Chapter Seventeen

Just as Mu Jin had expected, Mu Liang and the Qian family's son, Qian Tong, behaved themselves for a few days after being discovered.

But the two of them did everything they should and shouldn't have done. The man, already tainted by sex and at the age of eighteen or nineteen, could hardly restrain himself.

With Qian Tong's deliberate enticement, the two went into the grove again on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

Seeing those two shameless people, they were like locusts, sucking on them as soon as they saw them.

Zhou Lin was so angry that he wanted to grab a stick and give those two bastards a good beating.

But before I came out, my husband instructed me that I should be beaten, but I should do it openly and honestly, so that people would be angry but unable to find fault with it, and could only watch helplessly, anxious and angry for nothing.

Therefore, he suppressed his anger, turned around gently, and saw Mu Lingyun behind him.

Even Zhou Lin, a rough and easygoing man, was scared off by him and took a big step back.

Mu Lingyun pointed lightly with her finger and whispered, "Brother Zhou, you go back first, I'll stay here and watch over things."

Zhou Lin didn't care about anything else, nodded, and walked quickly and quietly into the village.

Upon entering the village, Zhou Lin followed Mu Jin's instructions and went to Mu Sheng's house first.

"Oh no! Oh no! Wild boars are coming down the mountain!"

"Musheng, what are you yelling about! We haven't seen a wild boar in our village for ages."

The middle-aged man next door was called out first. He thought Mu Sheng was exaggerating and that it was bad luck during the New Year.

"Uncle Mu, I'm not making this up. The weather was nice today, and we were short of firewood at home, so I thought I'd go to the foot of the mountain to gather some. But I didn't expect to see wild boar tracks, and there was also some noise in the woods at the foot of the mountain. I didn't dare to delay and rushed down the mountain."

This wild boar coming down the mountain is no small matter. Relying on its sharp tusks, the wild boar will attack anyone it sees.

A few years ago, there was a man in the village who was gored by a wild boar, with a huge hole in his abdomen, which was quite frightening.

Uncle Mu immediately became nervous. He told the elderly, women, and children in his family to close the doors tightly, grabbed his fork, and went with Mu Sheng to the village to call for help.

The situation was urgent, and the two acted quickly. Word spread, and soon all the able-bodied men in the village had gathered together.

Led by hunter Mu Lingqiao, a group of people headed towards the foot of the mountain, including Mu Liang's brother and Zhou Lin.

Many hands make light work; with so many young and strong men, they were no longer afraid of the wild boar.

One man joked, "We just finished the meat we bought before the New Year, so we'll add another dish today."

Everyone chuckled, and the atmosphere relaxed. They fantasized about catching the wild boar, slaughtering it, and having a feast of pork stew for the New Year.

Before long, the group reached the foot of the mountain.

When Mu Lingyun heard footsteps, she hid.

"There really is a sound."

A man spoke softly, and the group slowed their pace, holding their forks, and slowly approached the place where the sound was coming from.

Zhou Lin cooperated with their acting and bent down.

"ah!!!"

"ah!!!"

Two exclamations rang out, one after the other.

"Ah! My eyes, God, what am I seeing!"

"Good heavens, aren't these Mu Liang and Qian Tong?! They're not wild boars at all!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, in broad daylight, they don't even care about the location."

"I must say, that guy is quite fair-skinned."

"In the dead of winter, aren't you cold?!"

"This place is sheltered from the wind, and there are even blankets. How long have they been living like this!"

"By the way, Mu Liang, don't you know your third brother's fiancé, A Lin?!"

Mu Sheng feigned surprise, his shocked expression slightly exaggerated.

Zhou Lin finally got his chance to act. As soon as Mu Sheng finished speaking, he strode forward, carrying the stick he had prepared to use to hunt the "wild boar".

The stick flew through the air, showing how much force Zhou Lin had used. Mu Liang, who was pulling up his pants, was in so much pain that he forgot about them and let out a scream.

Qian Tong, who was standing to the side, turned pale with fright. He sat on the quilt, covering his body with his clothes, and trembling all over.

I don't know if it was from the cold or from being scared.

He was thinking of getting pregnant before Mu Liang got married, so that even if Mu Liang didn't want to marry him, he would have to.

But he didn't want to force her into marriage in this way!

All of them were men. How could he live in the village after so many people saw his body?

As Qian Tong thought about it, her body trembled even more violently, her eyes reddened, and she was filled with regret.

Mu Liang had already been hit several times. Mu Liang's older brother, Mu Chunsheng, certainly couldn't stand by and watch his younger brother get beaten, but Mu Chunsheng stopped him and couldn't get over for the time being.

Seeing that Zhou Lin might cause trouble if he continued fighting, Mu Lingqiao stepped forward to stop him and said, "Alright, Brother Lin, what's done is done. Fighting won't change anything. Let's take them down the mountain and call his uncle, aunt, and parents to see how to decide this matter."

Zhou Lin vented his anger, let go of her hand upon hearing this, and stood aside with a sullen face, saying nothing.

Mu Lingqiao glanced at Qian Tong, who was crying uncontrollably, and felt a pang of pity.

He called to the man who had come with him to turn his back. Mu Lingqiao was considered one of the best men of his generation, and he was an excellent hunter.

He was good at making money and had a righteous temperament, much like a chivalrous swordsman who roamed the martial arts world.

Because the men in the village listened to him, they all turned around when they heard him say that.

After Mu Liang and Qian Tong finished dressing, they escorted them down the mountain.

A man carried his bedding, all crumpled up, down the mountain.

Zhou Lin went to call Zhou Wushi and Zhou Laosan. The whole family was shocked. They were about to get married after the New Year, so how could such a thing have happened?

Mu Lingqiao escorted them to the village ancestral hall. Some of the other men went home, while others followed behind to see what was going on.

It was already the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, and most families had already visited all their relatives, so the villagers were bored out of their minds.

With such excitement to be had, no one could stay at home any longer. Before long, the ancestral hall was surrounded by layers upon layers of people.

Mu Liang had never been so humiliated. He was swaying precariously, and he couldn't even care about Qian Tong, who was having an affair with him.

Once the Qian, Mu, and Zhou families had all arrived, the village chief was also summoned by some busybodies.

The village chief didn't want to follow the village rules and drown Qian Tong in the pond; killing a living being during the New Year would be a grave sin.

But even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, so he could only act as a mediator.

"Now that things have come to this, what should the Zhou family do?"

Even when she was in the wrong, Zhou Wu would still argue her way out of it; now that she was in the right, she was even more unforgiving.

“Village chief, what can I say? My poor Si’er is about to marry into their family and serve them in their old age and have children. But Mu Liang has done such a despicable thing. This marriage is definitely not going to happen!”

Mu Liang's legs went weak, and he looked at Zhou Si with pleading eyes, "Si, please forgive me this one more time. I won't dare to do it again. I don't like him. I've always liked you!"

Mu Jin scoffed, "Where do you get the nerve? You talk such nice things, but your actions speak louder than words. My third brother has treated you well all these years. You still have the nerve to ask for forgiveness after doing such a shameless thing. What kind of name is Mu Liang? Mu Liangxin is more suitable for you."

Mu Liang was both embarrassed and angry after being rebuked. "It's none of anyone else's business what I do with Asi."

The elderly couple in the Mu family naturally favored Zhou Si, for no other reason than that Zhou Si had a good temperament, was skilled in embroidery, and marrying him would help the family earn money.

Otherwise, Aunt Mu wouldn't have been willing to pay five taels of silver as a betrothal gift.

“My dear in-laws, look, these two children are already in love. Mu Liang was seduced by that vixen and did something wrong. I’ll go back and deal with him. This engagement is not easy. If it really doesn’t work out, how about I add two more taels of silver as an apology to Si Ge’er? Besides, it’s not easy for a boy to find someone else after his engagement is broken off. Si Ge’er is also of marriageable age and will soon have to pay the late marriage tax.”

Zhou Wu was somewhat tempted by what she heard. In any case, she didn't care whether Zhou Si married well or how she lived her life; this money was real.

Qian Tong's uncle, Qian Mu, had been crying ever since he arrived, which annoyed his father, Qian Laodi. "Look at the good boy you raised, he still has the nerve to cry!"

Seeing that the Zhou family and the Mu family were about to reach an agreement, he suddenly became anxious and forgot about arguing with Old Man Qian.

She choked back tears and said, "How can this be? Mu Liang took my son's body. If I don't marry him, how will he live?"

As she spoke, large tears streamed down her face, seemingly endless.

Zhou Si then spoke up, saying, "I, Zhou Si, will never share a husband with another man. I am determined to break off this engagement."

Aunt Mu scolded, "You young boy, you don't know any better. When it comes to marriage, it's all up to your parents. Be good, when we get back I'll teach that brat Mu Liang a lesson. Calm down, it's better to arrange a marriage the first time."

Mu Jin smiled and said, "Auntie, what are you saying? Just because dung beetles like to eat dung doesn't mean all dung beetles like to eat dung. Our Si'er has done nothing wrong, so why can't she remarry? If this engagement is to be called off, the betrothal money will not be returned to you as compensation for Si'er. In the future, my Si'er will definitely find a good one, so you won't have to worry about it."

Qian Tong and Mu Liang looked even worse; being compared to a dung beetle and dung, how could they possibly be in a good mood?

“You’re quite the sharp-tongued fellow, but this matter isn’t for you to decide.”

Aunt Mu's expression was unfriendly as she glared at Mu Jin.

Seeing that Zhou Wushi was trying to downplay the matter, Zhou Laosan didn't think of saying anything.

Zhou Sixin was as cold as three feet of ice in the dead of winter. Her face darkened as she said, "I would rather die than marry Mu Liang. If you agree today, Mother, there will be bloodshed in this ancestral hall."

Upon hearing this, Mu Liang swayed and looked at Zhou Si in disbelief.

He knew he had a handsome appearance and that Zhou Si was interested in him, which was why he dared to be so unscrupulous.

Unexpectedly, even a rabbit will bite when cornered; Zhou Si had made up her mind to leave him.

He was truly flustered at this moment. Zhou Si was gentle, decisive, and beautiful, and he genuinely liked her.

"Asi, you..."

"Who are you trying to scare? Do you think I was raised to be easily frightened?!"

Zhou Wu glared at Zhou Si, but her heart was also pounding. If someone really died today, it would be bad for her youngest son's future if word got out.

Besides, if the previous betrothal money could be kept, Zhou Si could be arranged to marry someone else later, and they could make another profit.

A sure-fire way to make money.

After glancing at Zhou Laosan, the couple exchanged a glance and made a decision in their minds.

“However, my eldest son’s husband is right. If he’s already bullying my son like this before we’re even married, what will he be like after we’re married? I certainly can’t push my son into a fire pit. It’s better to call off this marriage.”

Aunt Mu's eyes flashed with hostility. "In-law, are you about to turn your back on me?!"

"Your son has disgraced you, and you're still arguing with me?!"

Zhou Wushi was no pushover either, and the atmosphere in the ancestral hall suddenly became tense.