Chapter 49: Brushing Off Beggars
Village Chief Lin was annoyed at Lady Shang’s aggressiveness and said irritably, “The family just lost thirty taels of silver, which hasn’t been found yet. Where would eighty taels come from to compensate you?”
He took out one tael of silver from his sleeve and threw it at Lady Shang’s feet. “This is all that’s left in the family. Have my family boy apologize to Lu Xiucai Scholar on my behalf.”
Lady Shang glanced at the small silver bar under her feet, a chill flashing in her eyes.
Who apologizes like this? Old Man Wu and the others were furious watching it. They opened their mouths to stand up for Lady Shang, but she was faster. She grabbed Village Chief Lin’s right arm and, under his stunned gaze, pressed the silver bar with mud into it.
A pig-slaughtering scream shot straight to the clouds, trickles of blood flowing down his arm. Village Chief Lin trembled all over in pain.
Everyone was stunned. Can it still be done like this?
After the Lin Family’s initial shock, they rushed forward to save him, but Lady Shang kicked each one aside with a foot.
Village Chief Lin’s face twitched in pain, but Lady Shang’s strength was too great. He couldn’t even pull his arm back.
His pleading gaze swept over Old Man Wu and the others. His lips trembled as he was about to speak, but what came out was another cry of pain.
Zhang Er couldn’t bear to watch and wanted to advise a couple of words, but thinking of how Village Chief Lin had first humiliated her like shooing away a beggar, leading to this trouble, he gave up the idea of advising and turned his face away, not looking.
Old Man Qiu, who had just dared to point at Lady Shang’s nose and curse, saw Village Chief Lin’s bloody and mangled arm and was so scared his legs shook. The way he looked at Lady Shang was terrified, as if seeing the King of Hell, not daring to make a sound.
“An apology needs sincerity. I believe the village chief understands this reason.” Lady Shang pressed harder with her hand, embedding the silver deeper into the flesh by three points.
Village Chief Lin’s face twisted, screams coming one after another, cold sweat once again soaking his clothes.
Xiao Huan and Shi Tou covered Yuan Yuan’s eyes and ears respectively, to prevent the little one from having nightmares after seeing it.
As for Lu Chengjing, not only did he not wake up, his head tilted as if sleeping even more soundly.
Lady Shang stared at Village Chief Lin’s twisted face, a friendly smile on her face. “I’m the most reasonable person. Village chief, go home first and think it over clearly. I believe you know what to do best.”
She let go of her hand, and Village Chief Lin collapsed weakly to the ground. The two Lin brothers ran forward to help him up. As soon as Lin Jianshan’s hand touched Village Chief Lin’s right arm embedded with the silver bar, Village Chief Lin let out a miserable howl, scaring the two brothers into not daring to touch him.
Lady Shang leisurely reminded, “If you send him to Doctor Yuan now, the arm can still be saved. If it’s too late…”
She didn’t finish her words, but everyone understood: if late, this hand would probably be ruined.
Lin Jianshui wasted no more time. He balled up Village Chief Lin’s clothes and stuffed them into his mouth to muffle the sounds, then carried him on his back and ran quickly toward the Yuan Family.
Liu Shi was overly stimulated and fainted. Lin Jianshan picked her up to run to the Yuan Family too, but Lady Shang stopped him. “Jade Pendant.”
Lin Jianshan gritted his teeth in hatred but didn’t dare not give it. He had Zhou Shi take the jade pendant from his arms and hand it to Lady Shang.
Zhou Shi’s hand trembled as she handed over the jade pendant. If Lady Shang hadn’t caught it quickly, it would have fallen to the ground.
Lin Jianshan carried Liu Shi and ran off. Zhou Shi hurriedly followed. Chen Guifang supported Old Man Qiu to follow, keeping her head down, not daring to look at Lady Shang.
“Sis, wash your hands.” Li Xiaoshan dutifully fetched well water in a small wooden bucket, grinning from ear to ear.
Lady Shang squatted down, washing the bloodstains from her hands while looking at him. Having witnessed that scene just now, this kid wasn’t afraid of her at all.
Li Xiaoshan was not only unafraid but also very proud.
Ever since Lady Shang saved Li Old Father, Li Xiaoshan had treated her like his own big sister. Just now, it was the Lin Family who was wrong; he saw it clearly. If not for his sis being so capable, she would have been the one bullied.
After Lady Shang washed the blood off her hands, Li Xiaoshan immediately offered his clothes for her to wipe the water, acting like a little lackey.
Lady Shang didn’t wipe on his clothes. After shaking off the water droplets from her hands, she ruffled his head. “Go play with Yuan Yuan.”
“Okay.” Li Xiaoshan agreed and ran off.
Lady Shang then turned to look at Old Man Wu and the others who were still standing there without leaving, thinking to herself that Lu Chengjing had guessed quite accurately.
Old Man Wu and Old Man Liu exchanged a glance, and after a battle of looks, Old Man Wu conceded.
“Lady Shang, I have something to ask.”
Lady Shang waved her hand. “I can’t take ‘ask for advice.’ Uncle Wu wants to ask if the Wu Family and Liu Family can continue staying in the village?”
“Exactly.” Old Man Wu nodded. He glanced at the soundly sleeping Lu Chengjing, clearly wanting to ask him truly.
“My husband told me before sleeping to pass on the message.” Lady Shang said, “The Wu Family and Liu Family’s household registrations are in Elm Tree Village, under government jurisdiction. The village chief has no power to drive you away. If you really leave, that would be breaking the law.”
Joy appeared on the faces of the Wu Family and Liu Family. Old Man Wu couldn’t help confirming, “The village chief really can’t drive us away?”
Lady Shang directly gave the two families a reassurance. “Not only the village chief can’t, even the village head can’t. If the village chief does that, you can go to the yamen to sue him, and you’ll win every time.”
Ordinary folks wouldn’t go to the yamen for nothing, but after Lady Shang said this, knowing even the government was on their side, the Wu and Liu families felt much more at peace and could continue going back to work.
Old Man Liu came forward. “Lady Shang, has Xiucai Scholar specified if that work-point system can still be used?”
“Of course it can. The village agreed on it.” Lady Shang said, “The village is everyone’s village. If the Lin Family is dissatisfied, they can join too. We’re not stopping them from laboring.”
The Lin Family’s house was well-built and in a good spot in the village, so it was barely damaged in the earthquake. Who would want to work if they could sit and receive money and grain? This was part of why Village Chief Lin opposed the work-point system.
Lady Shang understood this, and most people in the village did too. Those whose homes were severely damaged would firmly side with the work-point system even for their own interests.
Did Village Chief Lin not know he had no power to drive villagers away? Lady Shang thought he probably did. The reason he said it was just to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, deliberately scaring the villagers into doing as he said. After all, there was no precedent before, and the villagers didn’t know if the village chief had that power.
But now with Xiucai Scholar Lu Chengjing here, when villagers encounter things, they think to ask him first, so Village Chief Lin’s scheme naturally fell through.
“Then let’s go back and keep working.” Old Man Wu waved his hand to encourage everyone. “Everyone help each other out, restore our village to normal as soon as possible. Good days are still ahead.”
The crowd echoed in twos and threes. Li Dashan scratched his head. “Lady Shang, I have something I want to ask you too.”
Lady Shang looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
Li Dashan said, “No one in the village can write. Can we trouble Xiucai Scholar to help record accounts? If Xiucai Scholar is willing, we’ve all discussed it: recording accounts is also labor, so give Xiucai Scholar two points too.”
Except for Yuan Musheng, no one else in the village knew Lu Chengjing’s right hand was crippled and he couldn’t hold a brush. They just thought he was used to using his left hand.
Lady Shang didn’t agree directly on Lu Chengjing’s behalf, only saying, “I’ll ask him when he wakes up.”
“Alright.” Li Dashan grinned silly.
