After saying this, Wang Aiguo turned to Wang Daqiang behind him and called out loudly, “Daqiang, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and come over here and apologize to Mingyue!”
Wang Daqiang reluctantly walked over and said to Su Mingyue, “I’m sorry! I was wrong. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I know I was wrong.”
Su Mingyue simply took the money that was handed to her with an expressionless face. She did not even spare Wang Daqiang a proper glance, completely ignoring him as though he were nothing more than thin air.
Seeing this, Wang Aiguo inwardly groaned. He hurriedly stepped forward, putting on a fawning smile as he said to Su Mingyue, “Mingyue, don’t worry. Once we get home, I’ll definitely teach this brat a good lesson! And the brigade leader already said that, on top of giving him twenty strokes of the board, he’s going to be locked up in the ancestral hall for a full ten days! You see…”
In fact, Wang Aiguo had his own little calculation in mind. He figured that since she was a young girl, her heart would probably be relatively soft. That was why he had deliberately explained everything to Su Mingyue, hoping that she might take pity on Daqiang and plead for leniency on his behalf.
Unfortunately, before Wang Aiguo could finish speaking, Su Mingyue cut him off.
With a cold snort, Su Mingyue replied indifferently, “Oh? So that’s how it is. Looks like he’ll still receive the punishment and lesson he deserves after all! That’s good, at least it gives me a little peace of mind. But, Uncle Aiguo, don’t blame me for saying too much. Someone like Daqiang really needs to be strictly disciplined. Otherwise, I’m afraid he’ll cause a major disaster sooner or later!
“Think about it. Today, the person he happened to encounter was merely a helpless, frail young woman like me who had no way to fight back. But what if one day he happens to run into someone stronger and more formidable than him? Then your Daqiang won’t get off with merely twenty strokes of the board here in our village! The consequences could be far more serious than what happened today. You should think about that carefully!”
After putting in a few words against Wang Daqiang, Su Mingyue noticed the thoughtful expression on Wang Aiguo’s face and decided not to say anything more. Instead, she began counting the money in her hand.
Hmm, twelve yuan exactly. Not a cent more or less!
Seeing Su Mingyue like this, Su Heping gave an exasperated smile and said to Wang Aiguo, “Aiguo, let’s go. Take Daqiang to the ancestral hall.”
Then he said gently to Su Mingyue, “Mingyue, I’ll take them to the ancestral hall first. I’ll come back to see you after everything is settled.”
Su Mingyue smiled and nodded at him.
Su Heping then asked Wang Aiguo’s wife, Wang Guihua, to hand the chicken over to Su Qingfeng. Su Qingfeng took the chicken and put it in the chicken coop in the backyard.
After putting it away, he went to Su Mingyue’s room. By then, everyone else had followed Su Heping, Wang Aiguo, and Wang Daqiang to the ancestral hall to watch the punishment.
When Su Mingyue saw Su Qingfeng come in, she asked curiously, “Everyone else went to the ancestral hall to watch Wang Daqiang get beaten. Why didn’t you go?”
Su Qingfeng walked over to Su Mingyue and smiled gently. His smile was as warm and pleasant as the spring sunshine.
He answered softly, “I was worried that Sister would be scared being here alone. And I thought, what if you suddenly wanted a cup of hot tea but there was no one here to bring it to you? That wouldn’t be good. So I decided to stay here and keep you company.”
Hearing this, Su Mingyue felt a warmth spread through her heart. The young boy before her was so considerate and sensible that it was hard not to like him.
She smiled slightly and reached out to pat Su Qingfeng on the head.
“Good little brother, Sister isn’t afraid, and I’m not thirsty either. You don’t need to stay here specially to keep me company. Go on, hurry up. Don’t miss the exciting part.”
Su Qingfeng hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded. He turned around and walked toward the door.
After Su Qingfeng left, Su Mingyue gently closed her eyes and let out a long breath.
For now, she would collect a little interest on behalf of the original owner.
Once she had completely recovered, she would avenge the original owner properly!
Meanwhile, at the ancestral hall.
Wang Daqiang was bent over a bench. A man who had been chosen for the task stepped forward and began striking him with a wooden board.
After twenty strokes, Wang Daqiang had suffered quite a bit. Fortunately, it was winter and he was wearing thick clothes, but even so, twenty strokes were no small punishment.
His buttocks were swollen badly, and Su Heping had Wang Aiguo take Wang Daqiang to the clinic to have some medicine applied. When they returned, Wang Daqiang was locked inside the ancestral hall, and no one was allowed to visit him.
After everything at the ancestral hall was settled, Grandma Su and Zhou Hehua returned together with Su Qingfeng.
The three of them peeked through the doorway of Su Mingyue’s room. Seeing that Su Mingyue had her eyes closed and was asleep, Zhou Hehua said to Grandma Su, “Mother, you stay here and watch over Mingyue. I’ll go turn over the vegetable garden. It won’t be long before we can start planting vegetables.”
Grandma Su replied, “All right, go ahead. Don’t bother making dinner for us tonight. Fortunately, I’m here. I’ll cook something here and eat with her, so you won’t have to make another trip to bring food over.”
Zhou Hehua answered cheerfully, “All right, Mother. Thank you for your hard work today!”
“I’m just watching my own granddaughter. What’s there to be tired over?” Grandma Su said. “You’re the one who has been working hard these days!”
Zhou Hehua replied with a grin, “I’m not tired at all! Mingyue and Qingfeng are such sensible children. Besides, I’ve always had a good relationship with my younger sister-in-law. Now that she’s gone, I treat Mingyue and Qingfeng as if they were my own children. It’s just that Mingyue is too stubborn. Before, I asked her to take Qingfeng back to the old family home to live, but she refused no matter what. Sigh! Just think about it—those two children living here on their own really makes people worry!”
Grandma Su replied, “Exactly! But with Mingyue’s temper, there’s nothing anyone can do about her. She takes after her father—both of them are equally stubborn. Sigh! If she wants to live here, then let her. Fortunately, your second brother’s family doesn’t live far from the old house. If she calls out from home, we can hear her. After some time, we’ll see whose dog in the village has puppies. We can bring one back for Mingyue to raise. Once it grows up, it can also guard the house.”
Zhou Hehua smiled. “Exactly! Mother, that’s a good idea. I’ll ask around the village ahead of time and have someone save a puppy for us. Mother, I’m leaving now. If anything happens, just have Qingfeng come and call me!”
“All right, I know. Go on,” Grandma Su replied.
After watching Zhou Hehua leave the courtyard, Grandma Su walked from the front courtyard toward the backyard.
She was planning to kill the chicken that the Wang family had given them as compensation and stew it into soup for Mingyue, so she could regain some strength. The child had clearly become much thinner and more delicate lately.
Grandma Su went to the backyard and caught the chicken the Wang family had brought over. She carried it to the front courtyard, slit its throat with a knife, and then released it.
The chicken, with its throat cut, staggered and hopped away. After running a few steps, it collapsed onto the ground. By then, most of the blood had drained out.
Grandma Su picked up the chicken and carried it into the kitchen. She filled the large pot with half a pot of water and started the fire beneath it. She kept heating it until the water finally came to a boil.