Chapter 38 One kills, the other buries the body
The doctor came to our house today to change Grandma Sheng's dressing. Her injured right leg is not hurting much anymore, and Grandma Sheng is in better spirits.
Seeing the meal her granddaughter had specially prepared for her, a very lavish meal with both meat and vegetables, Grandma Sheng felt a pang of guilt, thinking she was a burden on her granddaughter.
After finishing her meal with a stale, chewy texture, Grandma Sheng touched her still somewhat aching chest and told her granddaughter the thoughts that had been weighing on her mind all day:
“An’an, Grandma’s legs won’t get better anytime soon. Staying here will only delay things. Grandma wants to go back to the village in a couple of days so your grandpa can take care of the crops in the fields.”
Knowing her grandmother's concerns, Sheng Anxin immediately sat down by the bed and held her grandmother's hand: "Grandma, if you want to go back to the village, that's fine. I'll go back with you and wait until you're fully healed before I come back."
Grandma Sheng was both touched and saddened. With tears in her eyes, she scolded her granddaughter, "Now that you've married into the Xu family, you're a daughter-in-law of the Xu family. How can you come back to live with Grandma in the village? People will say that Grandpa and Grandma are ignorant and don't know how to raise their granddaughter."
Sheng An buried her head in the old woman's neck: "Nothing is more important than you. I won't let you go back until your injuries are fully healed."
Although Huai Shu Village is very close, and she can rush back to the village in time if anything happens, her grandparents are used to being frugal and are reluctant to eat or dress well, so they have no awareness of improving their nutrition.
She has a superb cooking skill, and the food she makes is beneficial for recovery from injuries, perhaps even preventing the baby from developing a limp.
Grandma Sheng knew her granddaughter's temperament well, and for a moment she was somewhat embarrassed: "If Grandma stays here, you won't even be able to do your business..."
The thought of losing several hundred coins a day caused the old lady unbearable heartache and regret that her body was so weak, getting injured so easily from a push.
"There are plenty of opportunities to make money, but I only have one grandmother."
Sheng An stared longingly at her grandmother, her large, watery eyes looking incredibly pitiful.
Grandpa Sheng, who was standing nearby, couldn't bear to watch any longer and joined in persuading his wife: "An'an has such filial piety, so let's listen to An'an. If you stay in the city to recover, it will be more convenient for the doctor to change your dressings."
Knowing that his wife was very frugal, he quickly added, "Doctors charge a fee for their hard work when they go to the countryside to make house calls. You need to change your dressing every other day, and that fee could be as much as the cost of your medicine."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Sheng silently calculated in her mind and realized that it was indeed very expensive.
After some hesitation, Grandma Sheng finally gave up the idea of returning to the village. Holding her granddaughter's hand, she advised, "Your grandpa can take care of me. You don't need to stay at home with him every day. The wonton stall still needs to be set up, otherwise I really can't bear to stay here."
She came to the city to help her granddaughter, not to cause her any trouble.
Her grandson-in-law and in-laws didn't say anything, but they showed her concern in every way, which made her even more embarrassed to eat and stay for free and to prevent her granddaughter from making money at her stall.
After listening to Grandma Sheng's words, Sheng An belatedly realized that not setting up a stall to earn money would only add to the old lady's psychological burden. He immediately promised, "Okay, okay, I'll set up a stall in a couple of days. I'll continue to help you when Grandma is better."
Grandma Sheng finally smiled: "Okay!"
She was happy to be able to help her granddaughter earn more money.
While these old bones can still move, I'll help my granddaughter for a few more years.
Xu Jinnian returned home later than ever before today, and it was completely dark by the time he got home.
The others didn't rush to eat dinner; when they saw him return, their eyes were full of questions.
Xu Jinnian nodded with a smile: "We've caught them."
Sheng An rushed to him, her face full of hatred: "Who is it?"
Xu Chenglin and Grandpa Sheng both looked at Xu Jinnian, their expressions mirroring Sheng An's.
Xu Jinnian revealed the mastermind's name: "That person is called Tong Baogen. I don't know if Grandpa and An'an know him."
The whole affair was started by Tong Baogen, so it's not unfair to call him the mastermind.
"Tong Baogen? It's him!"
Grandpa Sheng's chest heaved with anger, his dark face filled with resentment and incomprehension: "We have no grudge against him, yet he actually laid such a heavy hand on An'an's grandmother!"
The village where the Tong family lived was not far from Huai Shu Village. The two villages intermarried, and in terms of relationship, Tong Baogen was a nephew of Huai Shu Village, so the old man naturally knew him.
Xu Jinnian recounted, without any hesitation, the incident where Tong Baogen and his three cousins, fighting amongst themselves, brought up the matter of Liu Huazhi.
"Good, good, so she was the root of all evil!"
Grandpa Sheng slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his face full of hatred for Liu Huazhi: "I used to think that she and An'an didn't get along because their personalities didn't match, but I never expected that she would distort the truth in front of others and slander An'an for bullying her!"
This time it went even further, actually provoking Mr. Tong to lay a hand on his wife.
Sheng An hadn't expected that Liu Huazhi was involved, and he clenched his fists, asking Xu Jinnian, "Was it Liu Huazhi who deliberately instigated this?"
Xu Jinnian shook his head: "According to Tong Baogen and the others, that's not the case."
Sheng An's anger didn't subside: "It's not that she didn't want to, it's just that she didn't have the brains to use someone else to do her dirty work!"
Being reborn doesn't mean you'll have an extra brain.
Liu Huazhi was indeed willful and arrogant, and eager to climb the social ladder, but she had not inherited her mother Peng Chunlan's true skill in making tea.
She always uses crude methods to deal with people, sometimes even taking matters into her own hands. It's highly unlikely that she would think of using someone else to do her dirty work.
However, it's true that she twisted the truth in front of Tong Baogen, and she even blamed her for her grandmother's injury.
"Don't be angry. They all lost their right legs and will never have the chance to walk on two legs again. That woman won't have an easy time either."
Xu Jinnian calmed his furious wife and casually mentioned the fate of Tong Baogen and the other three, implying that Liu Huazhi would be blamed by them and wouldn't have a good life.
Xu Chenglin, who was standing to the side, heard everything clearly, but his expression didn't change at all: "Serves you right!"
Grandpa Sheng, who had farmed all his life and never had any conflicts with anyone, gasped and his gaze toward his grandson-in-law changed.
It wasn't fear, nor was it apprehension.
This was the first time she clearly realized that her carefully chosen grandson-in-law was not as gentle and modest as he appeared.
Xu Jinnian didn't care about Grandpa Sheng's reaction. His deep eyes were fixed on Sheng An, and a hint of darkness in his eyes peeked out as he tried to probe the woman's true emotions.
"Well done!"
A look of relief appeared on Sheng An's face, and her clenched fists loosened: "They caused Grandma to injure her right leg and suffer so much. They'll just get away with crippling her leg!"
As for Liu Huazhi, humph, so what if she escaped this time? She will find a chance to avenge her grandmother herself!
Seeing the smile on Sheng An's face, Xu Jinnian's tense heartstrings instantly relaxed, his eyes shone with a gentle light, and the smile on his face was as gentle as ever: "It's my fault, I was too lenient with them."
Sheng An didn't notice anything amiss: "Never mind, with one leg crippled, their lives won't be easy, and they won't be able to harm others anymore."
Xu Jinnian coaxed, "An'an is so kind!"
Watching the couple praising and flattering him, Grandpa Sheng felt completely numb.
It turns out that not only was his grandson-in-law two-faced, but his good granddaughter was also a decisive and ruthless person!
What's this called?
"Those who aren't family won't enter the same door."
A perfect match, husband and wife in harmony?
Is it possible that if one of them commits murder, the other will bury the body without hesitation?
Despite inwardly complaining, Grandpa Sheng somehow felt a sense of relief.
Since the couple are on the same page, the granddaughter shouldn't suffer any losses.
With the matter settled, and to put Grandma An's mind at ease and allow her to recover in peace, Sheng An kept his promise and set up his stall on time two days later.
No sooner had she appeared in the market than someone excitedly shouted, "Madam Sheng is here!"
The next moment, a dense crowd surged in from all directions, scaring Sheng An so much that he almost fled in panic, thinking he was surrounded by a horde of zombies.
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