Shen Qiyue was, after all, thin and weak, and with Mrs. Li and Shen Changshan flanking her on either side, they quickly snatched the iron shovel from her hands.
Mrs. Li raised her hand high, intending to teach this sneaky girl a lesson.
But before the slap could land, Shen Qiyue’s foot suddenly twisted beneath her, and she pitched headfirst into the handle of the shovel in Mrs. Li’s grip, then crumpled to the ground, silent.
The onlookers were struck dumb by the sudden turn of events, frozen in silence.
“Second Sister!” Huzi shouted, running over in tears, shaking Shen Qiyue’s body frantically.
But Shen Qiyue lay there, completely still.
“Qiyue, my poor, suffering daughter, what’s happened to you?” Madam Bai, clutching the baby, stumbled over as well, collapsing onto Shen Qiyue’s frail frame with loud wails.
With her eyes closed, Shen Qiyue quietly squeezed Huzi’s hand. His body stiffened, and he quickly glanced down.
Seeing that his second sister still had her eyes shut, he rolled his eyes and burst into even louder sobs.
“Grandmother, Uncle, I beg you, give us a way to live! Aunts and uncles, please save my second sister! Is my second sister going to die?”
“Heavens, look, Er Ya’s forehead is bleeding! Did that couple beat her to death?”
“Someone’s been killed! Go get the village chief, report this to the authorities!”
The villagers snapped out of their shock, and chaos erupted.
The Old Shen family had no humanity at all! This household was all young and weak, relying entirely on Er Ya to scavenge and scrape together a living. Now she’d been beaten, and no one knew if she was alive or dead.
Shen Changshan and Mrs. Li saw the tide turning against them and felt a flicker of fear. They dropped the shovels and tried to slip away.
“Don’t let them leave! They’re murderers!”
The plump auntie shouted, and the villagers surged forward, surrounding the fleeing pair on all sides.
“Everyone, stop!” A stern, commanding roar came from the courtyard gate.
“The village chief is here.”
Shen Gui, the village chief of Hewan Village, had gone to war in his youth and killed men. He had a fiery temper, and the villagers both respected and feared him. Hearing his voice now, they quickly parted to make a path.
Shen Gui was in his fifties, with graying hair but a ramrod-straight back. His murky eyes, when they moved, flashed with sharp light, and his very stride carried an imposing presence.
He swept his hawk-like gaze across the crowd, then strode quickly to Shen Qiyue and crouched down.
“Shen girl, Shen girl.” He called out as he pinched her philtrum with his fingers.
Shen Qiyue hadn’t expected him to know that trick. The sudden pinch hurt so badly she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She endured the pain, pretending to be roused by him, and slowly opened her eyes. “Grandpa Village Chief.”
Seeing her awake, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The chief grunted in acknowledgment, rose, and helped her to her feet.
Shen Qiyue’s small face was as pale as paper, and she wore only a thin, tattered jacket. Whether from fear or cold, she stood there trembling uncontrollably.
“What happened?” The chief spoke coldly.
Just four words, and Shen Qiyue felt an immense pressure bearing down on her.
Before she could speak, Mrs. Zhang was already sobbing and wailing.
“Crack.” A long whip suddenly appeared, curling through the air with a sharp snap that made the air itself crack.
Mrs. Zhang immediately fell silent in fright.
“You, speak.” The chief, whip in hand, casually pointed at the nearest villager who’d been watching the commotion.
That villager was quick-tongued and laid out the whole matter in a few sentences.
The chief’s sharp gaze fixed on Mrs. Zhang and Shen Changshan. “You wanted to take the second son of the second household?”
Shen Changshan hastily waved his hands. “Uncle Gui, it’s not taking—we were sending the boy to a wealthy family in town to enjoy a good life.”
“Bullshit.” The chief’s whip rose again and lashed viciously across Shen Changshan’s arm.
A long gash split open his sleeve, showing just how much force was behind the blow.
Shen Qiyue instinctively flinched. If she took a hit like that, she’d probably need half a month to recover.
“Hewan Village has never seen the selling of children, even in famine years, let alone in such good times. You’re slapping me in the face.”
Seeing her husband take a beating, Mrs. Li quickly stepped forward with a fawning smile. “Everyone’s really misunderstood! My mother-in-law has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She truly meant well—seeing my second sister-in-law struggling to raise all those kids, she wanted to help.”
“Everyone knows the Song family is a great household. The main branch only has one sickly young master who’s about to kick the bucket at any moment. If Xiao Bao goes over, he’ll be a proper young master of the Song estate! And later, Qiyue and her siblings can bask in the reflected glory too.”
“Pretty words.” The plump auntie stepped forward again. “If it’s so good, why don’t you send your own two sons—keep Dashuan at home to care for you in old age, and send Xiaoshuan over to enjoy the good life? You could bask in the glory too.”
Shen Qiyue silently gave the auntie a mental thumbs-up. This plump auntie was someone you could count on—she really showed up when it mattered.
And she had logic and evidence, drawing conclusions from one example. Beautiful!
Mrs. Li’s face stiffened. “Our Xiaoshuan is old enough to remember things. It’s hard to build a bond that way.”
“Uncle Gui,” Mrs. Zhang quickly spoke up, “don’t listen to these women’s nonsense. I truly feel for my second daughter-in-law’s hardships, and as her mother-in-law, my heart aches. I just wanted to help her and lighten her burden.”
“Hmph,” the village chief shot Mrs. Zhang a disdainful glance. This old hag—when she was young, she was like a fighting cock, stirring up trouble all over the village. Now that she’s old, she hasn’t changed a bit.
“Mrs. Zhang, how is it that as you’ve aged, your heart has grown so kind? Are you truly trying to help Madam Bai?”
“Yes, yes.” Mrs. Li and Mrs. Zhang quickly nodded. “That’s right, just out of kindness, wanting to give Madam Bai a hand.”
The village chief nodded. “Since you mother-in-law and daughter-in-law get along so harmoniously, and the sisters-in-law help each other out, as the head of this village, I naturally have no reason to stop you.”
Shen Changshan’s heart leaped with joy. Was the village chief personally giving them the go-ahead to take the child?
He looked at his old mother and his wife with a beaming face.
The village chief took in their expressions, raised an eyebrow, and spoke again, unhurriedly.
“In that case, your Shen family shall deliver a sack of grain every month. The Shen family is harmonious, with brothers respectful and kind. Fellow villagers, let this be an example for all of you. Understood?”
The villagers were stunned for a moment, then held back their laughter and nodded vigorously. “Got it. The Shen family is truly something—full of loyalty and righteousness.”
The three Zhangs were completely dumbfounded. Wasn’t the village chief letting them take the child? How had it turned into them delivering a sack of grain every month?
Shen Qiyue couldn’t believe her ears either. She looked at the old village chief, whose face was stern with a deep frown between his brows, and a warmth surged through her heart.
“Uncle Gui, did you get it wrong? We’re the ones who want to take Xiao Bao…”
Before Mrs. Zhang could finish, a long whip lashed across her neck, making her jump in pain.
“Mrs. Zhang, are you questioning me? Go fetch Old Shen. I’ll ask him if he still wants to farm those few acres of paddy fields at the east end of the village.”
“No, no, no, Uncle Gui. We’ll deliver it, deliver it. Tomorrow—no, right away—we’ll bring the grain over.” Shen Changshan quickly agreed.
Are you kidding? Plenty of families had their eyes on those paddy fields. If it weren’t for the fact that the second son had been conscripted and was missing, presumed dead, and the village chief, out of respect for his sacrifice for the country, had granted the Shen family the right to farm them, they wouldn’t have gotten the chance at all.
Mrs. Zhang wanted to argue further, but her son tugged at her sleeve. “Uncle Gui, we’ll go back and get the grain.”
With that, he dragged Mrs. Zhang along, and the three of them slunk out of the courtyard.