Chapter 149: The Stomach That Achieved Success and Merit

From far away outside the main gate, Huasheng could already hear the sound of Li's mean and vicious cursing being transmitted inside, and the main gate was being pounded with a loud thumping.

Huasheng quickened her pace to the back of the main gate and suddenly pulled it open.

Li was caught off guard; she had not expected the gate to open suddenly, and unable to check her momentum, she fell flat on her face.

Huasheng looked at Li, who was lying motionless on the ground, and laughed until she was doubled over:

"You crazy old woman, if you want to kowtow, do it properly. Are you looking for bones on the ground?"

Li was unable to get up for a long while after the fall. Hearing Huasheng's mockery, she immediately regained her spirit, let out a howl, and scrambled up, intending to pounce and tear at Huasheng's mouth.

Huasheng put her hands on her hips and glared at Li without the slightest fear:

"Just try touching me! You come here to run wild—do you really think the Jun residence has no one left?"

Seeing Huasheng's aggressive stance, Li felt a bit timid inside:

This girl was given to that slut Jun Zijin by the Crown Prince. Before the family split, this girl had never been polite to her either. Now that they had split, it was hard to say if she would really hit her. This girl had good martial arts skills; she couldn't withstand even a single move. Moreover, this girl was the Crown Prince's person; if she hit her, it would be for nothing.

Li forced herself to pull back her attack, but her eyes flashed with resentment and hatred. She continued to spew vile words, pointing at Huasheng and cursing:

"You, you little hussy, you dare to talk back to me? I am your mistress's elder!"

Huasheng sneered:

"An elder? An elder like you who throws a tantrum and rolls on the ground at every turn? My mistress has no such elder!"

Li was so angry her face turned green. She pointed at Huasheng and cursed loudly:

"Your mistress is rotten to the core, harming my son. You are just as much of a slut as your mistress."

Huasheng rolled her eyes, not holding back at all in the war of words:

"It is your son who is stupid. Being stupid is one thing, but he is also devious, plotting against others. It is only fitting that he met with such retribution."

Li was stunned. She could take anything else, but she could not tolerate anyone cursing her only son; she still had to rely on him in the future.

Li was so ashamed she turned to anger, having long forgotten her earlier fear, and reached out to grab Huasheng's face.

Huasheng easily dodged to the side and pushed her, and with a "slap," Li fell sprawling on her back again.

The crowd of onlookers grew larger. Feeling she had lost face, Li simply sat on the ground and began to throw a tantrum.

She slapped the ground with both hands and wailed in an earth-shattering manner:

"Jun Zijin is bullying others by relying on her power! She's killing someone!"

Her howl was so loud that it startled the hawker selling candied haws on the street, causing his hand to shake and the candied haws to nearly fall to the ground.

In the crowd of onlookers, someone couldn't help but laugh: "That voice, she can really howl!"

Huasheng didn't fall for this; she put her hands on her hips and widened her eyes until they were larger than copper bells:

"Oh my, everyone has heard it! She was the one who came to provoke trouble first and even intended to hurt someone! Who doesn't know that my Princess is for the country and the people, kind and benevolent? But if anyone maliciously provokes her, she will never be lenient!"

Her voice was loud and clear, every word ringing with conviction, as if she had her own megaphone.

The crowd whispered and discussed among themselves. Who could deny it? If it weren't for Princess Qingping, they would still be suffering from the torment of smallpox; how could they have the good life they had today?

The crowd unanimously turned their hostility toward Li, and people began to criticize Li for making unreasonable trouble.

Li was furious inside. It was one thing to be unable to defeat Jun Zijin, but even the maid beside that slut was sharp-tongued.

She couldn't even gain the slightest advantage in a war of words with a servant.

Li glared fiercely at Huasheng, scrambled up in a dejected manner, and tried to run away while hunched over.

As she looked up, she slammed right into the stomach of Jun Chengcai, who had just returned to the residence.

Jun Chengcai gave a nudge with his stomach, and before Li could stand steady, she was pushed back onto the ground.

Jun Chengcai looked innocent and even deliberately patted his stomach:

"Oh my, this stomach of mine really 'performed a meritorious service' today!"

With Jun Chengcai's fancy mockery, the onlookers burst into loud laughter.

"Pfft," Jun Zijin also laughed out loud. She gave Jun Chengcai a thumbs up:

"Apprentice, well done!"

Jun Zhidie, who had been injured a few days ago, had been lying in bed for several days. Hearing the commotion outside, her heart tightened, and she hurriedly limped over.

At a glance, she saw Li lying on the ground, unable to get up for a long time, still moaning.

"Mother!"

Jun Zhidie was anxious and hurriedly stepped forward to help Li up.

Seeing Jun Zhidie, Li felt as if she had found her backbone. Before she could even stand steady, she began to cry and complain:

"Die'er, they are bullying people too much. You must avenge me."

Jun Zhidie looked up and happened to see Jun Zijin not far away.

Jun Zijin tilted her head, a triumphant smile on her lips, her eyes full of provocation.

Jun Zhidie felt she had been subjected to naked humiliation. Her anger flared up instantly, and she let go of Li, intending to rush over and hit her.

As a result, because Li hadn't stood steady yet, when Jun Zhidie let go, she fell back to the ground with a "thud."

This time, Li cried out in pain: "Ouch! My waist!"

Li sat on the ground without moving for a long time.

Jun Zhidie was a bit frightened:

"Mother, Mother, are you alright?"

Jun Zhidie turned to help Li, and Li let out another cry of pain, her face twisted into a knot:

"Aiya, it hurts, it hurts. Don't touch me!"

Jun Zhidie's hands stopped in mid-air, feeling at a loss. She tried to exert force several times but couldn't help Li up; it was clear that Li had injured her waist this time.

Someone in the crowd let out a gloating laugh; those laughs were filled with contempt, triumph, and disdain.

Someone else gloated: "Oh my, today's show is truly wonderful!"

Jun Zhidie only felt it was sharp and piercing, and the humiliation was unbearable.

She stamped her foot, simply abandoned Li, turned around, and ran away.

Before long, the servants of the Jun residence ran out and scrambled to carry the person away.

Li was sweating from the pain and kept cursing:

"You useless things, be gentle! It hurts, it hurts, it's killing me!"

Finally, Li was carried back.

Jun Chengcai stood at the gate and waved at the crowd:

"It's all over, disperse, disperse, stop watching!"

The crowd of onlookers was still laughing, and someone joked:

"Miss Huasheng, your tongue is truly sharp. Teach me some other day!"

Huasheng waved her hand with a grin:

"Sure, the tuition is a basket of candied haws!"

The crowd burst into laughter again. The street was bustling with activity, as if the farce just now was merely a small interlude.

Huasheng clapped her hands and began to hum a little tune:

"So happy today, the troublemakers have all scrammed..."

From beginning to end, except for that one glance of deliberate provocation toward Jun Zhidie, there was no ripple of anger in Jun Zijin's eyes; they were like an unfathomable ancient well.

Jun Zijin paid no more attention and led Jun Chengcai and the maid into the residence.

"Mistress, are you really not angry?"

Guazi couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Huasheng, who was humming a little tune, also looked at Jun Zijin with curiosity.