Village Belle is Trying to Cause Trouble Again Chapter 16
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Proofed by The Buddha
Chapter 16: Su Tao Wasn’t Nasty, She Merely Went Crazy From Being Beaten
Since her older son’s wife said that, Mrs. Su-Qian naturally didn't lose her temper. However, that didn’t mean she found her younger son’s family pleasing to the eye.
Su Tao noticed the glare of the wretched old woman. Su Tao had a feeling that she was going to hit someone again, so she quickly stepped back a few steps. However, before she could stand steadily, there was a "thud" sound.
Immediately, Su Zhi cried miserably, "Waah..."
Su Tao’s brows twitched. This fool had been beaten more than her recently. Seeing that he was still in a daze and not running away, she couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to pull him over.
This action aroused Mrs. Su-Qian's dissatisfaction. She came over and slapped her on the shoulder. "Go and cut two baskets of ragweed. If you don’t finish filling up two baskets, I’ll beat you to death when you come back."
Su Tao's shoulder was numb from the pain. She couldn't hold back her anger for a while, and blurted out, "Wretched old woman, are you sick?"
Silence fell on the room for a while before Mrs. Su-Qian regained her composure. Her eyes widened, and she said sharply, "Wretched girl! Say that again if you dare! Wretched old woman? I’m sick? I’m going to beat you to death this time."
"Mother, Mother, Mother, simmer down. I'll punish this wretched girl!"
Lin Sanzhu grabbed Su Tao and began to spank her buttocks. She said, "Go and cut the ragweed. Wretched girl, you’ve got the nerve! I’m going to starve you today!"
Su Tao was caught, and failed to struggle free. Thus, she was spanked several times. When Lin Sanzhu loosened her grip a little, she ran outside with all her might.
Lin Sanzhu's voice was like a "ghost" chasing her. "Wretched girl, if you don't cut enough ragweed, don't even think about coming back!"
Lin Sanzhu was relieved when the wretched girl ran away. Then, she turned to look at her mother-in-law, cursing angrily, "This wretched girl is probably crazy. I’ll beat her to death when she comes back later. Mother, don't be angry. It's not worth getting angry over a worthless girl."
"Angry? Why would I be angry? Later, I’ll get the middleman here, and sell her for money." Mrs. Su-Qian spat at her.
Lin Sanzhu didn't dare to dodge. She forced herself to endure the disgust, and apologized, "Mother, this wretched girl is too young. She won’t fetch a good price. I’ve asked about it. She’ll only fetch a good price if she’s fourteen or fifteen years old."
This was also why Mrs. Su-Qian was still raising a worthless girl like Su Tao. She spat in disgust. “Everyone in your family is good-for-nothing. If you don't fill up the firewood in the kitchen today, your family will have no dinner."
Then, she looked at the quiet Su Fu who had his head bowed, and gave him an angry look. "Your foot is probably almost healed. Go and work with your dad in the afternoon."
Yesterday, someone came and asked them to cut wood for a pay of eighteen coins a day.
Hearing this, Lin Sanzhu said at the risk of being scolded by her mother-in-law, "Mother, Fuzi's foot isn’t healed yet. Let me do it. I’m strong. I can definitely cut wood.”
"Dear, I'll go." Su Fu was used to his dad and mom being partial. He only hoped that his family could live independently when he reached the age of thirty.
Lin Sanzhu was a little anxious. His wound was a little deep. Although a scar had formed these days, the wound would crack at the slightest movement. The wound was already festering when her mother-in-law asked him to fetch water.
Before she could say anything, Mrs. Su-Qian said in a sharp voice, "What’s wrong? Will this mild injury kill him? If you don't want to stay in this house, get out. Your dad and I will definitely not stop you."
Although Su Fu's family had some money, it was less than one hundred coins. If the family moved out without being given anything, even if they wouldn’t die of hunger, their lives would be more difficult than now.
Lin Sanzhu didn't dare to say anything more. She went up the mountain to collect firewood with a basket on her back.
……
Over at this end, Su Tao had already run off to hide beside the rock on the back mountain. Su Tao couldn’t help but wipe away her tears. It really hurt a lot.
She wished she could kill that wretched old woman!
She wanted to go home.
What a perverse system! Did she step on its ancestral grave in her last life?
Xie Yuntang, Xie Yuntang, you jerk, why can't you have some guts?
"Ah..."
"Taozi, what are you howling about? Are you crazy again?"
A middle-aged woman was carrying a basket, staring at the girl pulling her hair not far away.
Su Tao, "..."
She looked over and roared angrily, "I'm not crazy. You’re crazy instead."
"Geez, why are you so ungrateful? I was showing concern for you."
The middle-aged woman didn't dare to say anything more when she saw Su Tao’s odd behavior. It would be terrible if Su Tao rushed up and bit her.
Then, she went down the mountain and met a few women washing clothes by the river. "Do you know? That girl, Taozi, is probably really crazy. She bared her teeth and screamed on the mountain just now. I was scared stiff."
"Huh? Is her condition so serious now?"
"Yeah. You can go and take a look. She’s just over there at the rock..."
……
At noon, the sun was high and the cicadas were singing intermittently on the branches.
Under the gazebo in the Xie family’s residence.
While Mrs. Xie-Qin was outside, she heard that Su Tao had gone crazy. At the thought of her son who associated with Su Tao occasionally, she reminded him, "Yuntang, don't play with that girl, Taozi."
Xie Yuntang was a little puzzled. He looked at her innocently, and asked after swallowing his food, "Why?"
"I heard people say that she acted crazy today and was screaming on the back mountain." Mrs. Xie-Qin didn't have a bad opinion of Su Tao. She was just worried that her son would be hurt.
Hearing that Su Tao had a crazy episode, Xie Yuntang bit his lower lip. "Mom, did Su Tao get beaten again?"
They all said that Su Tao had gone crazy due to the beating.
"I think so. I heard her grandma and mother scolding her earlier." Mrs. Xie-Qin wasn’t from the countryside. She was the daughter of a wealthy family. She hated these things the most, but she couldn’t interfere in the business of other families.
Su Tao was really beaten.
Xie Yuntang was a little worried about Su Tao. Although she often bullied him, she saved him that day.
Su Tao wasn’t nasty. She was merely sick.
Grandma said that when someone was sick, they needed another person’s company to get well.
He was going to accompany Su Tao.
"Mom, where are my two eggs?"
"In the kitchen. Do you want to eat them? I’ll get them for you."
"I want two more pancakes."
"Okay."
Mrs. Xie-Qin went to get them. When she saw her son tuck the food into his sleeve, she was puzzled and said, "Yuntang, why are you putting them into your sleeve?"
"Mom, I'm full and want to go out to play for a while." Xie Yuntang didn't say he was going to find Su Tao, because his parents would worry about him.
Mrs. Xie-Qin didn’t forbid him from going out after hearing that. Her son was too quiet. It would be best if he could go out to play. "I’ll get you more food. Take some water along. You can drink it when you’re thirsty."
Xie Yuntang went out with the things. He didn't see Su Tao at the entrance of the Su family's residence. He knew she wasn’t in, but didn't know where to find her.
He could only walk around the village, looking left and right. He finally found her on the back mountain. She was cutting ragweed.
He called softly, "Su Tao."
The girl raised her head. She spat out several honeysuckle flowers in her mouth, and glared at him angrily. "What’s the matter?"
She was feeling a little down now. She didn’t want to bully Milksop for now, unless he could hit her to death.
Xie Yuntang was already prepared for her to act crazy. Although he was a little scared, he didn't back down. He took out the eggs and pancakes from his sleeve, and softly said, "These are for you."