Chapter 3 Compensation_1

After hearing Ms. Wu's words, Nanzhi looked around, bent down, picked up a straight wooden stick, and held it in her hand.

This stick was one Gougou usually played with; now that she picked it up, it felt quite handy.

"Say that again? Be careful or I'll lash you to death! Your Shi Tou messes around all day long, charming cats and teasing dogs, bullying the children of the village, and now, having beaten my Gougou, you, his mother, dare to spout such slander."

"You just want to bully us, a widow and orphan with no one to back us up, don't you? Your son was seen bullying someone today, and now what? Unable to steal anything, you, his mother, have come to our doorstep to rob us? A family of strong-arm robbers and bandits!"

Ms. Wu was left breathless, her words stuck in her throat. How could she have not anticipated Ms. Lin becoming so fearsome?

Seeing the wooden stick pointed at her, Ms. Wu immediately felt like sitting on the ground and throwing a tantrum.

Before Ms. Wu could act, Nanzhi quickly swung the stick down hard onto the ground, looking at the pit it made and the dust it raised, Ms. Wu stiffened.

Had that blow landed on her, she couldn't imagine how much it would have hurt.

"What's all this about? What's the shouting for?"

Li Zheng felt his head grow big as he looked at the crowd surrounding them. It was now noon, the hottest time of the day; why wasn't everyone at home resting instead of gathering around the Shen Family's home causing a ruckus?

He had heard the commotion from afar.

"Li Zheng."

The onlooking women made way, allowing Li Zheng to get a clear view of the scene in the courtyard.

"What's going on here, not going home to cook for your men at noon, gathering for what excitement?"

Shen Dashan was momentarily stunned by the scene in the courtyard.

He thought Ms. Lin and her son were being bullied, but now it seemed Ms. Wu was the one at a disadvantage.

Although he was thinking this, he still put on a serious face, "Ms. Wu, what are you doing in the Shen family's courtyard?"

Seeing Li Zheng arrive, Ms. Wu felt somewhat guilty; her eyes darted around as she thought about slipping away, but Nanzhi blocked her.

"Uncle Li Zheng, your timing is perfect. I'm afraid I have to trouble you to help us settle this fairly," Nanzhi said apologetically, blocking Ms. Wu's way with the wooden stick in one hand and glancing at Shen Dashan.

Li Zheng had helped her a lot in the past, and now she had to trouble him again.

Shen Dashan nodded, waiting for them to explain, "Go on, I didn't become Li Zheng to sit by idly."

"Our family has a hard time, and you know that, Li Zheng. This morning I fainted from hunger, and Gougou, being filial, went to the mountain to look for food for me. Luckily, he found five wild eggs. But then, Shi Tou from the Wu family saw them and insisted on taking them. Gougou wouldn't let him, and Shi Tou made his nose bleed."

As Nanzhi spoke, a few of the surrounding women began whispering. They had heard Ms. Wu howling before, really thinking it was Gougou who had become so desperate that he started stealing.

"You, you are making this up," Ms. Wu retorted.

"Making this up? Gougou is still lying in bed, and Auntie Liu and the others saw it all. I didn't come to you asking for compensation, yet here you are in my house slandering Gougou. Have you no shame?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Dashan's face darkened. If the children had hurt each other playfully, it might be forgivable, but in times like these when every household is struggling, how could the Wu family stoop so low as to bully a widow and orphan for food?

And on top of that, to accuse the victim first as if they were the wrongdoers.

Shen Dashan glanced at Ms. Wu and snorted coldly.

"Ms. Wu, what do you have to say?"

Looking at the people whispering around her, Ms. Wu found herself at a loss for words. She usually bullied Ms. Lin covertly, never this openly in front of Li Zheng, "I, I'll just leave then."

After saying that, she attempted to leave, and everyone stepped aside to let her pass, as they all lived in the same village and didn't want to completely break ties.

"Auntie Wu, you want to leave now?"

Nanzhi blocked Ms. Wu's path with the stick.

Shen Dashan said nothing and simply stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for Nanzhi to handle the situation.

"What more do you want?" Ms. Wu also became irritated. She had already lost face, and now she was not being allowed to leave, which made her look at Nanzhi with vicious eyes.

"Shi Tou injured my Gougou, so the least you could do is call in the village doctor. You owe me compensation for his medical expenses."

Ms. Wu's eyes bulged in disbelief, her face a mask of incredulity, "What? Compensate you for medical expenses? Isn't it just a nosebleed? Which kid hasn't had a nosebleed? Only your precious Gougou deserves a village doctor, is that it?"

"If it was two kids roughhousing I wouldn't say a word. The children in the village are tough, but this time it was your Shi Tou who started fighting over things! Does any child deserve to be hit like that?"

The commotion at the Shen Family's place was not small, and some men returning from the fields came over upon hearing the noise.

Ms. Wu's husband and father-in-law had heard the news and come over as well. Seeing his wife's shameful behavior, Li Tian felt a throbbing pain at his temples but remained silent, looking to his old father for guidance.

Old Man Li's complexion wasn't much better; ever since giving birth to Shi Tou, his daughter-in-law had grown increasingly arrogant with each day. Usually, her bullying of Ms. Lin was done in private, slandering her behind her back. But now she had grown bold enough to cause a scene at someone else's home.

And yet, she was now confronted and left speechless.

"Ms. Lin, ah, tell me how you want to handle this," Uncle Li Zheng, having spotted the Li Family father and son, said softly after clearing his throat.

"I won't ask for much, just one hundred wen," Nanzhi replied.

One hundred wen wasn't an excessive amount but certainly not negligible. Calling the village doctor alone would cost twenty wen, not to mention if actual herbs were needed.

"You're trying to rob me, aren't you!"

Old Man Li was about to speak but was silenced by a screech from Ms. Wu.

He looked at his son with a gaze full of frustrated disappointment.

What kind of person had he married?

"Shut your mouth," Li Tian snapped, his face reddening, as if his wife had tarnished the family's reputation beyond salvage.

Ms. Wu finally noticed her husband and father-in-law standing aside and immediately fell silent.

"Uncle Li, since you're the head of the household here, what's your opinion on this matter?" Shen Dashan asked, turning to Old Man Li.

"I've heard the whole story. Although it was Shi Tou who hit Gougou, isn't one hundred wen a bit too much?" Old Man Li said as he fiddled with his dry tobacco.

"Times are hard for every household these days."

A glint of scorn flashed in Dashan's eyes. If the Li Family was struggling, who in Lihua Village could possibly be doing well?

"Then I wonder, Uncle Li, how much you think would be fair to compensate," Uncle Li Zheng asked, without offering his own opinion, only continuing the inquiry.

"This..." Old Man Li glanced around at the people gathered, "Fifty wen, perhaps."

In truth, he wanted to offer thirty wen, but with so many onlookers, he couldn't outright forsake his family's dignity. After all, no matter what, it was indeed his Shi Tou who had hurt someone. And while the victim hadn't spoken, that madwoman Ms. Wu had gone on the offensive first, only to be caught in her own trap.

"Ms. Lin, what do you think of this?" Dashan turned toward Nanzhi, his eyes filled with inquiry.

"One hundred wen, not one wen less," Nanzhi declared, waving the stick in her hand, causing Ms. Wu to flinch.

"One must not be too greedy," Old Man Li's face darkened. Had he ever seen Ms. Lin to be so bold before? Demanding one hundred wen with just a single statement.

"If you're not willing to compensate, that's fine, Uncle Li. Bring Shi Tou over here, let my Gougou hit him until he bleeds, and I'll consider us even."

"You crazy woman! If you dare lay a finger on my Shi Tou, I'll never let this go!" Ms. Wu screamed, her claws ready to grab at Nanzhi, only to be slapped across the face by Li Tian.

The slap resonated sharply, startling several women in the crowd into backing away.

Li Tian indeed knew how to lay down the law.

Ms. Wu looked at Li Tian in disbelief, unable to accept that her husband could lay hands on her.

She was about to start wailing when Li Tian silenced her with a stern look.

In the end, Old Man Li, fearing the situation would escalate and disgrace his entire family, let Li Tian take Ms. Wu home to retrieve one hundred wen, which was handed to Nanzhi before Uncle Li Zheng, settling the matter.

With the excitement over, everyone dispersed and went back to their homes, keen to escape the oppressive heat of the day.