Chapter 331

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Chai Mi had long since guessed it was Chai You Fu who did it.

The only one who could simultaneously satisfy being at odds with both Song Qiushui and herself was Chai You Fu.

Others simply didn't meet this condition.

Take Wang Huirong for example — no matter how much trouble she stirred up, at most she'd go make a scene at Chai Mi's house.

This world has cause and effect; there isn't that much hatred. Human nature tends toward goodness...

Of course, the Old Chai Family is an exception.

The people of the Old Chai Family are all particularly bizarre.

Chai Mi didn't say too much to Song Qiushui, just said: "You go to sleep earlier later; you've stayed up all night. You still have to get up early tomorrow morning; you can nap at noon. The day after tomorrow the school side starts summer vacation; probably a month or so before school starts again. Then, rest well for two days."

Song Qiushui nodded: "Okay."

Song Qiushui then went back to sleep; Song Qingshan and Meng Clan saw Chai Mi to the door, and Chai Mi subsequently returned home on her own.

Arriving home she discovered Liu Zhanggui was still there...

Originally tonight, after eating dinner, Chai Mi had Chai Xiu invite Liu Zhanggui over, asking him to prepare to go watch the excitement at the Old Song Family.

Invited over at past nine; the excitement didn't start until past twelve.

In between, Liu Zhanggui smoked two packs of cigarettes and drank three pots of tea.

"Ai..." Before Chai Mi could say anything, Liu Zhanggui first sighed and said: "Chai Mi, did you know early on it was your Second Uncle?"

Liu Zhanggui isn't stupid either; although Chai Mi called him over, she didn't tell him who the thief was.

But as soon as Liu Zhanggui arrived at the scene he understood — Chai Mi should have known very early on.

Calling him there was actually because she was afraid Song Qingshan would beat Chai You Fu to death, which wouldn't be good.

Judging by the nature of losing so many chickens this time, Song Qingshan's anger was still very great; if Liu Zhanggui didn't go pull them apart, it was extremely likely he'd do something excessive.

"How would I know. I don't have eyes in the back of my head... I just knew this guy purely picks fights when he has nothing better to do. He stole once, Song Qiushui didn't make a fuss, no loss of face. He was bound to go a second time. The purpose wasn't for that bit of meat, nor for money — purely nothing to do, just wanted to see Song Qingshan's joke..."

As Chai Mi spoke she lit another cigarette for Liu Zhanggui: "Your smoking addiction is a bit bizarre. One after another, not afraid of smoking yourself to death."

Liu Zhanggui held the cigarette in his mouth and didn't speak.

Chai Youqing at the side also lit one; his face showed no discernible joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

Now, it's good.

Among these people of the Old Chai Family, aside from those who lose face, squat by the fence, have broken legs, hang themselves, run away, and sever father-daughter ties with the Chai Family, only myself remains.

Chai Youqing dared not say anything anymore.

He feared that one day he too would suddenly be utterly disgraced.

"Chai Mi, you go sleep. Tomorrow you still have to set up the stall; sleeping too late later won't do." Su Wan was also there; the third child had long since fallen asleep with Chai Xiu.

"Not sleepy. Fine, in a few days when the students are on vacation, I'll rest properly for two days. They're on vacation, we'll also be nearing autumn harvest soon." Chai Mi wasn't very sleepy either.

Regarding catching Chai You Fu red-handed this time, she also wasn't very happy.

Just a bit helpless.

Chai You Fu doing this, aside from disgusting people, didn't have much use.

The person — he was disgusted.

But Chai Mi also in turn silently disgusted him back.

If Chai You Fu actually went to the Old Song Family tonight, the result would either be getting caught in a rabbit snare or clamped by a chicken trap.

Chai Mi prepared so many things; there was always one that could catch him.

Now Chai You Fu's leg was clamped by the chicken trap; it wasn't to the point of bones broken and tendons severed, but it wasn't much better either.

And Chai Mi also specially had Song Qiushui arrange people in advance to get an old donkey cart; the wheels weren't great, the donkey wasn't much either — let him suffer pain slowly on the road.

After the pain, arriving at the Xiangli Health Center and finding no one there.

Then go to the County.

Suffering pain for four or five hours, and it was night — enough for him to endure.

At the time Chai You Fu also had no choice; normally one should stop the bleeding first, then bandage with gauze, then apply something like Yunnan Baiyao, then take two Anain tablets, then go to the hospital.

But, the situation at the time — Chai You Fu was losing face so badly he could only let things take their course.

"Your Second Uncle really... I can't figure it out. What's he after?" Su Wan had a somewhat incredulous feeling: "Stealing that stuff in the middle of the night — he doesn't lack food or drink. Tomorrow morning once he gets up, the whole village will know; his reputation is ruined."

"Not too many people watching..." Chai Mi smiled: "Just those people around there."

"That little shop next door is practically our village's intelligence station. The few households living around there are intelligence agents; once those few know, basically the whole village except three-year-old children will all know." Su Wan said: "How can he still be a teacher afterwards? A person who teaches and nurtures, then goes and steals things. This is very bad..."

"Elementary school on summer vacation, he's idle with nothing to do so he exercises his body." Chai Mi laughed: "My Second Uncle has thick skin, doesn't care. Whatever ugly things he's experienced them all, immune now. When my Grandmother went to his house and he shut the door refusing to see her, no one said anything about him either."

Indeed, a few days ago Wang Huirong came to Chai Mi's house to make a scene once because she was hungry; that time Chai Mi wasn't home, later Chai Xiu still gave the Old Lady a bag of white flour and a bag of rice. Although extremely unwilling, she still didn't let the Old Lady starve to death.

If Chai Mi had been home, Wang Huirong might not have dared come. This also counts as a coincidence.

Wang Huirong naturally wouldn't only come to Chai Mi's house and not go to Chai Mi's Second Uncle's house.

Result: Wang Huirong was refused entry by Chai You Fu; no matter how she knocked, he didn't open.

At the time it also counted as quite a big scene.

Afterwards the village had people discussing heatedly, saying Chai You Fu was somewhat not right.

She's still his birth mother; no matter how great her fault, now that she's starving to death, he can't just watch her starve to death.

Of course, Chai You Fu didn't go out either, and didn't listen.

Liu Zhanggui finished a cigarette, seemingly still intending to drink some tea.

Chai Mi checked the time: Damn! It was almost one o'clock, this Liu Zhanggui's ass was truly heavy.

Chai Mi deliberately stared at the wall clock, its hands had already crookedly crawled past one.

She directly interrupted Liu Zhanggui's hand about to pour more tea: "Uncle, it's past midnight, the bottom of your teacup is almost scorched by my family's tea dregs. What, planning to squeeze onto my family's kang head tonight?"

Liu Zhanggui was choked, sheepishly put down the teacup, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop: "Cough... Chai Mi, look at what you're saying. Uncle isn't... isn't feeling uneasy."

"Uneasy about what?" Chai Mi didn't even lift her eyelids, sweeping the scattered cigarette ash on the table into the winnowing basket, "The thief's caught, those who should go to the hospital go to the hospital, those who should lose face have already lost it. You, this Village Chief adult, still sitting here commanding what? Commanding my family's mouse holes?"

"Tsk, you kid, speaking so aggressively." Liu Zhanggui rubbed his face, as if making a decision, "Chai Mi, let us two old men speak frankly. About Chai You Fu... what do you plan to do?"

Chai Mi finally looked up at him, her gaze calm to the point of being eerie: "What can I do? His leg stepped on the trap himself, the chicken was stolen by himself. What, Village Chief afraid I'll sneak to the hospital at midnight and break his other leg too?"

"Aiyo my ancestor!" Liu Zhanggui almost jumped up, "What are you saying! Is that what I mean? I mean... this matter, it... it has a bad impact!"

"Bad impact?" Chai Mi snorted, "When he stole things, why wasn't he afraid of a bad impact? Now he knows to save face? Too late! The whole village, old and young, saw it, caught red-handed in someone's back courtyard, blood gushing, can't cover it even if you want to."

Liu Zhanggui anxiously slapped his thighs: "Not covering! It's... it's how to handle the aftermath? Who pays the medical fees? Your Second Aunt will explode... Chai You Fu is after all a public employee, a teacher! If this really gets reported upward, does he still want his job? And there's Song Qingshu's side... after all that's Song Huiji's real brother, Chai You Fu is his son-in-law! This relationship... this relationship is twisted!"

Chai Mi poured herself a cup of water, slowly took a sip: "Twisted? Twisted is Chai You Fu twisting it himself. When he stole chickens, did he think Song Qingshu was his father-in-law? Did he think Song Huiji was his in-law elder brother? Did he think his daughter Chai Min is still studying and needs face? He thought of nothing, just thought about how to disgust people, how to make us lose face! Now his leg is crippled, he knows to save face? Too late!"

"That's what you say, but..." Liu Zhanggui leaned forward, lowering his voice, "Chai Mi, listen to Uncle's advice. Making a big deal of this is good for no one. Song Huiji loses face, Song Qingshu's family can't even lift their heads. That child Chai Min... such a good daughter, saddled with such a father, how can she hold her head up in the village in the future? Can we... make a big thing small?"

Chai Mi put down the cup, making a soft "dong" sound: "How to make it small? Village Chief give a set of regulations? Let me tell Song Uncle that those twenty chickens were just fed to dogs? Or let me go tell Song Qingshu, his son-in-law's leg is crippled and he deserves it, the chicken stealing thing we pretend never happened?"

Liu Zhanggui was blocked by her until his face alternated red and white: "You... look at you, this girl! Is Uncle that kind of person? Uncle means... can we... not bring up his work matter, everyone help him hide it a bit, if in the future someone with ulterior motives goes to report this, we help him lie, just say he really was aiming at something, took the wrong path... otherwise if his rice bowl is smashed, his family is ruined too, it's not good for you either... you see if this works?"

Chai Mi thought for a moment: "Afraid he won't repent. Also this matter isn't up to me, you have to ask Song Qiushui's attitude, will she listen to you?"

"Then... then what do you say we do?" Liu Zhanggui was completely at a loss, spreading his hands.

"Do nothing." Chai Mi stood up, began clearing the teacups and teapot on the table, movements neat and efficient, "Those who should go to the hospital go to the hospital, those who should treat their legs treat their legs. Medical fees? He earned them stealing chickens himself! As for the rest..." She paused, looking at Liu Zhanggui, "That's Song Uncle's family matter. The chickens stolen are his family's, the thief caught is his family's. I'm an outsider, at most a helper. You, you're idle all day... don't waste saliva here, with this time, better think about how to pass word to Song Qingshu. His son-in-law, right now he's probably howling on the donkey cart."

Liu Zhanggui's muddying-the-waters nature wasn't more biased toward anyone.

As long as a big thing was made small, it was fine.

Liu Zhanggui was choked speechless by her, knowing staying longer was useless, could only get up reluctantly: "Okay... okay. Chai Mi, you... what you say makes sense. This matter, after all depends on Old Song's opinion. Sigh... what kind of thing is this!" He shook his head, sighing as he walked out.

Chai Youqing had been smoking with his head down, only now spoke muffledly: "Village Chief... take care."

Liu Zhanggui waved his hand, his back disappearing into the pitch-black courtyard gate.

Su Wan only then dared to speak, worriedly: "... this matter... really not caring? Chai You Fu's leg... looks pretty scary."

Chai Mi stacked the last teacup: "Care? I care about his leg! He brought this on himself, hurting to death is what he deserves. Mom, go sleep, tomorrow there's still a pile of things."

Su Wan sighed, said nothing more, holding the third child into the inner room.

Chai Youqing stubbed out the cigarette butt, also stood up, hesitated a moment, still spoke: "Chai Mi... then... then the rabbit snare and trap... still collecting them?"

"Collect what?" Chai Mi glanced at him, "Just throw them there. Let the villagers all see, what happens to those who dare climb over Song Huiji's wall."

Chai Youqing "oh"ed, also listlessly went to sleep.

The courtyard completely quieted down.

Early the next morning, Chai Mi and Song Qiushui set up their stalls as usual. The village had indeed already spread the word, all sorts of things being said.

"Heard about it? Last night Song Huiji's house was lively!"

"How haven't I heard! Caught in the act! Chai You Fu! Hey, really didn't expect it to be him!"

"Tsk tsk, usually looks listless, but guts aren't small! Climbing walls to steal chickens, even caught by a trap!"

"That leg heard was clamped until bloody mess, bones sticking out! Health Center wasn't open, had to drag him to the county, tossed about half the night!"

"Deserved it! Let him steal! Song Huiji's family is ruthless, setting such a big trap!"

"Ruthless what? Switch with you having twenty chickens stolen? Not beating him to death is already benevolent!"

"That's... hey, you say, what is Chai You Fu after? His family isn't lacking food."

"After what? After disgusting people! Song Huiji is Chai Mi's side's in-law, Chai You Fu is Song Qingshu's side's son-in-law, this relationship was already awkward! Maybe he's nursing some bad scheme!"

Today's stall sales were quite fast, but Chai Mi and Song Qiushui were actually exhausted.

When closing the stall, both had dark circles dried out.

Didn't delay, directly went home.

On the road Song Qiushui yawned while unable to help asking, "Hey, Chai Mi, you say Chai You Fu's leg... will it really be crippled?"

"Crippled or not, depends on his fate. Anyway enough for him to suffer. By the way, did your parents sleep late last night? How's your spirit today?"

"Don't mention it!" Song Qiushui rolled her eyes, "My dad was so angry he was still baking pancakes on the kang past midnight, my mom was sighing too. When we got up this morning, our eyes were all black. You say what kind of thing is this! Having such a relative, really had eight generations of bloody bad luck! My Second Uncle's family doesn't know how they are now, probably also exploded."

Song Qiushui sighed: "I'm not afraid of anything else, I'm afraid of what my Second Uncle says. Although he looks down on Chai You Fu, but after all he only has this one son-in-law."

"Hard."