Village Belle Chapter 130
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 130: Su Fu Beat Su He for Su Tao’s Sake
The whole village was happy about the Xie family’s decision to reduce the grain collection amount, except for Su Tao's grandmother's family.
Their grain collection amount remained the same.
Su Tao had Xie Yuntang tell his father to do so.
Su Dagui's expression was grim. After finishing his work in the afternoon, he returned home and threw a fit. Mrs. Su-Qian didn't dare utter a sound and obediently went to the kitchen to cook.
While tending the fire and washing vegetables, she became increasingly angry, shouting at the door, "Su He, go and bring your wife back right now! Huh? She's run off to her parents' house for the past few days. Doesn’t she know to come back? If she still doesn't come back, divorce her!"
Su He had tried to bring his wife back, but every time his mother-in-law would kick him out, asking for his mother to fetch her.
Su He sat in the courtyard and replied, "I already told you to go, Mom! There’s no point in me going. It wasn't me who hit her."
Su He started to grumble, adding, "If you hadn't hit her, she wouldn't have gone back to her parents' house. If I’d known, I would’ve moved out like my second brother's family. We’d be living a good life now."
Upon hearing this, Su Dagui slapped him on the spot. "You rascal, I dare you to say that again!"
Su He touched his aching cheek, realizing he had misspoken, and trembled, not daring to speak.
Su Dagui was still fuming. "If you want to get out, then get out. I have more than one son. I can always ask Su Fu’s family to come back."
"You think you'll do well just because your second brother is doing well? If it weren't for me supporting you, your whole family would starve to death sooner or later. You're lazy and good-for-nothing, always doing things half-heartedly."
"Your second brother never utters a word more than necessary when he's working!"
He should have known better than to keep the eldest son at home. He wouldn't have to shoulder all the burden then.
Su He knelt on the ground, slapping his own face repeatedly, admitting his mistake, "Dad, I was wrong, I was wrong."
Su Dagui kicked him, sternly saying, "Go and call your second brother over. Tell him to ask the Xie family what they mean."
The Xie family clearly didn't like them. Asking them wouldn't make a difference.
Actually, it was more about saving pride.
Su He quickly ran off, and happened to run into Su Tao and the other two who were returning from school.
Su He was definitely heading towards their house. Su Tao glanced at him, grabbed Xie Yuntang, and started running.
Su Zhi was visibly stunned for a moment, then tearfully followed.
Su Tao pulled Xie Yuntang into the house. "Mom, Uncle's here. It must be about the grain collection."
Hearing this, Lin Sanzhu, who was washing vegetables, paused for a moment, then yelled, "Hurry, come on, close the door!"
Su Tao was about to say that Su Zhi hadn't come in yet when Lin Sanzhu slammed the door shut, patting her chest. "Luckily, I closed it quickly."
"Su Zhi hasn't come in yet." Su Tao touched the tip of her nose.
Lin Sanzhu, "..."
The next moment, Su Zhi knocked on the door. "Mom, let me in."
Lin Sanzhu peeked through the crack in the door, didn't see Su He, and hurriedly opened the door to let him in, cursing as she closed it. "Why were you dawdling?"
Soon, knocking started again, and Su He's rough voice came through. "Second Brother, Dad wants you to come over."
Oh no, it was her father-in-law’s summoning.
If it were her mother-in-law, she could ignore it, but she couldn’t ignore her father-in-law's summoning. Lin Sanzhu didn't know what to say for a moment.
Su Tao glanced at her and sighed inwardly. Oh well, guess she had to handle it.
"My dad’s not here. He’s working for the Xie family. He’s busy these past few days and can’t go over."
"Let your mother speak!" Su He banged on the door again.
"My mother’s busy, she doesn’t have time for you! Go back." Su Tao rolled her eyes.
Being locked out by a child, Su He was naturally angry. "Su Tao! Is this how you talk to me? Believe me or not, I’ll have your dad teach you a lesson!"
"I’m being kind enough by not making you eat chicken poop. My dad won’t teach me a lesson. Only someone with a screw loose like you would hit a child."
Su Tao rattled off a bunch of curses, then quickly added, "Serves you right that your wife ran off with the children. You’re a good-for-nothing. If I were you, I would’ve jumped into the river long ago and ended my life."
Su He was indeed a good-for-nothing. He didn’t care about his wife and gambled. If this were modern times, he would definitely be without a wife!
Lin Sanzhu stared at Su Tao dumbfounded, then swallowed hard. Only her wretched daughter could say such things.
Su He kicked the door in anger. "I'll beat you to death!"
"You're just like that old woman, always talking about beating people to death, but when it comes to actually doing it, you don't dare. You both are as cowardly as chickens." Su Tao wasn't afraid of him at all, mainly because the door to her house was sturdy. Su Fu had reinforced it, and not many people could kick it open.
Su He kicked the door again. At this moment, Su Fu's urgent shout rang out, "What are you doing?"
Hearing his voice, Lin Sanzhu felt relieved. After all, she was just a woman.
Su Tao, who had been cursing just moments before, quickly smeared some saliva on her face and burst into tears. "Dad, Uncle beat me. It hurts so much... Dad..."
Lin Sanzhu was stunned, and Xie Yuntang was also stunned. Then they saw Su Tao open the door, run out, and hug Su Fu tightly.
"Dad, Uncle beat me. Boo hoo..."
Upon hearing this, Su Fu glared angrily at Su He. "Big Brother, why did you beat Taozi? She's my daughter!"
"I'm her uncle. Can't I beat her?" Su He shouted.
It hadn’t yet registered in his mind that he hadn't beaten Su Tao.
Su Fu thought he had admitted it, clenched his fists, and angrily said, "I've already moved out. What more do you want, Big Brother?"
"Dad, it hurts so much..." Su Tao clung to Su Fu like an octopus, looking terrified of being beaten.
"Where? Let me see." Su Fu was worried she'd been injured and anxiously wanted to check.
Su Tao pointed to her head. "He hit my head. It hurts, Dad."
Head injuries were hard to detect. He wouldn’t be able to see if anything was wrong.
Hearing that her head had been hit, Su Fu became even angrier. What child could withstand a hit to the head? "Big Brother, if anything happens to Taozi, don't blame me for being nasty."
"Su Fu?"
Su He looked at him incredulously, then quickly roared, "Su Fu! I'm your older brother. How dare you talk like that?"
"I can even beat you, let alone her." He raised his fist, ready to strike.
Su Fu quickly shielded Su Tao behind him, then, overcome with anger, swung his fist.
Lin Sanzhu was startled. Su Tao raised an eyebrow. This was the effect she wanted.
She couldn't outfight Su He, but Su Fu could.
Su Fu was tall and strong, and physically fit with years of hard work. How could Su He possibly defeat him?
Lin Sanzhu wanted to help, but Su Tao stopped her. She winked, and whispered, "Don't go, Dad's fine."
Lin Sanzhu glared at her and whispered, "Wretched girl, if anything happens to your dad, I'll skin you alive."
Su Tao, "..."
She opened her mouth and screamed, "Dad, it hurts..."
Lin Sanzhu, "..."
Su Fu had been holding back, but when he heard his daughter crying like that, he hit Su He hard.
Su He couldn't take it after a few hits and cried out in pain.
After a while, Su Fu let go of him. As he looked at Su He on the ground, he realized he had hit his older brother.
He was still a little flustered, but seeing his daughter's pitiful appearance, he straightened his back and said in a deep voice, "Big Brother, don't beat Taozi and the others in the future. I'll punish them if they do anything wrong."
"Dad..." Su Tao hugged him, pitifully whining.
Su He stood up, glared at them, and said, "I'll get Dad to come!" Then he limped away.
After walking for a while, it occurred to him that he hadn't beaten Su Tao at all!
Why did that wretched girl cry?!
