Chapter 33: Causing Trouble
The banging knocks on the door interrupted the tranquility of this small courtyard.
Su Yaoguang was just about to stand up when Zhou Wangshu, who was chopping wood in the courtyard, said holding the axe: “I’ll go open the door.”
He strode over, opened the door, and saw the furious Zhong Lanhua as well as Jiang Yihuan with wet hair, crying like a tearful mess.
Zhong Lanhua’s gaze lingered on the axe in Zhou Wangshu’s hand, and her arrogance diminished a lot at once.
She braced herself and questioned: “Was it you who pushed my daughter?”
Zhou Wangshu was stunned: “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Jiang Yihuan sobbed: “If you hadn’t pushed me just now, I wouldn’t have fallen into the water at all. Why did you do this to me? Wuu wuu…”
Zhong Lanhua brought Jiang Yihuan storming furiously through the village, and many villagers saw them, curiously following to watch the lively scene, resulting in them witnessing this.
Zhou Wangshu let go of his hand, and the axe in his hand fell just like that. The expression on his face was even more shocked, as if he had received a severe blow.
The crowd saw the axe fall and gasped.
“Be careful…”
The axe landed on the ground, only a finger’s width from Zhou Wangshu’s foot, just a little short of smashing onto his foot. If it had hit, this leg would probably be crippled.
“Too scary.” Someone said, “Look at this poor kid. Zhong Lanhua went too far, bullying an honest person.”
“Exactly. Just now when Yihuan girl fell into the water, it was young Zhou who loudly called for people to save her. He said he was an outsider male, so it was better to avoid, lest he tarnish the young lady’s reputation. Look, such an understanding child, and this mother-daughter pair not only didn’t thank him but came to his door to make trouble.”
Su Yaoguang walked over and said to Zhou Wangshu: “You go inside first. I’ll reason with them.”
Zhou Wangshu had red eye rims, looking aggrieved at Su Yaoguang: “Yaoguang, I really didn’t…”
“I know, don’t be afraid. I’ll see who dares to wrong you.” Su Yaoguang comforted him, then looked coldly at Zhong Lanhua and her daughter. “You say he pushed you. Do you have evidence?”
“My daughter said it herself. Could that be fake?” Zhong Lanhua glared with wide eyes.
“Our family’s Wangshu says he didn’t do it. If he says he didn’t, then he didn’t. If you can’t find other evidence or witnesses, don’t come to our door looking for a scolding.”
“Su Yaoguang, I’m your elder. You little girl dare to speak to an elder like this? Your mom isn’t home, no one taught you rules, so I’ll teach you.”
With that, Zhong Lanhua raised her palm.
Su Yaoguang fiercely pushed Zhong Lanhua away, directly making her fall flat on her butt.
“Ah…”
Su Yaoguang glared coldly at her: “This is something I did, I admit it. But our family’s Wangshu won’t take your wrongful grievance.”
“Zhou Wangshu, do you dare swear that it wasn’t you who pushed me into the water just now?” Jiang Yihuan choked.
“I swear to the gods and Buddhas in heaven, I didn’t push Jiang Yihuan. If I did…”
“Enough.” Su Yaoguang stopped Zhou Wangshu’s words. “She told you to swear, and you did? Are you an idiot?”
After scolding Zhou Wangshu, she said to Zhong Lanhua and her daughter: “Either you bring a witness, or if not, empty words without proof—we won’t play with you.”
“You you you, I didn’t expect you to be even more shameless than your mom.” Zhong Lanhua got back up and lunged at Su Yaoguang.
Su Yaoguang grabbed Zhong Lanhua’s hair and yanked it fiercely.
“Aah… it hurts…”
“Su Yaoguang, let go of my mom.” Jiang Yihuan wanted to save her but was afraid of getting her hair pulled by Su Yaoguang. “Everyone, come judge. Su Yaoguang is bullying people.”
“This old lady will kill you, you stinky girl… Ow ow… It hurts… Let go!”
Su Yaoguang stopped when she saw it was enough and pushed Zhong Lanhua away.
The Zhong Lanhua who had been elegantly dressed just now now looked like a mad shrew.
“Oh heavens, I can’t live anymore. At my age, bullied by a junior… My daughter was pushed into the water, no one to stand up for us…”
Su Yaoguang turned and went back into the house.
“Don’t walk away…” Zhong Lanhua got back up.
Only to see Su Yaoguang, who had just gone in, coming out carrying a basin of water. That water had a strange smell, who knows what things it was, but it looked dangerous at first glance.
“What are you doing?”
“I just cleaned some pig intestines, the water hasn’t been dumped yet—perfect to treat you.”
Su Yaoguang said, directly splashing it over.
“Ah… you this… ah…” Zhong Lanhua pulled Jiang Yihuan and quickly ran away.
Su Yaoguang put one hand on her hip and said disdainfully: “I said it, I’m not some good-tempered person. If you keep inexplicably wronging our family’s Wangshu like this, I’ll make you mother and daughter take a good bath in our family’s manure water pool too. Either produce evidence, or without evidence, it’ll be treated as coming to stir up trouble.”
“You really inherited your mom’s true legacy, rude shrew.” Zhong Lanhua cursed, and seeing Su Yaoguang walking toward her, she quickly ran far away.
“Mom, wait for me.” Jiang Yihuan followed Zhong Lanhua.
Su Yaoguang sneered, saw the other villagers hadn’t left yet, restrained her anger, raised a smile and said: “Uncles, aunts, old men, aunties, I’m not usually like this, only to bad people. Everyone, please don’t misunderstand Yaoguang! Look, Wangshu is so honest, and they mother and daughter still come to bully him—how can that not make one angry?”
Zhou Wangshu pursed his lips, eyes bright red, like a little rabbit that had been wronged: “I didn’t, really didn’t. I don’t know why they wronged me. Could it be because I didn’t jump in to save her when I passed by? But I can’t swim. If I jumped in to save her, not only couldn’t I save her, I’d die too.”
“Is it because I’m not village-born and raised, so they push all these unfortunate things onto me? Yaoguang, am I causing you trouble?”
“No no.” Su Yaoguang wanted to pat his head, but he was too tall, so she could only pat his shoulder. “Don’t be sad. You’re so gentle, everyone has eyes—they won’t be fooled by that mother-daughter pair.”
The villagers discussed animatedly.
“Zhong Shi and Yihuan girl really went too far this time. After Yihuan girl fell in the water, I was the first to hear young Zhou shouting. If not for young Zhou calling people, and with no one nearby, Yihuan girl definitely would’ve been taken by the water ghost today. Instead of coming to thank him, they splash dirty water on him. That’s too much!”
“In the end, isn’t it because Zhong Shi and Zhang Shi don’t get along, stabbing each other whenever there’s an opportunity? Zhong Shi saw Zhang Shi wasn’t home, and with this incident, definitely wanted to vent on her daughter. Usually Zhong Shi looks all smiley and easy to get along with—didn’t expect her to be so scheming. Better keep distance from that mother-daughter pair from now on!”
“My family’s boy calls Yihuan by name all the time. Last time I asked Zhong Shi about it, guess what she said? She said my boy was too familiar, she even knew about him wetting the bed as a kid, and her daughter had seen him eat boogers, said they were too familiar to make a family. Bah, she looks down on my boy, but I look down on her girl too. Look at her like that—who knows if she can even bear a son.”
