Everyone followed the voice and saw a six or seven-year-old boy. In front of him was a bowl of wonton, and an old lady with patched sleeves was lovingly feeding him.
The boy had a fat and arrogant face, with his already small eyes squinted by the excess flesh. Judging from their attire, their family didn't seem wealthy. It was quite a skill for him to be raised in such a manner.
The old lady followed her grandson's finger and saw the "extremely luxurious" little girl in Lin's arms. She couldn't help but sneer and said to her grandson, "Alright, alright, alright. I'll buy it for you when we go back."
The mischievous child insisted, "No, I want it now. I want that kid's bracelet. Go get it for me!"
The old lady felt somewhat helpless, but her grandson was the only treasure in their family, and she couldn't bear to see him unhappy.
She immediately put down the bowl and said in a gentle voice, "Alright, alright, I'll go get it for you."
Saying that, she got up and headed towards the table where the Jiang family was seated.
The bizarre conversation between this peculiar pair of grandmother and grandson was clearly heard by the Jiang family, and their brows furrowed in response.
Jiang Yuqing quickly turned around and hid his chubby little hand in his eldest aunt's embrace, tilting his head slightly as he vigilantly observed the situation. Quite cunning!
The old lady approached Lu and wore a big smile on her face as she said, "Um, young lady Lu."
"My grandson really likes the bracelet in your daughter's hand. Can you lend it to my grandson to wear for a while? We'll return it to you later."
Lu frowned and was about to refuse, but her sister-in-law, Lin, raised an eyebrow and interrupted, "Oh! I must say, old lady."
"I've seen plenty of beggars on the street, but this is the first time I've heard of borrowing a bracelet."
Granny Tan felt embarrassed and said, "Well, my grandson really likes it."
"Besides, I'm not keeping it forever. What harm can it do to borrow it for a while?"
Lin sneered, "What harm? Well, I quite fancy your family's silver! How about you lend me a hundred or one hundred and eighty taels, and I'll return it after using it?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Tan furiously raised her triangular eyebrows and retorted, "Spit! Even if my family doesn't have a hundred or one hundred and eighty taels, why should I lend it to you, a non-relative?"
Her shameless remark truly amused Lin, who loudly proclaimed, "If that's the case, why should I lend my bracelet to you? Just because you have a big face?"
This remark drew laughter from the surrounding guests.
A red-faced man sarcastically remarked, "Isn't she known for having a big face? They call her Granny Tan Big Face!"
Another old woman chimed in, "I think calling her shameless suits her better!"
Hearing these words, the women of the Jiang family immediately understood, realizing that this was a despicable person.
Granny Tan, feeling utterly humiliated, turned to the people around her and cursed, "What business is it of yours if I lend my things? Meddling in others' affairs while you loaf around!"
Then, she turned her head and spat at the Jiang family, as if trying to make up for her loss, "Bah! I won't lend it, who cares! Just a girl who brings misfortune, dressed so well but not afraid of never growing up."
This remark was truly cutting.
Lu, who had been observing silently, suddenly erupted with a loud "Ah!" and grabbed the bowl on the table, smashing it onto Granny Tan's head with a loud crash.
Before she could react, Lu raised her hand and slapped Granny Tan's face repeatedly, causing her to scream in pain.
Lu was furious and cursed while she continued to hit Granny Tan: "I'll slap you to death, shameless old hag! You ate shit this morning and spew nonsense with a mouthful of feces. My daughter is so young, how dare you curse at her? Are you even qualified to insult her? Who do you think you are?"
Jiang Yuqing was dumbfounded as she witnessed her usually gentle mother reveal such a fierce and dominant side. Her fighting power was off the charts.
Therefore, one should never underestimate a mother's love for her child. Once you cross their bottom line, they can transform from a gentle and harmless cat into an enraged mother lion, tearing apart anyone who dares to harm their child.
Clearly, Lu was one of them.
Although Lu was usually gentle, she was still young and currently in a state of rage. When she started to use force, she showed no mercy. The loud slapping sounds were painful to listen to.
Zhu had initially thought about stepping in to help, but when she saw the overwhelming fighting power of her sister-in-law, she immediately retracted her foot.
She calmly watched the spectacle while protecting her sister-in-law and the child in her arms.
The one-sided beating lasted for about a dozen moments, during which a table was knocked askew, and several chairs were overturned.
If it weren't witnessed with their own eyes, who would believe that Granny Tan, who once ruled over half the county, was completely defenseless against Lu's seemingly weak attacks?
For a moment, the street was filled with Granny Tan's cries for help: "Save me! She's killing me! Someone help this old lady!"
Unfortunately, this despicable wretch was usually arrogant and shameless, earning herself the title of "the malignant tumor of the West City."
She had offended everyone in the neighborhood.
The onlookers couldn't wait to kick her themselves and had no intention of intervening.
As for her grandson, who was as fat as a pig, he didn't lift a finger to help his grandmother. Instead, he immediately hid himself, without a trace.
Although the stall owners didn't like Granny Tan either, they were afraid of getting involved in a real problem that they couldn't handle. They hurriedly found the patrolling officers to restore order. Finally, the two women were separated amidst the chaos.
When Granny Tan saw the officers, she clung to one of them as if he were her own father: "Sir, please help me! This old lady is about to be killed by her!"
This inexplicable attack came out of nowhere."
Granny Tan's face was swollen and bruised from Lu's brutal reprimand. Her face and body were covered in messy soup, with specks of coriander scattered on top.
Her appearance was truly unbearable to look at.
Granny Tan cried, her snot and saliva a complete mess, staining the officer's face.
Even after pushing her twice, he couldn't get her off. In the end, unable to bear it any longer, he kicked her hard, causing Granny Tan to fall flat on her face.
"It's you again!" The officer was thoroughly disgusted by the soup and snot on his clothes. He thought that he would definitely need to fumigate himself with mugwort leaves when he got home to ward off bad luck.
This damn old hag, today was their last shift before the new year, and she had to cause trouble for them.
In a little while, they would inquire about the reason, and if it turned out to be her causing trouble, they would make her regret it.
The eyes of the crowd were keen.
Before the women of the Jiang family could speak, the onlookers were already discussing the matter in great detail.
The constable turned his head and observed the attire of the Lin family. It didn't look like they were ordinary peasants.
The little girl being held was particularly adorned with jewelry, looking quite affluent.
He asked, "Where are you all from? How did you end up in conflict with this old woman?"
Lu adjusted her disheveled hair and straightened her clothes before saying, "Respected sir, we are from Xijin Ferry."
The constable was taken aback and asked cautiously, "Xijin Ferry? Do you know Jiang Scholar?"
Lu raised her head, her pretty face still bearing traces of blood, and said proudly, "Indeed, he is my husband!" Lu then pointed to Lin and Zhu, saying, "These two are my sisters-in-law, and this is my daughter."
The constable was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "So you are Madam Jiang and the two sisters-in-law. I apologize for my earlier rudeness. How did you end up in conflict with this troublemaker?"
As soon as this was mentioned, Lu became infuriated: "We don't even know her. We were simply having a meal peacefully when she came up demanding my daughter's bracelet for her grandson to wear. We refused, and she started insulting my daughter, calling her a worthless girl who would bring only losses. She even cursed my daughter, saying she would never grow up."
Lu choked with emotion as she continued, "If she had insulted me, I could have endured it and let it pass. It wouldn't have mattered. But how dare she insult my daughter? Is it something she can do to my precious child?"
Well, it turned out that this old woman was the source of all the trouble.
Once the cause and effect were made clear, the constable no longer wasted words.
With a stern face, he said, "Granny Tan, you demanded something and cursed someone's child. You even distorted the truth and made false accusations. Do you know that falsely accusing someone can lead to punishment?"
Granny Tan was startled and stammered, "I-I didn't make false accusations. She hit me first and even dumped a bowl of noodles on my head. Look, look at all the bruises on my body. She should compensate me for medical expenses. I don't want much, just twenty taels!"
The constable chuckled with anger, "Who made you insult someone's child first? Even if I beat you to death, it would be justified! And you have the audacity to ask for compensation? I think you're really itching for a beating. If you dare to cause trouble again, I'll take you away directly!"
After saying that, he drew his sword with a "swish."
Granny Tan, seeing the gleaming blade, was almost scared out of her wits.
She was used to being domineering and unruly, but only towards ordinary folks in the neighborhood. She would never dare provoke officials or wealthy households.
Never did she expect that today she would kick a metal plate, stirring up trouble with a scholar's family.
She knew that she wouldn't gain any advantage today, so she turned to leave.
But the stall owner blocked her path and said sternly, "Hold on, you can't leave without paying. Five wen for a bowl of wontons!"
Granny Tan didn't dare linger any longer. She swiftly took out five large coins, tossed them onto the table, and pushed her way through the crowd, running away.
Only a chorus of disapproving murmurs remained.
Seeing that there was no more excitement to be had, the crowd quickly dispersed.
Lu let out a sigh of relief, feeling that the sky had cleared up a lot.
She handed a small purse to the yamen officers and apologized, "It's almost New Year's, and I'm sorry to trouble both of you."
"It's freezing cold. Please have a bowl of hot wonton to warm yourselves up and ward off the cold. Please don't refuse!" she said with sincerity.
The two officers pretended to decline for a while but eventually accepted the offer, politely bidding farewell and leaving.
This woman was the wife of the newly appointed scholar, Jiang Scholar, and the younger sister of Master Lu, who worked at the yamen.
Jiang Scholar was currently having a pleasant conversation with the county magistrate at the county yamen. They mustn't offend him.
Jiang Yuqing looked at her mother's disheveled hair and bruised face, feeling both heartbroken and touched.
She struggled to have Lu brought back and hugged her tightly, kissing and comforting her with affectionate words.
The people around witnessed this scene and marveled at the child's thoughtfulness, saying that even at such a young age, she knew how to care for her mother.
Indeed, she was a child from a scholar's family, truly intelligent.
After this incident, the women of the Jiang family lost interest in continuing their shopping spree.
They compensated the vendor with 300 wen as compensation for disrupting their business.
Since they had purchased almost everything they needed, they decided to take their belongings and wait for the agreed meeting place near the city gate.
After Lu and the others left,
In a private room on the second floor of a tea house across from the wonton stall,
Several well-dressed men leaned against the window, watching the excitement unfold. They returned to their tea table and continued discussing the recent events.
A well-fed out-of-town merchant wearing a fur cloak expressed his confusion, "Although that old woman was talkative, it was truly excessive to beat someone like that. I don't see anything exceptional about the family upbringing of a scholar like this."
The local wealthy gentleman sitting across from him smiled and shook his head, "Sir, you're mistaken.
This Jiang Scholar is the second-place winner in this year's provincial examination in Lingzhou Prefecture. His knowledge, character, and family background are impeccable.
His wife also comes from a scholarly family.
The reason she became so furious today must have struck a nerve."
"Oh, could it be that the Jiang family lacks male heirs?"
The local wealthy gentleman shook his head, "On the contrary. The Jiang family has eight grandchildren, and among them, seven are grandsons. Their family line is flourishing."
"Why is that?"
The local wealthy gentleman explained, "You've hit the nail on the head. The old woman just now cursed the only granddaughter of the Jiang family, who is also the youngest."
"I see. So, this young girl is highly favored in the family?"
The local wealthy gentleman took a sip of tea and said, "It's more than just being favored. It's safe to say she's the apple of their eye."
The out-of-town merchant became skeptical, "Isn't that a bit excessive for a young girl? No matter how much they dote on her, she shouldn't surpass the male descendants."
The local wealthy gentleman responded, "If it were an ordinary family, you would be right. However, the Jiang family is different."
The out-of-town merchant's interest was piqued, "Don't keep me in suspense. Tell me straightforwardly, what makes them different?"
The local wealthy gentleman explained, "To understand this, we need to go back to the Jiang family at Xijin Ferry.
The Jiang family has been established here for over two hundred years since the previous dynasty. They have prospered for ten generations, with several hundred family members. Their family line is flourishing.
But here's the peculiar thing.
The Jiang family seems to have either received the excessive favor of the heavens or their ancestral burial ground is located in an unusually auspicious place, as it is truly a case of having too many sons and not enough daughters.
Two hundred years have passed, and not a single baby girl has been born; they are all boys.
You and I are both business people, and we understand the value of rarity.
The same principle applies to human beings.
While others hope for sons, the Jiang family longs for daughters.
Perhaps the heavens have finally smiled upon them. In the spring of this year, Mr. Jiang's wife, after carrying the pregnancy for ten months, gave birth to a baby girl.
The one you just saw.
At that time, it caused a sensation throughout the county.
Qingzhou had been suffering from a prolonged drought, and it seemed that the spring planting would be delayed. However, as soon as this child was born, heavy rain poured down from the sky amidst thunder and lightning.
Thanks to this, the spring planting was able to proceed smoothly.
At that time, Mr. Jiang was still a scholar, and his family's circumstances were quite ordinary.
In order to hold a full month banquet and seek blessings for the newborn girl, the Jiang family even considered using the money intended for their son's examination expenses.
Several gentlemen from the Jiang family went up the mountain, hoping to try their luck and perhaps hunt some wild game to exchange for silver.
However, they failed to catch any wild game, but unexpectedly came across a bowl-sized Ganoderma lucidum. They later sold this Ganoderma to He'an Medicine Hall.
According to what I heard from a young lad at He'an Medicine Hall, this Ganoderma was promptly sent to the capital overnight. You can imagine how precious it was.
There were rumors that the baby girl was born with good fortune.
Sure enough, not long after her birth, her father, Scholar Jiang, successfully passed the imperial examination and became the second-place scholar.
Next year, he is expected to pass the advanced examination and secure an official position.
This baby girl is undoubtedly the treasure of the entire Jiang family. She is handled with utmost care, as if afraid of dropping her or melting her if she were held or even mentioned.
That old hag who cursed someone's eyes, didn't the longevity star hang himself and seek death?
In my opinion, they deserve every bit of the beating they received!"
The out-of-town merchants were astounded and exclaimed, "Oh my, this is truly a remarkable story!
If it's true, then that woman's beating was well deserved..."
