Standing at the door, listening to the old lady's words, Liang Shuyan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "She truly is my mother!"
Seeing that his grandmother was angry, Jin Erniu quickly begged for forgiveness: "Grandma, it was Erniu's fault for not thinking things through. Please don't be angry, Grandma. I believe in my mother!"
"Alright, if you're free at the martial arts school these next few days, come help out. Your mother is building a house. Do you really plan to live at the martial arts school? I'm warning you, you brat, don't think the martial arts school is yours. If you don't learn well, I can take it back anytime. It's the family fortune your grandfather left me!"
Jin Erniu inside the house instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant. This meant that the martial arts school didn't belong to him, Jin Erniu. He trembled all over, then nodded: "Okay, I understand, Grandma. I'll go help with the work in the fields."
At the school gate, Niu Niu was chatting happily with Chun Yan when she saw Liang Shuyan walking over with a sullen face. She quickly whispered, "Let's chat later. I'm going to see what's wrong with my mother."
Niu Niu knew very well that she had told Jin Erniu about Zhao Heng, which was why Jin Erniu had talked to the old lady for so long.
"Mom, why are you here?" Although Niu Niu was worried, she thought that Jin Erniu couldn't be this fast, and she wouldn't get any news until the evening at the latest.
Liang Shuyan led Niu Niu to a corner of the school and pointed to a smooth stone, saying, "Sit down, I have something to ask you!"
Niu Niu trembled with fear: "Mom, is it related to Zhao Heng?"
Liang Shuyan stared at Niu Niu in front of her: "You know it's because of Zhao Heng, so don't you have anything to say?"
“Mother, I shouldn’t have treated him like that, but Zhao Heng doesn’t even have a mother of his own, so why did he bring his father to snatch her away? Do you know? All the plump aunties in the village are talking about you and the county magistrate. Mother, you’re already so old, why do you let people spread the word that you’re getting married? How are we supposed to face people?”
Liang Shuyan tolerated everything Niu Niu said because she truly treated her like a precious treasure. She never expected that Niu Niu would say such things to her face.
She couldn't take it anymore and slapped her across the face. Niu Niu covered her face and said, "Did I say something wrong? The magistrate may be rich, but you... you can't abandon us!"
In Niu Niu's opinion, Liang Shuyan's contributions to the family were only natural. Liang Shuyan never expected that she would spoil the child so much that she can't even understand what to say to her elders now.
"Think about it, who are you talking to? I'm your mother, who do you think you are? Do you think you're your grandmother? Also, I'm warning you, you'd better not talk nonsense without evidence, otherwise, get out of this house, I don't have a daughter like that!"
Niu Niu stomped her feet and said angrily, "Why can't I even scold you for doing something wrong? How did my third brother die? Why can't you agree to my marriage with Yin Xia? You're the one who killed my third brother!"
Liang Shuyan reached out to hit Niu Niu again, but was stopped by a pair of hands behind her.
This person was none other than Li Zheng. He shook his head and said, "Why bother arguing with a child like this? Don't be angry. Niu Niu is still young. We all know that you and the magistrate have nothing going on. If you are upright, you have nothing to fear. Why be afraid of what others say?"
"Lizheng, it's not that I'm afraid of what others will say, but right now it's my own daughter saying this to me, and I just want to hang this little brat up and give her a good beating!"
Li Zheng shook his head: "Why is the child saying that? Isn't it because she's afraid that you, her mother, will be kidnapped by Zhao Heng? Find some time to talk to Niu Niu properly, and she'll naturally understand. Right now, the child is angry, so don't take it to heart."
Liang Shuyan wasn't in the mood to talk to Li Zheng. She then went to the construction site, where the workers were laying the foundation and Da Shan was moving stones. The stones were neither too big nor too small.
Two workers sitting on the edge of the field nearby were laughing and joking: "Hehe, look at this kind of boss. He pays us but we still have to do the work ourselves. Is there such a thing as a boss like this in the world?"
"What an idiot! What's so surprising? We'll just wait here and see how long he can hold out!"
Liang Shuyan overheard the two men talking and then hid to the side. Only the foreman and his group of people were working hard moving stones. When they saw the two gossiping men, they shook their heads helplessly.
"What? You're making my son do the work while you stand by and watch and make fun of him? What? We paid you to build this house, and you're the ones who make my son do the work while you just stand by and watch?"
"Yes, he wanted to do it himself, and he even said that we did a bad job and wasted his mother's money. So we had no choice but to let him do it for us. What's wrong with that?"
Old Wu walked over, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I brought these people myself, but they won't listen to me. Madam, we should just send these two away. We can't afford to use them!"
Liang Shuyan asked with some curiosity, "Send them away? How do you mean send them away? You mean I have to send them back in a sedan chair carried by eight men?"
The man sitting on the edge of the ground suddenly stood up: "Hey, what's wrong? We've worked for so long, aren't we going to get paid?"
Liang Shuyan smiled faintly: "Wages? Did I hear that right? We made it very clear back then that if the project wasn't completed, we wouldn't get the money. Besides, I even gave you an advance. Now, not only are you ignoring the foreman, but you're also making my son do the work. Do you think you're still getting paid?"
“You, you woman, how dare you cheat us like this? Fine, since you don’t want to pay us our wages, then let’s leave. We’ve already received an advance, and we’ve been provided with food and lodging for so many days, so we haven’t lost money.”
The two men were about to walk out side by side when Liang Shuyan sneered, "Dream on! I've already given you the advance, so give it back to me now, on the condition that you don't listen to the foreman, don't work, and make my son do the work. Do you think you can leave peacefully like that?"
Upon hearing this, the two men exchanged glances and clenched their fists tightly: "What? You woman, don't push your luck, or we brothers won't let you get away with this!"
"Oh, really? Then let's go to the government office and discuss this matter. If the official says I must pay you this wage, then I, Liang Shuyan, will not refuse. If the official says I shouldn't pay you, then I'm sorry!"
The two exchanged a glance. Everyone knew that the county magistrate had a good relationship with Da Shan Niang. If they went to see the county magistrate now, wouldn't that be tantamount to getting into trouble with the court?
"Auntie, something terrible has happened! A bag of stones is missing!"
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