Chapter 102:
Luo Zhi’er and Miaomiao walked home, feeling like they had entered the village. On the road close to home, they encountered quite a few villagers from the village, all chattering noisily.
It seemed like they had come back from some direction, discussing animatedly, with faces full of solemnity and fear!
On the road, it seemed like they were talking about something…
Luo Zhi’er saw Old Lady Zhao ahead and curiously caught up to ask her!
“Old Lady Zhao, where did you all go that you’re only coming back now?”
Old Lady Zhao had furrowed brows, originally a bit panicked.
Turning back and seeing it was Luo Zhi’er and her daughter, her brows relaxed, “It’s Miaomiao’s mom, huh? It’s so late, you mother and daughter are just back from town?”
“Yeah!”
“Did you encounter any bad people on the road? Taking Miaomiao along, you have to be careful about safety!”
Old Lady Zhao knew they had walked, having gone to town on foot that morning too, and only returning now that it was dark!
“Old Lady Zhao, what’s going on with you all?”
“Sigh, Er Wazi just got beaten up! Didn’t he already have one leg crippled before? Now the other one is crippled too, both hands broken, probably he’ll have to spend the rest of his life lying in bed…”
Er Wazi was Old Lady Zhao’s respectful term for Er Gouzi Uncle!
“What? Er Gouzi Uncle got beaten? Why?”
Wasn’t he just on the ox cart earlier, acting all mighty with his wife?
“Yeah, a group of people came from who knows where, holding clubs, taking advantage of the darkness to block and beat him on the field path near the direction he was heading home!”
“That scream was like killing a pig, scaring everyone in the village half to death, thinking someone had been done in!”
“Rushed over and saw it was him lying in a pool of blood, half-dead, gasping for breath… Everyone hurriedly carried him back!”
“Old Lady Zhao, do you know where those people came from?”
“No idea about that. Doesn’t he always have those stealing and trickery habits? Probably offended someone he shouldn’t have. Who knows how they tracked him to the village and blocked him!”
“Nonsense! Juhua was just cursing Zhao Er’s Wife! Said they got someone to beat him in secret! Still shamelessly demanding to be carried to Zhao Er’s house!”
Zheng Da Niang had just returned from town, her butt not even warm on the seat yet, when she heard about this and hurried over to see the excitement!
Now having seen the excitement, she was heading back!
Earlier on the ox cart, they had all heard Zhao Er’s Wife insinuating and cursing about who stole her family’s corn!!!
“She’s just like a freeloader with no place to plant seedlings. Zhao Er had just come back from the slope carrying a bundle of firewood, saying he went with his father, oldest brother, and second brother to clear the previous wasteland… No time to go beat him!”
Zhao Er had even greeted her! Old Lady Zhao replied.
Zheng Da Niang then spoke about what happened on the ox cart earlier.
Old Lady Zhao said: “Probably she’s feeling guilty about breaking someone’s corn, so Zhao Er’s Wife is just venting, cursing without evidence…”
“That’s true!”
Zheng Da Niang agreed!
“If it’s villagers, it’s fine, but if it’s outsiders, who knows what it’s about? Ask him and he plays dead without a word, Juhua’s clueless and just crying, claiming it’s this or that villager who did it!”
“We’re scared too. Suddenly a group of strangers appears in the village, with so many old and young folks, sigh, this old woman won’t dare go out at night anymore!”
“Yeah, not just at night, even daytime I won’t dare go up the slope alone to work!”
Li Erdan had followed behind at some point, eyes full of fear, chiming in!
At the road junction, Luo Zhi’er said goodbye to Old Lady Zhao and Zheng Da Niang, heading back to her home!
Luo Zhi’er kept holding Miaomiao’s hand. At the home doorway, she saw Li Sanmao, who had changed clothes and came to greet them, “Wife, Miaomiao, tired, right?”
“Daddy, not tired! Miaomiao was so happy today, town is so pretty! Saw all sorts of dazzling things in town, even met Uncle Zhu, he really likes Miaomiao, gave Miaomiao lots of yummy things, too bad Daddy didn’t go…”
Miaomiao pouted her little mouth high, a bit regretful. Li Sanmao picked her up and tweaked her nose: “Oh, really? Did Miaomiao see anything she liked?”
Miaomiao leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words. Li Sanmao smiled at the corner of his eye: “Oh, Miaomiao bought new shoes, and lots of yummy things!”
“Shh! Daddy, Mommy said this is a secret, can’t tell anyone else but you!”
“Good! Daddy knows!”
Li Sanmao cooperated and replied softly.
Miaomiao pulled a peanut candy from her side clothes pocket, the one she liked most, peeled off the paper and fed it into his mouth: “Daddy, this candy is super yummy, Miaomiao saved it specially for you without eating it!”
Li Sanmao ate it, sweetness reaching his heart.
Miaomiao looking at his face, her little mouth sweet as honey,
“Daddy, is it yummy?”
“Yummy!”
“Do you like the candy Miaomiao saved for you?”
“Like it!”
Li Sanmao’s heart was made super sweet by her soft voice!
“Alright, you two, hurry home!”
After the father and daughter were affectionate for a bit, Luo Zhi’er shook her head and said.
If she didn’t urge them, who knows how long they’d stand at this road junction.
Li Sanmao saw she was a bit distracted, “Wife, what’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you later, husband, you just got home too?”
“Been back a while. Hunted a deer today, just finished processing it, cut off the antler too. Tomorrow I’ll buy some corn wine to soak deer blood wine for you to drink, good for your body!”
“Hey, good, thanks husband!”
“No need to be polite!”
Li Sanmao’s heart was sweet; with his wife and daughter Miaomiao back by his side, he felt content and at ease!
“Come wife, put down the bamboo basket and let me carry it.”
“Hehe, no need, almost home, I’m not that delicate!”
Saying that, with the bamboo basket on her back, she went ahead. Li Sanmao picked up Miaomiao and hurried to follow.
Last time his wife had fainted on the road, today his heart was still uneasy.
If his father hadn’t urged him to go hunting on the mountain, he would’ve wanted to go with her and Miaomiao!
The little family of three happily arrived at the home doorway, bumping into Zhou Shi coming out of the main hall!
Zhou Shi’s face was black as the bottom of a pot, and for some reason, seeing this scene particularly stung her eyes!
Earlier she had gone with Zhenzhu to see the excitement, just got back.
Li Ergou’s Wife had gotten someone to call Doctor Li, saying the bone inside that leg was completely broken, only held by a bit of skin…
Head broken and bleeding, seeing Li Ergou’s miserable state, she secretly cursed he deserved it, and wondered if the black bear meat lost at home last time was related to him?
If Old Li Tou hadn’t stopped her from spreading it, she would’ve gone to curse them out long ago, evidence or not!
She was still pondering why Li Ergou’s house also had a tea set exactly like Old Li Tou’s!
It seemed Li Ergou treasured it more, placed right by the bedside, almost like sleeping with it!
What she didn’t know was that after she left, Juhua was still cursing that it was the Old Li Family who schemed and beat him!
If she heard it, she’d curse her to high heaven.
