108 Yeah, I’m Crazy!
Madam Qian had a bad feeling about this.
Usually, whenever she returned to the village, Niu Le was very respectful toward her. So why was he talking to her like that now?
“What is going on? Niu Le, I am your aunt. Don’t just tell me half of the information. If something happens to my Ziming, do you think you can be responsible for it? He is the only scholar in Lengshui Village right now. He’s going to be a big official in the future.”
Niu Le felt like laughing when he heard that. He said, “Auntie, I think you should head there and take a look yourself. It’s not a small issue.”
He didn’t continue wasting time with Madam Qian.
After all, Madam Qian had a son who was a scholar. She had always been very arrogant and unreasonable in the village. He was no match for her.
Madam Qian was very unhappy with Niu Le’s response. “Niu Le, how can you talk to me like that?”
Niu Le ran away.
Madam Qian stomped her feet and said, “You’ll get it from me later.”
After saying that, she ran toward Old Man Zhao’s place hurriedly.
On the whole way there, she was guessing what had happened. Could it be that Zhao Chuchu wanted to divorce Xie Heng and get together with her son? She had heard that Zhao Chuchu was the one who had solved the plague in Yuanjiang County, and the imperial court had given her lots of silver as her reward. That meant that, with Zhao Chuchu as their cash cow in the future, they wouldn’t need to worry about food or clothing anymore. Also, with Zhao Chuchu serving them, they wouldn’t even need servants…
The more Madam Qian thought about it, the more she became certain about her wild speculation.
However, when she reached Old Man Zhao’s place, she immediately saw Niu Ziming, who was lying on the ground with his hair scattered and his face swollen like a pig. She could barely recognize her own son!
Upon regaining her senses, Madam Qian pushed away the people in front of her like a mad woman and screamed loudly, “Ziming, what happened to you? Who’s the damn bastard who beat you like that? Tongsheng, hurry up and capture that person and beat him back!”
Niu Ziming burst into tears the moment he saw Madam Qian. “Mommy, my face hurts. Waah..”
Zhao Chuchu was speechless.
Goddamn mommy’s boy!
“Who’s the bastard who beat him? Get your ass over here right now. Kneel down and kowtow 18 times. Then pay us 100 taels of silver and get caned 50 times. Only then will we forgive you. Otherwise, we’ll pursue this to the fullest extent! I’m going to the county governing bureau to sue you!” Madam Qian yelled at the crowd.
“Niu Tongsheng, why are you just standing there? Capture the culprit!”
Zhao Chuchu clapped loudly.
“Wow, the thug is even more arrogant than the village chief. Someone who doesn’t know what’s going on might just think you’re some sort of noblewoman!” Zhao Chuchu said mockingly. “I’m the one who beat him up. Since you cannot educate and discipline your son as a mother, I have no choice but to help you. No need to thank me, it’s nothing at all.”
When Madam Qian heard Zhao Chuchu, she turned her head fiercely to look at the girl. Then, she said ferociously, “You bitch, kneel down right now. Otherwise, don’t even think about entering my family’s door. How dare you beat my son? I’ll tear your mouth apart today. Let’s see what a bastard with no parents like you can do.”
Madam Qian let go of Niu Ziming and pounced toward Zhao Chuchu, flailing her arms wildly.
Zhao Chuchu raised her foot lethargically and kicked Madam Qian when she was about to reach her.
Madam Qian flew backward and landed beside Niu Ziming. She yelled in pain for quite a while but could not get back up.
“Zhao Chuchu, you damned…”
Madam Qian’s voice broke off halfway through her sentence, and she looked at Zhao Chuchu in shock and fear.
A sharp dagger was raised right next to her beck. Zhao Chuchu said with an eerie smile on her face, “Please continue. Let me hear how you’re going to scold me. I’ll make a slice for every sentence you say. Let’s see…will your scolding feel better, or will my knife kill you faster?”
“Are, are you insane?” Madam Qian was so afraid that her voice was trembling.
“Yes, I’m insane. You and your son forced me to go insane. Beating one wasn’t enough, and here comes a second! Who do you think your son is? Why would I abandon Xie Heng and go for a disgusting pig like your son?”
“My son is a scholar!”
“Scholar? Sure thing. My husband became a certified scholar at the age of 12 when your pig of a son can’t even pass the county’s exam now. He knows his way around women, though. He’s so young, yet his kidneys are already exhausted, and he has become impotent. I wouldn’t even want him to carry my husband’s shoes. He’s too filthy!”
“What nonsense… I know you hate my son because he didn’t marry you back then…”
[Slap!]
Zhao Chuchu slapped her and stopped her from talking.
Fear consumed Madam Qian like a rising tide.
Zhao Chuchu stared at her and said, “Would you like to repeat what you wanted to say just now again?”
Madam Qian subconsciously wanted to say something, but the coldness in Zhao Chuchu’s eyes made her swallow the words that had already reached her throat.
“Hmm? Why aren’t you talking?” Zhao Chuchu tapped Madam Qian’s throat with the blade.
The cold sensation from the metallic blade made Madam Qian’s hair stand on end. She trembled in fear.
“Not talking?”
“I don’t know anything!”
Madam Qian felt that if she spoke, Zhao Chuchu would slice her throat right then and there.
This woman was insane!
She could actually kill her!
“Just now, you weren’t here, so you didn’t know what I said. However, I don’t mind repeating this. If I hear any rumors about an affair between your pig of a son and me, I’ll be the first person to kill your entire family!” Zhao Chuchu threatened. “Try me if you dare!”
After that, Zhao Chuchu stared at Madam Qian menacingly. Then, without even looking, she tossed the dagger forward.
The dagger shot forward and plunged into the door of Old Man Zhao’s courtyard.
Zhao Chuchu’s knife-throwing technique stunned everyone present.
“Madam Qian, would you like to try?”
“No, no, no, I don’t want to try. I don’t know anything.”
Madam Qian covered her mouth in fear. She feared that Zhao Chuchu would take out that dagger and stab her head!
When Madam Yang saw this, she felt chills all over her body as her legs turned to jelly. She nearly fell to the ground as she lost her balance.
Zhao Chuchu sneered and stood up, “I am a good person and can be very easy-going. However, I suggest you guys let the words go through your brain before talking. Think about what can and cannot be said. Otherwise, if you infuriate me and I cannot control myself, there will be terrible consequences.”
“I, I understand…” Madam Qian nodded profusely.
“Good.” Zhao Chuchu clapped.
Niu Le had brought the elders over from the Niu Clan.
When they heard that Niu Ziming and his mother tried to slander Zhao Chuchu, they were instantly enraged.
“How did someone as shameless as you come out of the Niu Clan? You tried smearing Zhao Chuchu right before Xie Heng in broad daylight! This is ridiculous! Xie Heng is right. If we don’t severely punish you for something like this, people will follow suit. How will the girls of Lengshui Village have any dignity or respect that way?”
“There’s no point in more talk. Open up the ancestral hall and retrieve the clan punishment instrument.”
Madam Qian started to panic. “Ziming is still studying. What if he gets injured? He’s the only academic in the entire Niu clan!”
“We may as well not have such a shameful academic! Somebody capture Niu Ziming and bring him to the ancestral hall,” ordered the elders of the Niu clan.
Niu Ziming struggled like his life depended on it. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I won’t do it ever again. I don’t want to go to the ancestral hall.”
Niu Tongsheng pretended not to hear him.
They had to give Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng an answer for Niu Ziming’s actions. Otherwise, nothing good would come out of it if they really took things to the county governing bureau.
Niu Ziming was dragged to the Niu clan’s ancestral hall by force.
Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were invited there as well.
Madam Qian wailed and pleaded nonstop.