Chapter 40: Like Tofu Pudding
Lu Chengjing wasn’t listening to what these people were arguing about at all. He lowered his eyes and stared at Lady Shang’s skirt hem, lost in thought. Suddenly called, he lifted his eyes with a hint of bewilderment in them.
Last night’s clothes were both dirty and wrinkled. Lady Shang was unwilling to wrong her own vase, so she quietly took out a set of moon-white robe from the space, pretending it was dug out from the house before yesterday’s rain, and had Lu Chengjing change into it.
Lu Chengjing was already good-looking, and wearing a moon-white robe with his black hair loosely tied behind his head, his temperament was elegant and otherworldly, looking just like a banished immortal descended to earth.
As soon as he appeared today after changing clothes, he dazzled the eyes of many young wives and young ladies. Even some men were muttering inwardly, thinking it fortunate that Lu Xiucai Scholar already had a wife. Otherwise, with Lu Xiucai Scholar as a pearl of such quality ahead, which village girl would look at them?
This bewildered expression of Lu Chengjing’s fell into Lady Shang’s eyes and actually seemed somewhat cute to her. She deliberately leaned close to Lu Chengjing’s ear root and softly repeated what Shen Qi and Old Man Luo had said.
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Chengjing’s ear root turned red again.
Lady Shang secretly laughed. Teasing this man was truly amusing.
“The law states that those who hinder officials in handling cases shall be sentenced according to the severity of the circumstances: lighter cases may result in flogging and hard labor, severe cases in beheading, strangling, or lingchi.”
Lu Chengjing’s tone was gentle and slow, but when the words “lingchi” came out, everyone felt a tremor in their hearts, and a layer of cold sweat rose on their arms.
The Luo Family was even more frightened. Luo Da and Luo Er turned to look at Old Man Luo, waiting for him to speak.
Old Man Luo’s gaze shifted between Shen Qi and Lu Chengjing. “Lu Xiucai Scholar, are you serious?”
“The law can be checked,” Lu Chengjing said, his pair of calm black eyes fixed on him. “Uncle Luo, are you really going to throw your whole family away for one worthless son?”
Old Man Luo’s face darkened, his teeth clenched tight, the struggle and hesitation in his eyes clearly visible.
Wang Shi reached out and pinched her son. Da Pang felt the pain and wailed at the top of his lungs, “Grandfather, Grandfather, I don’t want to go to jail, I don’t want to be beaten!”
The two children of the Luo Family heard big brother Da Pang crying and opened their mouths to cry as well.
Fourth Uncle always bullied them. They didn’t like Fourth Uncle and didn’t want to take beatings for Fourth Uncle.
Hearing the crying of the three children, Old Man Luo’s body stiffened, and the hesitation in his eyes lessened considerably.
“Dad, I can give my life to compensate for Old Four, but the children are still young.” Luo Da knelt toward Old Man Luo. The tall man had never teared up even when injured, but now tears streamed down like rain.
Dad said Old Four was exchanged with Mom’s life. He and Old Two protected Old Four to protect Mom. He listened, and no matter what scoundrel deeds Old Four committed, he never said a harsh word to Old Four.
But his children owed Old Four nothing!
Old Man Luo closed his eyes briefly, then turned to look at Luo Er. “Old Two, what about you?”
Luo Er immediately knelt down, neck stiff. “Dad, I’m the same as Big Brother.”
Old Man Luo looked at his two daughters-in-law. “What about you two?”
Liu Shi immediately pulled her two children and knelt down. “I listen to my husband.”
“Daughter-in-law too.” Wang Shi also pulled her child and knelt down.
Looking at this scene before him, Old Man Luo’s shriveled lips moved twice, ultimately letting out a heavy sigh.
Celery Lady, I really can’t protect this child Old Four after all.
His barely straightened body hunched over. Old Man Luo shakily walked to one side, making way for Luo Si who was struggling behind him to grab him.
“Dad! Dad! I don’t want to go to jail, I don’t want to go to jail!” Luo Si crawled over and grabbed Old Man Luo’s clothes hem, snot and tears flowing. “I was exchanged with Mom’s life! Dad! Think of Mom, think of Mom, Dad!”
Luo Si shouted “Dad” until his voice broke. Old Man Luo clenched his fist tightly but didn’t lower his head to look at him once.
“Useless thing! You murderer!” Luo Si went mad with rage. “You caused Mom to lose her life! Now you want to harm me too? I won’t let you succeed. I’ll kill you, I… ah!”
Luo Da kicked him away with one foot, and the last trace of brotherly affection in his heart for this younger brother was completely worn away.
“Unfilial… unfilial son!” Old Man Luo was so angry he could hardly breathe, his face gradually turning purple. Luo Er hurriedly rushed forward to carry him on his back, shouting for Doctor Yuan to save him while running, without glancing at Luo Si on the ground once.
No matter how deep the brotherly bond, it would be exhausted in day-by-day wear. If not for Dad still being alive, Luo Er would have long stopped caring for this younger brother.
Luo Si knew his family wouldn’t care for him anymore. He quickly crawled toward Lady Shang. “Lady Shang, heroine, save me. I won’t dare anymore!”
Before he could crawl to Lady Shang, Dan Dajun stepped on him with one foot. “Now you know regret? What were you doing earlier? With your ugly appearance, don’t dirty Lady Shang’s eyes.”
Luo Si was tied up with hemp rope like a caterpillar, his mouth also gagged, unable to make a single sound.
The villagers escorted Shen Qi and the other to the village entrance. The two horses they rode on were leisurely eating grass.
Liu Hu and Luo Si were flung onto the horse backs. The two mounted, and the villagers watched them ride away into the distance before turning back.
The people had gone far, but Xiao Huan stood still, her eyes watching the two riders gradually receding.
Lady Shang reached out and patted her. “What are you thinking about?”
“Sister, how will they be sentenced?” Xiao Huan lifted her hand to wipe away the tears that suddenly welled up, sniffling. “And that Chen San, will he be caught too?”
“These two have committed plenty of crimes. Before, no one reported them, but now that they’ve been caught, Lord An won’t judge lightly. At least exile.” Lady Shang said, “As for Chen San, he died yesterday.”
“Died?” Xiao Huan widened her eyes in surprise. “How did he die?”
Lady Shang said, “A stone fell and smashed his head, splitting it open. Heard his brains splattered everywhere, like tofu pudding.”
Xiao Huan couldn’t help turning to vomit. She would never be able to face tofu pudding again.
“Alright, forget uncomfortable things.” Lady Shang reached out and put her arm around Xiao Huan’s shoulder, leading her toward the village, her voice gentle. “A person can only remember so much in a lifetime. Don’t waste brain capacity.”
Though she didn’t understand what “brain capacity” meant, Xiao Huan figured it was something like memory. She grinned. “I know Sister will definitely remember Brother-in-law.”
Lady Shang nodded vigorously in agreement. With a face like that, how could one not remember?
“Sister, there won’t be another earthquake, right?”
“Who can say for sure? But there shouldn’t be a big earthquake in the short term, at most some aftershocks.”
Xiao Huan sighed. “The house collapsed. Where will we live from now on?”
“Collapsed is collapsed.” Lady Shang glanced at the cracked ground not far away and casually comforted. “Think on the bright side. We don’t have to demolish the house ourselves to build a new one. Saves a lot of trouble and wages.”
Xiao Huan: Seems like that’s the case.
However, “Sister, we don’t have enough money to build a new house.”
“We’ll have it soon.” Lady Shang curved her lips.
Xiao Huan turned to look at her. Why did it feel like Sister was in an especially good mood today?
Xiao Huan wasn’t wrong. Lady Shang was indeed in an especially good mood today, because when she woke up this morning, she discovered her ability had quietly upgraded.
However, what made her happy wasn’t the ability upgrade, but that with the ability upgrade, a mu of spiritual field appeared in the space.
Spiritual field—that was her capital for rampaging through the apocalypse.
With spiritual field, silver was not far away.
