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墨書 Inktalez
A few villagers surrounded Liu Bei, laughing and mocking him, taking advantage of his honest temperament, knowing he wouldn't easily get angry.
"Liu Bei, it's not that we're talking bad about your wife behind her back, but she's really too domineering. Just look at you now; you have no say at home, always being pushed around. You're living such a constrained life," one villager said, his beady eyes squinting as he grinned mockingly.
The others burst into laughter. "Don't be so Liu Bei! If your wife hears this, you'll end up kneeling on the washboard again!"
Ye Xiaohan paused, pressing herself against the wall. She suddenly felt curious about Liu Bei's reaction. Usually, he was very obedient; no matter what she said, he would never argue back but simply follow her instructions.
Liu Bei spoke little and often remained silent, rarely expressing his feelings. Many times, Ye Xiaohan could only guess his emotions through his actions and expressions.
All along, she had no idea whether Liu Bei's obedience stemmed from a lack of interest in arguing with her or if it was genuine fear like others suggested.
The latter seemed too far-fetched to her. If Liu Bei were just an ordinary village man without opinions, afraid of his wife who held the reins of household power, it might be possible. But Liu Bei was clearly not that kind of person.
Just then, she happened to overhear them and perked up her ears, planning to eavesdrop on Liu Bei's true thoughts.
Liu Bei remained silent while the villagers took advantage of his usual meekness and refused to let him off the hook this time. In their eyes, Liu Bei was nothing but a coward who could only hunt and had barely any skills; he was almost unable to support himself.
Yet he was lucky enough to marry a wife who could bring in money. No matter what Ye Xiaohan had done before that made her a laughingstock for so long, she had managed to run the Liu household efficiently all on her own.
From being so poor they couldn't afford food to becoming the richest family in the village. Look at Liu Yang; he could afford to go to school, and Liu Qi was well-fed and chubby.
Meanwhile, they were still stuck in their old ways, scraping for food in the dirt and living meal to meal. In comparison, how could they not feel envious?
They dared not act arrogantly in front of Ye Xiaohan and instead chose to show off in front of Liu Bei by mocking him for their amusement.
These people grew bolder and belittled Liu Bei even more. He endured their nonsense without saying a word and intended to walk away. But seeing him remain silent made them think he was afraid, so they became even more brazen. Wherever Liu Bei tried to go, they blocked his path on purpose.
Ye Xiaohan couldn't bear it any longer. Liu Bei was being far too patient; when faced with such ruffians, there was no need to give them any face. One word: fight. She wanted to beat them until they couldn't recognize themselves.
Just as she was about to step in and drive the villagers away, she heard Liu Bei's voice. Startled, Ye Xiaohan quickly crouched back down.
Through the wall, she heard Liu Bei say, "Xiao Han is not what you think. She is a good person. As for her goodness, that's not something for you to concern yourselves with; as long as I know, that's enough."
"Wow, even now you're defending her? You're definitely a dog—no doubt about it. Even a dog barks for its owner sometimes. You're more obedient than a dog, not even daring to speak ill of her behind her back," someone sneered, prompting laughter from the crowd.
Another person chimed in, "Liu Bei, stop pretending. We all know about your past with your wife; you were so angry that you divorced her back then. Don't act like a submissive fool now. A disobedient woman like that deserves a good beating until she listens and submits to you."
"Exactly," another villager added. "Look at that man in the village; does he seem as miserable as you? If you don't have the strength to hit her, we can do it for you!"
Ye Xiaohan silently noted down all their faces in her mind, planning to settle the score later.
She felt a mix of anger and urgency; she wanted to wait and see Liu Bei's reaction but also felt these people needed a lesson. Unable to resist, she leaned against the wall, intently watching Liu Bei. Their words were harsh, but unfortunately, they held some truth. The original owner had acted so foolishly that Ye Xiaohan herself had wanted to hit her, and now she indeed had authority in the Liu household; everyone listened to her.
Liu Bei's voice carried evident anger: "You all are going too far. My family's matters are not for others to meddle in. Xiao Han's words and actions are very reasonable; I am willing to listen to her."
He declared loudly, "As for past mistakes, who hasn't made errors? She has changed now; if you can't see her current goodness and only cling to her past faults, then you're just a bunch of big men bullying a woman and maliciously slandering her behind her back. I disdain you."
Liu Bei's anger caused the crowd to feel some trepidation. Although he had a good temper, his stature as the village's renowned hunter meant that if it came down to a fight, they wouldn't gain much advantage.
They had come merely to mock Liu Bei for their own satisfaction; if they ended up getting beaten instead, it would only add to their frustration. Cursing under their breath, they quickly dispersed.
Liu Bei glared at them as they left, taking a moment to calm himself before continuing on his way home.
Ye Xiaohan hid behind the wall, feeling somewhat surprised. Although Liu Bei had always treated her well, she didn't expect him to defend her so fiercely behind her back.
Hearing him speak, Xiao Han felt a sense of reason; he was willing to listen to her. Suddenly, her mood brightened. With someone who wholeheartedly trusted her by her side, she felt a surge of strength supporting her.
Unable to suppress a smile, Ye Xiaohan returned home with a cheerful demeanor.
When Liu Bei saw her, he was astonished by her sudden change and assumed that the issues at the shop had been resolved, which relieved him. Ye Xiaohan didn’t mind much; she was just particularly gentle with Liu Bei, even giving him Liu Yang's chicken leg during dinner, which prompted Liu Yang to shout that it was unfair.
That evening, Ye Xiaohan sought out Liu Bei. Since they were all family, they should share both glory and misfortune; any issues should be faced together.
She hadn’t intentionally kept anything from him; she had simply thought of the shop as solely her responsibility. It was her only support in this world. She was willing to spend money for the Liu family because she lived with them.
Liu Bei had saved her life in a very real way, and she felt it was only right to repay him. If that repayment could be made with money, it would certainly be the quickest and simplest method.
After resolving her inner conflicts, Liu Yang grew closer to her, while Liu Qi followed her around like a tail. She felt very comfortable living with the Liu family, almost as if she were in her own home.
“Tomorrow I want to take a trip to the neighboring town; will you accompany me? As a woman going to an unfamiliar place, it can be inconvenient,” she said. After all, this wasn’t modern times; women in ancient society had no social standing and could be gossiped about for simply stepping out too often, let alone engaging in business dealings.
Liu Bei readily agreed at first but then asked, “What do you need to go to the neighboring town for?”
Ye Xiaohan shared the difficulties she encountered at the shop but deliberately concealed Liu Yuan’s identity, mentioning only that someone was sabotaging them.
“I can’t believe there’s such a thing happening. I thought you were just having temporary trouble acquiring goods when I saw you busy before; I didn’t realize someone was deliberately targeting the shop,” Liu Bei exclaimed in shock.
He understood that doing business wasn’t easy, but he hadn’t expected such a significant setback right at the start. This wasn’t just petty scheming; it was an attempt to completely ruin the shop.
The thought of Ye Xiaohan juggling the mess of the shop while also managing matters within the Liu family filled Liu Bei with guilt. “It’s all my fault for being useless. I haven’t been able to help you; instead, my Second Uncle and others have caused so many problems that you have to help me clean up.”
Ye Xiaohan smiled and said, "I'm also living in the sixth house now; this is part of my responsibilities. Besides, your Second Uncle and the others are clearly after the family's money. Ultimately, it's my fault for being too high-profile and attracting attention. If I had kept a lower profile from the beginning, none of this would have happened. I bear some responsibility."
At least Liu Yuan wouldn't be dragged into this mess; getting rid of it now was no easy task.
Li Bei hurriedly said, "You didn't provoke these issues; they came looking for you. You run a shop and do business—how can that be done quietly? How could it be blamed on you?"
The two reflected on their situations, each taking the blame upon themselves, and eventually found it somewhat amusing. They exchanged smiles and finally stopped.
"There's no need to distinguish who's right or wrong at this point; we should focus on solving the problem first. There will be plenty of time to sort things out later," Ye Xiaohan decided she would head back to rest early so she could wake up refreshed in the morning.
Transportation in ancient times was severely lacking—no airplanes, high-speed trains, or cars; not even a bus. To get to the neighboring town, one had to hire an ox cart, which moved slowly and took forever.
However, complaining about these things was pointless now. No matter how capable she was, she couldn't create a solution herself. Even if she could, there was no guarantee it would be accepted; she might even be accused of madness and chaos.
This place was no longer her original world. Realizing this fact once again filled Ye Xiaohan with a touch of melancholy as she turned over on the soft mattress. The sheets had just been washed and dried by Lubei, still carrying the scent of her homemade soap. Amidst the faint floral fragrance, she fell asleep faster than she had anticipated.
Stretching her body and breathing in the uniquely fresh air of the countryside, Ye Xiaohan quickly finished her grooming and prepared to head out.
But unexpectedly, their outing did not go smoothly. As soon as she opened the door, they encountered a major obstacle.
Li Yang rushed in and exclaimed, "Sister-in-law, come out quickly! We have guests at home!"
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