Chapter 337

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"It... it's you!" Chai Youqing was forced back half a step by him, his heart pounding, but thinking of the stolen corn and his own uselessness, a surge of anger rose again, "You... you don't admit it! You stole our things and still have the nerve?!"

"I steal your mother!" Liu Xiaochun spat, the flesh on his face twitching, "Chai Youqing, stop spouting nonsense here! Dare to talk nonsense again, believe it or not I'll slap you?"

"You... you dare!" Chai Youqing was frightened back another step by his fierce look, his voice even weaker, but still held on, "You... you steal things and still have the nerve? I... I'll go find Chai Youde to judge!"

"Find my brother-in-law?" Liu Xiaochun snorted, "Fine, go! See if he listens to you or to me? Chai Youqing, I tell you, stop making trouble here! Get lost now! Otherwise I really won't be polite!" Saying this, he stepped closer again, clenching his fists.

Chai Youqing looked at the sandpot-sized fist, then at Liu Xiaochun's sturdier build, and the reckless spirit from just now completely dissipated.

He pointed at Liu Xiaochun with a fierce exterior but cowardly interior: "You... you wait! This isn't over!" After speaking, he didn't dare look at Liu Xiaochun again, turned and almost fled in disgrace, even forgetting to close the courtyard gate.

Behind him came Liu Xiaochun's arrogant laughter: "Hahaha! Coward! With this bear-like appearance you still come to find trouble? Go home and hug your child!"

Chai Youqing jogged away from Liu Xiaochun's house all the way, only feeling his face burning, more uncomfortable than being slapped. The stifled and useless feeling in his chest was like a big stone, pressing so hard he couldn't breathe. He didn't dare imagine how the villagers would laugh if they saw his cowardly appearance just now. Back at his doorway, he had no face to go in, squatting under the wall, holding his head, vexed to the point of pulling his own hair.

"Dad? What are you squatting here for?" Chai Xiu's voice came, full of confusion. She had just come out to pour water and saw her father like this.

Chai Youqing abruptly raised his head, his eye rims red, seeing his daughter, the feeling of injustice rose even more, his voice a bit choked: "Xiu'er... I... I went to find Liu Xiaochun..."

"Ah? You really went? How was it?" Chai Xiu was startled.

"He... he didn't admit it... and... wanted to hit me..." Chai Youqing's voice got lower and lower, his head drooping again, "I... I..."

Chai Xiu looked at her father's angry yet cowardly appearance, feeling both anxious and helpless: "Dad! Why did you go alone? Didn't we say to wait for Sister to come back? You don't know what kind of person Liu Xiaochun is? Just like his brother-in-law, both are slippery characters! You going alone could get any good?"

"I... I just couldn't swallow this anger..." Chai Youqing said muffled.

"Can't swallow but have to swallow! What to do now? Corn not taken back, and even got scolded back! When the villagers know, they'll laugh at our family even more!" Chai Xiu stomped her foot, "Hurry into the house, don't squat here!"

Su Wan heard the noise and came out too. Seeing her husband squatting by the wall in such a sorry state, and hearing Chai Xiu explain, she understood seven or eight parts, both heartbroken and angry: "You... you! I told you not to go, not to go! Can't wait for Chai Mi? Had to go find trouble yourself! Hurry in!" She stepped forward and pulled Chai Youqing up.

Chai Youqing was scolded by his daughter and daughter-in-law, dejectedly entering the house, sitting on the kang edge, feeling he had no strength left. The "high-spirited ambition" when leaving, returning only to a mess of chicken feathers and full heart of humiliation. The more he thought, the more stifled, the more he thought, the more useless he felt, couldn't even watch over some corn, couldn't even deal with a little thief, could only squat by his own wall and sulk.

"Go... what, squatting outside, afraid others won't see you being laughed at?"

Chai Youqing was pulled back into the house by Su Wan and Chai Xiu, like an eggplant beaten by frost, wilting on the kang edge, his head wanting to bury into his crotch.

Inside the house it was quiet, only the old cow in the cowshed occasionally impatiently "mooing".

Su Wan poured a bowl of water and handed it over: "Drink some water, calm down. It's not worth getting angry with that kind of person."

Chai Youqing didn't take it, muffled: "Not worth it? They're riding on our necks and shitting! I... I Chai Youqing am just this useless?"

"Dad, you're not useless, what kind of build is Liu Xiaochun? What kind of build are you? You going alone is just eating a loss for nothing!" Chai Xiu sat down beside him, "When Sister comes back, she definitely has a way to deal with him! You see my Second Uncle is so sly, wasn't he also made to submit by my Sister?"

"Dealing with your Second Uncle was his own doing! Caught red-handed stealing chickens and touching dogs!" Chai Youqing abruptly raised his head, eyes red, "But this Liu Xiaochun... he just doesn't admit it! What use is your Mom seeing it? He bites to death and doesn't admit, what can you do to him? Report to officials? That bit of corn is enough for what? Not enough to toss about!"

"But we can't just let it go like this!" Su Wan also got anxious, patting the kang edge, "Seeing half a field being ruined! Our family this year is counting on this harvest! Chai Mi's stall earns some money, but we can't just sit and eat the mountain empty!"

"Then you say what to do?" Chai Youqing shouted at Su Wan, "I went to find him, got scolded back! You have the ability, you go!"

Su Wan was choked by him, her face turned white, angry she turned her head away and didn't speak.

Chai Xiu hurriedly smoothed things over: "Oh everyone say a few less words! Dad, Mom, look at the calf, isn't it stronger than yesterday? Eyes have spirit!"

This barely pulled both their attention over. The little calf in the shed indeed struggled to raise its head, although still listless, but not like last night with a blank stare.

"Old Zhang's medicine has some use..." Chai Youqing looked at the calf, that anger slightly subsided, turning into deep helplessness, "But the corn... sigh..."

Just worrying, outside the courtyard gate came the "clang clang" sound of an inverted donkey.

"Sister is back!" Chai Xiu jumped up and ran outside.

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui entered the courtyard dusty and travel-worn, the cart bed holding a newly bought frying pot and a large boiling pot, and medicine bought for the cow.

Song Qiushui shouted as soon as she entered: "Oh my god, I'm tired to death! This broken road bumpy made my butt numb! Chai Mi, the new pot is awesome, shiny! This time fried chicken will definitely be more fragrant!"

Chai Mi parked the cart, at a glance saw the atmosphere inside the house was not right, Chai Youqing's dejected appearance, Su Wan also had her back to the door. She frowned: "What happened? What happened again? Is the calf not okay?"

"No no no, the calf is recovering a bit!" Chai Xiu hurriedly interjected, lowering her voice, "It's our family's corn... someone stole a lot again! At that He Tao plot, Mom went to see today, just happened to bump into Liu Xiaochun stealing there!"

"Liu Xiaochun? Chai Youde's younger uncle?" Song Qiushui's voice immediately rose eight degrees, "This turtle bastard! Just stole chickens and now steals corn? Really thinks we're easy to bully!"

"Not... it's Lianqiao." Chai Xiu corrected, "That... our Old Chai Family's fake fifth's son..."

Song Qiushui rubbed her head: "Remember now. That worthless wretch thing, stupid. One look knows not a good thing, all day besides bragging, can't do anything. By the way, is Liu Xiaochun's wife following Chai Youde..."

Chai Xiu had an embarrassed face: "I don't know about this..."

Chai Mi's face sank, but she didn't rush to get angry, instead walked to the cowshed edge to first look at the calf, and touched the old cow's head, then turned to ask Su Wan: "Mom, you personally saw him stealing? How much was stolen?"

Su Wan turned around, her eye rims still red: "Of course! Broad daylight, right in the field, like it was his own home! I shouted, he waded through He Tao and ran, at the field edge still threw his broken cloth bag for holding corn! I went to see the He Tan plot this afternoon, that side's hole is even bigger! I estimate at least one mu is missing... almost all gone."

Chai Mi nodded, then asked Chai Youqing: "Dad, you went to find him?"

Chai Youqing's face turned red with shame, stammering: "I... I couldn't take the anger, went... went to ask a word..."

"Ask? Was that going to ask?" Song Qiushui spoke fast, "Uncle, did you get scolded back by them? Looking at your listless appearance I guessed it!"

Chai Youqing was struck at a sore spot, abruptly stood up, his neck stiffened again: "I... I did go! So what? What is Liu Xiaochun? Steals things and still doesn't let people say? He... he even wanted to hit me!"

"Then what? Did you two fight?" Song Qiushui pressed.

"I... I..." Chai Youqing like a punctured balloon, deflated again, "He... he is unreasonable, I... I thought a good man doesn't eat a loss in front of him..."

"That is you got scared back by them!" Song Qiushui stomped her foot, "Uncle, you this... even more useless than my father... sigh!"

Chai Mi waved her hand, stopping Song Qiushui from continuing to talk nonsense.

She walked to Chai Youqing's front, her voice not loud, but carrying a thorn: "Dad, before you went to find him, what were you thinking? Hoping his conscience would be discovered, and deliver the corn back to you? Or hoping seeing you go, he'd be scared to kowtow and admit wrong?"

Chai Youqing was asked by his daughter until speechless, his face red then white.

Chai Mi didn't wait for him to answer, hummed: "That kind of Liu Xiaochun, you go empty-handed, besides adding more useless anger to yourself, what use? Is he able to fear you, or fear reason? You either directly go beat him up, or don't go. That kind of person, just deserves a beating."

"Then... then you say what to do?" Chai Youqing both anxious and guilty, "Just watch him empty our family's field?"

"Empty?" Chai Mi coldly laughed, "He dares! What he stole today, I'll make him eat it however he ate it, and spit it out to me!"

She turned to Song Qiushui and said, "Qiu Shui, take the new pot down and put it in the storehouse. Xiu'er, go get the Village Chief, just say our family's corn in the field was taken pot and all, let him come see the scene."

"Hao la!" Song Qiushui and Chai Xiu immediately perked up.

"Ask the Village Chief? Can Liu Zhanggui handle this?" Su Wan hesitated a bit, "He'll at most muddy the waters..."

"Muddy the waters?" Chai Mi's eyes were sharp, "Why muddy the waters? This is clearly caught red-handed, and still muddy the waters? Besides, worst case we just go to the Police Station and report it, even if he Liu Zhanggui wants to muddy it he won't be able to muddy it clear! Mom, you come with me, take that tattered cloth bag, we're going to Liu Xiaochun's house in a bit!"

"Now? Just the two of us?" Su Wan was a little scared, "Chai Mi, that Liu Xiaochun is a rascal..."

"Afraid of what? With reason you can travel the world! I want to see just where his rascality can go! Go!" Chai Mi went out empty-handed directly.

The two had just stepped out the courtyard gate when they happened to run into Liu Zhanggui who had rushed over on hearing the news.

"What's going on? Chai Mi, Xiu'er said your corn was ruined again?" Liu Zhanggui frowned.

"Village Chief, you came at just the right time!" Chai Mi held up the tattered cloth bag in her hand before Liu Zhanggui's face, "That He Tao plot, broad daylight, was gnawed by Liu Xiaochun like a dog chewed it! This is what my mom saw him drop with her own eyes! Caught red-handed doesn't count? Your You De's younger uncles dares to be this lawless? Specifically targeting my family, right?"

Liu Zhanggui took one look at that bag, then at the mother and daughter Chai Mi's faces, and at Chai Youqing's stifled look of daring to be angry but not daring to speak, and understood seven or eight parts in his heart.

This Liu Xiaochun really is a mixed ball.

"This... Xiaochun he..." Liu Zhanggui habitually wanted to smooth things over.

"Village Chief!" Chai Mi cut him off directly, voice raised, "Don't you this that! Today this matter, either you come with me to Liu Xiaochun's house right now, face to face ask clearly! Or, I'll directly push this cart of dumped corn cobs to the Xiangli! I want to ask, in broad daylight, field openly robbed and no one cares? Can we still live?"

"Chai Mi... don't report to police. Not any especially big deal, making it too big isn't good. All Xiangli neighbors, and Chai Youde is in the middle..." Liu Zhanggui sighed, "How about this... I'll go ask. You wait a bit first..."

Liu Zhanggui naturally also didn't want the trouble blown up too big, so still hoped everything could still be handled as small matter settled.

Anyway Liu Zhanggui basically always handles things this way, consistently so.

Chai Mi also couldn't not give Liu Zhanggui face.

So she said, "Then alright. You go ask, if he returns it then comes to my house to apologize. This matter drops, I also have no time to bother with him."

"Alright, I'll go handle it." Liu Zhanggui said, then looked at Song Qiushui, "Qiu Shui, you go home tell your dad to come over, the two of us go together."

"Ah..." Song Qiushui rolling white eyes, "No, how come you're so much trouble? Such a small thing, why call my dad for? You go yourself."

Song Qingshan at home should be busy killing chickens or whatever, simply no time.

Who can be like Liu Zhanggui, all day nothing to do.

"Go go. Aiya, your dad does exactly this, this job one person going, definitely not good."

Liu Zhanggui saying it like this, Song Qiushui helpless, could only go home first.

Liu Zhanggui took out cigarettes, half-smoking lit one, then also passed one to Chai Youqing, comforting said, "Not any big deal, you all relax, this matter easy to handle. All caught, your demands not too much. That stealing people's things, returning it, that's what should be. Apologizing also what should be..."

Chai Mi not convenient to say too much.

After all, this Liu Xiaochun's father, that is Jia Zhuang, actually is their old Liu family married in to pull connections.

Anyway all surnamed Liu, he Liu Zhanggui definitely will muddy the waters.

However, Chai Mi doesn't think highly of Liu Zhanggui being able to handle it.

That Liu Xiaochun, is just an idiot, who can talk sense into him.