Chapter 27 A Fight Over Fish
"White Ear! White Ear!" Su Yuyao followed behind White Ear, pleading, "Please, White Ear, let me go out and play for a while!"
“No, Miss Yao’er,” Bai’er put down her work and said, “You almost got lost yesterday. Lord Xuanfeng specifically said that you are not allowed to run around! If I can’t keep an eye on you, I will be punished!”
"Bai Er, I promise I won't run away again. I'm going to play by the river. Why don't you come with me? With you watching over me, I definitely won't get lost!" Su Yuyao grabbed Bai Er and started walking out.
"Miss Yao'er! I beg you, last time you dragged me out, you almost... This time I'm determined to keep an eye on you! You can forget about leaving!" Bai Er also lost his temper, pressing Su Yuyao down in front of the desk, laying out paper, preparing the brush, and handing it to Su Yuyao, "Lord Xuanfeng said that you should copy his calligraphy..."
"Write again?! I've been here for days! And I've only gone out to play once!" Su Yuyao said indignantly.
"I went out once and almost got lost, so I can't go out again!" Bai Er said, picking up his bamboo basket. "We'll be distributing fish at Wanhequ down the mountain in a bit. I'll go get them. You stay put and don't wander off! Okay? I'll be right back!"
"Let me go with you..."
"No way!" Before Su Yuyao could finish speaking, Bai Er rejected her.
Su Yuyao could only lie on the table, idly fiddling with the pen and ink, but she just didn't want to write anything.
She picked up the calligraphy copybook written by Xuanfeng, but after reading only the first line, she couldn't stop feeling sleepy. With a thud, her head hit the table, and she fell asleep...
"Miss Yao'er, why are you asleep?" Bai Er finally returned.
Su Yuyao rubbed her eyes and sat up. "What kind of fish did you bring back?"
Bai Er said somewhat awkwardly, "I brought back quite a few. I'll make you some fish soup later!"
"Okay!" Su Yuyao stood up happily, ran out to look through the bamboo basket, and said disappointedly, "Why are the fish so small?! No wonder I made fish soup! I wanted to eat grilled fish!"
"Next time, let's have soup first this time," said Bai Er, putting away his bamboo basket.
Bai Er sat in front of the thatched hut picking up small fish, while Su Yuyao ran around playing on the hillside.
"The fish we got this time are really big!"
"That's right, this one is enough for my family of six to have a full meal!"
Su Yuyao watched as two women carried large carp, each as long as an arm, up the mountain.
"Auntie! Auntie!" Su Yuyao caught up and asked, "Is this the fish we distributed today?"
"Oh, Miss Yao'er! Yes! This time the fish are all plump and big, they're in Wanhequ down below, have you gone to get them yet?" an auntie replied enthusiastically.
"Oh, we haven't gone yet, we'll go right away! Thank you, Auntie!" Su Yuyao said, then turned and ran back to the thatched hut.
"White Ear! Tell me the truth! What's wrong with this fish?!" Su Yuyao demanded, hands on her hips. "Why are everyone else's fish so fat and big! Ours are so skinny and small?!"
“Miss Yao’er, we’re new here, so it’s best to keep things peaceful,” Bai Er replied softly, head bowed.
"Let's settle this peacefully? Bai Er, have you been bullied?!" Su Yuyao's anger flared up. "Who bullied you? Take me to him!"
Bai Er sighed and looked up, saying, "Forget it, I already said we're eating at the same table as Lord Xuanfeng, and they're still giving me, the juniors..."
"How dare they treat Xuanfeng like this?" Su Yuyao asked, puzzled. "Where are the Xuanfeng people?"
"Lord Xuanfeng is still in the Yuantun Hall below, discussing matters with the Stele Kings of various halls!"
"What do you want to discuss?"
"I'm not really sure... Miss Yao'er, please don't do anything rash!" Bai Er looked at Su Yuyao's darting eyes and knew she was thinking of some bad idea again.
"It's not that I'm being reckless! It's that we've been bullied to the point of being humiliated. If we don't fight back, they'll bully us again!" Su Yuyao pulled up Bai Er and gathered the unprocessed fish into the bamboo basket.
"Let's go! Let's settle accounts with them!"
Bai Er, pulled by Su Yuyao, arrived at Wanhequ at the foot of the mountain.
Gossipy women also gathered by the river.
"Unbelievable! Lord Xuanfeng actually handed over the Wuji Dao and came back!"
"That's right! Lord Xuanfeng has been running back and forth for nearly a thousand years, and everyone thought he had secured his position as the Heavenly Lord! But who would have thought... tsk tsk, he's back again!"
"Hey? What do you think Lord Qinggan will do now that Lord Xuanfeng has returned after managing things here for so many years?"
"Hey! What should we do? Didn't you notice? This time when the fish were being distributed, the smallest and thinnest ones all went to that young lady! What's that called? That's called..."
"This is unfair! This is bullying!" Su Yuyao couldn't stand it anymore, so she raised her bamboo basket and threw all the small fish mixed with fish belly and scales at the gossipy women.
"Oh my god! Who is it?!" A gossipy woman shrieked as she stood up. Seeing the furious Su Yuyao, her eyes turned cold. "Who's so rude! It's Miss Yao'er! What's the matter?"
"I'm asking you! Who divided this fish?!" Su Yuyao asked, hands on her hips.
"We divided it, so what?" the cold-eyed, gossipy woman said, rolling her eyes.
Another gossipy woman, not wanting to escalate the situation, quickly stepped forward and said, "Miss Yao'er, is there a misunderstanding?!"
"Is it a misunderstanding?! You just said that you deliberately gave us the skinny and small fish!" Su Yuyao shouted angrily, her face flushed.
The gossipy women looked at each other, somewhat embarrassed.
"Oh dear, how could we do that! Miss Yao'er, look! There are fish here, please choose one..."
"Pah!" Su Yuyao shouted, grabbing the gossipy woman as she spoke. "You're just bullying us! Come on! Go to Xuanfeng and say what you just said again!"
"Miss Yao'er, this has nothing to do with us!" The gossipy woman, who had been grabbed, became nervous. "It was all Lord Qinggan's instruction, and his son Qingju oversaw the distribution! You should speak to them if you have anything to say!"
"Where are the green oranges?!" Su Yuyao asked angrily.
"I am Qingju!" a disdainful voice rang out.
Su Yuyao turned around and saw a boy who was a head taller than her, round and chubby, with several girls of the same age following behind him.
The boy walked up to Su Yuyao and asked without any politeness, "You're Su Yuyao?"
"Are you Qingju? Qinggan's son?" Su Yuyao raised her head, pointed to the pile of small fish that had just been thrown out, and asked, "Did you distribute these to us?"
"Yes! Is there a problem?" Qingju said arrogantly.
"I'm asking you, why are the fish given to others fat and big, while the fish given to us are thin and small?"
"Although other people's fish are fat and big, there's only one of them, while the fish we're giving you, although a bit small, are plentiful!" Qingju said with a sneer.
"What?! You!" Su Yuyao couldn't think of a retort for a moment, so she grabbed Qingju's arm and said indignantly, "Let's go! Let's go find Xuanfeng to settle this!"
"I'm not going!" Qingju raised her hand and pushed Su Yuyao back a few steps, causing her to fall into the river with a thud.
"Ouch!" Su Yuyao sat back in the river, soaked from head to toe.
"Miss! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?!" Bai Er quickly stepped forward to help her up.
The girls behind Qingju covered their mouths and chuckled.
"Hmph! You little brat!" Qingju said, rolling her eyes.
Bai Er pulled Su Yuyao ashore, wrung the water off her skirt, and gently advised, "Miss! Let's go back! Change your clothes, be careful not to catch a cold!"
"No way!" Su Yuyao angrily picked up a pebble and threw it at Qingju. "Apologize to me!"
"Ah!" Qingju covered her forehead and squatted down, watching as blood seeped through her chubby fingers.
When Qingju saw blood flowing from her head, she was so frightened that she sat on the ground and wailed, "Ah—! Dad! I'm bleeding!"
"Oh no! Su Yuyao is hitting someone!" the girls shouted.
Several gossipy women quickly helped Qingju aside and examined her wounds.
"I...I didn't mean to..." Su Yuyao didn't expect that the fat man didn't even dodge, and caught the stone with his head.
Bai Er tried to pull Su Yuyao away quickly, but the girls behind Qing Gan blocked their way. "How could you hit someone?! You can't leave! We have to go to Lady Qing Gan to settle this!"
Su Yuyao got angry when she heard this, "I said I was going to Xuanfeng to settle this, but you wouldn't go! Now you want me to go to Qinggan to settle this? I'm not going either!"
"That won't do! Brother Qingju is injured!" Several girls grabbed Su Yuyao without saying a word.
Su Yuyao struggled to break free, "Why can't I?! He even hit me!"
Bai Er hurriedly tried to stop them, shouting, "Let go! Let go!"...
Inside the Yuantun Hall not far away, Qinggan was leading several steles to demonstrate against Xuanfeng.
"Lord Xuanfeng!" Qinggan, with a ruddy complexion, round head and body, stood in the hall, hands on his belt, nostrils pointing at Xuanfeng, and said in a low voice, "What you are doing is unfair! These steles of the King of Steles have the most prosperous incense offerings, so it is only right to give them a few mountain areas! Your sudden desire to take them back this time is truly inappropriate!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Xuanfeng asked with a smile. "Then let me ask you, whose mountain was it that was allocated to them?"
"It's...it's yours..." Qinggan's tone softened for a moment, then hardened again, "But in the years you've been gone, these Monument Kings have made tremendous contributions! Although the Heavenly Palace provides monthly stipends, that little bit of silver isn't even enough to maintain basic food, clothing, and daily necessities. Most of it still depends on the silver they offer! Don't say that these are the hills allocated to them; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they bought them with silver!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Xuanfeng wasn't angry, but continued to ask, "Then let me ask you again, how did they earn all this silver?"
Qinggan said matter-of-factly, "Use their temples! Their temples have helped the people of Shiyuan Village solve their problems, and those people are doing this to express their gratitude..."
Xuanfeng interrupted Qinggan with a smile, "They helped the people of Shiyuan Village solve their problems, so the people who received help would give them something in return, right?"
"yes!"
"Then if I give them the mountain to build their temples and let them make money, shouldn't they give me something in return? Do you expect me to give up the mountain?" Xuanfeng asked with a smile.
“But…” Qinggan still wanted to argue.
"Alright!" Xuanfeng's smile faded as he said to Qinggan, "Qinggan, I know everything you've done over the years, I just didn't want to get involved. How much of my mountain range have you given away as favors? Now I'm taking it all back! One shouldn't go too far in their actions!"
Upon hearing this, Qinggan raised her eyebrows and said, "Lord Xuanfeng! Over the years, I have been dutiful and responsible. While you were busy with the affairs of the Wuji Dao, I managed this place very well for you. Look at it now, every hall is thriving! If it weren't for me, how could the Immortal Mountain have such a scene!"
"So!" Xuanfeng slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Over the years, have I ever said a word about how much benefit you've reaped from the Immortal Mountain?! As long as you don't do anything excessive, I haven't interfered! Now you've crossed a line! You've divided up the mountain into separate factions! Forming cliques and engaging in open and covert struggles! I want to ask you! So many Stele Kings have established their halls and cultivated in my mountain range, why don't the others come and seize the mountain?!"
"Me!" Qinggan opened her mouth, not knowing how to refute it.
Suddenly, the bell ringing in Xuanfeng's ears became chaotic and disordered.
Hey brat, what are you doing?!
He squinted and saw a group of extremely unfriendly faces reaching out to pull him.
Xuan Fengteng stood up abruptly, and amidst everyone's confusion, pushed open the palace door and walked out.
"Let me go! Let go!" Su Yuyao's hair was pulled loose and her clothes were torn.
"Miss! Miss!" Bai Er tried to protect Su Yuyao, but was pushed far away by several girls.
"Stop!" Xuanfeng shouted.
The girls were startled and quickly let go of each other's hands.
When Su Yuyao saw Xuan Feng arrive, she immediately felt wronged.
“Xuanfeng…they’re bullying people…” Su Yuyao said, pouting.
Qinggan followed along, and seeing Su Yuyao and Bai Er's disheveled appearance, she laughed and said, "Oh dear, it's just kids playing around!"
"Lord Qinggan! Come quick! Young Master Qingju's head has been broken by Miss Yao'er!" a gossipy woman shouted.
"Huh?! What?!" Qinggan rushed over in a flustered, round face.
Xuanfeng looked at the mess on the ground, then at the uneasy Bai'er and the aggrieved Su Yuyao, and he roughly guessed what had happened.
He stared at Su Yuyao, thinking, "You brat, you really have no patience!"
"Lord Xuanfeng! Look! Qingju has a big gash on her head!" Qinggan pulled the sobbing Qingju to Xuanfeng to complain.
Su Yuyao pursed her lips, looking at Xuanfeng with trepidation. I really didn't mean to!
Xuanfeng turned to Qinggan and said with a smile, "Lord Qinggan, this is just children playing around!"
"Lord Xuanfeng!" Qinggan pointed at the wound on Qingju's brow bone and said with wide eyes, "Is this a fight?"
"Oh," Xuanfeng glanced at Qingju's wound, then turned to Su Yuyao and said, "Girl! Don't hit her head next time, understand?"
"Hmm?" Su Yuyao looked at Xuanfeng in confusion.
"Did you hear that?" Xuanfeng asked again, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I understand!" Su Yuyao nodded and said.
Xuanfeng looked at the fish scattered on the ground, then at Su Yuyao, "You came here to collect the fish? Did you get them?"
Su Yuyao shook her head and said, "I didn't receive it."
"Oh, Lord Qinggan, which fish was given to me? Let the two children take it back!" Xuanfeng asked with a smile, his hands behind his back.
Qinggan was so angry she couldn't speak, glaring fiercely at Su Yuyao.
A gossipy woman quickly stepped forward, scooped a fat, large fish out of a basket in the river, put it in a bamboo basket, and said with a smile, "We've saved them all, just waiting for Miss Yao'er to come and collect them!"
Bai Er took the heavy bamboo basket and looked at Su Yuyao.
Looking at the plump fish in the bamboo basket, Su Yuyao's earlier unhappiness vanished instantly. She smiled happily and said to Xuanfeng, "Hurry up and get busy! Come back and eat the fish when you're done!"
After saying that, he pulled Bai Er towards the thatched hut, leaving behind the still crying Qing Ju, the angry Qing Gan, and a group of women and girls staring at each other.
Xuanfeng listened to the pleasant sound of the bells and thought, "You brat, this is the right sound!"
Watching Su Yuyao's retreating figure, Xuan Feng's chaotic heart gradually calmed down. He then turned to Qing Gan and said, "Qing Gan, these mountains must be cleared within three days. If any of the Monument Kings have other ideas, please do so! I will not force them to stay!"
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