Chapter 32: Bullied by the Gangsters

It was not until ten days later that Wen Zhiheng found out that Chen Shiyi had gone to the town to make a living.

No wonder there has been no one around for so many days.

Besides being really busy, maybe they are just avoiding me on purpose.

Wen Zhiheng asked Wen Zhirou.

"What did you say to her?"

Wen Zhirou rolled her eyes.

"What can I say? I just told her the truth. She is your woman."

"She usually has a bit of a bad temper, so it's okay if she makes a fuss. But now, when I see her once or twice, she's terribly afraid of me."

Wen Zhirou was very impatient.

"You two should solve your own problems. Why bother asking me to be your messenger?"

Wen Zhiheng felt deeply powerless. In the court, he could analyze and resolve any complicated matter. But why was it that when it came to Chen Shiyi, he didn't know what she wanted and how to appease her?

Chen Shiyi, who had enjoyed the pleasure of making money, had long forgotten the entanglement between her and Wen Zhiheng. All she could see now were those yellow copper plates.

Xue Lianxing had stayed in the town for a long time and got to know many people, especially the fishermen and porters on the riverbed, who often came to take care of Chen Shiyi's livelihood.

Logically, everything was going so smoothly and she should be very happy, but unfortunately, there were always people finding fault with her.

"Can you put the stove further away? The smell is too strong."

It’s this scholar again.

It’s this scholar again!

He tells me this every day.

She took a deep breath, picked up a shiny kitchen knife, walked straight to Pei Xiucai, and chopped on his table.

Pei Xiucai, who had been furious just now, stood up hurriedly, his face pale with fright.

Chen Shiyi asked in a deep voice, with his hands on his hips.

"Then tell me, where should I move to in order to satisfy you. You have been complaining about it every day for the past ten days, and I have tolerated you for a long time. You said that my smoke is annoying you, and I spent a lot of money to make a pipe, and the smoke goes up to the top, and you complain that the dust falls on you. I control the heavens and the earth, but can I control the southeast, northwest and southeast winds? Now, you complain about the strong smell. Look, this is Changning Street, not your home. Why don't you go to heaven when you are so pretentious? You just think that I am a woman and look easy to bully, right?"

Pei Xiucai held a brush in his right hand, with ink dripping from the tip of the brush. His white fingertips were trembling and his face was extremely pale.

"I...you..."

When Aunt Zhao saw that something was not right, she immediately stepped forward to try to mediate.

"Chen's sister, forget it, we are all trying to make a living, harmony brings wealth, and scholars are bound to be a little aloof, so just give him some way."

Chen Shiyi calmed down his anger and pulled out the knife fiercely.

"Next time I hear you grumble, be more careful..."

Pei Xiucai blinked and dared not say another word.

"You are a bully who only cares about the weak... humph..."

Chen Shiyi finally lived a wonderful life.

I can make money and no one bothers me. I can eat whatever I like and the people in the mansion are not picky. No one finds fault with me. It's extremely comfortable.

Every day, he would sell the prepared ingredients in advance, put the stove, tables and chairs in Xue Lianxing's house, and then return to Fengming Courtyard.

After dinner, she finished learning to read with Rui'er, then poured the copper coins from today's revenue on the bed and counted the money with Rui'er.

Counting money is the happiest moment for her and Ruier.

They threw copper plates into the altar one by one, and the altar made crisp tinkling sounds. This sound was really tempting.

"Rui'er, when we have a full jar, we will go to the town to exchange it for silver. Then we will deposit another jar and exchange it again. When we have exchanged a lot of silver, we will find you a beautiful wife..."

“As pretty as your sister?”

Chen Shiyi burst into laughter when he heard this.

"You have such a sweet mouth, it's worth it that I bring you candied haws every day. But, the wife you marry in the future must be a hundred times more beautiful than me, because my Rui'er is a handsome young man."

Wen Zhiheng leaned against the door, looking at Chen Shiyi's sparkling eyes curved into crescents, and listening to her words to coax Rui'er, he couldn't help but smile.

What a little elf.

The bad thing about stall business is that you can’t make a living when there is a thunderstorm.

Chen Shiyi was a little nervous as it was his first time experiencing a rainy day.

She quickly placed the stove under Aunt Zhao's oil-paper shed to shelter from the rain. The stove had been soaked by rainwater and was emitting green smoke.

When she wiped the sweat off her face, she found that Pei Xiucai was still cleaning his table in the rain.

The strong wind has scattered the paper everywhere.

Seeing Pei Xiucai in a panic, Chen Shiyi rushed into the rain and picked up the papers that were blown away one by one.

She handed the picked up papers to Pei Xiucai, but heard him say anxiously.

"Why did you stack the inked and uninked papers together? I can't write on the blank paper anymore."

Chen Shiyi was so angry that he laughed.

"Do you want it or not?"

You are so kind that I take it for granted. What kind of person is this?

Pei Xiucai seemed to realize that he had said something wrong and wanted to explain, but still said nothing.

On a sunny day, Chen Shiyi was busy cutting cakes and filling dishes for customers, wrapping them in dry lotus leaves and handing them to the customers.

At this moment, a rough hand suddenly reached out and touched her face.

Chen Shiyi hurriedly stepped back and looked up, it was him!

The gangster who had blocked her on the road, slapped her and robbed her of her money was called Li Mao.

"Little bitch, I can't believe you're doing business here?"

Li Mao's lustful eyes were fixed on Chen Shiyi and he leaned closer to Chen Shiyi.

A fierce slap landed on Chen Shiyi's face, making her dizzy and turn around. She wanted to resist, but Li Mao seemed to have known her methods. He kicked her to the ground and beat her with his fists and kicks.

"You stinky bitch, you dare to hit me, I'll beat you to death."

Chen Shiyi held his head and stomach with his hands and curled up into a ball to avoid being hit in the vital parts by him.

She had no idea how many times she had been hit on her back, shoulders and neck. The pain came over her like a tidal wave. Her ears were buzzing and she could only feel the pain in her body. She had long since forgotten how chaotic the surroundings were.

I don't know who shouted.

"Captain Yuan is here."

Upon hearing this, Li Mao hurriedly stopped, snatched Chen Shiyi's money bag, and ran away.

Aunt Zhao helped Chen Shiyi up who had fallen to the ground.

"God damn it, they beat a nice girl like this."

Chen Shiyi stood up unsteadily with the help of Aunt Zhao.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes were full of hatred, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she squinted at the place where Li Mao left.

The people who were around were there to watch the fun, and no one offered a helping hand.

Later I heard Aunt Zhao’s explanation.

"It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I don't dare to help. Whoever provokes that bully will have a bad ending. The government office in the town has imprisoned him several times, and released him after a while. After he was released, he still did not change his bad behavior. Girl, you'd better stay away from him for the time being and don't go out to make a living."

Chen Shiyi rested on the stool for a while, trembling, and spoke softly.

"Thank you, Auntie. I know the importance of this."

Aunt Zhao was very worried.

"Sister, you should go see a doctor. If you are hurt somewhere, you need treatment immediately. How can you be so patient and not make a sound in pain?"

Chen Shiyi nodded.

"Okay, I understand."

Pei Xiucai, who was sitting nearby and watching, saw that Chen Shiyi's clothes were covered in dust, and his hands on his knees were loosening and tightening, and then loosening again.

He lowered his eyes and bowed his head to read the book on the table.