Chapter 54: Your Parents Are Criticizing You

The village elder finally grasped the situation.

The boy Chang Sheng, who had been making noises earlier, had gone completely silent. It seemed the “bad people” he mentioned were none other than Ye Xin Ran’s parents. Judging by their demeanor, they were undoubtedly up to no good.

Did they come to the village just to cause trouble for their daughter?

This wouldn’t do. The household only had a woman and children, leaving them vulnerable to bullying. He needed to find help immediately.

---

The coachman noticed the elder’s amused expression and waved him off impatiently.
“If you don’t know anything, just step aside. Don’t delay my master’s important matters.”

Turning back to the carriage, the coachman said respectfully, “Master, it seems like no one is home. Should we wait?”

Zou Shi abruptly pulled aside the carriage curtain.
“Wait? For what? My husband is a respected gentleman! How could he possibly waste his time waiting for some pauper?”

“Then…?” The coachman hesitated.

“Break the door down and go inside to wait,” Zou Shi ordered.

“But… wouldn’t that count as trespassing?”

The coachman’s voice grew quieter as Zou Shi glared at him coldly.
“Trespassing? I’m her mother, and the master here is her father. What trespassing?

Besides, look at this run down house. It’s worse than the out house in our estate. What valuables could possibly be inside? Our presence here is an honor to this place!”

The coachman privately wondered if the phrase “honor to this place” was being used correctly. Before he could dwell on it, one of the guards at the back of the carriage stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick, breaking the flimsy wooden gate.

“Master, after you,” said the guard, standing aside to let the gentleman enter.

---

At last, Ye Yuan Wai made a move. Lazily stepping out of the carriage, he revealed his portly frame.

Ye Yuan Wai had a dark complexion, no beard, and a large belly. He wore a silver-gray narrow sleeved robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns in silver thread along the cuffs and collar. His gray high boots completed the ensemble, making him resemble a walking sausage.

He tried to appear dignified and wealthy, holding his head high. However, luck was not on his side. After just two steps, he stepped in a pile of dog feces.

The slimy sensation underfoot made him freeze. When he realized what he had stepped in, his face turned as dark as a stormy sky.

“Ye Bei!” he roared.

The coachman flinched and immediately sprang into action.

“Master, leave it to me.”

Ye Bei picked up two sticks from the ground and carefully scraped the filth off Ye Yuan Wai’s shoes. Then, using a corner of his own robe, he polished them until they shone.

Only then did Ye Yuan Wai reluctantly put his foot back down.

---

Standing at the decrepit gate, he surveyed the courtyard with its mud walls and that ched roof. Disbelief flashed across his face as he turned to his wife.

“Are you sure this is the right place? Given her current living conditions, could she really be one of Wei the Scholar’s esteemed guests?”

“Absolutely!” Zou Shi affirmed confidently.
“I’d recognize her face even if it turned to ash.

I don’t know what tricks she used, but she’s managed to capture Wei the Scholar’s attention. Even Steward Tong, who’s known for his arrogance, personally escorted her out.”

“In that case, we’ll wait inside and see what this girl is capable of,” Ye Yuan Wai said as he stepped into the courtyard.

As he walked, he inspected the surroundings with disdain. “This place is so run-down. Sheng Er should’ve come himself to beg his sister for help, instead of making me come all this way.”

Zou Shi quickly reassured him.
“That girl has grown wings now. If Sheng Er came alone, she wouldn’t take him seriously.

But with you here, your words carry authority. Just one command, and she’ll have no choice but to obey.”

Ye Da Cheng spotted the largest room and was about to head inside, but after only a couple of steps, he slipped again.

Thinking he had stepped on dog feces once more, he cursed loudly, “What a filthy, miserable place!”

Just as he was finishing his complaint, something dark and heavy came hurtling toward him from the rooftop.

“Master, look out!”

A sharp-eyed attendant reacted quickly, shoving the startled Ye Yuan Wai aside just in time to avoid the incoming wooden plank. However, the attendant himself took the hit squarely on the head.

Stars danced in the attendant’s vision as he staggered, but he was still thankful for his quick reflexes, better to take the blow himself than face a deduction from his wages.

Before he could fully recover, Ye Yuan Wai let out a loud cry. A wooden bucket fell from the sky and landed squarely on his head.

“Master! Master!”

Zou Shi shrieked in panic, exclaiming, “What kind of witch craft is this?”

Fumbling in a panic, she tried to remove the bucket from Ye Yuan Wai’s head. Before she could succeed, another loud splash sounded, and a second bucket of water drenched Zou Shi from head to toe.

“Aaahhhhhhh!”

Her piercing scream echoed through the courtyard, startling a few chickens in the pen, which flapped their wings and scattered in a panic.

The attendants and coachman were dumbstruck. Finally, the coachman snapped out of it and hurried forward, supporting Ye Yuan Wai with one hand while tugging the bucket off his head with the other.

“Cough, cough, blech!”

Ye Da Cheng doubled over, gagging. “What is this vile stuff? Why does it stink so badly?”

“Master, it… it seems to be sewage!” the coachman replied nervously.

“Throw it away! Throw it away! Blech!”

Both Ye Da Cheng and Zou Shi retched uncontrollably, emptying the contents of their stomachs, even spitting out last night’s dinner.

---

While the chaos unfolded in the front yard, Ye Xin Ran calmly finished rendering the badger oil in her pot. She carefully poured it into a jar, then grabbed a hoe resting against the wall and walked toward the commotion.

Seeing the utterly disheveled Zou Shi and Ye Da Cheng, Ye Xin Ran feigned surprise.

“Father, Mother! What brings you here? You didn’t even call for me, you just barged right in?

Oh dear, my courtyard is full of traps to ward off thieves. If you rush in like this, it’s easy to trigger them.”

“Ye Xin Ran!”

Zou Shi, shaking with fury and still dizzy from retching, raised her hand to slap her daughter.

“You shameless little wench! You did this on purpose! How dare you treat your own parents like this? You’re unworthy of being called a child!”

Ye Xin Ran side stepped effortlessly, avoiding Zou Shi’s slap. Zou Shi, having over exerted herself, lost her balance and stumbled forward, stepping straight into a hidden pit. Sharp pain shot through her foot.

“Ahhh!”

Her screams filled the air once more.

Ye Xin Ran, unfazed, plugged her ears with two fingers before flashing a sweet smile at Ye Da Cheng.

“Father, did you hear what Mother just called me? She called me a little wench.

If I’m a little wench, then what does that make you?

Aren’t you the highly esteemed Yuan Wai of Yun Tong County?

How could a distinguished Yuan Wai send his own daughter to become a wench?

Father, Mother is cursing you!”