Chapter 15: Mrs. Su's WeaknessWang Erlang ran out from the back of the mountain and headed home, touching the wounds on his face and hissing in pain. He cursed under his breath, "That damned girl, just you wait. One day, I’ll make you pay."He was extremely annoyed that he couldn’t even beat a girl. As he walked, his feet slapped loudly against the ground. When he reached his doorstep, he kicked the courtyard gate open with a loud bang.Butcher Wang, who was inside the house, heard the noise and immediately shouted, "What’s going on? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"He then stepped out of the house and looked toward the courtyard gate. His brows furrowed instantly. "Erlang, what happened to your face? Did someone hit you? Hey, which little bastard has the guts to do this?"Wang Erlang, however, remained silent and even tried to cover the wounds on his face with his palm. Being injured by a girl was embarrassing, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Su also came out of the house and immediately noticed Wang Erlang’s injuries.The wounds on his face were not something a single hand could hide."Erlang… you’re hurt like this. You should apply some medicine. I wonder if we have any at home," Mrs. Su said gently.Butcher Wang, who had been loud and angry moments before, lost all his temper upon hearing her soft voice. He turned to Mrs. Su and said, "Ah, this kid’s skin is thick and tough. Why waste good medicine on him?""You shouldn’t say that. He’s still a child after all," Mrs. Su replied with a gentle smile. "Even if it’s a minor injury, applying some medicine will help him heal faster and suffer less, won’t it?"Hearing this, Butcher Wang looked somewhat pleased. He turned to Wang Erlang and said, "See how much your mother cares for you? Yet you’re always giving her attitude.""Dad, don’t try to fool me with that. How many stepmothers are actually good? She’s just trying to please you with this act," Wang Erlang said disdainfully.Mrs. Su’s expression stiffened upon hearing this. "Have I done something wrong to make Erlang dislike me so much?"Seeing the look of grievance on her face, Butcher Wang felt a pang of heartache. He had just married her, and he hadn’t had enough of her yet. Although she was no longer young, her delicate and fragile charm surpassed not only ordinary village women but even young maidens."You little brat, are you asking for a beating? Speak properly and stop being sarcastic. If there’s a next time, my fists won’t spare you."He then turned back to Mrs. Su and spoke softly, "Don’t take it to heart. This kid doesn’t know any better. I’ll discipline him a few more times, and he’ll behave.""Of course not. As an elder, how could I hold a grudge against a child?""That’s right. Now that you’ve married me, we’ll live well as a family. If the kids below don’t listen to you, just tell me. I’ll discipline them and make sure they all behave."Hearing this, Mrs. Su smiled sweetly, her face filled with contentment. Seeing that Butcher Wang’s expression had softened and he seemed in a good mood, she took the opportunity to speak up."I wonder how the children from the Lin family have been these past few days. I’d like to take some food and go check on them."In a good mood, Butcher Wang immediately wiped the smile off his face upon hearing her words. "We've only been married for a few days. What's the rush? We'll visit them later. Besides, we're all in the same village—what could possibly happen?""No, it's just that when I left, I told them…""Whatever you said, you're not going back now. We'll talk about it in a few days." Butcher Wang's face darkened, clearly on the verge of anger.Intimidated by his imposing manner, Mrs. Su felt a tightness in her chest. She opened her mouth but didn't know how to respond."Tsk, look at the kind of wife you married. She's already part of the Wang family, yet her heart still belongs to the Lin family." Wang Erlang wore a mocking expression, clearly enjoying his father's predicament.Butcher Wang glanced up and glared fiercely at him. Then, as if lost in thought, he scrutinized Mrs. Su's face, seemingly suspecting that she still had the Lin family on her mind.Mrs. Su trembled with fear. In the few days since marrying into the Wang family, she had already figured out Butcher Wang's temperament—he was quite impatient and had a fiery temper. Although his anger was usually directed at the children in the household and not directly at her, it still frightened her deeply.She recalled Lin Dazhuang, who had an excellent temper and endless patience. He was gentle with outsiders and had never once raised his voice at her, always carefully coaxing her no matter the situation. However, he was just a hunter, illiterate, which made her look down on him from the bottom of her heart.Now, Butcher Wang was also illiterate and even much rougher in temperament. But she was no longer the young, unmarried girl she once was. As a widow who had remarried, she couldn't afford to be picky anymore. All she needed was a man to protect her and help her get by.Seeing that he seemed to suspect her, she anxiously explained, "I'm not thinking about the Lin family. It's just that the children are still my own, and they're so young. I can't just abandon them."Wang Erlang sneered coldly. "Why can't you abandon them? They're Lin family children and have nothing to do with our Wang family. Are you expecting our Wang family to raise the Lin family's children? There's no such good fortune in this world. Besides, it's not like they're incapable. Look at the injury on my face—that was given to me by someone from the Lin family."He lowered his hand, no longer covering his face, revealing it fully for them to see clearly.Mrs. Su looked incredulous. "Erlang, don't talk nonsense. The children at home are all still young. The oldest, Lin Qinghe, is only twelve and a girl at that. None of the children could possibly hurt you like this."Wang Erlang was already fourteen, a big boy who stood almost as tall as Butcher Wang when upright. At his height, he towered over most grown men in the village. Who would believe that a younger child could injure him?Even Butcher Wang looked skeptical, thinking that Erlang's lie was a bit far-fetched. Every child in the Wang family had grown up dominating the other village kids. It was always others who brought their children to his doorstep to settle disputes.Of course, such matters were usually resolved with a few words from him. If anyone dared to challenge him, they'd have to fight. In the entire village, no one dared to lay a hand on Butcher Wang."What nonsense? It was Lin Qinghe who beat me up." Wang Erlang retorted stubbornly."Look at you, so useless." Butcher Wang snorted, then turned to Mrs. Su and said, "You must be tired too. Go back to your room and rest first. This boy needs a lesson, and I'll deal with him first."Mrs. Su looked hesitant, wanting to say more. She hadn’t finished what she was saying earlier. It had been over ten days now, and she needed to go back and see how the children were doing.But Butcher Wang didn’t give her a chance to speak. He pushed her into the room, casually closed the door behind her, then turned and walked over to Wang Erlang. Staring at the injuries on his face for a moment, he asked, "Was it really that girl Lin Qinghe who did this?""Of course it was. That little brat is fierce, I tell you," Wang Erlang said bitterly."Can’t even beat a girl. Pathetic." Butcher Wang gave his son a disdainful look, then added, "We can’t let this go. If we can use this chance to cut ties with the Lin family, it might be a good thing."

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops