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Su Zhi had initial misgivings about Liu Siniang’s husband, believing him to be neglectful for allowing his wife to be mistreated by her mother and sister while he remained absent. Seeing his shrewdness and flippant demeanor only deepened her disdain, feeling genuinely sorry for Liu Siniang.
Listening to Su Zhi praise Liu Siniang, Zhao Xiaohua felt a surge of discontent. She glared at Liu Siniang and retorted, “What hard work? All she does is eat. For all these years, she hasn’t even laid an egg.”
Liu Siniang lowered her head. Over the years, enduring her mother-in-law and sister-in-law’s scoldings and abuse, she had learned to endure and evade, knowing resistance would only bring about more suffering. Moreover, being criticized for not bearing children, she didn’t have the courage to argue in front of Su Zhi.
Su Zhi’s brows furrowed, feeling a sharp pang in her heart. In a past life, her divorce stemmed not only from her health issues but also from her inability to conceive a child. For a woman unable to bear children, the pain was immense. Now, hearing Zhao Xiaohua’s hurtful words directed at Liu Siniang, Su Zhi empathized deeply, despite the remarks being aimed at Liu Siniang.
“To my knowledge, ever since Siniang married into the Zhao family, hasn’t your brother been away most of the time? How can she conceive when your brother is rarely present? Do you think bearing children is solely a woman’s responsibility? If that were the case, why should women marry men at all? They could just have children on their own, raise them, and avoid the torment of in-laws!” Su Zhi retorted, feeling the pain along with Liu Siniang.
Startled by Su Zhi’s response, Zhao Xiaohua, seeing her stern expression, felt a surge of indignation. “My brother does come back. He returns two to three times a year, yet this woman still has no children. If she can’t manage it, she shouldn’t blame the man! I’ve seen seeds sprout in a field after being sown once. But I’ve never seen it always barren! Her belly is nothing but barren land!”
Liu Siniang lowered her head even further, biting her lip tightly.
Angered by the conversation, Su Zhi thought about the conservative nature of women in ancient times. Even if some women were a bit rough in speech, it was typically among married individuals, not unmarried girls. In modern times, such discussions might be commonplace, but in that era, it was inappropriate for an unmarried girl to speak in such a manner. Zhao Xiaohua appeared not only flirtatious but also shameless in her words, making Su Zhi wonder how she would fare in marriage with such behavior.
“How does a young girl like you know so much?” Su Zhi, furious, chuckled sarcastically. She scrutinized Zhao Xiaohua, her gaze intentionally showing a keen interest, as if speculating on how she came to possess such knowledge of intimate affairs.
Blushing and paling, Zhao Xiaohua realized her earlier words were thoughtless and aimed at hurting Liu Siniang. Seeing the look in Su Zhi’s eyes and hearing her question, she understood the inappropriateness of her remarks, feeling relieved upon finding no one else around.
Finally speaking up, Zhao Daliang addressed Zhao Xiaohua, “Watch your words. If you cause more trouble, go back home.”
Squirming, Zhao Xiaohua retorted, “I’m not going back! I won’t say anything more. I’ll stay by your side!”
Su Zhi rolled her eyes internally, thinking that this brother and sister duo were truly a spectacle of a kind. Fortunately, she hadn’t directed her remarks at Liu Siniang; otherwise, it would have been a real headache.
Little Black nudged Su Zhi’s feet, whimpering a couple of times as if feeling impatient standing there.
Su Zhi immediately responded, saying, “Good boy, let’s go. I’ll give you some jerky later.”
Walking ahead, Su Zhi positioned herself on the outer side, next to Liu Siniang. Zhao Daliang stood beside Liu Siniang, with Zhao Xiaohua by his side.
Observing the White Wolf, Black Dog, Little White, and Little Black, Zhao Daliang remarked, “This sacred beast truly has spirit and doesn’t bite. Brother Zi’an and Sister-in-law are truly blessed. I’ve heard that over 60 mu of land inside your courtyard wall belongs to your family, quite an estate. With a little more effort, you could become a landlord. I heard it was all because the sacred beast gifted Sister-in-law a ginseng root? Unfortunately, I didn’t have the fortune to see that ginseng root; otherwise, it would have been an eye-opener for me.”
Su Zhi mused to herself, thinking that even with a millennium ginseng, she wouldn’t let someone like him see it. People like him, upon seeing it, would immediately turn greedy and try to snatch it away. She had discerned that Zhao Daliang wasn’t a good person. Knowing the temperament of the Zhao family, he was likely money-minded and envious, despite any courteous facade he put on.
“They don’t just bite anyone; they only bite the wicked. If anyone has ill intentions, they will bite. And if I command them to bite someone, they will. Big Black, Big White, am I right?”
Big Black barked, while Big White glanced at Su Zhi and let out a short howl. Although brief, the sound was enough to make Zhao Xiaohua cling tightly to Zhao Daliang’s arm in fear. Zhao Daliang was startled too, seeing the cold glint in the White Wolf’s eyes, briefly making him think the wolf was about to pounce.
“This sacred beast understands human speech?! Truly a sacred beast! Such good fortune!” Zhao Daliang praised repeatedly, genuinely believing in the creature’s intelligence and its ability to bite. His newfound courage quickly faded.
The group, along with the four animals, crossed the bridge and arrived at Li Qing’s house. Along the way, they encountered several villagers who, despite keeping a safe distance from the sacred beast, looked on with awe and greeted Su Zhi more warmly and respectfully than usual.
Su Zhi replied with smiles, thinking to herself about the saying “a dog takes advantage of its master’s power.” She wondered if she was now benefiting from the wolf’s power. It seemed having a sacred beast was indeed advantageous.
Li Qing’s front gate was left open, and a black dog in the yard reacted to the approaching footsteps by barking twice. Upon seeing the White Wolf, it immediately cowered, trembling all over. In contrast, Big Black ran over, licking the black dog continuously and whimpering.
Observing Big Black’s unusually warm behavior towards the other dog, Su Zhi wondered if they were siblings. Both being black, she speculated on their possible relation.
Initially fearful, the black dog gradually relaxed and started showing affection towards Big Black. This interaction displeased the White Wolf, who walked over, causing the black dog to recoil in fear once again.
Amused by the scene, Su Zhi couldn’t help but chuckle, noting Big White’s jealousy. She knew that Li Qing’s dog was a female, making the situation even more comical.
“Li Qing’s wife, do you think your dog and my Big Black are siblings? Big Black seems so affectionate towards it, much more than with other dogs,” Su Zhi remarked, finding the situation amusing.
Li Qing’s wife was initially startled to see the sacred beast at her home, but having been led to Su Zhi’s house by Su Zhi twice before, she wasn’t as afraid of the creature anymore. Witnessing the affection between Big Black and her own dog, she felt a sense of joy, thinking it was indeed a good thing, as Su Zhi had mentioned.
“Regardless of whether they are siblings, their closeness is a good thing. Let’s not worry about it,” she remarked, expressing her contentment.
Su Zhi nodded in agreement, smiling.
Li Qing and Zhao Daliang engaged in conversation. Zhao Daliang had returned to visit the villagers, and Li Qing, being a capable individual in the village, was someone he couldn’t overlook.
Seeing Zhao Xiaohua, Li Qing’s wife greeted her, despite her lack of fondness for the girl, saying, “Xiaohua is here too.”
Zhao Xiaohua nodded and replied, “Yes, I’ve heard you’ve been working here. I came to take a look. If there’s work I can do, I’ll earn some money for myself.”
Li Qing’s wife rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, “Can money really be earned just because you want to?” This girl wasn’t very likable; she had come to beg for work, yet spoke as if others were begging her to come. Leaving aside the fact that Liu Siniang was here to earn some secret money without Zhao’s family knowing, even if she were genuinely here to work, she wouldn’t have Zhao Xiaohua causing trouble.
“Well, Xiaohua, you’re a bit late. We have enough hands here,” Li Qing’s wife stated, unafraid to offend Zhao Xiaohua.
Pouting, Zhao Xiaohua responded, “Why worry about having too many people for the job? With me, won’t it get done faster? Li Qing’s wife, just let me join in!”
Su Zhi interjected, saying, “Xiaohua, we have enough person here to do the job. Besides, you can’t handle it.”
Zhao Xiaohua, feeling indignant, insisted, “Why do you say I can’t do it? I refuse to believe I can’t. Let me try, and I’ll prove I can do it!”
Both Su Zhi and Li Qing’s wife found Zhao Xiaohua extremely bothersome. Despite being told she wasn’t needed, she still wanted to see what was happening. Their irritation grew, feeling she was being overly persistent and demanding.
Li Qing’s wife, now frustrated, retorted, “Are you here to play or to cause trouble? When we say we don’t need you, we mean it. With your skills, you could end up ruining any task, no matter how good it is! We’re busy here. You and your brother can sit for a while, but once you’ve had enough, you can leave. I won’t see you off. Sister, Siniang, let’s go inside.”
Li Qing’s wife’s firm response left no room for argument, clearly expressing her annoyance with Zhao Xiaohua’s persistence.
Li Qing’s wife took the basket from Su Zhi, linked arms with her, and proceeded inside, with Liu Siniang casting a glance at Zhao Daliang before following suit.
Fuming and with flushed cheeks, Zhao Xiaohua was about to speak out but was restrained by Zhao Daliang, who then apologized to Li Qing, swiftly guiding Zhao Xiaohua out of the house.
Observing the siblings depart, Li Qing smirked, thankful for the disturbance caused by Zhao Xiaohua. Otherwise, he would have had to entertain Zhao Daliang, whom he didn’t particularly fancy.