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墨書 Inktalez
"Oh, so arrogant! Then I must teach you a lesson!"
Zhao Qiushui's prejudice against Xia Muxin was extraordinary. After hearing Wang Shoucai's words, she was even more infuriated, twisting the handkerchief in her palm into a rope and stabbing it fiercely with her well-manicured nails, as if she were pinching Xia Muxin herself.
Seeing this, the Zhou family wore sinister smiles of triumph, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Xia Muxin, oh Xia Muxin, it's your fault for not knowing how to behave. This time, we will ensure you have no place to rest.
This was to vent the frustrations I have endured for so many days!
At this moment, under the blazing sun, Xia Muxin was in the fields instructing everyone on how to use the Thresher. With the three machines they had previously made, they now had a total of six, and today four were in operation.
She had asked the villagers to chip in to buy a few bottles of oil, as it was not cheap in this era. Given her current circumstances, she couldn't afford to help so many people on her own. The villagers understood and willingly contributed money.
Xia Muxin did not let them suffer losses; she collected the money and bought the oil. Then she calculated based on the average number of people involved, refunding any excess while charging less for those who used less. This equipment would not be used just once; it would be needed every year. In any case, they wouldn't lose out. The villagers appreciated her fairness and justice wholeheartedly.
Xia Muxin also instructed them to bundle the freshly cut rice stalks and stack them in small piles. When it was time to thresh, they could simply carry these bundles over and stack them beside the Thresher. This method was both convenient and time-saving.
Everyone was astonished by her guidance, speechless. Each of them had lived for decades, only knowing how to toil without ever thinking of clever shortcuts. No wonder this girl had transformed her family in just a few months.
Threshing was labor-intensive work typically done by young men while women cut the rice stalks. This way, men and women worked together without exhausting themselves, allowing the elderly to help with gathering the grain, cooking meals, and watching over children—thus achieving two goals at once while avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
"Miss Muxin, this machine is so much easier to operate! You truly are our great Benefactor!"
An elderly villager in his sixties was working alongside his son on the Thresher. Amidst the rumbling noise of the machine, both father and son were drenched in sweat but still very happy. Seeing Xia Muxin approach, the old man spoke loudly with tears in his eyes.
Their plot of land wasn't large—just about three acres—but early that morning, the whole family had set out to work. They had harvested two-thirds of their rice; now father and son were busy threshing while the women continued cutting stalks. With over an hour until noon, only a small pile remained unthreshed.
In previous years, they would have had to wait three or four days before their turn came around. Sometimes bad weather would force them to work in the rain; if that happened, the wet grain couldn’t be dried properly afterward and would turn black—making it taste terrible when cooked.
Moreover, regardless of their harvest quality, the Wang family would come around to collect grain and always chose only the best.
Xia Muxin smiled gently at the old man, complimenting him on his bountiful harvest before moving on to visit a few other households. Eventually, she wandered back to her own fields.
During the busy farming season, she found herself the least occupied. Ming Yi and the others wouldn’t let her work in the fields; they had already sent the thresher out early. She recognized those who were working, only realizing it was the same group that had helped with the harvest before when she saw them with their tools in hand.
It turned out Shen Muhan had arranged everything in advance, which explained why he had said she didn’t need to worry about the grain harvesting and could just watch from the sidelines.
Before leaving home, she had prepared mung bean porridge and soaked some ginger in salt water for her brother and father to bring along. By the time she arrived, the mung bean porridge was already gone, leaving only half a barrel of water.
Upon her arrival, everyone greeted her respectfully, standing at attention like soldiers. In unison, they exclaimed, “Greetings to our master’s master!”
They stood straight as trees, eyes forward, their voices loud and clear, ringing in her ears. Xia Muxin was taken aback for a moment before awkwardly responding:
“Hello everyone, thank you for your hard work!”
This scene reminded her of her time in the military, except this time she was the one in a position of authority.
However, their commotion attracted the attention of other villagers who were working nearby. Curious glances were cast their way; the women looked at the young men with bright eyes, as if mothers-in-law assessing potential sons-in-law, growing more satisfied with each glance.
Xia Muxin couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head at the absurdity of it all. Fortunately, they weren’t intimidated; instead, they focused on their tasks at hand.
They ignored the unusual looks from the women.
At that moment, the village chief’s face turned red with embarrassment. He knew exactly what everyone was thinking; any one of those young men would be more handsome than any child in the village. They were strong and had skin as smooth as a girl’s. The villagers’ previous sympathy for Xia Muxin had transformed into admiration. Thus, anyone she knew could no longer be seen as bad people. After a pause, he shouted to everyone:
“What are you staring at? Don’t you still need to tend to your own grain?”
His words prompted awkward laughter from the crowd before they dispersed quickly.
Once Xia Muxin saw everyone leave, she chatted casually with Ming Yi and the others for a bit, observed how the thresher was operating, reminded Ming Yi of some important points to note, and then left after telling them to head home early for dinner.
Upon returning home, she began preparing lunch. Just as she finished washing the rice, Songzi rushed in, panting heavily. Seeing her sister, she gasped for breath and said,
"Sister, the Wang family is coming over with a large group. Shouldn't you hide?"
Songzi knew that the Wang family had always targeted her sister, and they had no intention of involving themselves in this matter. This time, however, they were numerous and aggressive; it was clear they meant trouble.
Seeing Songzi's flushed face from running and her worried eyes fixed on her, Xia Muxin felt an overwhelming anger rise within her. Was the Royal Family just looking for trouble out of boredom?
She had just set down the basin of washed rice when the rough voice of Wang Shoucai echoed from outside.
"Xia Muxin, come out here! What's going on with the Thresher? Are you determined to compete with me for business?"
"Sister..."
Everyone else in the house was busy; their mother had just gone out with Aunt Liu. It was just the two of them now. Songzi was anxiously pacing back and forth, glancing at Xia Muxin with concern. She wanted to suggest escaping through the back door but was interrupted by Xia Muxin.
"Don't be afraid, Songzi. Your sister is not what she used to be; they can't do anything to me. Just wait and see!"
It seemed the Wang family was indeed anxious this time. She had disrupted two of their businesses—water delivery and threshing—and given that her family had been facing troubles lately, it was only natural for the Wang family to seek revenge. She just hadn't expected them to act so quickly.
At that moment, she casually grabbed a wooden bucket and slung it over her arm. Winking at the still-dazed Songzi, she noticed the bucket in her hand and widened her eyes in surprise. Just as she was about to speak, Xia Muxin urged her in a hurried tone:
"Songzi, hurry up! They’ve already paid a deposit. If I don’t find what they want before they arrive, I’ll have to compensate fifty times that amount! That’s two hundred and fifty taels of silver! We couldn’t even sell ourselves for that much!"
With an urgent demeanor, she dashed out of the house with the bucket in tow, calling out to Songzi as she ran while completely ignoring Wang Shoucai and his group outside, as if she hadn’t heard their voices at all.
Songzi lowered her gaze, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes before she followed Xia Muxin outside, running alongside her while muttering in frustration:
"Sister, it's my fault," Songzi said. "Last time I saw you catch a lot of leeches, the boss said they could be used for medicine and bought them from us at a high price. I thought if I caught a few more, we could make some extra money, but who knew they would be so hard to catch?"
Last time he had gone fishing, he found two large leeches on the fish. He was still somewhat afraid of them because they suck blood and are all soft and slimy, which is quite unpleasant. Not only was he scared, but even his sister had been afraid back then. Moreover, no matter how hard one tried, it was impossible to kill these things; if you cut one in half, it would still live and turn into two. That day, his sister had told him that these were valuable medicinal materials and that there were only two ways to kill them: one was to burn them, and the other was to turn them inside out and leave them under the scorching sun.
At that time, he had been curious about how such a bloodsucking creature could be considered valuable medicine. His sister had explained it all to him. She mentioned that leeches could occasionally suck out impurities and toxins from a person's body, but if they sucked too much blood, it wouldn't be good. There were also different types of leeches—those from the fields and those from rivers. River leeches were generally poisonous; if they latched onto someone's skin, it would cause itching and swelling, and if they sucked too much blood, the consequences could be dire.
Now, seeing his sister lift the bucket, he quickly found an excuse.
Upon hearing Songzi's words, Xia Muxin was somewhat surprised. Songzi had always been cheerful and clever; she hadn't expected him to apply the basic knowledge she had taught him while acting together. How delightful it was to see him learning!
Because she was in a hurry and oblivious to her surroundings, she directly bypassed Wang Shoucai and his group. Out of the corner of her eye, she seemed to catch sight of a different figure. When she turned around, she found someone staring back at her with wide eyes.
Zhao Qiushui...
She had learned this name from Ye Feng and remembered it well because this woman was so arrogant and sycophantic that she couldn't stand her.
She thought to herself how the Wang family seemed to be getting bold again; it turned out they had found a powerful backer.
She had heard that the Wang family had taken in a noble patron; now she realized that this noble patron was her.
So... that time when she was hit by an unknown carriage must have been orchestrated by her as well.
Perhaps Zhao Qiushui had become too famous recently; the Wang family must have been looking for ways to deal with her. Zhao Qiushui had definitely come looking for her after hearing her name.
And naturally, the Wang family wouldn't let such a good opportunity slip by; they relied on squeezing profits from the villagers.
A cold smile crossed Xia Muxin's lips as she shot Zhao Qiushui a provocative and disdainful glance before turning away and heading toward the riverbank.
Wang Shoucai and his group exchanged glances before Wang Shoucai waved his chubby hand and shouted:
"Let's see what this girl is capable of. No matter what it takes, I will stop her from getting those things."
With that, she bent down and gestured for Zhao Qiushui to go ahead. At that moment, Zhao Qiushui was already filled with rage; Xia Muxin was too arrogant, daring to look down on her like this.
Without waiting for Wang Shoucai to speak, she lifted her skirt and strode away.
"Mother, mother, come out quickly! Xia Muxin is going to get a good beating today. Look, the Wang family has brought a whole group over. Besides, that Shen family isn't home, so this time she won't be able to escape."
The You family had also planted a few acres of land, but they were unwilling to harvest it. In previous years, after the Wang family finished their harvest, they would call a few people to help the You family as well. This year would be no exception. So while other villagers were busy working hard, the You family was at home resting, occasionally sneaking over to the Feng family to discuss the marriage between Feng Liulang and Cai Lian. After all, if the betrothal gifts weren't satisfactory, they wouldn't marry.
Xia Muxin's actions regarding the Thresher had long been the talk of the town. Due to the last incident where she was attacked by a Water Snake and abandoned Wang Shoucai to reach the shore first, the Wang family had been displeased with her family. The Meng family even scolded her directly. Of course, she didn't dare to retaliate; she was afraid of provoking a fierce confrontation.
If it happened again, she would still choose to reach the shore first.
Was Wang Shoucai's life more valuable than hers?
Moreover, it was later confirmed that the Water Snake was not poisonous; it only caused superficial injuries.
She had very little flesh on her body; if bitten, it would definitely be serious. Wang Shoucai was different; with all his excess fat, losing a few pounds might even be beneficial for him.
The Wu family was incessantly scolding Zhou Guilian and Zhou Cailian when they heard You's shout and immediately fell silent. Their eyes were filled with malice as they grabbed Zhou Guilian and headed outside.
Zhou Guilian had been locked in the woodshed for several days and had lost quite a bit of weight. Seeing Zhou Cailian plump and healthy only deepened her resentment. Moreover, just earlier, her grandmother had advised her not to ruin herself over a man when there were countless men in the world.
Zhou Cailian was attentively pouring tea for her, skillfully navigating between respect and familiarity in front of their grandmother. She nodded eagerly at everything her grandmother said, her eyes shining with a thirst for knowledge.
What could have happened in these days to cause such a complete transformation in someone?
They say one should not take advantage of a friend's wife, but what about a sister's husband? Is that fair game?
She wouldn't let it go just like that. Go ahead and laugh now; let's see how long you can keep it up.
As for Xia Muxin...
She wouldn't let them off the hook either. Even though the Wu Family was holding her hand a bit too tightly, their nails digging into her arm through the fabric, she still didn't cry out. Instead, she greeted them with a smile.
"Mother, Grandma, I'm going too. I want to see what kind of miserable end that scoundrel will meet."
Once outside, the Wu Family slammed the door shut and secured it tightly. Just as they were about to lock Zhou Guilian in the woodshed, they heard her pleading words.
The two sisters had caused quite a stir today, and the root of all this trouble was Xia Muxin. It seemed that Guilian was even more eager than herself to witness Xia Muxin's downfall, so she agreed.
Soon after, the three of them hurried to the riverbank.
"Sister, over there! Isn't that a huge one?"
Songzi and Xia Muxin crouched by the riverbank, their eyes fixed on the flowing water. Songzi pointed excitedly at a leech about the size of his thumb, suppressing his disgust while pretending to be thrilled.
Xia Muxin followed his finger and her eyes lit up. She exchanged a knowing smile with Songzi and discreetly blinked before rolling up her sleeves, preparing to wade into the water to catch it.
Everyone knew that leeches could be used in medicine, but they didn't realize that catching them could be profitable. It had to be said that Xia Muxin truly had a knack for business; as long as it was alive—whether crawling on land or swimming in water—she could turn it into shiny silver coins.
This made them both envious and resentful.
Wang Shoucai had already calculated how much Xia Muxin would earn from her words; at least five taels should be expected.
Five taels might seem like pocket change to him, but for these poor souls, it represented half a year's income. How could he let such an opportunity slip away while watching silver fall into Xia Muxin's pockets?
So before Xia Muxin even stepped into the water, he waved at Liu Mazi and the others, calling out:
"Catch them, catch them all for me! If we don't bring back a few pounds today, we'll lose a tenth of our wages this month."
Upon hearing this, Liu Mazi and the others turned pale, nearly spitting out blood. If their wages were deducted this month, they would truly have nothing left. They would return home to be scolded by their wives, not only denied affection but also meals.
Thus, without daring to delay even a moment, they hurriedly jumped into the water, reaching out to grab any dark, moving shapes they could see.
Xia Muxin, caught up in their chaos, deliberately fell to the ground, glaring at Liu Mazi and his group with anger, wanting to scold them but unable to find the words.
"Xia Muxin, do you still have any shame? You think you can pull off such childish tricks?"
Zhao Qiushui's target was Xia Muxin; she paid no mind to Liu Mazi and the others who had been splashing around in the water for ages without catching anything. With an air of superiority, she stood with her hands on her hips, coldly glaring at Xia Muxin and sneering.
Zhao Qiushui was half a head taller than Xia Muxin, giving her an advantage in this confrontation. With several henchmen behind her, seemingly there to protect her, Xia Muxin appeared even more like an ant.
In response, Xia Muxin shrugged nonchalantly and said proudly, "None of that matters. What’s important is that someone believes it. What about you, Miss Zhao? You don’t seem like someone who’s short on cash. Are you perhaps looking to get in on this too?"
Watching the chaotic scene in the river with everyone flailing about, Xia Muxin remained seated on the ground, adopting a pitiful demeanor as she spoke.
Wang Shoucai stood some distance away and had no idea what they were discussing. He only noticed Xia Muxin's fearful and tearful expression and felt an immense sense of satisfaction inside.
"Hmph! Child's play! Even if you could actually make money from this, it’s just a few taels of silver. Do you think I would care?"
Zhao Qiushui scoffed disdainfully and deliberately showcased the jade bracelet on her wrist with a mocking smile.
Besides, her family had plenty of gold and silver; considering such a method of making money was simply laughable.
"Miss Zhao, I know you're still holding a grudge from last time when I took your business. But please don’t take it out on me regarding this money from the Wang family. Besides, I’ve only taken a deposit; I haven’t delivered the goods yet. If you send your people into the water to catch some too, we can split it evenly. This stuff is quite valuable; if we meet the requirements and quantity, it could be worth at least two hundred taels of silver."
Two hundred taels...
The Wu Family and the You Family's eyes lit up at the mention of it. Splitting it... that would be one hundred taels each, right?
They couldn't believe how lucky Xia Muxin was, stumbling upon such good fortune. If it weren't for the Wang family stepping in this time, that juicy piece of meat would have slipped away.
Xia Muxin deliberately raised her voice, wanting everyone present to hear. After all, who among them wasn't greedy for money? Even a few from the Wu Family were present, so let them squabble amongst themselves.
However, once Xia Muxin said this, most people believed her. After all, she had been making money like this lately—one moment catching fish, the next gathering Apple Snails, and then Fava Beans. Each time, she returned with a full haul.
"Xia Muxin, you're asking for trouble!"
Zhao Qiushui was still somewhat rational and quickly realized what Xia Muxin was up to. Furious, she kicked out at her.
Feigning fear, Xia Muxin curled up and exclaimed, "Miss Zhao, you can't be so greedy! You want to swallow these two hundred taels all by yourself?"
"Swallow it all? No way."
Just as her words fell, the Wu Family and the You Family rolled up their sleeves and shouted a few words before charging over. In their eyes, there was no place for Zhao Qiushui. Seeing this, Xia Muxin hurriedly grabbed Zhao Qiushui's leg as she kicked out. Zhao Qiushui lost her balance and was pushed aside by Xia Muxin just as the charging members of the You Family and Wu Family collided with her, sending her tumbling into the river.
Watching this unfold, Xia Muxin leisurely stood up, clapped her hands, and then placed a barrel into the river to wash it. In no time at all, the water turned red.
- End of Chapter -
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