Li Xingyue and Gu Wan’er rode the ox cart back to the village.
After getting down, the two of them quietly agreed not to tell their parents about selling the ginseng today.
The second branch of the family was still keeping a close, watchful eye on their household. The less anyone knew about the ginseng sale, the safer it was.
Before they even reached the house, they heard little Yanran crying. Neither of them knew why, and they were momentarily stunned.
Little Teddy wriggled out of Li Xingyue’s arms and ran inside to check on the girl.
Li Xingyue and Gu Wan’er followed and found little Yanran sitting on a small stool, crying. Zhou held a medicinal ointment, carefully applying it to her.
Li Xingyue hurried over. The girl’s forehead was scraped, and when Zhou rolled up her sleeve, Li Xingyue saw bruises on her forearm as well.
She quickly took a handkerchief to wipe Yanran’s tears. Looking closer, she noticed the child’s lips were also chapped and cracked.
“Yanran, what happened to you?” she asked, her voice tinged with anger.
Little Yanran sniffled, hesitant but still said, “It… it was Dabao… he pushed me… sob, sob…”
“Why did Dabao push you?” Li Xingyue softened her tone, asking patiently.
The little girl calmed a little and explained slowly, “I was playing with Erbao. Erbao bullied me and tried to pull the flower from my hair. I didn’t let him, so he wanted to hit me. Dabao came too… and he bullied me as well… sob, sob.”
Dabao and Erbao were the grandsons of the second branch—Gu Shaoan and Wu Rong’s sons.
These two children were the only great-grandsons of the old Gu family, spoiled rotten by the second branch, especially by Grandmother Sun and Mrs. Qian.
Earlier, Wu Rong and Gu Shaoning had pushed the original girl down the hillside. Now they were bullying her daughter. How could Li Xingyue tolerate it?
She set down her basket, took Yanran’s hand, and said, “Come on, Mama will go and settle this!”
She started to lead little Yanran out the door.
Zhou and Gu Wan’er exchanged worried glances.
“Is… is this really appropriate?” Zhou asked timidly. Facing the main branch, she always felt hesitant.
“Does that mean our branch should always be bullied?” Li Xingyue didn’t even look at Zhou. Coldly, she said, “Let’s go,” and walked out with Yanran in tow.
Gu Wan’er quickly put down her basket and followed.
The second branch’s courtyard was very close, separated by only one house and a narrow alley.
The gate was unlatched. Li Xingyue pushed it open and strode in.
“Second Aunt, is Second Brother’s wife home?” she called.
Before she finished, Wu Rong came out from the inner room. Seeing Li Xingyue’s angry expression and little Yanran with visible injuries, she immediately understood: Li Xingyue had come to make trouble.
Her two sons had often bullied this little girl, and Li Xingyue had never intervened before. What had changed today?
Since the last injury on the mountain, Li Xingyue seemed like a completely different person.
Her husband mentioned seeing Li Xingyue and Gu Wan’er in town earlier, buying a lot of fabric. Li Xingyue even seemed to have some connections with the town’s bun shop.
Wu Rong had no time to think further and hurriedly greeted, “Sister-in-law is here!”
She glanced at little Yanran, feigning surprise. “Yanran, what happened to you?”
Li Xingyue sneered. “First, call Dabao and Erbao out.”
Wu Rong forced a smile. “Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that?”
Li Xingyue snorted coldly. “Don’t pretend you don’t understand. Your Dabao and Erbao have been bullying my Yanran. I’ve let it slide before, but as her parents, how are you teaching them?”
“Yanran calls Dabao ‘big brother,’ but he only knows how to bully her. And you, as parents, do nothing.”
“Your willful ignorance encourages them. Is this how you raise your children?”
“Because of your indulgence, Yanran got pushed and hurt like this. This matter cannot go unaccounted for!”
Wu Rong’s expression changed. She hadn’t expected Li Xingyue to be so assertive.
She tried to argue, “Sister-in-law, children fight sometimes. Why make such a big deal? Maybe Yanran provoked my kids first.”
Li Xingyue laughed coldly in anger. “Nice excuse. Do you know my Yanran’s temperament? If she weren’t bullied severely, would she cry like this?”
At that moment, Grandmother Sun and Mrs. Qian also came out.
Grandmother Sun smiled. “Oh? What’s going on?” She called out, “Yue-niang, we’re all family. Let’s sit down and talk it over.”
Mrs. Qian scoffed. “A trivial matter like this dragged into the main branch? Won’t people laugh if they hear about it?”
Li Xingyue was fearless. “I’m not afraid of gossip. If a child is bullied like this and I don’t step in, that’s what would be laughable!”
Mrs. Qian dismissed her. “It’s just a small squabble among children. You, an adult, making such a fuss, you’re too petty.”
Li Xingyue snorted. “Your second brother is educated; he should know the rules of respect between siblings. Dabao is already five, the Gu family’s eldest grandson, yet he bullies the girls at home. A man who only rules inside the house—what use is he?”
Her words immediately changed Mrs. Qian’s and Grandmother Sun’s expressions.
Grandmother Sun’s eyes widened in anger. “Yue-niang, are you cursing my great-grandson as useless?”
Li Xingyue straightened her back, lifting her chin slightly. “I’m speaking of the facts. If the second branch raised their children properly, I wouldn’t have said a word.”
Mrs. Qian, furious, placed her hands on her hips and pointed at Li Xingyue. “You… you dare curse my grandson? I’ll tear your mouth apart!” She rushed forward to strike.
Gu Wan’er’s reflexes were quick. She stepped in front of Li Xingyue, glaring at Mrs. Qian. “Second Aunt, if you dare lay a hand on her, wait until my elder brother comes—see how he deals with the second branch!”
Given her brother’s protection of Li Xingyue and little Yanran, if the second branch actually harmed them, trouble would follow.
Mrs. Qian hesitated. Gu Mingxiao was reckless, and her son’s future examination for office could be jeopardized; she dared not advance further.
At that moment, Gu Shaoan emerged from the inner room, looking grim.
He had just returned from town. In recent days, he had been upset that the main branch refused to give him money for the imperial exams. Now, seeing Li Xingyue, he quietly resolved that when he passed the exams, he would give the main branch a proper lesson.
His mother had told him that Li Xingyue had become sharp-tongued—something he had never expected.
He glared at Li Xingyue but tried to control his anger. “Sister-in-law, let’s speak calmly. Don’t ruin the harmony.”
Li Xingyue snorted coldly. “Second brother, you speak like a saint. Tell me—how do you plan to fix it when your children bully my Yanran?”
Gu Shaoan frowned and called out behind him, “Dabao, Erbao, come out and apologize to Yanran.”
After a while, the two boys slowly emerged, heads down, looking reluctant.
Spoiled at home, Dabao usually feared nothing. But in front of his father, he knew better.
He muttered softly, “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Li Xingyue’s expression darkened. “Not on purpose? Dabao is the eldest in the family. Yet he repeatedly bullies Yanran. You call that accidental?”