Chapter 68: Countermeasures

Dinner was about to be served at home, but Dong Yun wouldn’t let her deliver it. Pear Blossom could only stand at the gate, reluctantly watching the duo—one big and one small—leave.

Her good mood lasted all the way until dinner, where the fish was fat, tender, and delicious, filling the air with a fragrant aroma. The family, including Xia Xunyan, all enjoyed the meal.

After dinner, since it was still early, Pear Blossom, carrying a sickle, went up the mountain with her father. They had discussed earlier in the fields about finding a hidden spot on the mountain to store grain, and this had to be settled soon.

Pear Blossom had been hunting on the mountain frequently in the past few days, so she was very familiar with the terrain. Moreover, she had a system in her mind that had already pinpointed a hidden place; all she needed to do was bring her father there.

By the time they found the spot and returned home, it was already dark.

After finishing her homework and taking a bath, Pear Blossom lay down, and the house was quiet. Xinghua had long gone to bed, leaving her alone. As she dried her hair, she took out a small booklet and, under the dim oil lamp, looked at the bold characters on the cover: “The Women’s Secret Teachings.” Unfortunately, she could only recognize the second and third characters, but that didn’t stop her from flipping through the illustrations inside.

However, when she casually opened one of the pages, the image that appeared immediately made her face turn red. With a snap, she closed the booklet and swiftly blew out the oil lamp. She then yanked the quilt over her head to hide her face.

All her movements were done in one smooth motion.

Her heart was still racing, but the image was hauntingly clear in her mind. It was of a woman, with long hair cascading down, half-undressed, sitting partially reclined with her legs apart, while another woman knelt between her legs…

Pear Blossom clutched her chest, feeling her heart pounding violently beneath her palm.

Earlier, after helping Dong Yun with a massage, she had dreamed a vivid dream. But it had been blurry, unclear, and everything seemed unreal. Now, that scene was laid out before her, vivid and lifelike, practically assaulting her eyes.

She buried her head under the blanket, trying to block out the image, until she could hardly breathe. Only then did she peek her head out.

Everything around her was pitch black, and she couldn’t see a thing. The cool air outside the blanket cleared her mind a little, but soon she was drawn back into the vivid memory of that image.

If the two people above were replaced by myself and Sister Dong…

Pear Blossom’s mind once again became chaotic as she thought about how, if she were to lie there, would Sister react in the same way she did when giving her a massage that day, making that soft moan? What would her face look like? Would she tilt her head back in discomfort? Would her eyes be open or closed? Would her beautiful eyes be staring straight at her the same way?

If the situation were reversed, Pear Blossom’s body shuddered, and her heart raced again.

A woman like Sister, just like Chang’e living in the cold palace, how could she possibly kneel before me and… indulge me? Even though she knew it was impossible, she still couldn’t stop her thoughts from wandering in that direction. Just the thought of Dong Yun kneeling between her legs made Pear Blossom feel her whole body tense.

Her mind was flooded with various thoughts, and her body shamefully responded. In the darkness, her eyes blinked rapidly, her knees pressed tightly together…

…

No matter how absurd the dream from the night before, she still had to get up on time the next day.

Pear Blossom rode her horse out of the door, but as she passed the Zeng family’s house, she couldn’t help but glance over, hoping to catch a glimpse of that person. Unfortunately, she didn’t see him today.

When she arrived at the escort agency, it was time for her usual training with Murong Jin. Murong Jiutian was also there, personally instructing. However, when they fought, Murong Jin was knocked back several steps by Pear Blossom’s shoulder, which surprised him greatly.

When this child first arrived, she didn’t seem this strong. How could she have changed so much in just over a month?

Little did he know, aside from her natural strength, Pear Blossom had gained an additional 31 points in physical attributes. Feeling a bit curious, he decided to spar lightly with her. Her punches and kicks caused his arms to ache.

After stopping, he stroked his beard and said, “You’ve made great progress. It’s not in vain that I accepted you as a disciple in front of Li Xiancheng. You won’t bring shame on me when you go out!”

Pear Blossom was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Murong Jin, who was also smiling at her. She couldn’t help but feel pleased and quickly knelt, bowing her head, saying, “Thank you for your kindness, Master. I will not disappoint you.”

Murong Jiutian laughed heartily and helped her up. “It was just a temporary measure, but now it seems that I’ve benefitted from it.”

Murong Jin leaned over and asked, “Father, what did Li Xiancheng say when he invited you to dinner yesterday?”

Pear Blossom also looked at him eagerly.

Murong Jiutian sighed and said, “It’s fortunate that you caught that person pretending to be Wu Juren. Now that we have the evidence, although he doesn’t care about me, he fears your uncle. He can only settle for the small fry and said that the lower-ranking people were ignorant. Since you’ve already won a thousand taels, the news has spread everywhere, damaging the reputation of their gambling house. These past few days, they had to close their doors, losing thousands of taels. He said we should let this go and never go near their gambling house again, so everything will be cleared.”

Murong Jin snorted in dissatisfaction. “Cleared? They wish! First, they used despicable methods to set a trap, forcibly entered the village to kidnap people, and injured and disabled the villagers. Now they want to brush it off with a simple statement? By the way, how did you respond?”

Murong Jiutian sighed again and said, “What could I say? He said if this gets bigger and reaches Baihu Mountain Villa, it would harm them, but it would also harm us.”

Murong Jin was furious. “So you agreed to let it go?”

“I didn’t agree immediately. I said I would consult with my disciples and the little ancestor at home. If you all think it’s clear, then it’s cleared.”

Murong Jin wasn’t happy, but at the moment, there was nothing she could do. She still grumbled, “Alright then, we’ll keep them hanging for a couple of days. Let them lose more money while their gambling house is closed. Only then will I feel better.”

Murong Jiutian knew his daughter’s temperament well. He said, “No more than three days. After three days, I’ll have to give them an answer. If they lose too much silver and can’t open their gambling house, Baihu Mountain Villa will investigate, and then we’ll all be in trouble.”

Murong Jin turned to Pear Blossom and asked, “Pear Blossom, what do you think?”

Pear Blossom nodded. “This is already the best outcome. However, please make sure that when you respond to them, you get them to promise never to set foot in our village again! Otherwise, even without Master’s protection, I will destroy their gambling house myself!”

Murong Jiutian didn’t expect his new disciple to be so tough. He nodded, “This isn’t difficult. I’ll make it clear to them when the time comes.”

…

Xiang Family.

Since the village chief announced that a village meeting would be held in two days to discuss how to handle the Xiang family’s issues, this family had become unusually panicked.

Although the village didn’t have the authority to judge the villagers’ actions, with the imperial power not extending to the countryside, local security disputes were mainly managed by the village heads and elders. With the support of elders from other villages, expelling or punishing the villagers was still within reason. Thus, the Xiang family had finally realized the gravity of the situation and had been restless for several days.

The loudest objections came from the first branch of the Xiang family, Xiang Youcai’s household. Since the exposure of the substitution incident, their lives had plummeted from heaven to hell. Now that their son had been exiled with an unknown fate, just as they had regained their footing, this new issue arose. How could they not be furious?

Xiang Youcai rushed to the second branch, grabbed Xiang Dalang by the collar, and was about to drag him out. However, Xiang Laoer and Zhou held him back, with Zhou crying out, “What are you going to do to my son? Are you trying to kill him? How can you not even spare your own nephew!”

Xiang Youcai trembled with anger and shouted, “I said it when he and those people leaked Widow Dong’s information! As soon as it affects our family, no need for others to take action, I’ll be the first to deal with him!”

Zhou cried even harder, “What’s his fault? If it weren’t for that Dong and that bitch Pear Blossom, could he have stayed in bed for so long? It’s really the heavens that have no eyes, always helping those scoundrels—”

Xiang Laotou was also worried at this moment. Hearing his daughter-in-law crying and shouting, it gave him a headache. He yelled, “Stop yelling! What’s the point of shouting now? Isn’t it all because of your good son, always causing trouble outside, and now bringing disaster into the house, making the whole family restless!”

Zhou was outraged and waved her hand, “He’s the eldest grandson of the Xiang family, and everyone in the house dotes on him. It’s not just me who spoils him. Look at how my mother-in-law indulges him, and now when something happens, you put all the blame on me!”

When Xiang Laotou heard this, his anger flared. “I’ve had three sons, and none of them have caused as much trouble as your son! You don’t work in the fields, you don’t cook, and you can’t even take care of the children. And now you have the nerve to blame your mother-in-law? Is there anyone in the world like you who acts as a daughter-in-law and as a mother?”

Zhou sneered, unwilling to back down. “Do you really think the village is targeting our family just because of Widow Dong? Dalang caused so many problems, but they’re nothing compared to the time you and dad swapped the child!”

“Enough!” Xiang Laotou roared, interrupting Zhou. He suddenly stood up and angrily threw his tobacco pipe on the ground.

“Second!” he shouted. “Aren’t you going to keep an eye on your wife? All day long, she stirs up trouble. Don’t you want to live anymore? If you don’t, send her back to her family!”

Zhou immediately started crying loudly. She was already old, with no home to return to, so where could she go?

Xiang Laoer rushed forward to hold her back, slapped her hard, and whispered angrily, “Can’t you just shut up? At this point, the decision still lies with Dad. Why stir up trouble?”

Zhou covered her mouth, sobbing and not daring to speak again.

Xiang Youcai looked at the scene before him with a mocking gaze. “You did it, and now you don’t dare to admit it. If it weren’t for you, how would our family have fallen to this point?”

Xiang Laotou could no longer contain his anger. He cursed loudly, “You lived in a rich family for decades, enjoying the blessings, and now you turn around and blame me! I’m telling you, among all of us, the last person who should complain is you!”

Xiang Youcai sneered, his eyes filled with deep despair. “Do you really think I wanted these decades? I’d rather have been born poor, living an honest and steady life. I’d rather have never enjoyed any blessings and been thrown into hell, than have my son risk his life to protect this family and now not even know if he’s alive or dead!”

“It’s all because of you—because of you!” Xiang Youcai became more agitated, pointing his finger at Xiang Laotou’s nose, his voice hoarse with anger. “You ruined my son! You two ruined my entire family! I don’t have a father like you, nor a mother like you! I’d rather split up the family, I’d rather serve in the military alone, than be a family with you!”

Xiang Laotou suddenly burst out laughing. “Good, good—truly worthy of being my child. The village is about to expel us from the village, and you’re willing to bet on splitting the family to stay. Fine, you can split up, you can go tomorrow!”

Xiang Laosan was displeased when he heard this. He quickly intervened, saying, “Dad, if Eldest’s family splits off, we’ll be short of people for military service. That’s not worth it. Erlang has already served for half a year. After two more years, we can take a break. If you send him away, we’ll have to send someone again in three years. No, we can’t split the family.”

Xiang Laoer sat silently on the side, thinking that it was his son’s fault. The village had already stopped caring about the child swap years ago, but he insisted on repeatedly provoking Widow Zeng. That’s why things had come to this point.

He reluctantly said, “Dad, whatever the village wants to do, we mostly need to listen to the victims. Otherwise, let’s go beg Dagen and Widow Dong. If they relent and don’t hold it against us, the others won’t have much to say. We can play the pity card, and this matter will be over.”

Xiang Laotou heard this and finally calmed down. He squatted down and started smoking his pipe, thinking for a moment. “Last time, when we went to Dagen’s house for Dalang’s medical fees, that bastard almost shot me in the head. It’s not appropriate for us to go. Let the women go instead.”

When Xiang Laopo heard this, her face immediately darkened. She didn’t want the family to split, but she didn’t want to go begging either.

Xiang Laotou looked at her face and scolded, “If you don’t go, who will? If we get expelled from the village, us men might be able to survive begging, but you women won’t be so lucky. No matter how old you are, there are plenty of old beggars who will bully you.”

The women in the house all had dark expressions when they heard this.

Xiang Laotou continued, “These are your sons and grandsons. As a mother and grandmother, can you just ignore them?”

Xiang Laopo had no choice but to compromise. “That bastard is gone to the city to work, so she’s not at home. If she’s not around, it will be easier to handle Dagen and his wife. I’ll go tomorrow morning when she’s not there.”

Xiang Laotou finally relaxed. “We need to take care of this tomorrow. They’ll have a meeting the day after, and if we’re late, it will be too late. Who will go to Widow Dong’s side?”

The wives of the third household exchanged looks, each one like a duck with its neck being squeezed—mouths open, yet none willing to speak. Their impression of Dong Yun was based solely on village gossip. If they had to go, they could force themselves, but thinking of the formidable old lady from the Zeng family, they all felt uneasy. Especially since Zeng’s favorite youngest son had caused the disaster with a single word from Xiang Dalang. Zeng now hated the Xiang family to the bone.

Xiang Youcai’s wife spoke directly, “Whoever caused this mess should go and explain, it has nothing to do with our first house.”

The third wife echoed, “There’s always a reason behind things. We haven’t wronged them, and even if we go to beg, they wouldn’t recognize us.”

The second wife, Zhou, felt like crying, having never won a verbal duel with Zeng. The thought of facing Zeng again made her heart sink. She cursed her son in frustration: “It’s all because of you, you fool. If it weren’t for you, how would our family have ended up in this mess!”

She grew angrier with every word, almost wanting to slap her son.

After venting, she looked at Xiang Dalang’s wife, Shi Xiuxiu, who was showing signs of pregnancy, and suddenly had an idea. “Xiuxiu, you’re the best one to handle this.”

Shi Xiuxiu was displeased. “I’m pregnant right now! I’m not going to suffer like this! Besides, my husband went out to flirt with another woman and got beaten up. As his wife, do I now have to clean up his mess? I won’t do it!”

Zhou quickly changed her tone, speaking in a more persuasive manner. “Xiuxiu, precisely because you’re pregnant, you’re the best one to go. When that old lady sees you’re with child, she won’t dare to lay a hand on you. She might even soften and let this go.”

Xiuxiu shook her head firmly, refusing to agree.

The others, hearing Zhou’s reasoning, agreed that it would be best for Xiuxiu to go. Seeing her reluctance, Xiang angrily scolded her, “Why are you being so thick-headed? If our family gets expelled, do you think Dalang will still want you? Your child won’t have a father, and people will bully you outside!”

Shi Xiuxiu, taken aback by Xiang’s sharp words, felt a pang of insecurity. But she still stubbornly replied, “If we’re expelled, I’ll just go back to my family. After all, I helped my brother get a new wife. Wouldn’t he still care about me?”

“You think it’s that simple? Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘A daughter married out is like spilled water’? Do you think your brother listens to you or his own wife now?”

He pointed to Xiuxiu’s belly, “Don’t forget, you’re carrying our family’s blood. Do you think your brother would raise someone else’s child?”

Shi Xiuxiu hadn’t considered this and was immediately rendered speechless.

Xiang Lao Tou then spoke up, “Alright, enough arguing. Second wife and Dalang’s wife will go to the Zeng family tomorrow. Old woman, you and the third wife will go to Dagen’s house. That’s settled.”

He had initially planned to send Xiang Youcai’s wife, as her position was similar to what Mrs. Xiong’s used to be. She could go, cry, and plead, and maybe Mrs. Xiong would soften. But now, since his eldest son had already distanced himself from him, he couldn’t call on her.

Liu reluctantly agreed, knowing she couldn’t defy her father-in-law.

…

After Pear Blossom returned from the county, she went straight to the Zeng family.

Now that she had secured a place to store grain, she needed to work with her father and brother to dig and organize the grain cellar. With studies at night, she couldn’t afford to keep running to Dong Yun’s place, so she decided to visit her briefly while she had the chance.

Little chubby Fubao was as lively as ever, cheering and rushing over to hug her leg for a cuddle.

Dong Yun told Pear Blossom, “The Xiang family sent someone earlier today, and they said there’s a meeting in the village tomorrow, asking me to speak on their behalf.”

Pear Blossom’s face darkened. She knew Dong Yun wouldn’t agree, but still vented, “Didn’t they think about the consequences when they did this mess in the first place? Again and again, this family is a bunch of habitual offenders, they’ll never stop. If the villagers hadn’t united last time to protect us, you wouldn’t even know where they’d have taken you!”

“But that Xiang Dalang came personally to apologize?”

Dong Yun scoffed, “Do you really think any man from the Xiang family would have the decency to come and apologize?”

Pear Blossom shook her head in understanding. “It may seem like the women in the Xiang family are the ones causing trouble, but in reality, it’s the men behind the scenes pulling the strings. Especially that Xiang Laotou head—he’s the worst. When the children were swapped, he and Mrs. Xiang had discussed it together. Maybe it was his idea, but after the fact, he completely washed his hands of it. Mrs. Xiang is a fool, used as a pawn and still proud of it. When she abused our family before, wasn’t it all with the Xiang Laotou head’s consent? On the surface, he seems like a simple man, but inside, he’s venomous and cunning. Calling him a snake wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”

Dong Yun agreed, “Anyway, I didn’t open the door for them, and I can’t be bothered to waste words with them. I’m afraid they’ll block me in the fields, so I didn’t go today. My mother will handle it. During Guangjin’s injury, she had a lot of pent-up frustration, and these people are just right for her to vent on. I heard Xiang Dalang’s wife, pregnant, went to beg her, but ended up being scolded to tears and sent home.”

Pear Blossom laughed coldly, “Xiang Dalang’s beating didn’t even break any bones. It’s been so long; he could have been up and about by now. And now he’s pretending to be sick? Sending his wife out to beg for him? What a coward!”

When she returned home, she asked Mrs. Xiong if the Xiang family had visited today. Mrs. Xiong replied, “I was in the fields with Xinghua at that time. Your father and Daniu went up the mountain to dig. Mrs. Xiang and the third wife came together. They knocked on the door first, but Teacher Xia was inside, so no one answered. They then went to the fields to look for me.”

Xiong paused for a moment before continuing, “As soon as they saw me, they asked where Dagen was. I guess they figured I wouldn’t be easy to talk to, so they thought your father, being honest and simple, would be easier to persuade. They wanted to use the thirty-plus years of raising him to get him to speak on their behalf. But I didn’t tell them where your father went.”

Pear Blossom said, “Father was made foolish by those two.”

Mrs. Xiong sighed, “Yes, you’re right. From now on, we need to keep your father away from that family. In their eyes, all this talk about life and nurturing is nonsense. To them, your father is even less than a dog in their house, yet he keeps thinking about this and that.”

Pear Blossom comforted her mother, “It’s fine. Anyway, there’s a meeting tomorrow. You just need to stick to the original issue and not let go. As for Mrs. Zeng, she’s probably furious with them, so there’s no way she’ll show them any mercy.”

Mrs. Xiong nodded, “Alright, I understand, dear.”