WSMTATMC C164

Chapter 164

Cold sweat suddenly trickled down his temples. “I wouldn’t dare. Little one truly doesn’t know what Marquis is talking about…”

Li Mu tapped his forehead with the horsewhip. “Someone saw with their own eyes that you seized the cart and horse, and now claiming the person doesn’t exist? Hear this: if anything happens to that man, this matter won’t end today.”

At that, Xue Wang couldn’t help cursing inwardly. How had this Wang family vegetable shop gotten tangled up with Marquis Wuping?

If Xue Wang was a thoroughgoing scoundrel, then Li Mu was a madman who recognized no kin—killing without batting an eye—and he bore a third-rank marquisate besides. Even if he lost control and beat someone to death or crippled them, he likely wouldn’t suffer severe punishment.

Xue Wang dared not keep stonewalling and immediately ordered his men to bring over the Chen family’s cart and the servant.

When Ershun was brought out, the blood on his face had already congealed; he was bruised black and blue, continuously pleading, “Military lord, spare… spare me. Little one truly knows nothing…”

They hadn’t had time to unload the cart’s vegetables, which could be let pass for the moment, but seeing Chen Ershun beaten like this, Li Mu would not let it slide.

“Why did you beat him?”

Xue Wang mumbled without a coherent answer, and Li Mu lifted his hand and slapped him with a ringing blow, knocking him to the ground.

“M-Marquis… my brother-in-law is Assistant Prefect Zhao. For the monk’s sake if not the Buddha’s, would Marquis really fall out with us over a mere servant?”

Li Mu kicked him in the chest, sending him flying; he’d held back a portion of his strength—otherwise the kick could have killed him outright.

“Who’s the monk and who’s the Buddha? Assistant Prefect Zhao himself wouldn’t dare say such a thing to my face—what are you but trash.”

A metallic taste rose in Xue Wang’s mouth. Enduring the pain, he knelt and begged for mercy. “Marquis, spare me. Little one knows his fault—knows his fault.” In that state, he was no different from the bullied Ershun.

Li Mu couldn’t be bothered to bicker further. He helped Ershun into the cart, tied up his own horse to the side, and drove back to the vegetable shop.

The cart pulled up at the shop. Limping, Ershun climbed down, his blood-caked face startling Wang Ying. “Heavens—what happened?”

Through tears, Ershun said, “Those men seized our cart… and locked me up, forcing me to say where the vegetables came from. Little one said I didn’t know, and they beat me in turns…”

Wang Ying’s breath caught. “Xiao Ma, Tian Ju—take him to the clinic at once!”

“Right!” Tian Ju carried Ershun off to the nearest clinic.

Wang Ying knelt in gratitude. “Many thanks, Marquis, for righteous aid!”

Li Mu quickly helped him up. “Please, don’t.”

If not for the Marquis today, disaster would have followed. Not only might Ershun have lost his life, but their test plot’s secret would likely have been exposed as well.

A wave of dread surged up, turning Wang Ying’s legs icy and sapping all strength from his body.

Outside was no place to talk; the three went inside, and Li Mu recounted what had happened.

“The one who detained your man is called Xue Wang, Assistant Prefect Zhao’s brother-in-law—infamous in the prefectural city. He likely had his eye on your business, hence this.”

Lin Sui asked, “Will he come to make trouble again?”

“Rest easy. I’ve told him the shop belongs to my kin; he won’t dare come again.”

Wang Ying was filled with gratitude. “There’s no way to thank you enough.”

Li Mu said, “You are Lin Sui’s sister-in-law, and thus mine as well. We’re family; no need for such words.”

A blush rose on Lin Sui’s cheeks. “Bring Qing’er over tomorrow—let’s make her a set of clothes and see if the fit is right.”

Li Mu nodded. “Then I’ll head back first. If anything comes up, send for me.”

“Much obliged, Marquis.”

After seeing Marquis Wuping out, Wang Ying collapsed onto a chair and only then realized his back was soaked with cold sweat.

Selling vegetables in the prefectural city had gone smoothly last year, making him lower his guard—thinking no one would discover the matter of the greens. He hadn’t expected they’d been eyed already, and it was sheer luck the Marquis helped this time.

“Sui’er, watch the shop. I’ll go check on Ershun at the clinic.”

“All right.” Lin Sui didn’t stay idle—he unloaded the vegetables and laid them out. Better to sell what could be sold than let it all go to waste.

When Wang Ying reached the clinic, the physician was massaging medicine into Ershun’s bruises, making him grimace with pain.

“Superficial wounds are not serious. Apply this trauma ointment once daily, and they’ll mend fast. As for the internal injuries, they must be nursed slowly. I’ll write a prescription—decoct and take it for a month, then return for a look.”

Wang Ying paid for the medicines and escorted Ershun home—after all, a body covered in wounds would need explaining to his wife. Moreover, Ershun had never revealed the vegetables’ source from start to finish; such loyalty deserved to be repaid with care.

Ershun and his wife lived in a front-facing side room. She was now pregnant and seldom entered the kitchen. She was sewing little clothes in the room; seeing her husband return battered scared her into a fluster.

Wang Ying quickly soothed her. “Don’t worry. He’s been seen at the clinic; it’s nothing grave. After a period of good rest, he’ll be fine.”

“How did this happen?”

Ershun glanced at Wang Ying. “Little one will tell you later… Master, please attend to your matters.”

“Then rest and heal well. If anything is needed, send word—don’t delay.”

“Understood.”

When Wang Ying stepped out, the courtyard was quiet and empty; his spirits flagged.

At noon, Chen Qingyan returned, unaware of the huge commotion at the shop. Back in the bedchamber, seeing Wang Ying lying on the bed, he was startled. “Not at the shop?”

“Mm…”

Seeing his listless look, Chen Qingyan grew worried and felt his forehead. “What’s wrong—feeling unwell?”

“No… Something happened this morning. It gave a scare.”

“What happened?”

Wang Ying recounted how Ershun had been beaten and the cart and vegetables seized, and how Marquis Wuping had helped get the man and cart back. “Ershun’s face was a mask of bruises, yet he never once mentioned where the vegetables came from…”

Heart aching, Chen Qingyan held him. “My fault—I should have gone with you today.”

Wang Ying shook his head. “It would’ve been no use—you weren’t what they were after. Ershun said they’d tailed Old Chen’s cart last year but didn’t act; today they suddenly did.”

“Should we report this to the yamen?”

Wang Ying caught his hand. “This can’t be made bigger. That man is Assistant Prefect Zhao’s brother-in-law; reporting it brings no advantage. If the test plot gets dragged in, it will be difficult to handle.”

Chen Qingyan’s brow furrowed. Although angry to the core, he had to admit A Ying was right. His wings were not yet fully grown—if they clashed head-on, both sides might be hurt.

Wang Ying said, “The headache now is whether to sell or not. If not, there’s no income—the whole family’s eating and drinking will be a problem. If we do, they might come back to make trouble.”

Chen Qingyan felt all the more guilty. For years he had done nothing but study, earning no money and relying on his husband’s support…

Wang Ying knew what he was thinking. Likely due to past-life influence, he had never truly seen himself as a woman or a ge’er; he felt it right and proper that he should provide for the family.

Other than bearing a child, he was no different from a man—and in any case, even women and ge’ers in this world did go out to do business and support families.

“Don’t worry. Let’s pause the shop for two days. Once things quiet down, we’ll open again.”

Holding his hand, Chen Qingyan’s voice caught. “Give me two more years—after the metropolitan exam…”

“Mm. The future pillar of this family is you. Don’t weigh your heart with such trifles. At the exam, strive for first class!”

—

After taking a kick from Marquis Wuping, Xue Wang had three ribs broken and was sent to the city clinic.

That night, his elder sister got the news and pulled Assistant Prefect Zhao to hurry over to see her brother.

Back at her maiden home, seeing her brother writhing and crying out in pain on the bed, Madam Zhao burst into tears. “Marquis Wuping bullies people too much. My brother did nothing to provoke him—why strike so cruelly!”

Old Madam Xue clutched Assistant Prefect Zhao. “Son-in-law, you must stand up for your brother-in-law. With one kick he broke three of Wang’er’s ribs—he nearly lost his life!”

Assistant Prefect Zhao soothed the elders. “Mother, rest assured—your son-in-law won’t let him suffer. Please go rest first; I’ll speak with him alone.”

Once the others left, Xue Wang wept to his brother-in-law. “He knew perfectly well you were my brother-in-law and gave not a whit of face—raised his hand and slapped, then kicked me to death… ow, it hurts…”

Closing the door, Assistant Prefect Zhao’s face changed. “Stop wailing. What exactly did you do?”

“N-nothing. Last year, didn’t brother-in-law say to find out where the Wang family’s fresh vegetables came from? I happened to meet their cart on patrol this morning and… had the cart and man detained.”

“Fool! It was a casual remark—how dare you seize their cart!”

“It’s only a little juren. Brother-in-law, are you afraid of him?”

Assistant Prefect Zhao was so angry he nearly hit him. “Have you forgotten—their girl married into the Liu family, and Liu Min’s elder brother is a second-rank minister at court, a favorite by His Majesty’s side. Truly anger them, and snuffing us out is like crushing ants!”

Only then did Xue Wang feel fear. For years, he had swaggered under his brother-in-law’s identity, thinking himself free to strut in the prefectural city—now he had offended those even his brother-in-law dared not cross.

“Brother-in-law, help me…”

“Tomorrow, take silver and go apologize at the Chen household. If they don’t pursue this matter, there may be room to turn things around.”

“But my injuries…”

Assistant Prefect Zhao spat. “If you don’t go even half-dead, you’ll drag the whole family down with you!”