Chapter 174

Gu family courtyard.

Seeing Qian Bao soon ate the egg custard steamed by his grandmother. The child was starving and couldn't wait for the custard to cool, opening his big mouth and waiting to be fed, "Grandma, Grandma..." The little milky voice was full of urgency.

"Don't rush, don't rush, it needs to be blown on. What if it burns your little mouth." Gu Mu's heart was full of love, wishing she could hold her little grandson in the palm of her hand.

She blew on it again and again, carefully feeding her grandson.

Gu Chenghuai: "..."

"Mother, I haven't eaten either."

Gu Mu didn't even raise her head, giving her son a glance in her spare time, "You handle it yourself, our Seeing Qian Bao's little belly is the top priority."

She touched her little grandson's belly, which was soft and flat, and immediately felt heartache, not knowing what to do, "Look at this belly, it's flat, you must be starved. This damn weather is too hot, making the food take forever to cool down..."

Gu Chenghuai accepted the fact that his family status had plummeted, and looked at Huang Xiulan, "Sister-in-law, stew the pheasant for Alan. She lost so much blood, she needs to be well-nourished."

He also felt heartache for his honest niece, saying: "Let Alan rest well. I'll go buy her a can of milk powder tomorrow, and two pounds of brown sugar, to make up for the lost blood."

Hearing this, Huang Xiulan was happy for her daughter, "Hey! Thank you, Third Uncle."

"What's there to thank, our whole family should thank her." Gu Chenghuai said with a serious face, "If it weren't for Alan risking her life to delay time, Seeing Da Huang wouldn't have been able to catch up. Zhao Zhao and I sincerely thank her."

"We're family, don't say that. Anyone who saw it would have stopped her." Huang Xiulan said.

She hadn't left the house and didn't know Zhang Manyue's miserable end. She cursed a few times to herself, and as if remembering something, asked: "Did you see that punching bag from the Li family? Didn't you slap her a few times?"

The nausea that Gu Yuanshan had finally suppressed surged up again. He really didn't want to remember, but someone kept reminding him.

He said with a dark face: "Don't mention it, she's already smashed to pieces."

The hatred on Huang Xiulan's face stalled, turning into shock, and she asked in astonishment: "How? Did you meet wild beasts on the mountain?"

"... It was wolves, a small wolf pack." Gu Yuanshan looked at the fair little Seeing Qian Bao. The little guy was gobbling up the egg in the spoon, shaking his little feet in satisfaction. The whole little person didn't have any aftereffects of being frightened.

On the contrary, he himself had to have nightmares when sleeping at night.

He took a deep breath and cast his gaze toward the hero.

He squatted down, rubbed Seeing Da Huang's head, and touched its paws with awe, his eyes shining.

"Seeing Da Huang is a tough one, it can even beat wolves. It doesn't eat its meals for nothing. It's awesome, it didn't lose face for its mother. This is what you call a tiger father having no dog sons."

Seeing Da Huang bared its teeth, "Woof woof... woof woof..." (Who is a tiger? Who is a dog? You two-legged human, make it clear to Dog Master!)

Huang Xiulan's pupils contracted, her mouth hanging open in shock, "What?! Oh my Heavens! You met wolves?"

"... No." Gu Yuanshan waved his hand and cast an admiring glance at his third brother, "When we arrived, the wolves had all been killed by Chenghuai."

"Third Brother, your marksmanship is truly accurate." These words were said to Gu Chenghuai, his expression full of admiration.

A helpless smile flashed in Gu Chenghuai's eyes, "I am a soldier, active duty."

Isn't it normal to be good at shooting?

"That's still awesome." Gu Yuanshan insisted.

In the eldest brother's simple cognition, the third brother was the best!

At this time, Zhao Liuniang, who had been silent, spoke up, "Then, Zhang Manyue is gone, and the matter of her kidnapping Seeing Qian Bao... just like that?"

She felt uncomfortable, "If it passes so easily, what about the safety of the children in the village? This is blatant child kidnapping. If those lazy bachelors follow suit..."

The consequences didn't need to be said; the Gu family understood.

Gu Mu's expression twisted for a moment, "Want it to pass like that? No way!"

Seeing Qian Bao reached out to touch his grandmother's face, instantly melting Gu Mu's heart. She smiled with a face full of kindness.

"Grandma's precious, open your mouth."

While feeding her grandson, she said decisively: "Such a big thing, and it caused a human life. Don't think the Li family can play dead. I'll go to their door in a while!"

The fright her family's child suffered, the time and effort the family spent, and the tears Yubao and the others shed... the Li family must compensate!

After feeding her precious little grandson, she patted Seeing Da Huang's head and ordered it to guard Seeing Qian Bao well. Gu Mu called her two daughters-in-law and went to the Li family in a rush.

Outside the Li family courtyard.

The Li family thought Zhang Manyue's death was too miserable and unlucky, so they refused to let her remains enter the door.

Since they were determined not to open the door, the people who carried the stretcher back to the village had no choice but to put the grass stretcher at the door, remind them loudly, and hurry away from the place of right and wrong.

Inside the courtyard, Mother Li was furious, wanting to leave the house but unable to, pacing back and forth anxiously.

"That damned jinx, couldn't even die cleanly. How unlucky. Does it cost money to order a coffin?"

The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached, and she began to complain to her son squatting in the corner.

"You're also a blockhead! You followed her to the mountain, knowing she became... became that way, why bring her back? It would have been better to pretend you didn't see her. I could be angered to death by you. The money for the coffin could have been used to marry you another wife who can bear children!"

"Mother!" Li Ergou raised his head, trying to defend himself, "That was my wife, she followed me for a while. I can't, I can't ignore her. At least, at least give her some decency and let her be buried in peace."

He was also afraid his wife would die with her eyes open and turn into a fierce ghost to haunt him.

He still wanted to marry another wife who could bear children; he didn't want to be the end of his line!

Mother Li spat and rolled her eyes, "You're the kind one. You brought her back, and our family worked for nothing for two months. I really don't know what to say to you."

"At that time... so many people were watching, I couldn't just pretend nothing happened, what would that make me..." The honest but cold-hearted man muttered.

"Mother, hurry and bring Zhang into the courtyard. If you leave her outside, the villagers will laugh and gossip."

At this point, all he could think about was his own face.

Mother Li was uneasy.

She knew that her daughter-in-law falling to this point had to do with her own beating and scolding. She didn't want a corpse missing arms and legs lying in her courtyard, fearing nightmares at night... and even more fearing being haunted.

"This..."

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family standing nearby curled her lips, crossed her arms, and stated her position, "... She can't enter the courtyard. She's a dead person, full of bad luck. What if she curses the family? I don't agree!"

The other members of the Li family nodded in agreement.

Eldest Brother Li said: "Second Brother, your sister-in-law is right. There are children in the house, it's really not good to put a dead person here. How about this, let's not bother with a coffin. Later, when it gets darker, you find a tattered mat, wrap her up, carry her up the mountain, and find a quiet place to bury her."

Li Er widened his eyes and said sharply: "How can this be?"

"Why not? I think it's fine." Eldest Sister-in-law Li gave her husband an appreciative look and said to Li Er: "It's hot now, everything will stink after one night, not to mention she... she's not even whole.

If you bring her into the courtyard and leave her for a night, this courtyard will definitely stink to high heaven. How will we live then? Second Brother, one can't be too selfish; the dead must make way for the living."

Li Er felt his brother and sister-in-law's words made a lot of sense, hesitated for a moment, and nodded in agreement.

The family reached a consensus and didn't care about the "thing" at the door anymore, just waiting for dark.

However.

Dark didn't come, but the Gu family did.

Gu Mu was old and had experienced war. What bloody scenes hadn't she seen? She glanced at the grass stretcher at the door and withdrew her gaze calmly.

Bang bang bang, she knocked on the door.

"Li family, open the door for me. You cowards hiding in the house like turtles, come out. I know you're at home, open the door..."

The fierce, loud voice was like a thunderclap, carrying far away.

The neighbors of the Li family were all startled and came out with their rice bowls.

Catching a glimpse of the grass stretcher, they turned their backs, their hands gripping their chopsticks quickly shoveling rice, finished eating, gave the bowls to the cubs in their homes, sent them home, told them not to wander around, and watched the fun themselves.

The children who wanted to get close to the Li family's gate were grabbed by the back of their necks. The little black hands had a chipped porcelain bowl. The boy raised his head, looked at his father with disgust, and obediently went home.

They didn't behave when they got home either. Their eyes rolled, and they nimbly found a wooden ladder, leaned it against the earthen wall, climbed up sneakily, climbed over the wall with their arms, revealing a pair of black, bright eyes, watching the movement at the Li family's gate.

Several families of naughty children did the same thing.

The wall was like a dumpling pot, with a string of heads of all sizes appearing.

Mother Li looked at the gate being banged on, her heart aching.

Why is this Gu old woman so strong? It's not her own door, so she doesn't feel the pain!

"Mother, what should we do? The Gu family is at our door, what should we do? Should we open the door? What are they here for? Isn't the Gu family's third cub fine?" Eldest Sister-in-law Li stomped her feet in anxiety.

Outside the door.

"Mother, rest your hands, let me knock!" Zhao Liuniang said, replacing Gu Mu and banging on the door, swinging her arms hard, not forgetting to shout loudly: "Mother, look at how I knock, is the strength enough? You say the word, believe it or not, I can take this door off..."

This was obviously to scare people; she didn't have that kind of strength.

In the courtyard, the Li family was truly afraid the gate would be taken off, so they hurried to open it.

The bolt was pulled, and the slick and worldly Old Man Li rubbed his hands and squeezed out a smile.

"Oh, Yuanshan's mother, we're all in the same village, there's no need for this. Come, come, come, it's hot outside, come in and talk, we can talk slowly."

"Hmph." Gu Mu let out a cold sneer from her nose, flicked her sleeves, and walked inside, "If you had been this sensible earlier, we wouldn't have wasted so much time!"

Entering the courtyard and seeing the heads on the wall, her expression paused, and she almost lost her composure.

Tsk, they are all busybodies.

Mother Li couldn't stand others watching her family's fun, picked up a gourd ladle, filled it with water, and splashed it toward the walls on both sides.

"Go, go, go, what are you looking at? Is it not immoral to watch other people's fun!"

The adults and children watching the fun were splashed with water and screamed.

A boy sitting high up wiped his face and shouted excitedly: "Oh, so cool! Grandma Li, splash another ladle, it's quite cool, hehe."

Mother Li was so angry she fell backward, a mouthful of old blood blocking her chest.

"What kind of broken child, get out, get out, get out!" She raised her eyebrows, her face long, looking extremely fierce.

The little boy's own grandmother was also a spicy character and protected her cubs, so he wasn't afraid at all, and even stuck out his tongue and made a face, "I'm in my own home, not on your territory, why should I get out? I won't! Blehh..."

Mother Li's blood pressure rose, she turned red, her old eyes full of anger.

Gu Mu and her two daughters-in-law felt refreshed, like drinking ice soda on a hot day, feeling comfortable all over.

This family deserves it.

It would be best if they were angered to death.

Gu Mu sat down unceremoniously, with Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang guarding their mother-in-law on both sides.

Li family: "..."

Only heard Gu Mu say calmly: "What are you standing there for? Sit down. Sit down, let's talk properly about the compensation..."

Hearing this, the Li family felt as if they had been hit by a heavy hammer, and a torrential rain began to fall in their hearts.

This "prosperous age" was as they wished.

The Gu family... really came to their door to ask for compensation.

"Yuanshan's mother..." Mother Li didn't want to admit it, "Look at this matter, it was Zhang Manyue, that woman, who stole the third cub, and it has nothing to do with us. Did you find the wrong person?"

"Bang!" Gu Mu slapped the table, shaking it.

She narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the Li family, "What do you mean? You don't want to admit it?"

"Isn't Zhang Manyue the Li family's daughter-in-law?"

"I came to talk properly and you didn't listen. Do you want my Third Sister-in-law to come to your door herself?"

Li family: "..." No, we don't want that!

They knew too well how difficult Chenghuai's wife was. If she came to their door, their family wouldn't die but would lose a layer of skin, and she could even lift the roof!

"Let's talk properly, let's talk properly." Old Man Li softened, he had to, after all, they were in the wrong, and he didn't want to see the house he had worked hard to build all his life damaged.

"This matter is your fault, you don't have the qualifications to bargain, understand?" Gu Mu frowned, feeling the Li family didn't know their place.

Without waiting for them to bicker again, she unceremoniously made her demands:

"Your family must compensate for our lost work time, mental distress, Alan and Seeing Qian Bao's medical expenses... By the way, so many people in the village helped look for people, we have to give thank-you gifts, your family has to pay for this part too. I roughly calculated, you need to compensate forty-five yuan, seven mao, and eight fen, plus one chicken and ten eggs. That's it. If you want more, your family can't afford it."

Hearing the compensation list, the Li family was devastated.

This was indeed the limit of what the Li family could compensate; they couldn't take out even a little more.

Mother Li's eyes went dark, and she screamed like a madwoman, "So much, why don't you go rob someone!

Forty-five yuan, where would our family get forty-five yuan? How can you ask for so much for lost work time, mental distress... what is that?

And medical expenses, we acknowledge Gu Lan's, but the third cub doesn't have a single wound on him, what medical expenses do you want?

You want money, and you want chickens and eggs, why don't you just kill me!"

She glared angrily at the three Gu family women, feeling annoyed in her heart.

This is extortion like mountain bandits!

Gu Mu's momentum was even stronger than hers, and her voice was even louder.

"Why don't you count how many people are in my family, calculate by head, how many work points were lost, I've already calculated the minimum!"

"And why don't you ask why Seeing Qian Bao needs medical expenses? He's covered in bumps... you must be blind not to see them!"

"As for the chicken and eggs, they are to nourish Alan and Seeing Qian Bao. One child is injured, one is frightened, which one doesn't need nourishment? You tell me, answer me! Which one doesn't need it!"

Huang Xiulan nodded on the side, saying seriously:

"My mother didn't calculate too much, this is what we calculated one by one at home. For the sake of our fellow villagers, we calculated less."

Li family: Who believes that! They didn't even think about rounding down, how is it less?

Zhao Liuniang had a smile on her face, looking like a gentle little daughter-in-law.

She said: "Eldest Sister-in-law is right. If the main person came, she would have made you pay at least a hundred yuan. You should know what kind of temper Third Sister-in-law has, when has she ever suffered a loss? My mother really showed mercy.

Just this, if you accept, we reconcile. If you don't accept... it's fine to wait for my Third Sister-in-law and her brothers to come to your door, see how you choose?"

This is a threat.

A naked threat.

Old Man Li was extremely annoyed, resenting the jinx daughter-in-law who caused the family to lose money.

He weighed the pros and cons, didn't want to continue arguing, and gritted his teeth to agree.

"... We'll compensate."

At the same time the words came out, his heart ached.

Gu Mu didn't press her advantage, took the compensation, and took her two daughters-in-law home.

This matter soon spread throughout the village.

Those who were "inspired" and secretly had crooked ideas suddenly became honest, no longer thinking about taking shortcuts.

Gu family brick house.

Lin Zhao washed off the sweat and came out of the bathroom, almost tripped by the two children at the door.

Looking down, it was the twins staring blankly while supporting their chins.

"Yubao, Hengbao, why are you sitting at the door? Where is your father?" Lin Zhao lifted her skirt and half-squatted, her long hair wrapped in a towel.

Seeing that their mother didn't dislike them, Hengbao's little heart jumped with joy.

He said: "Father and Big Uncle and Second Uncle went to hunt wild boars, saying they want to thank the uncles in the village and treat everyone to meat."

Yubao also let out a sigh of relief, "Father brought the hunting rifle."

Lin Zhao understood. Many people in the village were mobilized to find people today, so they really should thank everyone.

She guessed that Gu Chenghuai saw traces of wild boars on the way into or out of the mountain, which gave him the idea to deal with them.

Solving potential hazards while rewarding the villagers, killing two birds with one stone.