stingy landlady

Chapter 100 Another Storm (4)

Guizhi instructed the others:

"Come on! Take the silver bracelet with you!" The silver bracelet was in Erzhu's arms. Xile reached out and took it out. Erzhu tried to snatch it, but Xile raised her little fist as if to hit him. Erzhu quickly waved his hand, "Take it, take it! It's back to you!"

Guizhi saw Guihong and Dazhu hurrying into their house, with the old man following closely behind, and no one paid any attention to Guizhi and the others.

After the group entered the house, Guizhi stood at the old lady's door and shouted loudly:

"Second Aunt! Second Uncle is calling you!"

Zhao, eager to curry favor, placed the cloth on the kang (a heated brick bed) and gave the old lady two strings of copper coins.

"Mother! This is a gift of money for your filial piety! My elder brother and sister-in-law are so stingy! They earn so much money but can't even give you a penny!"

Mom! I didn't dare take it all! I was afraid my older brother would beat me when he got back!

But I couldn't stand by and watch, so I gave you these! Mother, you'll have to take my side later!

Mother! Look how much new fabric you bought, but you didn't even think about making a couple of sets of clothes for Father and Mother!

"Mom, this red one is so pretty! Shall I make you a dress with this red one?"

The old lady smiled and said:

"Forget it! That's a color for young people. If I go out in red, people will call me an old hag! Let's make new clothes for Taozhi!"

We haven't gotten a new set of clothes made since the New Year! Our daughter's all grown up, she should dress up nicely! It'll make it easier for her to find a husband later!

"Huh? Mom! I think I heard Erbao crying! Erzhu is inside! He doesn't know how to play with the kids, and he made Erbao cry again!"

"All men are like this! How many of them can actually take care of children!"

Guizhi's voice came from behind, "Second Aunt! Second Uncle is looking for you!"

"Mother! Erzhu is looking for me! I'm going back now! Or should I take a piece of cloth with me?"

The old lady thought for a moment and said:

"Let's leave it for now! What's the rush! That fabric isn't going anywhere! Let's wait until your dad comes back and takes a look!"

With the silver tucked in her bosom, Zhao only wanted to get home quickly and hide it! She could take the fabric later; such a fresh color could only belong to her and Taozhi.

When Zhao came out of the house, she saw Guizhi and several children standing outside. Guizhi smiled and said:

"Second Aunt! I've been calling you for ages! Why did it take you so long to come out?"

Zhao said arrogantly:

"I was just talking to your grandma, why are you meddling so much, you little kid?"

Guizhi said:

"My second uncle is looking for you! He said, 'We should share both good times and bad!'"

When Guizhi and Zhao walked into the courtyard, she waved her hand, and several children grabbed her legs and choked her, forcing her to the ground.

"Beat them all! Good luck and good fortune! Turn over my silver! So you don't hurt your hands!"

Zhao shouted:

"You little brats! Where did you get the nerve? You hit me! And you stole my money! I'm going to report you!"

Gui Zhi sneered:

"Second Aunt! Go ahead and sue me if you dare! We can ask you where your money came from!"

The old lady had already run out when she heard the noise. She saw that about ten taels of silver and a silver hairpin had been found on Zhao's body. She originally wanted to come over and break up the fight, but at this moment her legs wouldn't move!

Guizhi continued loudly:

"Second Aunt! You stole my family's money, you stole my mother's hairpin! You withheld the money my grandmother earned from selling vegetables! You've got some nerve!"

Zhao glanced at the old lady and quickly said:

"I didn't! You're lying! You're just here to avenge your mother! And you're framing me!"

Guizhi wouldn't reason with her. "What are you all standing there for! Beat her up! Don't kill her, just leave her with a breath left!"

The children started punching and kicking, and Zhao cried out, "Help! Father! Mother! Help! They're going to kill someone!"

The old man and Dazhu came over and shouted loudly:

"Stop! Stop right now!"

Gui Zhi said with a forced smile:

"Stop! I didn't say stop! Nobody is allowed to stop! Keep hitting them!"

The children naturally listened to Guizhi.

Guizhi looked at Dazhu and the old man:

"Father! My mother has miscarried! Aren't you going to get the carriage ready and take her to the doctor? You still have time to worry about other people's business? Take care of my mother first!"

Da Zhu's face darkened. Remembering Li Shi lying on the kang bleeding, he flicked his sleeves to find a horse, preparing to hitch up the cart and take Li Shi to town.

Guizhi said to the old man:

"Grandpa! You'd better not get involved in this! My mother was perfectly fine, but my second uncle and aunt beat her and even robbed her in the house! Anyone who didn't know better would think my mother had fallen into a bandit's den!"

The old man was about to speak when Guizhi retorted, leaving him speechless!

Upon seeing the old woman, he cursed:

"Look what you've done! You can't even take care of a family! What use are you?"

The old lady hadn't expected the fire to spread to her, and she angrily retorted:

"What does this have to do with me! They're just sisters-in-law arguing! What does it have to do with me! They're not my children!"

The old man said angrily:

"He wasn't born of you! Was your son your son? Shouldn't your daughter-in-law be under your control as the mother-in-law? Do you expect me, the father-in-law, to control my daughter-in-law? That's outrageous!"

The old lady muttered:

"But I can't keep them all tied to my belt, and I'll only tell you after they've all finished!"

Zhao was still crying for help, but the old man knew no one would die, so he went inside to avoid seeing it.

The old woman scolded:

"You damned Zhao! You deserve to be beaten to death! You secretly pocketed so much silver! Were you planning to take it to your family?"

You lied to me about only two strings of copper coins! You really did give me two strings of copper coins! You hid all the silver, and you still wanted me to cover for you! I wish I could beat you myself instead of letting Dazhu beat you up!

Seeing that all was lost, Zhao cried even louder:

"Mother! Mother! I was wrong! Ouch! Stop hitting me! Mother! I was just thinking of buying Erzhu some tonics! Ouch! It hurts so much! Mother! Mother! Please save me!"

Hearing Zhao's cries from inside the room, Li asked Guixiang,

"Go and see! Why is Zhao crying like this? Did your father beat her? Don't let it get to someone's death!"

Gui Xiang ran outside, and Gui Hong ran into the house at that moment, excitedly saying to Li Shi:

"Mother! Third Sister avenged you! Third Sister had her henchmen beat up Second Aunt! And they got all the things that were stolen from our house back!"

"Mother! Aren't you happy? It has to be Third Sister!"

"Oh dear! You child! Don't let Sanya hit her! A few slaps are enough! If word gets out, what kind of good reputation will we have left! Go and call your third sister back!"

Li said anxiously.

Gui Xiang also ran in and said:

"Mother! I went to check! Third Sister didn't lay a hand on her! It was those kids who did it! It's alright, Third Sister was watching! Second Aunt just got a beating!"

The old man entered the room and saw the colorful fabrics on the kang (a heated brick bed), his face darkened! He went outside, grabbed the old woman, and dragged her back into the room, pointing at the fabrics on the kang, saying, "You! Hurry up! Quickly! Put these things back where they came from!"

The old lady muttered:

"I didn't take these! They were sent by Zhao! Why would I want her fabrics? Not a single one is wearable for me! They're all colors for young girls!"