strictlysupreme Chapter 316: No problem! We'll cover the cost!
Chapter 316: No problem! We'll cover the cost!
He knew that the little girl's mother was suffering from an incurable disease. Although he felt reluctant, he hardened his heart and tried his best to make his tone sound calm as he spoke to the little girl.
"My child, listen to your grandfather's advice, don't beg Old Fu anymore. Life and death are preordained."
Your mother's illness has lingered for so many years without any signs of improvement, so there's really no hope left. There's no need to make that futile struggle and waste your precious time and energy.
Grandpa, I'm doing this for your own good. In my opinion, after your mother passes away, you should be adopted by Old Fu's family.
This way, you'll have someone to rely on in the future, and it will also settle the five hundred coins you owe the Fu family, putting an end to a troublesome matter.”
At that moment, when the little girl heard the village chief's cold and merciless words, her little face instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple.
Her eyes burned with a stubborn and unyielding flame, and she shook her little head like a rattle drum, crying out at the top of her lungs.
"No! That's not how it is! There's still hope for my mother! There must be hope!"
The sound, filled with endless despair and unwavering resolve, sounded particularly shrill and piercing in the silent, slumbering night sky, as if it could shatter the darkness itself.
At the same time, the shrew, like a ferocious beast, lunged forward, baring her teeth.
Her strong, thick hands ruthlessly and roughly lifted the little girl from Old Fu's feet, her actions so brutal that it was as if the little girl were nothing more than a weightless object.
Her triangular eyes glared like copper bells, her eyeballs almost popping out, as she shouted fiercely.
"You ignorant little brat! Being able to enter our Fu family is a blessing that your ancestors accumulated over eight lifetimes!"
Your sickly mother is a waste of food just by being alive. She should die sooner and be reborn sooner, so as not to be a burden to everyone!
And you, you're just an unwanted burden, don't be ungrateful!
Every word was like a sharp, poisoned arrow, mercilessly piercing the little girl's fragile heart, leaving her already wounded heart bleeding profusely.
Upon witnessing this cruel scene, Fang Xiaoxiao's anger flared up instantly.
Her eyes were wide open, blazing with furious anger, as if she wanted to incinerate the shrew.
She shouted angrily.
"Let her go!"
The sound exploded like thunder.
Having said that, she rushed forward with lightning speed, her movements swift and decisive. She gripped the shrew's wrist tightly and twisted it forcefully, forcing the shrew to release her grip in pain.
Then, Fang Xiaoxiao snatched the little girl from the shrew's hands and, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, tightly embraced her, using her own body to create a warm barrier for the little girl.
When the shrew saw Fang Xiaoxiao dare to openly defy her, her face, which was already contorted with anger, twitched violently. She rolled up her thick sleeves and charged forward aggressively, as if she wanted to teach Fang Xiaoxiao a lesson and show her what she was capable of.
But little did she know, when her fierce gaze inadvertently swept over the handsome Pei Yan standing next to Fang Xiaoxiao, the ferocious expression on her face instantly underwent a complete 180-degree turn, as if she had been bewitched.
She forced a fawning smile, her lips twitching upwards, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits, her expression as obsequious as could be.
She said with a sly smile.
"Hey, you little brat, you've got guts! Since you're so capable, then go ahead and pay back those five hundred coins for this little brat!"
As she spoke, she shamelessly kept casting flirtatious glances at Pei Yan, her frivolous and wanton manner utterly repulsive.
However, Pei Yan acted as if she didn't exist at all, looking coldly into the distance, completely ignoring her repulsive flirtatious behavior.
The shrew had gotten herself into trouble, and the smile on her face froze instantly, turning red and then pale – she looked incredibly ugly.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly awkward, the seemingly honest and kind-hearted village chief, who had been standing silently to the side, finally stepped forward shakily, cleared his throat, and said something that seemed to be fair.
"Since this young lady does not agree with my suggestion, if you are willing, please help this little girl return the five hundred coins, so that this matter can be settled."
Without even thinking, Fang Xiaoxiao straightened her chest, patted her chest forcefully, and said firmly.
"No problem! We'll cover the cost!"
Then, she turned her head and looked at Hua Ruyan beside her. Hua Ruyan understood immediately, nodded obediently, and without saying a word, reached into her bosom and took out her money pouch, preparing to take out money.
The shrew was furious, feeling that Pei Yan's disdain for her was utterly disregard for her. She was so angry that her lungs felt like they were about to explode. Her teeth were clenched so tightly that they were grinding together, and her chest was heaving violently. She looked as if she was about to erupt like a volcano at any moment.
But just as she was about to explode, her gaze inadvertently fell upon the ten taels of silver that Hua Ruyan was holding.
Her eyes widened instantly, staring intently at the silver, a greedy gleam flashing in them, almost frighteningly bright.
Like a starving beast spotting its delicious prey, she lunged forward with lightning speed, snatching the silver from Hua Ruyan's hand without a word, clutching it tightly in her rough, calloused hands as if afraid the silver would vanish into thin air if she let go.
Her face instantly contorted into a nauseatingly greedy smile, her mouth stretching almost to her ears, while she shamelessly muttered to herself.
"Hehehe, look at this, ten taels of silver is really a good thing! Consider it compensation for the help our family gave to this little girl's family in the past. You are truly kind people!"
There wasn't a trace of gratitude in his tone; it was full of smugness and arrogance after getting such a huge advantage.
But at that moment, Old Fu, who was usually honest and timid, suddenly found a rare courage. His face turned bright red, veins bulged on his forehead, and he stammered but firmly said...
"This money...this money is far too much. Our family can't afford it. We can't accept so much."
As he spoke, he stretched out his calloused hands, trembling, trying to snatch the silver back from the shrew's hands.
To everyone's surprise, the shrew's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot upon hearing this, and her eyes burned with raging fury.
Without saying a word, she raised her hand high and, with a loud "slap," delivered a resounding slap to Old Fu's face.
The slap was both hard and precise, and the sound was particularly crisp and jarring in the quiet atmosphere.
Old Fu was stunned by the sudden slap, his head buzzing.
A clear handprint quickly appeared on his face, burning with pain.
The shrew, however, remained relentless, yelling and cursing at the top of her lungs.
"You old codger, your brain's getting senile with age! So much money right in front of you, don't you want it? Are you stupid?"
After being slapped, Old Fu immediately wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.
He shrank back, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness, his lips trembling, and dared not utter another word.
Fang Xiaoxiao and the others watched this farce from the sidelines, their hearts filled with disgust for the shrew and sympathy for Old Fu.
But at that moment, saving lives was of utmost importance, and they couldn't afford to say anything more.
Fang Xiaoxiao bent down, gently took the little girl's hand, and turned to leave with her.
Fang Xiaoxiao was about to leave in a hurry with the little girl to find her critically ill mother.
Seeing this, the shrew's eyes darted around, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Wait! My husband, Lao Fu, has to go too. We can't let the God of Wealth get tired!"
So, the village chief frowned on his weathered face, pondered for a while, and finally decided to let Lao Fu go with Fang Xiaoxiao and her group to visit the little girl's mother.
With a solemn expression, he earnestly instructed Old Fu.
"Go and take a close look at the child's mother's condition. If there's really no cure, make arrangements for her funeral as soon as possible, so that the child won't have anything left to remember her by."
Old Fu nodded obsequiously and set off with the anxious Fang Xiaoxiao and the others.
Along the way, Fang Xiao was extremely anxious, her feet barely touching the ground, wishing she could fly to the little girl's mother's side immediately.
The little girl clung tightly to her clothes, running and sobbing, her cries sounding particularly pitiful in the silent night sky.
Before long, the group arrived at the little girl's house. It was a dilapidated thatched hut, which, shrouded in night, resembled a forgotten corner of the world.
Compared to the houses of other families in the village, this place looked particularly shabby and desolate.
The surrounding houses all had a sliver of warm light shining through, but this thatched hut seemed to be completely swallowed by darkness, devoid of any life.
Upon entering the room, a pungent odor struck everyone's noses like a heavy punch.
The dim oil lamp flickered weakly in the corner, barely illuminating a small part of the room.
On a simple wooden bed lay a emaciated woman, her face as pale as paper, her eyes closed, her lips bloodless, and her breath barely audible.
The stark contrast between the tattered bedding and patched clothes beside the bed further highlighted her tragic situation.