Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 7 Beating the Dog!

As soon as the hour of You (5-7 PM) arrives, the dark sky becomes exceptionally deep.

The day passed much like any other. Xie Yi had caught something from his fishing net in the stream: two large crucian carp, several eels, a few loaches, and some river shrimp. Just as evening fell, Li Chang arrived, carrying a basket of glutinous rice that his father, the Taoist priest Li, had given him as a gift for a funeral.

Qiu Niang then kept the loaches and eels alive, killed the fish, added some tofu and chopped some chili peppers, and cooked a large pot of soup.

I also added red dates and lotus seeds to steam a pot of glutinous rice. I took some pork skin that Butcher Liu from the alleyway gave me, greased the pan, scrambled some eggs, poured in the steamed glutinous rice, and stir-fried it all together until it smelled delicious.

The mother and her two children wanted Li Chang to stay and eat with them, but Li Chang pointed to the east wall, and everyone tacitly said goodbye.

Qiu Niang still set aside a bowl of glutinous rice and put it in the pot for Li Changwen.

The tofu and eggs are all homegrown, the chili peppers are grown by themselves, and the fish are free. There are also jujube trees in the yard. The nearby Huashi Town is famous for its lotus flowers. During the lotus picking season, you can help out and not only get paid but also earn some lotus seeds.

In general, as long as you are diligent, you will always have food if you live near mountains and water.

But living like this isn't a long-term solution.

One cannot live a life merely to make ends meet, can one? One must also accumulate the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

In her previous life, after Lu Jia arrived in the capital, she quickly found herself in a situation beyond her control. They exchanged letters to let each other know she was safe, but then she had no time to contact Qiu Niang anymore. Later, she heard that her treacherous father had sent people to Tanzhou to look for her mother and had also given her a silver shop, so that she could live a stable life. At last, she felt at ease.

Who would have thought that Xie Yi lost his father at the age of seven. He had studied some books with his father before, and later only received two years of abacus instruction from Zhang Hong. After Zhang Hong died, Xie Yi had to help with the housework. In other words, after the age of nine, he did not learn any skills.

Both the Xie and Zhang families started out in business. Xie Yi was good at using abacus, but he was completely unfamiliar with the deceit and treachery of the business world.

The money Lu Jie gave them for the shop was eventually swindled away by someone.

It is clear that a lack of business acumen is not just a matter of going hungry, but will instead bring them disaster.

Xie Yi only lived to be eighteen in his previous life. If he had any ability to manage the family business, he could have kept the Xie family afloat, or at the very least, protected the family's assets.

Not wanting to waste lamp oil after dinner, Lu Jia lit a fire behind the stove, staring at the bubbling water in the large earthenware pot, lost in thought.

A light rain was falling outside the window. Around 7 p.m., two meows came from the side wall. She quietly put down the fire tongs, moved the earthenware pot to the charcoal fire to keep it warm, hung another pot of half-boiled water on the fire, and then went to the woodshed under the west corner gate of the front yard in the dark.

Xie Yi and Li Chang were both in the woodshed.

Li Chang was wearing the clothes of a servant from the Zhang family that he had brought that afternoon. Xie Yi saw Lu Jia and came up to her, gritting his teeth and gesturing for her to look towards the east wall: "Just as you expected, they've been keeping an eye on you ever since this afternoon. They're determined to send you to the Li family. My grandfather actually raised such a bunch of good-for-nothings. I really feel sorry for the help our grandfather gave to the Zhang family back then!"

Xie Yi's words may be rough, but the principle is sound.

Back then, the Zhang family was just a small merchant family. It was because Master Xie appreciated Zhang Hong's character and helped him all the way that he gradually became wealthy. During his lifetime, he not only became one of the richest families in the entire Shawan County, but also ranked among the top merchants in Tanzhou City.

It's fair to say that without the Xie family's help, the Zhang family would never have their current fortune, and they might even have lost their ancestral shops! How could the He family be living in such a grand house and enjoying such a comfortable life? The He family was just a farming family; the fact that they could afford to wear gold and silver was entirely due to the Xie family's influence!
"coming!"

As they were talking, sure enough, a sound came from under the wall at the front gate.

Lu Jia gave him a wink, and Xie Yi went out and, taking advantage of the afternoon, moved to a haystack under the side wall for cover, then climbed the wooden ladder.

Outside the wall, a few people were huddled together under the gate, their heads huddled together, seemingly discussing something. But the lanterns they carried illuminated Li Er's bewitched face.

Xie Yi climbed down the ladder.

At the same time, Li Chang walked along the wall to the gate, gently opened the bolt, and quietly peeked out: "Is this Second Master? It's not easy to do things with too many people. Have the servants stay outside, and you can come in with me."

Upon hearing this, Li Er's eyes lit up. He left his servants behind and hurriedly followed Li Chang through the door.

"Where is your cousin?"

Li Chang smiled and locked the door: "She's inside!"

While the two young men were busy working, Lu Jia returned to the kitchen, where the water on the stove had already boiled.

As the door opened, the head on the east wall also poked out upon hearing the noise.

Lu Jia picked up a kettle of boiling water, took a few steps onto the chicken coop built under the east wall, and splashed it on the head!

Immediately, screams of agony erupted from the other side of the wall. Lu Jia, accustomed to hard work, was not only strong but also quick. Before the screams could subside, she poured a second pot of water!
The people on the other side of the wall were too busy crying out in pain to care about the situation on the Xie family's side.
Just then, Li Er slipped into the courtyard.

Hearing the scream, he stopped abruptly. Before he could react, Xie Yi, who had been quietly walking behind him, swiftly raised the door latch and struck him in the knee!

Li Er fell to the ground.

Li Chang, who was standing nearby, had already prepared cotton wool, and without saying a word, stuffed it into Li Er's mouth! At the same time, Xie Yi quickly tied up Li Er's hands and feet.

"Put it on!"

Xie Yi waved his hand, and Li Chang immediately opened the sack and put Li Er inside.

……

In the Zhang family's house, separated by only a wall, Zhang Qi and Madam He had just lain down together when they suddenly heard screams coming from the west wall. They immediately sat up with a start. "What happened?!" Madam He was still somewhat bewildered.

"Sir, something terrible has happened!"

Before Zhang Qi could react, a scream reached the doorway!
Recognizing that it was a servant sent to lie in wait under the west wall, Zhang Qi rushed over to open the door without even putting on his shoes.

The servants rushed to him, panting and pointing behind them, "Master, the Xie family... the Xie family is treacherous!..."

"what?!"

Zhang Qi was surprised, but he didn't have time to ask what kind of scam it was. He ran off without even putting on his shoes properly.

When they reached the foot of the wall, they saw two servants who were squatting there, one covering their face and the other their neck. Their upper bodies were soaked, and the wet parts were still steaming in the cold weather. Their exposed skin on their face and neck was bright red, with one blister after another!
"What's going on?" Zhang Qi exclaimed in surprise.

The servant who had brought the news earlier said, "Master, it's the Xie family acting strangely! They've poured boiling water on our heads!"

Zhang Qi took two steps back, looked at the long-locked door leading to the Zhang family's house, gritted his teeth and waved his hand: "Unlock it!"

Meanwhile, Xie Yi and Li Chang took Li Er to the woodshed.

The two men worked at the docks and had developed great strength, but Li Er's body had been weakened by wine and women, so he was no match for the two young men.
By the time Zhang Qi arrived at the west wall, the two of them had already silently beaten Li Er half to death.

Zhang Qi unlocked the door, held up a lantern, and stepped into the Xie family's front yard. Xie Yi and Li Chang seized the opportunity to release Li Er, whose hands were tied behind his back and whose mouth was gagged, from the sack and pushed him out of the woodshed!

Li Er was a tyrant in Shawan County, and he usually bullied people. When had he ever been treated like this?
Right now, only his upper body was tied up and his mouth was stuffed with cloth; he could still walk. If he got the chance, wouldn't he run away in a panic?

As soon as it was pushed out, he spotted the gate and rushed in!

Zhang Qi had been on tenterhooks all day, worried that Lu Jia would escape. Now, as soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw someone desperately rushing out into the dark night. How could he let him go? Without thinking twice, he rushed up and grabbed Lu Jia by the back of his collar: "Where are you going?"

At this moment, Xie Yi and Li Chang, who were in the woodshed, each wielded a stick and silently approached Zhang Qi from behind. They extinguished the lanterns in the servants' hands with a few quick slaps and then began to strike Li Er.

Li Chang hit her while cursing in a high-pitched voice: "You dare to make a move on our cousin? I'll beat you to death, you bastard! Do you really think the Zhang family is so blinded by greed that they'd sell their niece to you?"
"That was just a lie!"
"I never expected that our mistress would just casually pass on a message, and you would actually have the guts to come to the Xie family's house and climb over the wall in the middle of the night?"

"Don't you even need to use your pig brain? How dare they, as our cousin's uncle and aunt, defile her? Do you think they could just stand by and do nothing? I'll beat you to death to avenge my master and mistress!"

These words came out like a machine gun, while the sticks in his hands fell like drumbeats. Not only were the Zhang family's servants dumbfounded, but Zhang Qi was also so dumbfounded that he couldn't speak!
The night was already dark on a rainy day. Once the lantern was thrown away, the whole courtyard became pitch black. How could anyone see who was who?

Zhang Qi knew that the Xie family had something fishy going on, but he was only worried about Lu Jia escaping, and never thought of anything else.

The moment he grabbed Li Er, he vaguely sensed something was wrong. This person didn't look like Lu Jia, and it seemed like he was tied up with ropes. Why would the Xie family have someone tied up?!

But before he could get a good look, the man was attacked!
Who are these two people who suddenly appeared?

How come they assaulted someone using the Zhang family's name?

But who exactly was the person who was beaten?!
Hearing these words, Zhang Qi was terrified!

The answer seemed obvious, but in the pitch black, not only could the person being beaten not see clearly, but he also couldn't see who was speaking to him.

There was only one thing he was certain of: the person who struck the man was definitely not from the Zhang family.

He was plotted!
Realizing what was happening, he shivered in the cold wind and quickly shouted, "Stop!"

Xie Yi and Li Chang refused to listen to him. Taking advantage of the darkness, they beat Li Er, who was still able to struggle, until he was only able to pant heavily.

Zhang Qi cried out in a panic, "Quickly, light the lamps! Light the lamps!"

The servants frantically searched for lanterns, while Xie Yi kicked Li Er in the backside again before quickly retreating to the backyard.

Li Chang quickly reached the gate, swiftly pulled off the bolt, and flung the gate wide open.

Li Er had been beaten until his skin was torn and his lungs were about to burst with rage. Suddenly, the cotton wadding was pulled out, and he was able to speak. He saw that the gate was open again. He had brought people with him outside!

If we don't call for help now, when will we?
He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Men, men, come here! Wipe out the Zhang family! Wipe out the Zhang family!"

When he uttered that raspy voice, Zhang Qi felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water from head to toe!

—It's Li Er!

It's really him!

When Zhang Qi heard Li Chang make those remarks earlier, he had already started to have doubts, but at that time he was the one being implicated, and he was too busy to care about himself to believe that Li Er would have any reason to be here in the middle of the night.

At this moment, confirming that this was indeed Li Er, Zhang Qi could no longer hold onto the lantern!
"You dare to cheat our master? We'll beat you to a pulp!"

Before Zhang Qi could recover, three or four burly men burst in, wielding sticks. Using the lantern's light, they aimed at Zhang Qi and began indiscriminately bringing their clubs down on him!

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(End of this chapter)