Chapter 45

45 Mastermind

“Where did you go just now?”

At Old Su’s house, Madam Fang had just come out of her house when she saw Su Jinniang closing the door.

Su Jinniang pointed at the wooden basin in her hand. “Pour water.”

“You applied perfume?” Madam Fang smelled her daughter’s rouge.

Su Jinniang lowered her eyes and said, “No, my ears are frozen. I applied some snow cream.”

Madam Fang nodded and said, “I think I heard you talking to someone just now.”

Su Jinniang said, “I bumped into Su Daya and said a few words.”

Madam Fang said unhappily, “What did you say to her? She framed you tonight.”

Su Jinniang said nothing.

Madam Fang thought to herself, “Is she married? I think this Fat Su is different from before. Her brain has become bright. Look at what she said to Madam Wan tonight. She’s not stupid at all… I heard that she even went to town to do business.”

Su Jinniang said in a low voice, “What business can she do? Mother, don’t listen to nonsense.”

Madam Fang said, “It’s true. Someone saw her go to town with Ergou in the morning and come back in the afternoon. If she didn’t earn money, where would she get the money to buy those grains and meat? Moreover, they haven’t gone to the village to extort money recently.”

Su Jinniang leaned the wooden basin against the wall. “Isn’t there still the betrothal gift that the He family returned? That money is enough for them to squander for a while. When they’re done, they’ll extort money from everyone like before.”

Madam Fang felt that her daughter’s words made sense and sighed. “Aiya, what a sin. How did our village get into trouble with this family?”

—

In the Su family, the three little ones were standing under the corridor, looking in the direction of Wang Laizi’s house.

It was dark and snowing hard.

When Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting returned home, they saw three anxious snowmen.

Wei Ting’s heart suddenly softened. The few brats were not raised in vain.

Just as he was about to walk towards them, he saw the three of them running over and pouncing on Su Xiaoxiao.

Dahu and Erhu each held one of her hands. Xiaohu was a step slower. He wanted to pull her clothes, but he couldn’t. He simply hugged Su Xiaoxiao’s legs with his hands and feet.

Wei Ting’s mouth twitched.

These brats…

Father Su wasn’t back, so Su Xiaoxiao let the three children eat dinner first.

She went to the small east room to treat Wei Ting’s wound.

Wei Ting was already used to her strange medicine.

As soon as she started practicing medicine, she seemed to have become a different person. She was serious and rigorous.

Su Xiaoxiao straightened up and took off her gloves. “You don’t need stitches, but your old injury hasn’t healed yet. Your left calf is swollen again. Do you need me to remind you to rest more?”

“Yes,” Wei Ting agreed calmly.

After a while, seeing that she was not leaving, he asked, “Is there anything else?”

As Su Xiaoxiao packed up the iodophor and cotton swabs, she said casually, “Just that Su Jinniang, she’s the village belle of our village… Although she’s only a little bit worse than me, I still have to give you a friendly reminder. You’re my husband in name now. Don’t cuckold me. You can’t even think about it. Otherwise, I’ll lose face.”

Wei Ting looked at the little fat peacock in front of him who was pretending to be proud and smiled. “Yes, she’s better-looking than you.”

Su Xiaoxiao threw a pillow at him!

Scumbag!

A certain someone’s exasperated look really made Wei Ting feel good.

How was Su Jinniang good-looking? He did not look at all.

In the central room, the three little ones slid down from the chair after eating and looked innocently at Su Ergou, who was guarding them.

“Uncle, I miss Grandpa,” Dahu said.

Su Ergou said, “My father will be back soon.”

“Grandpa.”

“I want Grandpa.”

“Grandpa.”

Su Ergou said, “It’s snowing so heavily. You can’t go. My sister won’t let you go out.”

“Grandpa.” The three little ones were so aggrieved that they were about to cry.

Su Ergou surrendered. “Alright, alright, I’ll call him back, alright?”

After Su Ergou left, the three little ones immediately carried their pillows to Su Xiaoxiao’s house.

Su Xiaoxiao was sorting through the first aid kit.

“Mother, Dahu is sleepy.”

“Erhu is also sleepy.”

“Xiaohu… Xiaohu… is the most sleepy!”

“You’re always the most hungry and sleepy,” Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, “Go to sleep if you’re tired.”

Dahu pointed at Su Cheng’s room. “Grandpa, he’s not here.”

Erhu pointed at Ergou’s house. “Uncle, he’s not here either.”

“It’s so dark!” Xiaohu’s expression of fear was exaggerated.

They had all gone out and no one knew when they would return.

Su Xiaoxiao held her forehead and sighed. She pulled open the blanket. “Alright, come up.”

The three little ones crawled onto the bed and lay down obediently under the blanket, sleeping contentedly.

About an hour later, the father and son returned covered in snow.

Su Xiaoxiao quickly went forward and patted the snow for the two of them. “Have you asked? What did Wang Laizi say?”

“Close the door,” Father Su instructed Su Ergou.

“Hey.” Su Ergou inserted the door bolt with his almost frozen fingers.

Father Su came to the brazier and told him about Wang Laizi.

“Zhang Dao did it.”

It turned out that all of this was Zhang Dao’s idea.

After Zhang Dao was taught a lesson by the Su family’s three tyrants, he had been holding a grudge. However, he did not dare to provoke them. He happened to have met Wang Laizi at the gambling den.

In a few rounds, Wang Laizi lost all his money and Zhang Dao lent him some . In return, he did something for Zhang Dao.

Wang Laizi did not dare to offend the Su family at first, but firstly, he owed Zhang Dao money. Zhang Dao threatened him that if he was disobedient, he would have to leave a hand behind.

Secondly, Zhang Dao told him that the Fifth Master of the prefecture city would protect the two of them. Even if they were exposed, the Su family would not dare to do anything to them.

According to the plan, Wang Laizi would pretend to be dead and cause a huge commotion, forcing the villagers to send Fatty Su to the government office.

Zhang Dao had brothers in the government office, and Su Xiaoxiao would be in trouble.

Even if Wang Laizi woke up miraculously a few days later, Su Xiaoxiao would have long been tortured in prison.

It had to be said that this move was really sinister!

If Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting hadn’t reacted in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Father Su and Su Ergou beat Wang Laizi up and left him hanging with half a breath. He could only resign himself to fate. He was not worthy of living after doing such a wicked thing!

As for Zhang Dao…

Su Ergou gritted his teeth. “I’ll kill him tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?” Su Cheng angrily grabbed his things and rushed to town with Su Ergou.

How dare he scheme against his daughter like this? Even if he had to pay with his life today, he would kill that bastard!

“Zhang, come out!”

Su Cheng kicked open Zhang Dao’s door.

The courtyard was empty.

“Damn! He got away!”