Chapter 90
The man was beaten so badly that he let out a miserable howl and immediately shut his mouth.
Mu Jin glanced at the pool of blood on the ground and closed her eyes.
He should have been aware that a few idle men would occasionally loiter around his neighborhood.
Zhou Chuxue already had a bad reputation, so those men had no qualms about attacking her.
Mu Jin stepped forward and bent down to look at the man whose mouth was oozing blood.
"I wondered who was so shameless, acting like an animal and going around in heat. It turns out it was you, Uncle Qing. You did such a disgraceful thing. Sigh, I'm ashamed for Aunt Qing. I'm afraid she won't be able to go out in public anymore."
Mu Youqing glared fiercely at Mu Jin. His mouth was still hurting from the blow Bai Qiqiu had given him; otherwise, he probably would have started cursing again.
Mu Jin stood up, pretending not to hear, "Brother Zhao Ye, could you go and invite my great-grandfather over?"
Mu Zhaoye shook his head, "Not many people in the village know about this yet, and I haven't asked anyone to invite the village chief."
Mu Jin nodded, probably out of consideration for Zhou Chuxue's reputation, and refrained from making a big fuss.
A north wind blew, and the riverside was already colder than the village, so everyone couldn't help but shiver.
Mu Youqing's patched cotton-padded coat was soaked through with water from the fishing net, and he huddled up, shivering from the cold.
Not long after, Zhou Fengnian walked over with a somber expression.
"Please ask the village chief to open the ancestral hall and handle this according to the village rules."
Mu Youqing raised his head in disbelief. Zhou Fengnian had always been a soft-hearted person, but this time, for the sake of a worthless boy, he was actually going to break off all ties with him.
Mu Zhaoye nodded, called a few men to carry Mu Youqing to the ancestral hall, and the rest of the men went to invite Village Chief Mu over.
Since Zhou Fengnian didn't want to keep it a secret and wanted to seek justice for his husband.
The three men carrying Mu Youqing to the ancestral hall occasionally encountered some villagers, and they told them the truth.
Before long, a group of villagers who had come to watch the spectacle gathered behind him.
With nothing much to do in winter, I had to go and see what was going on.
When they arrived at the ancestral hall, it was surrounded by villagers in three or four layers.
They chattered and pointed at Mu Youqing, who was lying on the ground.
Aunt Qing rushed over and started punching and kicking Mu Youqing, who was lying on the ground.
"I must have been blind to marry such a terrible man like you. God, what did I do wrong to deserve such a disgusting thing happening to me? How am I and my son supposed to live?"
After beating Mu Youqing, Aunt Qing sat down on the ground, slapped her thigh, and started wailing.
Village Chief Kim arrived late and yelled at Aunt Qing.
"Shut up, you can't even have peace and quiet in the dead of winter."
Zhou Fengnian said in a hoarse voice, "Village chief, this man is shameless. He openly harassed a respectable husband in the village. My husband resisted to the death and crashed into a tree. Our child died because of this. Village chief, please, you must seek justice for Xue Ge'er!"
"Oh my, I never knew that the young man who came out of the building was so fierce."
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin spoke slowly, "Auntie's words are truly wise. We cannot choose our birth, but when we judge a person, we cannot judge them by their background. We must look at their heart."
“What Brother Jin said is true. If you make a mistake, correct it. A good brother is one who can live a peaceful and law-abiding life.”
"What you're saying is wrong. Xue-ge'er has never been wrong. Even though he worked in a brothel before, he never entertained any customers."
"If you ask me, we need to deal with Mu Youqing properly. Our village hasn't had anything like this for years."
"That's right, it's embarrassing to talk about it. How can Aunt Qing and Ming-ge face people?"
When Zhou Wushi heard that Zhou Chuxue's baby was gone, she breathed a deep sigh of relief.
It's good that she's gone; she's completely cut off from her youngest son, and she won't have any more worries.
Village Chief Mu coughed heavily and said in a deep voice, "In all the years I've been in charge of Mu Family Village, nothing like this has ever happened. Mu Youqing, you're truly audacious!"
Mu Youqing, lying on the ground, couldn't help but flinch for a moment.
Chief Kimura breathed a sigh of relief. "The mistake has been made. According to our village rules, you will receive twenty strokes of the cane, kneel in the ancestral hall for ten days to reflect on your actions, and pay them five taels of silver in compensation for a bountiful harvest, or you can pay them twenty taels of silver directly. Which do you choose?"
Zhou Fengnian's eyes darkened. He had lost a child, yet he had only lightly let it go.
Village Chief Mu glanced at him and sighed, "Fengnian, I know you must be somewhat dissatisfied, but things have come to this point. The most important thing is to take good care of Xuege'er's health. Child, alas, it's a great pity, but there will be more in the future. The medicine we got from Doctor Mu was also paid for by Mu Youqing!"
Zhou Fengnian took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and finally nodded.
Aunt Qing, her voice hoarse from crying, looked up and said, "Village Chief, could you give him thirty lashes and reduce the amount of money he has to pay?"
Mu Youqing couldn't sit still any longer. Ignoring the pain in his mouth, he roared loudly.
"I knew it! You wicked woman! You weren't happy before we were even married, did you think I didn't know? The man you had your eye on before was that bastard Zhou Fengnian, too bad he didn't like you!"
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Aunt Qing was both ashamed and angry, and dared not look up at Zhou Fengnian.
Mu Youqing sneered and glared at Zhou Fengnian hatefully.
"All these years, I've lived a life of misery. How am I any less than a coward like you?! Why is it that the person I share my bed with is thinking of you, you worthless bastard! If I'm not comfortable, you won't be comfortable either!"
Aunt Qing was furious and embarrassed, and slapped him hard across the face.
"Just because of this?! You caused Xuege'er to miscarry?! What a terrible thing to do! Don't bring this up with me. For over twenty years, I've given birth to your children and Xuege'er, managed the household, and cared for the elderly. I've never wronged you, Mu Youqing! Don't try to pin the blame on me for what you've done wrong!"
After Aunt Qing finished speaking, she suddenly lost all strength, and her straight shoulders slumped down.
"Village chief, give him the beating he deserves. Add ten more strokes, not a single one less. I'll pay the compensation he owes!"
Aunt Qing's eyes glazed over, and she went home before Mu Youqing had finished receiving his beating.
Later, Mu Youqing was carried home by his eldest and second sons.
Everyone sighed with regret. To be honest, who hasn't had someone they liked when they were young?
Some succeeded, and everyone was happy.
Some relationships didn't work out; those fleeting, youthful feelings of attraction faded like smoke, gone forever.
In the end, isn't it still the person you're closest to in bed?
How could anyone be as petty as Mu Youqing? Otherwise, how could they possibly live their lives?
Moreover, if Aunt Qing still had feelings for Zhou Fengnian, she wouldn't be thinking of saving money for her family; she would send it all to him.
The matter is settled, providing plenty of fodder for conversation this winter.
When Mu Jin returned home, she put the dozen or so eggs she had saved into a small basket woven by Zhou Chuxue, and then added two or three handfuls of red dates on top.
Ultimately, Zhou Chuxue got into trouble because she came to bring him some snacks, so she should go and see her.
When Mu Jin arrived, Zhou Chuxue had already woken up, taken her medicine, and was surrounded by a group of women and husbands around her bed.
"Jin-ge'er is here. Xue-ge'er, take good care of yourself. If you need anything, just tell us. Don't be shy. There are children at home... we can't leave the house alone, so we'll head back now."
A woman was about to talk about the child when she remembered that Zhou Chuxue had just miscarried, so she quickly stopped talking.
After the woman finished speaking, she and her husband, who had come with her, went back together.
Mu Jin gently placed the small basket aside. "Uncle, are you feeling any better?"
Zhou Chuxue's face was pale, but she managed a smile and nodded gently.
"I feel much better now, it doesn't hurt as much anymore."
With an apologetic look in her eyes, Mu Jin said, "It's my fault. My house is in a remote area, so I should have delivered it to you."
Zhou Chuxue gently shook her head and stroked her smooth belly.
"How can you blame yourself for going? It's me who is not meant to be with that child."
Mu Jin felt a pang of sadness for a moment. "Uncle, don't overthink it. Doctor Mu said that if you take good care of yourself, you and your uncle will have a child together in the future."
Zhou Chuxue nodded gently. He was initially saddened by the loss of his child, but upon reflection, he thought it was for the best.
She completely severed ties with that unfaithful man and didn't need to feel guilty about letting Zhou Fengnian raise someone else's child.
Mu Jin comforted him again, and seeing that he was exhausted, she didn't bother him any further.
When Zhou Lin returned home at noon, he learned that such a thing had happened at his uncle's house.
"The wardrobe and bed that my uncle ordered will be made in the next couple of days. He also told me that once the house is repaired and the bed and wardrobe are brought home, we'll have a small wedding banquet. I never expected something like this to happen. Sigh."
Bai Qiqiu and Wen Zhaoran exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.
Mu Jin brought the food to the table. "This matter has its pros and cons; it depends on how you look at it."
Bai Qiqiu scooped the steamed rice mixed with millet into a bowl and said, "There's no such thing as good; I think it's all bad."
Mu Jin shook her head and handed Zhou Lin the bowl of rice that had been filled with rice.
"By the way, big brother, am I going to visit Uncle Ling later? I'll stay at Mu Bai's house for a couple of days."
Mu Jin nodded. "Have you bought the gift for your meeting with your brother-in-law?"
Wen Zhaoran smiled and said, "I had a wooden boat bring me back a big silver lock from town."
Mu Jin picked up her chopsticks and fried tofu with her son's oil. She thought she should think carefully about what to give the little guy as a gift in the next couple of days.
Mu Jin couldn't bear to spend money on anything too expensive; this money was earned through her husband's hard work.
To save money, one can only think of a clever way to do it from the sidelines.
Before I knew it, snow started falling again outside, turning the yard white.
After cleaning up the dishes, Mu Jin moved the unfinished sorghum stalks from the yard into the kitchen.
Wen Zhaoran packed a small bundle, and Bai Qiqiu escorted him to the Mu family.
Once the pig feed was cooked, Mu Jin scooped it into a wooden bucket and carried it to the pigpen.
By November, we'll be able to sell a pig.
She tossed a few cabbage leaves to the chickens and ducks in the pen, then shrank her hands and went back to the kitchen.
Before long, two families, one husband and one wife, came together and brought two bolts of pure white cotton cloth.
Mu Jin quickly got up, greeted the two of them, collected the deposit, and made a record of the transaction.
"We both dyed our hair red; the boys in our family all got married before the New Year."
The woman's eyes were smiling, and her face was full of joy.
Mu Jin smiled gently and said, "Congratulations to you both. With such loving parents as you, my son and his wife will surely have a harmonious and happy life in the future."
The husband grinned so wide his eyes disappeared. "You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you? The villagers who came here to dye cloth before all said that the husbands of the small dyehouse in Mujia Village are the sweetest talkers and know how to flatter people. Now that I've seen it, it's true."
Mu Jin smiled and put the cloth away. "What sweet talk? I'm just telling the truth. I'm terrible with words and don't know how to compliment people."
The woman and her husband arrived with smiles on their faces and left happily at home.
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