The ugliness of Xiuhua wasn’t in her plain facial features, but in the large mole on her chin. Staring at it for a few moments would make one feel uncomfortable all over. Coupled with her sharp tongue, apart from Li Xiu’e who was friendly with her, no one else in the village was willing to talk to her much.
Jicheng and his second uncle were at a stalemate. He had no intention of inviting his uncle inside—entering uninvited was tantamount to theft, and what was there to say to a thief? Pressured with no other choice, Second Uncle Ji lowered his voice to speak, but had barely uttered a word when a woman’s hoarse shout came from nearby, her tone fierce yet tearful: “Jicheng, you owe me an explanation today. Look what your family did to me—they scratched me till I bled!”
Xiuhua had wanted to pull at Chunfu’s collar to appear more imposing, but ever since Chunfu got married and had enough to eat every day, she had grown stronger. She either hit or kicked Xiuhua, using every trick a shrew might employ. Yet Xiuhua couldn’t do anything about it—this fool had somehow become so agile, impossible to catch yet landing blows everywhere.
Jicheng looked Chunfu over from head to toe. Apart from her hair being as messy as a haystack, she was otherwise unharmed. He beckoned her: “Come here.”
Chunfu smoothed her hair and walked over with Zhang Yan. Unable to tell if Jicheng was angry, she stubbornly lifted her chin and said indignantly, “She hit me first.”
Jicheng’s dark, bright eyes instantly softened with tenderness. Stroking her hair, he smiled and said, “Chunfu has learned to fight back. Did you get hurt?”
Chunfu shook her head. He continued, “Good. Remember, no matter what happens, never let yourself be at a disadvantage, understand?”
Xiuhua’s face immediately darkened, and she burst into tears of grievance: “Jicheng, you can’t be unreasonable! Chunfu hit me till I bled, and you won’t do anything? I only teased her a little. Look at my face—you have to take me to see a doctor!”
A crowd had gathered to watch the commotion. Xiuhua cried pitifully, unaware that her face grew even more grotesque with her sobbing.
Zhang Yan, unable to contain his anger, stood by his aunt and scolded: “You’re lying! My aunt called me over for a meal, and you started badmouthing her. My aunt just said, ‘What’s it to you?’ and you hit her. When you couldn’t win, you framed her. How many times have you bullied my aunt at our house? Just because she wasn’t strong enough to fight back—how shameless!”
Li Xiu’e immediately rebuked Zhang Yan upon hearing this: “What nonsense are you spouting? Come home with me.” This good-for-nothing—Xiuhua’s bullying of Chunfu was mostly due to her instigation and indulgence. His words had now exposed her, making her a target for public criticism.
The villagers weren’t fools; they understood such matters perfectly well but preferred not to meddle. Jicheng, however, felt a pang of heartache. He hadn’t been around to stand up for Chunfu before, but this woman still hadn’t learned her lesson—did she really think they were easy to bully? In this village, Jicheng had no social constraints. He spoke bluntly: “Chunfu has been obedient and sensible since she married into this family. I don’t believe a word of what Xiuhua says. She doesn’t have such malicious thoughts. But you, Xiuhua, think Chunfu is a fool and deliberately pick on her, don’t you? They say the face reflects the heart—with a face like yours… Just go home. I won’t pay for your treatment.”
The scratch Chunfu had made was right next to Xiuhua’s mole, making it even uglier. The villagers couldn’t help but laugh at Jicheng’s blunt words. Humiliated, Xiuhua knew her husband and mother-in-law would punish her if she returned empty-handed. She wanted to keep making a scene, but Second Uncle Ji’s stern voice cut her off: “Enough! A woman like you, neglecting your home and embarrassing yourself all over the village—do I need to fetch your husband? Get out of here! What are you staring at?”
No one wanted to provoke Second Uncle Ji. In his youth, he had fought his way through the neighboring villages, and everyone feared his ruthless fists. Even now, old as he was, no one dared to talk back to him. The crowd dispersed resentfully, and Xiuhua fled—she had heard Second Uncle Ji even hit women. The noisy scene in front of the small courtyard finally quieted down. Jicheng smoothed Chunfu’s hair and glanced at Li Xiu’e, his tone indifferent: “Zhang Yan will eat with us today. You don’t need to prepare his meal. Chunfu, go wash your face and hands. Such a dirty person—don’t look at her and ruin your eyes. Second Uncle, come into the yard to talk.”
Only then did Second Uncle Ji’s face brighten slightly. Though he still couldn’t enter the house, standing in the yard was better than outside.
“Uncle, say what you need to. I’m busy,” Jicheng said, watching the puppies and chicks that had been kept indoors now running around. Zhang Yan chased after them excitedly, and soon Chunfu emerged, dutifully carrying the basket back inside. Jicheng couldn’t help but smile.
Second Uncle Ji, who had lived his life domineeringly, now found himself humbled. Rubbing his hands, he said, “Your cousin Kunzi is back. He’s in urgent need of money outside, and our family’s finances are tight… I have no choice but to swallow my pride and ask you—could you lend me the treasure your mother left? Once we have the money, I’ll redeem it immediately. Even though Jiliang is with me, he’s still your brother. You can’t keep all the good things for yourself, can you? He came from the same mother’s womb—your closest brother. You can’t be so heartless, can you?”
Jicheng sat on a wooden stool, gazing at the green mountains under the sunset, thinking he needed to prepare soon—Third Uncle was returning too. To his second uncle’s words, he replied coolly, “Second Uncle, back then, you were the one who insisted Jiliang cut ties with our family. Besides, does Jiliang even see me as his elder brother? He acts like I don’t exist when we meet. I, Jicheng, am petty—I don’t care for people like him. There’s no treasure in my house, so don’t waste your thoughts on it. As you can see, I’ve just gotten married, and the money’s long gone. I don’t even know how Chunfu and I will manage from now on. You’ll have to find another way.”
Second Uncle Ji glared at the silent Jiliang and dropped all pretense: “I don’t care about your family’s nonsense. Jiliang taking what his own mother left isn’t too much to ask, is it? Hand it over today, and we’ll remain uncle and nephew as before. Otherwise—”
“Let’s not remain anything! Chunfu and I are doing just fine. You’d better hurry and find another solution. Just yesterday, I saw him beaten out of the gambling den. I’m a nobody—I can’t help you.” Jicheng stood up, took the two chickens skewered on a stick, and began cleaning them. He didn’t want to spell things out, still giving his uncle some face. But the path had long been blocked when his uncle made trouble during his wedding.
“Jicheng, you’re being unreasonable. If you won’t give it, can’t you at least lend it? Jikun is also your elder brother. We’re family, not enemies—don’t you understand? You’d trust outsiders over your own kin?”
Jicheng ignored him, deftly gutting the chickens. He thought the chicken heads looked unpleasant in the bowl and cut them off. Second Uncle Ji had a fiery temper. With his son’s life on the line, he had swallowed his pride to ask for help, only to be met with Jicheng’s cold shoulder. He took two quick steps forward. Jiliang could tell his father was about to resort to violence—his father was the type to act first and think later, using his fists to enforce his will.
Jicheng turned to take the chickens back to the kitchen and saw his uncle’s furious, red-faced expression. He knew his uncle’s temper well but wasn’t afraid, meeting his gaze directly: “Second Uncle, it’s getting late. I won’t keep you.”
“You ungrateful brat! If Jiliang won’t speak up, I’ll demand it for him today!” Second Uncle Ji grabbed Jicheng’s collar, teeth clenched, forcing him to go back and fetch the item.
Chunfu had just finished unpacking the mushrooms and wild vegetables from the basket indoors. Stepping outside, she saw Second Uncle Ji raising his hand to strike. Her heart leaped, and she rushed to pull them apart. But Second Uncle Ji, in his rage, didn’t hold back—with just a light swing of his arm, the restraint was flung aside. To him, Chunfu was no more substantial than a piece of cloth.
Third Uncle had just entered the yard when he saw the chaotic scene. Furious, he barked: “Second Brother Ji, you’re really outdoing yourself—causing trouble at Jicheng’s place. That son of yours is useless—not only a deserter but a gambler too. What’s the point of keeping such a wastrel? Bringing him back to disgrace the Ji family? I saw it myself today—that ancestor of yours limped straight back into the gambling den.”
Only then did Second Uncle Ji snap out of it. The person he’d been holding had already broken free and was helping Chunfu up from the ground.
Jicheng’s handsome face was filled with concern as he anxiously asked Chunfu if she was hurt. He had seen her head hit the ground—the sound had made his heart ache: “Does it hurt badly? I’ll take you to the doctor.”
How could hitting her head not hurt? Tears welled in Chunfu’s clear eyes, but she shook her head and refused. She got up, dusted herself off, and said sternly, “Second Uncle, don’t go too far. Jicheng has been sparing your dignity by not spelling things out. Yesterday, you rummaged through our house while we were out, didn’t you?”
Third Uncle shook his head upon hearing this: “Second Brother Ji, have you lost your mind? Is this how an uncle behaves? Resorting to violence when things don’t go your way—aren’t you afraid of hurting your niece-in-law?”
Jicheng’s brow furrowed deeply, his face darkening further: “Second Uncle, you never wanted anything to do with me in the first place. Why force yourself? I never expected to benefit from your family’s prosperity, and likewise, I have nothing to offer you. You’d be better off spending your time finding another solution.”
Third Uncle was highly respected in the village. Without another word, Second Uncle Ji left with Jiliang. Once they were gone, Third Uncle sighed: “Jikun is a disgrace. Second Brother Ji’s life is probably ruined because of him. But this little wife of yours seems different—almost as if she’s not foolish anymore.”
Zhang Yan, who had grabbed a hoe earlier when things looked bad, now spoke up: “My aunt was never foolish to begin with.”
Jicheng gazed deeply at Chunfu for a long moment before saying in a voice only they could hear: “I’ll deal with you later, once things settle down.”
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