Chapter 33: Looking for Trouble
The sound of banging on the door interrupted the peace of this small courtyard.
Su Yaoguang was about to get up when Zhou Wangshu, who was chopping wood in the yard, said, "I’ll go open the door."
He strode over, opened the door, and saw Zhong Lanhua, who was furious, and Jiang Yihuan, who had wet hair and was crying like a tearful doll.
Zhong Lanhua’s gaze lingered on the axe in Zhou Wangshu’s hand, and her arrogance subsided considerably.
She mustered the courage to question, "Did you push my daughter?"
Zhou Wangshu was bewildered, "What are you talking about? I don’t understand."
Jiang Yihuan sobbed, "If you hadn’t pushed me just now, there’s no way I would have fallen into the water. Why did you do this to me? Boohoo..."
Zhong Lanhua stormed through the village with Jiang Yihuan, causing many villagers to follow curiously to watch the commotion. As a result, they witnessed this scene.
Zhou Wangshu loosened his grip, letting the axe fall just like that, his face even more shocked, as if he had suffered a severe blow.
Everyone gasped as they saw the axe dropping.
"Careful..."
The axe hit the ground just an inch away from Zhou Wangshu’s foot, barely missing it. If it had struck him, this leg might have been crippled.
"That’s terrifying," someone said, "Look at how pitiful he looks, Zhong Lanhua really goes too far, bullying an honest man."
"Exactly. When Huan fell into the water earlier, it was Xiao Zhou who yelled for help. He said as an outsider man, he should step out to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the young lady. Look at this sensible young fellow, and yet this mother and daughter not only don’t thank him but come over to cause trouble."
Su Yaoguang came over and said to Zhou Wangshu, "You go inside first, I’ll reason with them."
Zhou Wangshu looked at Su Yaoguang with red-rimmed eyes, aggrieved, "Yaoguang, I really didn’t..."
"I know, don’t be afraid, I’ll see who dares to wrong you." Su Yaoguang comforted him saying coldly, looking at the Zhong mother and daughter. "You say he pushed, do you have evidence?"
"My daughter said so herself, is it fake then?" Zhong Lanhua glared.
"Our Wang Shu said he didn’t do it. He said he didn’t do it, then he didn’t do it. If you can’t find other evidence or witnesses, don’t come over looking for insults."
"Su Yaoguang, I am your elder, how dare you speak to an elder like this, your mother isn’t home, nobody taught you manners, I will teach you."
With that, Zhong Lanhua raised her palm.
Su Yaoguang pushed Zhong Lanhua hard, causing her to fall flat on her backside.
"Ah..."
Su Yaoguang glanced at her coldly, "I did this, I admit it. But our Wang Shu won’t be wronged by you."
"Zhou Wangshu, do you dare swear you didn’t push me into the water?" Jiang Yihuan choked.
"I swear to the gods above, I did not push Jiang Yihuan, if I had pushed her then..."
"Enough." Su Yaoguang stopped Zhou Wangshu’s words. "She asked you to swear, and you just did? Are you stupid?"
After scolding Zhou Wangshu, she said to the Zhong mother and daughter, "Either you find a witness, if not, without concrete evidence, we’re not playing along with you."
"You, you, you, I didn’t expect you to be even more shameless than your mother." Zhong Lanhua got up and lunged at Su Yaoguang.
Su Yaoguang grabbed Zhong Lanhua’s hair and pulled hard.
"Ahh... it hurts..."
"Su Yaoguang, let go of my mother." Jiang Yihuan wanted to help but was afraid Su Yaoguang would pull her hair too. "Everyone, come judge this, Su Yaoguang is bullying!"
"I’ll kill you, you wretched girl... Ow ow... it hurts... let go!"
Su Yaoguang acted swiftly, pushing Zhong Lanhua away.
Once dressed up neatly, Zhong Lanhua now looked like a madwoman.
"Oh heavens, I can’t live anymore, bullied by a junior at my age... My daughter was pushed into the water, nobody stands up for us..."
Su Yaoguang turned to go back to the house.
"Don’t leave..." Zhong Lanhua crawled up.
Only to see Su Yaoguang, who just went in, carrying a basin of water out. The water had a strange smell, unclear what it was, but it seemed dangerous.
"What are you doing?"
"Just now I prepared some pig intestines, the water after washing still needs dumping, just right for you."
Su Yaoguang said that, and splashed it directly.
"Ah... you... ah..." Zhong Lanhua pulled Jiang Yihuan and quickly ran away.
Su Yaoguang placed one hand on her hip, disdainfully said, "I said I’m not someone with a good temper. If you come and falsely accuse our Wang Shu again, I’ll send you mother and daughter to have a good wash in our manure pit. Either provide evidence, no evidence means you’re just causing trouble."
"You’re truly your mother’s daughter, shameless shrew." Zhong Lanhua scolded, seeing Su Yaoguang walking toward her, quickly ran away.
"Mom, wait for me." Jiang Yihuan followed along with Zhong Lanhua.
Su Yaoguang snorted, seeing the other villagers hadn’t left yet, restrained her anger, and lifted a smile, saying, "Dear uncles, aunties, everyone, I don’t usually act this way, only toward bad people. Please don’t misunderstand Yaoguang! Look, Wang Shu is so honest, and yet they’re bullying him. How can’t one be angry?"
Zhou Wangshu pursed his lips, his eyes red as a grievance-filled little rabbit, "I didn’t do it, really didn’t. I don’t understand why they would wrong me. Is it because when I passed by, I didn’t jump in to save her? But I can’t swim, if I jumped in, I wouldn’t save her, but die."
"Is it because I’m not born and raised in the village that they dump all these unfortunate things onto me? Yaoguang, am I troubling you?"
"No, no." Su Yaoguang tried to pat his head, but he was too tall, she could only pat his shoulder. "Don’t be sad, you’re so gentle, everyone has eyes, they won’t be deceived by those women."
The villagers murmured amongst themselves.
"Zhong and Huan seriously went too far this time. After Huan fell into the water, I was the first to hear Xiao Zhou’s shout. Without Xiao Zhou’s call for help, with no one nearby, Huan would certainly have been taken by the water spirits. Now they don’t give thanks but smear Xiao Zhou with dirt. It’s too much!"
"In the end, it’s because Zhong and Mrs. Zhang have conflicts, always looking to stab each other when given the chance. Seeing Zhang is away, Zhong surely wants this chance to vent on her daughter. Usually, Zhong seems kind, but turns out so sinister. Best to steer clear of this mother and daughter!"
"My boy calls Huan constantly. Last time I asked Zhong about it, can you guess what she said? She said my boy is too familiar, she even knew about his bedwetting as a kid, and her daughter saw the snot-eating too, said too familiar can’t make a family. Pah, she looks down on my boy, and I look down on her daughter. Look at her, no idea if she can even bear a son."