Chapter 33: Embarrassment, Thick-Faced
Translator: Antonia
In view that there were outsiders coming, the village head changed his expression and stood up, “Since you have guests, let’s go inside.” As the sayings went that domestic shame shouldn’t be made public. This incident was about the village, he couldn’t let outsiders know and laugh at them.
As the head, he also had to consider on behalf of the village. Now the village of Wang clan had so declined that it only relied on domestic vegetable fields at the front and back of each household and hunting in the forest, or, sometimes, short-term jobs.
All this was because of the famine a dozen of years ago. During that time, the previous village head and elders had sold out all the paddy fields to a big household in the village of Li clan in exchange of grain to get through the winter.
Now the village couldn’t afford a doctor or teachers. Many households barely made ends meet. If this continued, the village of Wang clan would be facing a worrying future.
Now Mrs. Ning was able to make such a good food which sold great at Tianxiang city. Probably, this was an opportunity for the village of Wang clan. Naturally, the head didn’t want the brand to be ruined by others.
“Welcome to come in. Head and elders.” Mo Qianxue replied respectfully and suddenly she turned to point at the Zhao couple, voicing turning cold and tough, “But these two filthy thing, forgive me for not allowing them in. My husband likes everything clean. He will be annoyed if dirty things stain my house.”
They dared to come to make a scene, then she dared to deliberately embarrass them!
The onlooking villagers at once remembered the incident happened a dozen of days ago and began to show detesting on their face and stepped back, as if they feared to be polluted by the stinky air from the couple.
“You…” Sister Zhao, though thick-faced she was, now felt so embarrassed that she even wanted to escape from the site.
Mo Qianxue took a despising glimpse at the complicated faces of the Zhao couple, cursing in secrecy, you deserved that!
Then she turned to the head, “Please come in and have a rest for a moment. I’ll be right there.”
Meanwhile, Azhao and Xiaoqizi had entered the yard. Mo Qianxue got out to welcome them, ignoring the stunned village head and elders.
“Guard Azhao, today I have private matter to handle. Please take the tofu and head for the capital at once. As for the money, we can settle next time.”
“Mrs. Ning, do you need help? The seventh young lord has told us…” Azhao frowned.
“No thanks!” Mo Qianxue answered firmly.
“Take the tofu and leave at once. We can talk tomorrow. Sister Guihua…”
Then she ordered sister Guihua to help upload the tofu onto the carriage as fast as possible.
All finished in a decisive and clear-cut way.
In the middle of the process, Zhao Ergou wanted to interrupt, but he was stopped by elder Yun’s gaze.
Elder Yun had been a village elder for twenty years and become a shrewd cunning old man long ago.
He knew from inside and out of what village head had in mind and what Zhao Ergou had in mind.
Utilizing this Zhao Ergou, probably, they could get the tofu recipe and then the village of Wang clan could prosper again. He stroked his thin moustache and regarded the carriage of Baiyunju, eyes flowing of cunningness and sitting there as steady as Mount Tai.
Azhao had wanted to stay in order to watch on the situation, ready to help her.
However, Mo Qianxue was able to read his intention, and after all tofu was carried onto the carriage, she gave a slap in the buttock of the horse. By the sudden attack, the horse got startled and set off immediately. Azhao hurriedly tried to stop the horse, but from the corners of his eyes, he saw Mo Qianxue waved goodbye to him.
This woman really didn’t know how to accept others’ good intention. What a pity that the seventh young lord always wanted to protect her! He felt she was unworthy of the seventh young lord’s care, so without hesitation, he drove the carriage and left.
Seeing the carriage out, sister Fang stood out from the crowd at the door and nodded to Mo Qianxue through the group of people. Obviously, she finished what Mo Qianxue had told her to do.
Mo Qianxue sneered, eyes icy cold. She turned and stepped forward, beginning to defend herself, “Head and elders, can I know what benefit the Zhao couple want to get by making such a scene since early morning?”
“You, you, you…we just ask for justice. What benefit?”
“Really? Justice? Do you know the word justice? I wonder how I should solve the problem in order for you to think it as just.”
Seeing Mo Qianxue was so calm, Zhao Ergou suddenly became a little daunted, but he was unwilling to lose the benefit hanging before his eyes, “Of course…of course you should apologize and kowtow to us before our villagers and give us ten tales of silver as compensation to help us recover. Then get out the tofu secret recipe for us to check whether there is anything wrong, so that we can continue to eat tofu safely.”
Kowtow? Compensation? Secret recipe?
He really didn’t fear karma!
Mo Qianxue’s face turned colder, “Do head and elders also think the same way?”
Today she must clear the pus once! These greedy people must be slapped right in the face.
Seeing Mo Qianxue’s way of doing and speaking, the village head thought of his wife’s words before leaving and suddenly changed his mind and remained silent.
Since the head didn’t speak and other elders were intently looking at him, elder Zhaoer put down his pipe, thinking for a while, and said, “Zhao Ergou’s method makes sense. It can indeed help you shake off the suspicion. As for kowtow and apology, I don’t think it’s necessary. After all, Mr. Ning is our school teacher. We need to save his face.
What about this. Mrs. Ning, you apologize to them before the fellows and give them some money, then this incident is settled. As for the recipe, I think it’d be better that you take it out for us to have a check.”
He even didn’t give her a chance to argue and directly declared her guilty? To be straight, this elder Zhaoer also cast greedy eyes on her tofu!
Mo Qianxue now was clear about the reality. She didn’t jump and shout, but approached step by step, “Then, you mean head and elders believe Zhao Ergou’s words and think that he suffered diarrhea because of tofu? My tofu has problems?”
Elder Li said, “An innocent is innocent after all. Why don’t you just take it out and let us check? It’s just a recipe of a food.”
So shameless! Many respected elders should join together to bully and extort a fifteen-year-old girl.
“Do you agree head?” Mo Qianxue looked directly in his eyes, leaving no space for him to escape.
The head coughed in embarrassment. He was a person who handled things fairly and always kept his words, so he became the most respected person in the village. Yet, now he found himself in a dilemma.
His wife had told him that judging from their unparallelly behavior and speech, Mr. and Mrs. Ning weren’t ordinary people, and that he should take their side and help them.
But now this incident was related to the future of the village, and in addition, there were four elders staring intently at him. How to help the Ning couple?
The village head continued to cough a few times, and the cough got harder after he choked on water. Elder Fang sitting next to him pointed at Mo Qianxue and reprimanded, “You stupid rude woman. Look how badly you irritated head!”
Elder Wanger frowns at this scene. It seemed that the village head, his nephew, was too just and fair in doing things. In such a moment, he still wanted to be fair. Still too young and with little experience to make a decision. It was time for them old men to spoke up, “Mrs. Ning, don’t think too much. We consider for your good. Just take out the recipe and let we old men have a look. I don’t think it will hurt.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“How dare you!” Zhao Ergou sprang up seeing the elders were supporting him, though the head didn’t say anything.
Mo Qianxue glared at him, “You shameless person, don’t talk to me!”
The trap was set up, and she was clear about the thoughts and attitudes of these people. Now she didn’t need to waste more time, “Head and elders, I require witnesses to question them! Then it’s easy to figure out who on earth was the wrong-doer. By then, if you insist I’m the one, then I’ll accept the punishment!”