Chapter 15 — Before heading into the mountains, something else is about to happen?
The price was good, eight fish earned them more than two hundred copper coins, equivalent to more than two hundred yuan in the modern world. According to this speed, maybe before winter came, they could build a big blue brick house. Early the next morning, Ling Jingxuan grabbed a handful of cornmeal and cooked a pot of wild vegetables paste, and ran around the yard for nearly half an hour. As the day broke, he went to Yuehua ditch with two big barrels.
Today he planned to catch some more fish. First, there was not much food left at home. Second, both he and the two buns still wore straw sandals on their feet and their clothes were patches over patches. So, he was thinking about making more money these days and then took the two buns to go to the market in the town to buy some clothes and daily necessities. However poor they were, he didn’t want to let himself and the two buns suffer in clothing, food and housing.
“Daddy, how did you catch so many fish today? Let me help you.”
Far away to see daddy struggling to carry the two barrels, the small bun, who was running, ran to him. The little face was covered with sweat and the clothes were also sweating all over but the smile on his face was shiny and exciting.
“Lots of fish, daddy. We’re going to be rich.”
Following closely behind, the big bun’s topic never changed from money. Ling Jingxuan even didn’t want to diss him, he just handed the fishing nets to him, then a family of three carrying two whole barrels of fish went home with great joy.
“Big brother, bad news…bad news…”
After settling the fish, as the family of three just sat down and meant to hand those fish to Ling Chenglong and his little brother and go to collect some herbs in the mountain after having dinner, Ling Jingpeng flurried to run in. Ling Jingxuan, confused, put down his chopsticks, “What’s going on? Why are you in such a hurry early in the morning?”
Looking at his little brother panting heavily, Ling Jingxuan wondered.
“Hoo…hoo…Big brother, bad news! Yesterday…you taught Dawa’s father a lesson, and…and this morning Dawa’s mother…went to…our second grandpa to sue you, weeping. Our second grandpa seems…very angry, I’m…afraid later he will take people to…make trouble here.”
After trying to take a few deep breaths, Ling Jingpeng said anxiously.
“I thought it was something huge. Look at you. Sit down and catch your breath. Xiaowen, go to the kitchen to get a pair of chopsticks and a bowl for your uncle.”
Compared to his worries, Ling Jingxuan himself was not in a hurry but only pulled him to sit down next to him blandly. Although the big bun was worried, he still ran to the kitchen while the small bun pursed his lips, frowning, unhappy. Everybody saw that it was Dawa and his family bullied them first. Why is it always them that got denounced?
“Ge, do you know or not…”
Seeing his big brother behaving like this had nothing to do with him, Ling Jingpeng’s mouth slanted due to great anxiety but Ling Jingxuan interrupted him before he finished his words. Facing his anxious and worried eyes, Ling Jingxuan curled up his lips, “All right, I know, since I dare hurt him, I would not be afraid he may sue me. You can rest assured.”
If he even could not take care of this, how could he roam the world in his previous life?
“What do you mean?”
Hearing this, Ling Jingpeng finally felt a little relieved but only just a little. Before he could hear his specific method, how can he really rest assured?
“Daddy, do you really have a plan?”
The small bun put down his bowl and chopsticks, climbed up his daddy’s leg, sitting in his arms with a worried face and the big bun happened to come in with the bowl and chopsticks, “Daddy, how about we… compensate them with some money?”
But he obviously did not hear what Ling Jingxuan said before. Looking at his painful expression when talking about money, Ling Jingxuan really wanted to laugh. This is really something rare! His big bun was willing to sacrifice some money to keep his daddy safe. How he wishes his big bun could be so general in daily life.
“I don’t think so.”
Throwing him a smile, Ling Jingxuan only found that the three people became more confused, giving a helpless smile, “Five years ago I was kicked out of the family, banished to this place where even birds do not poop. The only reason is that everyone in the village thought I did the dirty thing and made them lose their faces. In other words, they only care about their face. Now, five years have passed. In between two people’s interests and the face of the whole village, I’m sure they will choose the latter.”
“Jingpeng, later after you sell the fish, try to embellish the thing between me and Dawa and his parents. Remember, you must repeatedly stress that it was Dawa and his parents who bullied us two kids and a foolish father and used the villagers’ dissatisfaction against us to try to force us to die and I couldn’t bear it and meant to take my two kids to go to the county magistrate and file a suit. You’d better let people from the adjacent villages all know. Then, our second grandfather has to make a choice.”
In this world, if the original owner’s memory was correct, men could get married with men. The current empress was a man, but it was said he had been dethroned. Of course, he was not that idle to care about things in the royal imperial court. Over these years he was called a monster, became a rat crossing the street, the only reason was he, as a man, got pregnant and gave birth. The thing was, the father was unknown, which was related to the face of the whole Ling village. Presumably his second grandpa would never allow such a scandal to spread into the ears of the county magistrate. As soon as he was sued, the ugly truth hidden
beneath was bound to be exposed. For the sake of the face of Ling village, he would certainly try to stop it, so that they had no need to worry about it at all.
“I understand, big brother. It’s all on me.”
Of course the three Ling brothers were all not stupid. Ling Jingpeng instantly got it.
He held his chest out and made the promise, and the swarthy and thin handsome face was blooming honesty, with a little cunning smile.
“Daddy, does it really work?”
The small bun was totally confused, having no idea what they were talking about while the big bun half understood but his little face wrinkled more tightly. It was understandable. Over the past few years, they had lived in horror. As long as it was something related to the village, they would be the ones that suffered. So he couldn’t believe it would be so easy to solve.
“How would we know if we don’t try?”
Picking his eyebrows, Ling Jingxuan didn’t say more. After eating some food, they went with Ling Jingpeng to the front yard and checked those fish. After seeing him off, Ling Jingxuan dug out a crate in the backyard, took the only a fairly sharp sickle in the house, pulled the hands of the two buns to go into the mountains. As for those things in the village, there should be a result when they come back.
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal. A little support goes a long way! If you’d like to help me keep creating, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/lazyhermitgal
