Chapter 41
Su Ergou only had two hands. After catching Dahu and Erhu, Xiaohu slipped away.
After catching Xiao Hu, Dahu ran away.
After holding Dahu under his arm, Erhu stuck out his tongue and escaped.
Su Ergou was flustered.
The villagers, who had just finished watching the humiliation of Su Cheng and his son-in-law, were fortunate enough to witness the youngest bully of the Su family being played by three little children.
“Aiyo... Hahaha...”
The villagers’ stomachs hurt from laughing.
When had Su Ergou, who always followed his father around, ever been in such a sorry state?
How silly!
Hahahahaha!
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t know about the commotion between Su Ergou and the three little ones. After Wei Ting finished reading the list to her, he suddenly lost his temper and returned to the house with a cold face.
“I’ve spoiled you.” Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips and snorted. She went to the kitchen to wash the vegetables.
There was not much wood, so she decided to go to the back mountain to pick up some firewood.
The sky was dark in the morning, so she usually took the main road. Now that there was enough light, she decided to take the small path behind the kitchen and go around the mountain.
Su Jinniang had already returned home and was sitting in the backyard picking vegetables. The voices of her mother, Madam Fang, Second Aunt, and Madam Zhou could be heard from the kitchen.
Madam Zhou lived next door to Old Su. If there was nothing else, they would come over to visit.
“Sister Fang, which family is Jinniang planning to marry into? Have you decided?”
It was Madam Zhou’s voice.
Madam Fang said, “Not yet.”
Madam Zhou wondered, “Why hasn’t it been decided yet? Jinniang is already 16!”
In the countryside, many girls would be married by the time they reached the age of fifteen. There were not many who were still undecided at the age of sixteen.
Second Aunt Yang said, “There’s no hurry. It’s not like Jinniang can’t find a good match.”
“No matter how good a girl is, it’ll be difficult for her to get married once she’s old!” Zhou said, “Don’t be blind and delay Jinniang.”
Madam Fang smiled.
Madam Zhou gossiped, “There are many suitors, right? I see matchmakers coming to your house every day. Who are they? Old Luo’s Dazhu! He must be one of them!”
Dazhu, the village chief’s nephew, was a down-to-earth and hardworking young man. If not for the fact that Madam Zhou’s daughter was still young, she would have wanted Dazhu to be her son-in-law.
“Is there anyone from town? That daughter of the family that owns a wine shop in Willow Village has already married someone from town! She’s far inferior to Jinniang. If she can even marry into town, Jinniang... ”
Before Madam Zhou could finish, she was interrupted by Madam Fang coldly. “My Jinniang won’t adopt her style! Jinniang has always been well-behaved. She won’t seduce a man who has an engagement!”
The minister’s son originally had a fiancée, but the match was ruined by the wine dealer’s daughter.
Madam Fang continued, “There are also people from the town who came to propose marriage, but Jinniang’s grandfather wants to choose a scholar as his son-in-law.”
Madam Zhou smiled and said, “That’s true. Jin Niang should get married and study! Unlike Fat Lass Su, so what if she finds a handsome husband? He can’t read a word and is learning to farm from Old Li!”
Su Jinniang recalled the scene when Wei Ting read the letter to Su Xiaoxiao. That man... was clearly literate.
—
Madam Zhou gossiped for a while before leaving. Su Jinniang washed the picked vegetables and brought them into the kitchen.
“Is it snowing? Jinniang, close the door,” Madam Fang, who was cooking, said to Su Jinniang.
Su Jinniang quietly went to close the back door of the kitchen and bumped into Su Xiaoxiao.
Su Jinniang’s gaze landed on her flowery cotton jacket and she closed the door coldly.
Su Xiaoxiao looked down at her clothes.
Damn, she had forgotten to buy new clothes.
It started to snow. Su Xiaoxiao didn’t go far. She picked up a bundle of firewood and quickly returned.
Su Ergou finally caught the three little ones. He was so tired that he was panting like a husky.
The three little ones were full of energy and slipped into the kitchen to look for their mother.
“Mother, Dahu is hungry.”
“Erhu is hungry too.”
“Xiaohu is the most hungry!”
Xiaohu lifted his clothes and patted his stomach.
Su Xiaoxiao gently poked his watermelon-like stomach. “Aiya, you’re really hungry!”
Xiaohu nodded. “Yes!”
Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing.
Dahu and Erhu also wanted to her poke their stomachs. Su Xiaoxiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She poked them one by one and didn’t favor one over the other.
Su Xiaoxiao had made a hotpot with corn and pork rib soup tonight. The soup base was not spicy, but she made the dipping sauce spicy.
She clapped her hands. “Done!”
At this moment, there was a loud knock on the door.
“Fatty Su! Come out!”
“What are you doing? What are you shouting for!”
Su Cheng removed the door latch with a cold face. The snow outside blew against his face and poured down his neck.
Su Cheng quickly pulled his collar.
When Madam Wan saw the door open, she raised her fists and pounced forward.
Su Cheng moved aside and she missed.
“Mother!”
Madam Wan’s daughter-in-law was shocked. She looked at the bully, Su Cheng. Seeing that Su Cheng had no intention of attacking her, she boldly entered the house and helped Madam Wan up.
“Mother, are you alright?” she asked worriedly.
Madam Wan shouted, “Where’s Fatty Su? Get her out! Get her out!”
Su Cheng frowned and asked, “Why are you looking for my daughter?”
“Father.”
Su Xiaoxiao came out of the kitchen.
When Madam Wan saw her, she pushed away her daughter-in-law, who was supporting her, like a wild beast. She picked up the chair on the ground and threw it at Su Xiaoxiao!
Su Cheng was behind Madam Wan and it was too late to snatch the chair.
Su Xiaoxiao had just crossed the threshold and the three little fellows were behind her. She couldn’t hide.
She was holding the hotpot in her hand, so she couldn’t use her hand to block it.
Just as the chair was about to hit her, the door to the small east room suddenly opened. Wei Ting flashed out and it struck down.
Su Xiaoxiao: “The chair costs money!”
Wei Ting gritted his teeth and grabbed the chair firmly.
Su Xiaoxiao heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. Chairs are expensive.”
Wei Ting was dumbfounded.
“Wan! What’s wrong with you!” Su Cheng strode forward and stood in front of Madam Wan. He said fiercely, “Are you crazy! How dare you attack my daughter! Don’t think that I won’t hit you just because you’re a woman?!”
“Mother! Mother!”
Madam Wan’s daughter-in-law hurriedly pulled her mother-in-law aside.
The commotion was too big. The villagers came to watch the commotion again.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who’s that in the house?”
“Wang Laizi’s mother and his wife.”
Wang Laizi was the man who had touched Little Wu on the ox cart that day. Su Xiaoxiao kicked him off the ox cart.
Seeing that all the villagers had come, Madam Wan ran out and collapsed to the ground. She pounded her chest and cried, “Son... my poor son... the goddamn Su family... return my son’s life... ”
Wang Laizi’s wife also cried sadly.
Madam He said, “What do you mean by returning your son’s life? Auntie Wan, explain it to everyone.”
Madam Wan cried, “Fatty Su killed my son!”