Chapter 56: Serviceable Enough
Shang Wan ignored the three people and turned to leave. Zhou Shi suddenly rushed over, kneeling and kowtowing to Shang Wan. “It’s my fault for not teaching the child well. For the sake of us both being mothers, please give my son back to me!”
This time there was no acting, all true love, but Shang Wan didn’t even give her a glance.
Dragging a child into matters between adults—now she knew regret, but it was too late!
Not long after, Lin Jianshan woke up. Meeting Lin Jianshui’s eyes, he was still somewhat dazed.
“Big brother, you’re finally awake.” Liu Shi didn’t wait for Lin Jianshan to sit up before chattering on about everything that happened after he fainted. Lin Jianshan’s face gradually darkened as he listened, his unkind gaze sweeping over Er Ya huddled in Chen Guifang’s arms.
Er Ya trembled like a rabbit, hugging her mother tightly in fear.
“Big brother, things have already come to this. What use is glaring at Er Ya?” Chen Guifang comfortingly patted her daughter, her tone laced with bitterness. “Er Ya is so young, what does she understand? If Mother hadn’t given all the sugar at home to Tie Dan and not to Er Ya, my Er Ya wouldn’t have been coaxed away by that Shang woman’s two pieces of candy.”
“Candy is so expensive. What candy does a girl need to eat!” Liu Shi pulled a long face and reached out to Er Ya. “Er Ya, give the candy to Grandmother.”
Er Ya pursed her lips and refused to give it.
“You wretched girl, you won’t even listen to Grandmother?” Liu Shi grabbed Er Ya’s thin arm and forcefully pried open her clenched small hand, digging a piece of candy out of her palm.
“Mother, why are you robbing the child’s things?” Chen Guifang reached out to stop her.
Er Ya took the chance to stuff the remaining piece of candy in her hand into her mouth. Not having time to savor it, she chewed it twice and swallowed it down whole.
“Spit it out for me!” Liu Shi pulled at Er Ya’s mouth, ignoring Er Ya’s cries of pain, and viciously pinched her tongue twice.
Er Ya’s eyes streamed with tears from the pain. Her cries caught in her throat, muffled, and she sobbed so hard she could barely breathe.
“That’ll teach you to be greedy! That’ll teach you to be greedy!” Seeing that Er Ya had truly swallowed the candy, Liu Shi was still not satisfied and viciously twisted Er Ya’s arms twice. “Will you dare do it again?”
Er Ya covered her mouth and sobbed nonstop, shaking her head vigorously.
Liu Shi wanted to pinch more, but Lin Jianshui stepped forward to block her. “Mother, it’s just one piece of candy. Er Ya is your own granddaughter too. She’s eaten it, so she’s eaten it. Why hit Er Ya? Er Ya has an injury on her head too.”
“Why can’t I hit her?” Liu Shi raised her hand and swatted at Lin Jianshui. “I’ll hit you too!”
“Enough!” Lin Jianshan scolded with a dark face. “What time is it, and you’re still bickering among yourselves?”
Liu Shi listened to Village Chief Lin and to this eldest son of hers. Seeing his darkened face, she didn’t dare continue making a fuss.
Er Ya feared Grandfather and Uncle the most. Seeing Lin Jianshan’s dark face, she firmly covered her mouth and didn’t even dare continue crying.
Lin Jianshan said, “Go back and discuss with Father first.”
Xiao Huan fed Yuan Yuan some water. Seeing the Lin Family preparing to leave, she hurriedly told Shang Wan.
Shang Wan gave Shi Tou a look. Shi Tou stepped forward to chase after them and called out to Lin Jianshan. “Wait, my sister asked me to pass on a message. The three-day period is up. The Chen Family’s fifty taels of silver should be delivered.”
With that, without waiting for the Lin Family to react, he turned and ran back the way he came, thud thud thud.
Chen Guifang only thought Shang Wan was rushing to demand debt and spat, “In your dreams!”
But Lin Jianshan understood Shang Wan’s meaning. To get Tie Dan back, not only their family’s eighty taels, but even the Chen Family’s fifty taels could not be short.
He was so angry his eyes bloodshot, teeth grinding, even wanting to tear Shang Wan apart.
Shi Tou watched the Lin Family leave, then hurried over to Shang Wan. “Sister, will the Lin Family make more trouble?”
“No.” Shang Wan asked while revising the sketch as discussed with Lu Chengjing. “Have you heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?”
Shi Tou shook his head curiously. “What’s it about?”
Shang Wan briefly recounted the story and explained, “The Lin Family is like that boy who tended sheep. In the short term, it’s hard for them to regain the villagers’ trust. They can’t use the villagers as pawns against us anymore.
They have no evidence that Tie Dan is in our hands either. At the time, we were all under the Old Elm Tree with alibis. Even if they report to the government, it won’t work.”
Shi Tou was still worried. “What if the Lin Family wants the silver but not the child?” They couldn’t let Tie Dan stay in the wolf den forever, could they?
Shang Wan glanced at him. “There’s that possibility, but it’s extremely slim. The Lin Family has some family assets. Just look at how they treat Er Ya and the daughter-in-law to know they value sons over daughters. Liu Shi treats Tie Dan like the apple of her eye and won’t ignore him.”
Xiao Huan added, “I heard Rong Niangzi say that Zhou Shi ruined her body giving birth to Tie Dan and it’s hard for her to get pregnant again. Lin Jianshan might have only Tie Dan as a son in his lifetime. If he doesn’t care about Tie Dan, he’ll have no heirs.”
“Hear that? Learn more from Xiao Huan.” Shang Wan looked at Shi Tou. “I told you to gather village news not just to listen, but to use your brain to analyze. That way, when something happens, you can connect the dots.”
Shi Tou scratched his head and muttered, “Everyone in our family is smart. I’m a bit dumb, so…”
He swallowed the rest under Shang Wan’s stare and said sheepishly, “Sister, don’t glare at me. I’ll learn.”
“You need to learn to use resources.” Shang Wan pointed at Lu Chengjing. “Look, there’s a ready-made master right there. Ask him for advice when you have nothing to do.”
Suddenly singled out, Lu Chengjing: ?
Yuan Yuan thought her mother was talking about her. She blinked her big eyes and repeated in her childish voice, “Master.”
“You’re still too early to be a master.” Lu Chengjing poked his daughter’s chubby cheek like Shang Wan had, thinking the feel was indeed nice.
Yuan Yuan raised her small hand to cover her left cheek and offered her right cheek.
The left was for her fragrant mother, the right for her beautiful father to poke.
Lu Chengjing gently poked twice, secretly planning to arrange lessons for the whole family once home matters were sorted.
Shang Wan and the other two all shivered. Why did it suddenly feel chilly behind them?
After Shang Wan finished the drawing and showed it to the family, she called Shi Tou to start work, aiming to erect the wooden shed before nightfall.
Shi Tou helped Shang Wan position the log straight. Seeing the saw she was holding, he said, “Sister, we don’t have an ink line. What if we saw it crooked?”
“If it’s crooked, it’s crooked. As long as it’s usable.” Shang Wan thought it no big deal. She stepped on the log, used her eye as a ruler, picked up the saw, and began sawing.
With her strength, sawing wood was like cutting tofu. Swish swish swish, and a wooden board was done.
It was a bit crooked, but passable.
After a few times, Shang Wan mastered the knack of sawing wood. The boards she sawed were as straight as if drawn with an ink line.
Shi Tou thought it a pity his sister didn’t become a carpenter. His speed at planing wood couldn’t keep up with Shang Wan’s sawing speed.
As evening approached, villagers trickled in one after another to register with Lu Chengjing. Seeing him write with his left hand, they couldn’t help asking curiously. Lu Chengjing uniformly replied that his right hand was injured and needed rest, saying nothing more.
Seeing those neatly stacked wooden boards, many praised Shang Wan and Shi Tou for being capable, saying the Xiucai Scholar was fortunate to have married such a good wife.
By the time the villagers finished registering in line, night had fully fallen.
Under Shi Tou’s watchful gaze, Lin Jianshan arrived late, carrying a lantern.
