the past. Our third sister couldn’t move freely in the village, mostly because of her. She even forced your sister to marry down to the county seat.”

Yu Lingxiao said, “Mother, those are all things of the past. These people now only know how to flatter our family. Why bother remembering those unpleasant memories?”

“Mother doesn’t hold grudges, but Wang Pozi is sharp-tongued, and her son is a hoodlum. Although we pay them to do things, who knows if they’ll have ulterior motives. Later, if Wang Pozi uses the things she did for you as leverage and demands a good livelihood for her son, it’ll be troublesome.”

Yu Lingxiao said, “When the time comes, if things are done, and Taoyu marries me, whatever she says will be useless. If she doesn’t know how to appreciate the situation, I won’t tolerate her family.”

Sun Yuanniang fell silent. She knew what rumors were spreading in the village, and she knew it was all Lingxiao’s doing.

She couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable. In the end, the Ji family had indeed been kind to the Yu family. They had mutually agreed to cancel the engagement without causing a scene, and the two families could still meet in the village in the future.

It was supposed to end well, and she hadn’t thought about stepping on the Ji family again.

Taoyu’s health was not good to begin with, and it was easier for a healthy girl to find a match than it was for her. Now her reputation was ruined, and it was certain that no decent family would look at her.

Of course, she knew that this was what Lingxiao wanted to achieve, but she still felt it was going too far. “Taoyu is just a girl. If the Ji family insists on not backing down, and forces Taoyu into despair, it will lead to a lifelong grudge. Otherwise…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Yu Lingxiao became somewhat impatient, “If it weren’t for the Ji family coming to withdraw the engagement and deceiving me into thinking this marriage couldn’t be broken off, why would I have to go through all this trouble again?”

“Anyway, I must marry Taoyu. She was originally meant for me. If it weren’t for mother’s meddling, Taoyu wouldn’t be treating me with such disdain now.”

Sun Yuanniang looked at her son, who was venting a lot of complaints, and was momentarily unable to speak.

Yu Lingxiao had always been gentle and refined, always obedient to whatever she said, never even uttering harsh words. When had he ever been so sarcastic?

She suddenly felt aggrieved, “Mother didn’t expect the Ji family to be so stubborn, actually letting go of such a good marriage. I know Taoyu’s situation touched a nerve with you, but everything I did was for the best.”

Yu Lingxiao also realized that he had been too harsh, and softened his tone, “I was too impatient, mother, don’t take my words to heart. Anyway, don’t worry about what happens next, I’ll handle it.”

As noon approached, there weren’t many people in the village, so Wang Pozi felt it wasn’t the best time to do business.

Today she had made a lot of money, feeling happy, she planned to go back for lunch first, take a nap, and then go out leisurely.

“Ah Hu, you’re back!”

Just as she reached the gate of her courtyard, she saw her courtyard door open. Walking in with quick steps, she couldn’t help but say, “You’ve come back at just the right time. Mother has made a big profit today. We might have a good year this year… Ah!”

Wang Pozi walked into the house, but before she could finish her sentence, she saw her son being tied up tightly to a chair, and in front of the table sat a stranger with a menacing look, legs spread wide.

Her eyes met the three white eyes above the pupils, and she was so scared that her legs went weak, almost kneeling at the doorstep.

“Is this your mother?” Huo Shu lifted his leg and kicked the chair, sending the man along with the chair crashing to the ground. Though it wasn’t a stone floor, under Huo Shu’s strength, it still hurt quite a bit.

The man dared not scream, quickly affirming, “Yes, yes, Brother Huo, this is my mother.”

Upon learning the address of the woman named Wang from the ditch, Huo Shu came directly to pay her a visit.

Unexpectedly, he didn’t find her first but found her son, who was familiar to him. He was the one who had caused trouble in the village when he had first come to Zhao’s house, pressuring Yuan Huiru to sell the land.

Without saying a word, Huo Shu simply decided to pay a visit to the old acquaintance.

Li Jintiger had been wandering outside for a few days and had just returned home, ready to rest for a couple of days. However, as soon as he entered the house, he saw Huo Shu, who had climbed over the wall, and was so scared that he almost kneeled down.

He knew he hadn’t caused any trouble with anyone associated with Huo Shu in recent days, so it must not be him that had attracted this trouble.

“Not…not sure what brings Brother Huo to this humble abode. Whatever service little brother can provide, I will gladly offer,” Li Jintiger stammered nervously.

Huo Shu looked coldly at Li Jintiger, “Rumors have been flying around the village lately, saying that the Ji family’s son and the son of the You family, the scholar, have been having an intimate relationship. I heard your mother knows all about the village gossip, so I came to ask.”

Li Jintiger couldn’t help swallowing hard at the mention of this. He knew his mother’s nature well.

But he didn’t care about his mother’s idle gossip. A few casual remarks couldn’t harm anyone, right? Who would have thought someone would come knocking because of it?

Others might let it slide, but he had run into a tough nut to crack.

He was afraid of Huo Shu. He had endured a beating last time, and then he had heard that he was a northerner, a soldier who had returned from the front lines, which made him even more terrified.

After learning why Huo Shu had come, he silently prayed that it wasn’t because of his mother’s loose tongue.

Huo Shu couldn’t be bothered to deal with him, so he simply tied him up and waited for Wang Pozi to return home.

Seeing her son being bullied like this, how could Wang Pozi tolerate it? The chunks of meat falling from her son’s body were unbearable to witness. She cursed, stuttering, “What are you doing, Huo Shu? Just a villager, how dare you… You mustn’t go too far.”

Huo Shu remained silent, but he retracted his foot, which had been pressed against the overturned chair back. The man underneath immediately cried out, “Ah, ah! Mother, please don’t shout!”

Wang Pozi was dumbfounded. Her son was a thug, always loud and arrogant, but he had never screamed like this before, even when he bullied others.

She quickly shut her mouth.

Li Jintiger hastily said, “Mother, did you tell people in the village that the Ji family’s son and Yu Lingxiao are having an affair?!”

“They…they are betrothed, aren’t they? How could there be an affair?”

Wang Pozi’s heart thumped at the mention of this. She dared not admit it in front of others, muttering to herself in fear.

But before she could finish her sentence, Li Jintiger’s screams rang out again.

Pressed against the ground, he felt as if his spine was about to separate from the bench when he exerted force on his back. He shouted, “Mother, please speak up!”

“No, no!”

Wang Pozi, seeing her son in pain, hurried forward to try to move Huo Shu’s foot away. “Don’t step on him, it was me who said it, it was me. I have a big mouth and deserve to be punished. If you want to hit someone, hit me, but don’t touch my son!”

Huo Shu looked coldly at Wang Pozi, who was trying to use the same tricks as usual to protect her troublemaker son, showing no intention of moving his foot.

“Why spread rumors between the two families?”

“The Ji family and the You family are wealthy in the village, while we live such difficult lives. They enjoy all the luxuries, while we suffer. I was unhappy, so I said some bitter words to vent my frustration.”

Huo Shu glanced at Li Jintiger on the ground. “I had intended to have a good talk, but if your mother insists on saying inappropriate things to me, then I won’t waste my breath.”

He suddenly stood up, about to charge towards Li Jintiger, who cried out in fear, “Mother, he’s really going to kill me! Do you want me dead? Quickly tell him what’s going on, if I die, who will take care of you for the rest of your life!”

Wang Pozi’s body went limp, falling to the ground to protect Li Jintiger. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk! It was the You family’s scholar who called me over and asked me to spread these rumors. He gave me ten taels of silver to tarnish the reputation of the You family’s son. Today, he called me over again and gave me another ten taels of silver, asking me to spread the rumors even further!”

“The money is still on me, I just came back from the You family.”

Huo Shu, hearing this, withdrew his foot, and the mother and son on the ground both breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that Huo Shu didn’t make a move, Wang Pozi cautiously began untying Li Jintiger.

“Brother Huo, my mother didn’t mean any harm. The Ji and You families are both prominent families in the village. We can’t afford to offend them. If it weren’t for the You family pressuring my mother, she wouldn’t have dared.”

Li Jintiger quickly sided with Wang Pozi. “Yes, yes. I may have a big mouth, but I would never dare to speak ill of them.”

Huo Shu couldn’t be bothered to listen to their chatter. He stated his purpose directly, “I don’t care if you were pressured by the You family or if you’re greedy. Go clarify the situation.”

Wang Pozi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you suggesting that I go tell the villagers that the You family told me to say those things?”

“How could I dare? The You family is already a prominent family in the village, and now Young Master You is even a scholar. We can’t afford to offend them. If this matter gets out, the You family will surely punish me severely.”