Zhao Xiaoyuan glanced at the Fu family. "Good timing, your people are here. Take him back immediately. Don't freeload at our house, eating and drinking for free without doing a stroke of work."
"I'm not leaving. This is my home, and I'm not going anywhere." Qian Sijin raised his head, his eyes burning with stubbornness and defiance.
Fu Baiwan and Tian Guihua both knew these words were also meant for them.
The only reason Zhao Xiaoyuan hadn't actually chased him out was because he could still work in the shop, doing the job of several people.
Where else could she hire such a cheap and hard-working hand?
She was just saying that to scare Qian Sijin.
"Get lost, get lost, get lost." She pushed and shoved as she spoke, and in doing so, exposed the other side of Qian Sijin's face to everyone.
That cheek was badly swollen, marked with reddish-purple fingerprints.
Tian Guihua drew a sharp breath. She could somewhat endure the verbal abuse, but they had actually resorted to physical violence...
Fu Qiujiu saw it too. This damned woman had usurped her Fourth Brother's shop and actually dared to hit people—this was way too arrogant.
Fu Qiujiu reached out toward Qian Sijin. "Bro-ther, up..."
At first, Fu Sijin didn't want to take her, worried that being too close might result in this vicious woman hurting his little sister.
Seeing that he didn't move, and with her parents busy arguing with the vicious shrew, Fu Qiujiu smoothly slid down from her mother's arms.
Her legs had grown stronger over the past few days, and she could barely manage to walk steadily.
No one had paid attention to her, and by the time they noticed, the little milk dumpling had already toddled over to the vicious woman's side, lifted her short little leg, and stamped down hard on the woman's foot while shouting, "Hit, hit..."
It certainly didn't hurt.
But Zhao Xiaoyuan was used to being domineering. "You little brat, raised by nobody with no manners, watch me—"
Fearing that the woman might really take it out on her baby sister, Qian Sijin hurriedly pulled the little milk dumpling into his arms to shield her.
To everyone's surprise, this height put Fu Qiujiu in the perfect position to deliver a slap to the vicious woman's face.
Crisp and loud.
Everyone was stunned, and so was Zhao Xiaoyuan.
Fu Qiujiu knew her parents' forbearance wasn't out of cowardice; if her old dad's fiery temper were unleashed, he would have beaten this vicious woman eight hundred times over.
They were holding back for the sake of Fourth Brother, but dealing with a bully who picked on the soft and feared the hard—blind tolerance would only make them more unbridled.
Her brothers were all itching to have a go, but no one dared make the first move, so she had to take the lead.
"You little punk, how dare you hit me! I'll fight you to the death—"
Facing this two-hundred-pound behemoth, the little milk dumpling wasn't scared at all and even dared to go toe-to-toe.
"Hit... hit... hit..."
Fu Qiujiu waved her chubby little hands, as if sounding the charge.
The Fu family's eyes turned red. How dare this woman curse their little sister, and even try to hit her?
Moments later, Zhao Xiaoyuan was beaten black and blue, her face swollen like a pig's head. In the chaos, she couldn't even tell who was landing the blows—it seemed like everyone was hitting her.
"You... you... hiss..." Zhao Xiaoyuan wailed and howled, "I'm going to report you! I'm going to the magistrate's office to report you!"
"I'm going to have you all beaten with planks!"
The Fu family was already furious. Let's go then; they couldn't care less anymore.
Especially Tian Guihua, who wiped her hair back. She had endured enough all these years.
"I'll go with you. The one who hit you was me."
"No, it was me."
"I hit her."
"What's it got to do with you lot? It was all me," Fu Baiwan said coldly.
Though Mrs. Zhou hadn't spoken, she had also taken a swing just now. Hearing that this was going all the way to the magistrate's office, she still felt a twinge of fear.
Since Qian Sijin was holding the little milk dumpling, he hadn't thrown any punches, but he wanted to. "It has nothing to do with you all. If anyone's going, it should be me."
Originally, Zhao Xiaoyuan had just wanted to scare them into kneeling and begging for forgiveness. After all, if they really went to the magistrate's office, the ownership of the shop would be messy; what if the county magistrate ruled that the shop belonged in part to Qian Sijin? Then she would take a huge loss.
Covering her swollen face, she mumbled indistinctly, "Jie-men... just you wait... I... I won't let you off..."
Afraid the Fu family would hit her again, she dragged her heavy body away in a hurry.
Only then did Qian Sijin put the little milk dumpling down, unable to resist gently patting her head.
"You didn't have to do this for me. Especially you—if your reputation is ruined at the magistrate's office, how are you going to take the imperial examinations?"
"Fourth Brother, you still care about us. Don't worry, I've switched to studying medicine. Even if I were still studying for the exams, I couldn't just stand by and watch you get bullied."
Fu Wujin smiled down at the little milk dumpling. "Even Jiujiu knows to protect you. If we just sat here and did nothing, we wouldn't even measure up to a child."
The others weren't good with eloquent words, so they simply nodded along.
"Fourth Brother, we're brothers. Even if our bones are broken, our tendons are still connected. Messing with you means messing with our whole family."
Very appropriately, Fu Qiujiu piped up: "Hit... hit... hit..."
Forgetting their worries for a moment, everyone burst out laughing, comforted by the knowledge that Qian Sijin held his brothers in his heart as well.
Anyone who dares bully my Fourth Brother gets their legs broken!
Chapter Thirty: A Legal Trouble
Though Qian Sijin hadn't called out to his father and mother, nor shown any intention of returning to the Fu family, today's uproar made him realize that his parents and brothers weren't afraid of the magistrate's office or losing their exam prospects when it came to him.
"Sijin, let Second Sister-in-law measure you up. We're making a new set of clothes for everyone in the family, and you have a share too. Once I'm done sewing, I'll have your Second Brother bring it over."
Tian Guihua wiped away a tear. "Right, Sijin, your Second Sister-in-law's tailoring is excellent. Let her take your measurements."
"I—"
"Oh, we're all family here, what are you shy for?" Lady Wu pulled Qian Sijin over and used her hands as a measuring tape.
Finally, she patted Qian Sijin's back. "Done! In three days tops, you'll have new clothes to wear."
"No need... to rush, I... I have clothes to wear."
Mrs. Zhou couldn't get a hand in and was burning with anxiety; she couldn't let the Second Branch take all the credit for being kind.
"Sijin, these clothes are different. It's fabric from the Treasure Pavilion. I picked the color myself, you'll definitely look handsome in it."
She picked it? When?
Tian Guihua gave a dry chuckle, too lazy to puncture Mrs. Zhou's petty vanity.
"Thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law."
"You're welcome, we're all family." Mrs. Zhou knew that buttering up Qian Sijin meant buttering up her parents-in-law.
Fu Sanjin reacted half a beat late. "Eldest Sister-in-law, why would you—didn't Jiujiu ask to buy that, and didn't our mother pick the fabric?"
Mrs. Zhou's smile froze on her face. Gritting her teeth, she glared hatefully at him. "If you don't speak, nobody's going to mistake you for a mute."
Fu Liujin and Fu Bajin bumped shoulders, snickering aloud.
Getting down to business, Fu Baiwan had come this time to buy peanuts for seeds.
Learning that he wanted to buy several hundred catties of peanuts, Qian Sijin hesitated slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"Peanuts are a delicate crop. Without experience, the yield isn't high. How did you guys think of growing these?"
It was only natural for him to know this well, since their shop dealt in buying and selling grain.
Fu Baiwan told him the truth. Although Qian Sijin was very fond of his baby sister, he still felt it was absurd to let a little milk toddler decide what crops to plant.
However, since they always did absurd things, he didn't care to meddle further.
On the way back, Tian Guihua was still somewhat worried.
"Old man, what if Sijin's aunt really reports this to the authorities? What will we do?"
She lowered her voice when she said this, while the brothers were still excitedly chattering about how satisfying it was to beat up that vicious woman.
"Don't worry, you have me. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up. I won't let you and the children suffer; you just focus on raising the kids."
Tian Guihua knew she hadn't married the wrong man, her eyes moistening slightly. "If Jiujiu weren't so small, I'd definitely go with you."
"I believe you." Fu Baiwan flashed her a smile.
Back home, seeing that the children were all in high spirits, Fu Baiwan and Tian Guihua kept their worries to themselves, refusing to be buzzkills.
So what if they got beaten with planks?
For the sake of his son, he wasn't afraid of going to prison.
Fu Wujin had already returned to the county town to continue his medical studies, taking along the medical texts Fu Qiujiu had given him before he left.
The next morning, bailiffs arrived to take people away.
Except for Mrs. Zhou, every single member of the Fu family fought to go—even the baby in arms.
"Speak clearly now, exactly which of you hit the proprietorship of the Qian Grain Shop?"
"Hit, hit, hit..."
Fu Qiujiu hadn't expected the vicious woman to actually dare report them to the authorities. Not that she was afraid; this was the perfect opportunity to seize the shop back for Fourth Brother.
"Hurry up, an adult take the child away."
Fu Qiujiu was carried away, but before long, she was back, waddling over with a bowl of water in her hands.
The bailiff was slightly bewildered, but seeing that the water was meant for him, he immediately broke into a paternal smile. "This child... is so sensible. Uncle happens to be thirsty."
Seeing the bailiff smile, Mrs. Zhou thought she could seize the chance to wriggle out of it.
"Mother, why don't you all go while I stay home to watch Little Aunt? Anyway, I didn't hit anyone, going is useless, and Little Aunt needs someone to look after her."
Mrs. Zhou's behavior clearly disappointed everyone, but upon reflection, little Jiujiu did indeed need someone to care for her.
The bailiff was also helpless. "That won't do, young mistress, you have to come along too. That woman accused your whole family. Whether you hit her or not isn't for you to say, nor is it for me. You can explain yourselves at the magistrate's court."
"Sir, the little baby definitely didn't hit anyone. What does a tiny tot like this understand?"
Taking someone's drink made his mouth soft; the bailiff vividly remembered the plump woman specifically stating that she had been slapped by a little milk dumpling.
A baby this small, hitting people?
"Fine, the little girl can stay behind, but does anyone here have someone to look after her?"
Someone had to watch her; if she took a tumble and bruised that pretty little face, it wouldn't do.
"Yes, this child hasn't been feeling well, she didn't go that day. I swear, I'm not lying."
Tian Guihua pointed at Tang Xian.
The bailiff counted heads. Adding the one they had picked up at the county pharmacy, there was indeed an extra boy here.
"Alright, then the rest of you, come with me."
"I didn't hit anyone! I'm just a housewife, I didn't even lift a finger that day..." Mrs. Zhou didn't want to go, nor did she want to get beaten with planks.
Fu Dajin yanked her sleeve, signaling her to shut up.
Mrs. Zhou wept bitterly. "I'm wronged! I... my constitution is weak, if I get beaten with planks, how will I ever give you children?"
Fu Dajin sighed. "Don't worry, I won't let you get beaten."
Tian Guihua instructed Tang Xian to take good care of the little girl. Tang Xian hesitated; he still felt uneasy about this family going to the magistrate's court.
"Grandma Fan—Mother Fan—Auntie Tian, I'll go with you guys too." With that, he turned, went back into the room, and retrieved his jade pendant from his bundle.
Tian Guihua tried repeatedly to persuade him otherwise, but Tang Xian remained insistent, leaving her with no other choice. On second thought, having the little girl with him would give her some peace of mind.
After all, Tang Xian was just a child too.
The bailiff walked in front, followed by the entire Fu family, old and young. As they passed the big willow tree, villagers pointed and whispered.
Once they had passed, the discussion broke out.
"What's happened to the old Fu family?"
Mother Fan gloated, raising her voice a few decibels. "What happened? They committed a crime, didn't you see those bailiffs? This time they'll lose a layer of skin if they don't die!"
"No way, the couple from the Fu family are honest and law-abiding folks."
"Nothing's impossible! How are they honest? Did you see it with your own eyes?" Mother Fan shook her head. "The old Fu family is truly finished this time. They've landed in deep trouble, it's hard to say if they'll even make it back."
"The Fu family is blessed by a lucky star, they'll definitely turn misfortune into blessings."
Not everyone was just there to watch the spectacle; some were genuinely worried for the Fu family.
"Lucky star? What kind of lucky star is she? Just you wait, I'm putting my words right here: their family is about to be cursed."
People laughed it off. They all lived in the same village and weren't on terrible terms; deep down, they still hoped the Fu family would be alright.
"Mother Fan, what if the Fu family turns out fine? What will you do?"
"I'll give you my big rooster!" Mother Fan sneered. "And if they're in trouble, you give me one of your piglets!"
Chapter Thirty-One: The Young Master's Precious Identity
With so many elderly and frail family members, walking all the way to the county town meant they wouldn't arrive until after dark.
When they reached the town, Fu Baiwan decided to hire two carts.
Since they were paying their own way, the bailiffs didn't mind; it made things easier for everyone. Why not?
Inside the carriage, Fu Qiujiu was already fast asleep. There was no helping it; the gentle rocking motion of the ride always made her heavy eyelids droop.
"Child, this really has nothing to do with you. It would've been so much better at home, why subject yourself to this ordeal?"
Tang Xian only smiled.
In the other carriage, it was packed tight with people.
"When we get there, just say I hit her," Qian Sijin said in a deep voice.
"What nonsense are you spouting? If anyone's getting beaten with planks, it should be me, the eldest brother. An elder brother is like a father; Dad is too old to take it, you all have to listen to me."
Though Fu Baiwan remained silent, he felt his eldest son showed considerable backbone and hadn't been completely warped by his wife.
"Eldest Brother, let me do it. If you get beaten up, Eldest Sister-in-law will be heartbroken."
Fu Sanjin flexed his sturdy arm. "I'm strong and healthy. A few planks? It'll just feel like an itch."
Arriving at the county magistrate's office, Mrs. Zhou hurried down, her first priority being to pull Fu Dajin aside. "Dajin, let me tell you, don't be a fool. When the beating starts, you are not to act like a hero."
Fu Dajin frowned. "I'm the eldest brother. If I don't stand up, who will?"
"No way, I won't allow it. If you get broken, how are we supposed to have kids?" Mrs. Zhou pouted. "You were only born a moment earlier than Erjin, let him do it. He already has a child, it won't matter if he gets broken."
Tian Guihua glanced back at the trailing pair, needing no guesses to know what they were whispering about.
Getting beaten with planks was the worst-case scenario, but she also needed to settle accounts regarding the vicious woman seizing Sijin's shop and beating him.
"This..." County Magistrate Zou Guangquan looked at the dozen or so people kneeling in the hall, noticing several small children among them.
"Why aren't you kneeling?" he pointed at Tang Xian and demanded.
"I didn't hit anyone."
Zou Guangquan looked at Zhao Xiaoyuan, confirming the little boy was right. "Even if you didn't hit people, in this magistrate's court, you must kneel."
Tang Xian narrowed his eyes, the corners of his lips curling into a cold smirk.
He could ill afford to accept a kowtow from this man."Tang Seven, hurry up and kneel, kowtow to the magistrate!" Tian Guihua tugged at his hem, causing his pendant to swing twice. Zou Guangquan's sharp eyes caught it.
That jade pendant... ordinary families couldn't afford it, nor could they buy it even if they had the money. That jade was a tribute from foreign lands, fit only for royalty and a tiny handful of high-ranking ministers.
So this little boy's identity... even if he wasn't of imperial blood, he had to be the young master of some high-ranking official's household.
Looking closer at the noble air barely concealed beneath his coarse hemp clothes, coupled with an overwhelming majesty...
An individual not to be trifled with.
Zou Guangquan had already made up his mind.
Seeing the county magistrate's deep gaze, Tang Xian figured the man understood his silent hint.
That saved him some trouble.
"Forget it, forget it, if a little child doesn't want to kneel, then he needn't kneel." Zou Guangquan felt lingering fear; luckily he was a man who appreciated and understood jade, otherwise he would have offended someone he shouldn't have today.
"This official sees that your complexion is poor. Since you have nothing to do with this case, you should... go sit over there."
"Someone come, bring this child a chair."
Principles be damned; he had to keep his official hat first.
Tang Xian didn't stand on ceremony and sat right down.
Though Zhao Xiaoyuan and her husband were displeased, they didn't dare find fault with the magistrate. Meanwhile, the onlookers outside thought the magistrate was as loving to the people as a parent.
Zou Guangquan hadn't expected that by doing this, not only did he flatter a young master of noble birth, but he also won the devotion of the common people—a truly profitable deal.
Since the young master was on the side of the defendants, he knew exactly where to direct his focus.
"Madam Zhao, are you certain that all these members of the Fu family hit you? Even a nursing baby in arms hit you?"
Zhao Xiaoyuan nodded, pointing to her face. "Your Honor, that's right, they all hit me. That little baby even gave me a slap!"
"Are you sure she was hitting you, and not just playing with you?" Zou Guangquan's gaze fell on Fu Qiujiu's face—a fresh, tender little tot, pretty as a picture, smiling in a most endearing way.
"Your Honor, don't let her small size fool you, she's terribly clever. When she hit me, she even shouted 'hit, hit, hit'."
The bailiff didn't dare speak up. The child had indeed shouted "hit, hit, hit," but she had also given him sweet water to drink—that water had been truly sweet.
Since the magistrate didn't ask, he decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Madam Zhao, then this official would like to ask: what exactly did you do to make even an innocent little child resort to hitting you?"
"I..." Zhao Xiaoyuan faltered. "I... I was disciplining my nephew. He couldn't balance the grain accounts and lost a lot of money, so I just scolded him a bit."
"You weren't just scolding him, you beat my Fourth Brother until his face was swollen, and you cursed him out viciously!" Fu Liujin yelled, unable to hold back.
Zou Guangquan wanted to strike the gavel, but seeing the young master seated below, he reined it in. "This official didn't ask you. Outbursts are not permitted."
"Liujin, hold your tongue," Fu Wujin warned.
Though Fu Liujin felt indignant, facing the great county magistrate filled him with dread.
"Madam Zhao..."
Zhao Xiaoyuan shrank her neck. "Your Honor, as an elder disciplining a junior, hitting them twice and scolding them a couple of times is for their own good! But them hitting me is wrong. Just look at these injuries of mine..."
Ignored by everyone, Fu Qiujiu toddled over to Qian Sijin, babbling, "Bro-ther, hug!"
Then, she "accidentally" tugged open the collar of his shirt, revealing the horrifying scars beneath.
When her Fourth Brother had held her the other day, she had heard him groan in pain and guessed there must be other injuries.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have lost her temper and stirred up trouble.
"Blow, blow..." Oblivious to the court, Fu Qiujiu gently blew on Qian Sijin's shocking injuries—large patches of purple-black bruises and unhealed cuts.
"Madam Zhao... is this what you call 'disciplining'? You were trying to take his life."
Frightened out of her wits, Zhao Xiaoyuan shook with her two-hundred-pound frame and dropped to her knees with a loud *thud*.
"Your Honor, he got all these injuries himself! It has nothing to do with me, please clear my name!"
Having investigated this family's situation, and being a father himself, Zou Guangquan imagined what he would do if someone tortured his son this way—he would fight them to the death.
"Madam Zhao, do you take this official for a blind man?"