Chapter 63: How about I live at the Mountain God Temple with you?

"The one in charge!"

Wang Shi shouted, lunged forward, and pinched his philtrum.

Zhao Jin's older brothers glared angrily at Qiao Sheng.

Qiao Sheng wasn't scared at all.

"You want to hit me—can you beat me? How can you scold me but not let me retort? Your father is tongue‑twisted and hot‑tempered; when he gets angry and faints, you blame me?"

Xiao Shitou was outside; he heard everything Qiao Sheng and the others said.

That's because he's still young.

Otherwise they'd all want to go in to help their own mother.

In the room.

Qiao Sheng stopped paying attention to the Zhao Family members; she slapped Zhao Jin on the head and said, "Tell your brothers to bring the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone!"

Zhao Jin's head buzzed from the blow.

He dared not provoke Qiao Sheng again and now only wanted to stay far away from her: "Older brother, hurry and fetch the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

Their family has scholars; they have studied before, so naturally they have brush, ink, paper, and inkstone at home.

The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were brought quickly.

Zhao Jin wrote twice before Qiao Sheng was satisfied.

It's not that his handwriting is ugly or his content is bad.

Zhao Jin thought Qiao Sheng was being deliberate; she could have said it all at once, but she split it into two. Yet, because she was too fierce, he could only endure the discomfort.

It was at this moment.

The old Zhao man woke up.

Qiao Sheng stopped paying him any more attention, helped Qiao Lihua pack her things, and then rode the rented ox cart with Qiao Hushui and the others to the town.

Qiao Hushui and the others all suffered injuries of varying degrees, but they were only external wounds, whereas Qiao Lihua had both external and internal injuries.

On top of that, she had a miscarriage.

Qiao Lihua's body was now extremely weak; the doctor bluntly said she must recuperate properly, otherwise she might never be able to bear children again.

They left the clinic.

Once on the ox cart.

Qiao Sheng covered Qiao Lihua tightly; the blanket was taken from the Zhao Family. Their second sister had just miscarried, and the weather today wasn't warm, so they had to cover her well to prevent her from catching a cold.

On the ox cart.

Qiao Sheng sat beside Qiao Lihua and said, "Second sister, if you blame me for what happened today, I don't regret it."

Qiao Xuehua was about to speak.

Qiao Lihua spoke in a voice neither loud nor soft.

"Elder sister, what foolish words are you saying? How could I possibly resent you? You did this for my own good. The reason I previously didn't want a separation was that I didn't know what to do. Now that I think about it, even there I didn't know how to spend the days ahead; compared with that, a separation is still better."

Qiao Sheng lightly patted Qiao Lihua's hand and said, "It's good that you can see clearly now."

She withdrew her hand.

Qiao Sheng turned to Qiao Hushui and the others and said, "Father, mother, you heard what the doctor said; regarding Elder sister's future, please pay more attention to her and treat her better."

"We understand."

Qiao Hushui and the others replied.

Back in the village, Qiao Lianhua found that Qiao Sheng and Xiao Shitou weren't returning home with them, and couldn't help but say, "Elder sister, are you still living at the Mountain God Temple?"

Didn't the family split up?

Why aren't they going back to live at home?

Qiao Sheng said, "Yes, we still live at the Mountain God Temple. Father and mother called us back to live there, but I think the Mountain God Temple is more peaceful, because we've become accustomed to the quiet."

So that's why.

Qiao Lihua hadn't returned to the village for a long time; looking at everything familiar around her, she said, "Elder sister, why don't I go live with you at the Mountain God Temple?"

If the villagers learned that she returned home after a separation, they'd surely gossip endlessly.

She no longer worries about herself; she worries that her family will be subject to others' criticism because of her.

Qiao Lianhua didn't object.

"What nonsense are you saying? Your body now can't endure any wind or cold; it's fine that it's not raining now, but once it rains it'll be very cold."

Qiao Lihua asked her, "What about you? Aren't you afraid of the cold?"

(End of chapter)