Chapter 139 - 131: Drowned Rats

Chapter 139: Chapter 131: Drowned Rats

Break another one of his arms? The very thought of Hu Feng’s ruthless revenge on Dazhu made their scalps crawl. They wouldn’t dare lay a single finger on Hu Changlin, not even if they were a hundred times bolder.

Liu craned her neck to peek inside for a moment, then turned and whispered into Old Mrs. Bai’s ear, "Mother, I don’t think Zhao Lan is here. She’s probably in the wooden cabin out back. Why are we wasting our breath on Hu Changlin? We should just go straight to the back and find Zhao Lan."

Old Mrs. Bai nodded, then said to Hu Changlin, "Since they aren’t here, we’ll head back for now. When they return, please let them know we were looking for her. We have something we need to discuss."

With that, without waiting for Hu Changlin to reply, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law turned and left. They appeared to be heading home, so Hu Changlin didn’t think much of it and went back inside his house.

After circling around the village, Old Mrs. Bai and Liu took a small path that led them to the wooden cabin where Zhao Lan lived.

The cabin door was open. On a rack by the entrance, a set of clothes was hanging to dry—a brightly colored silk outfit in a modern style.

Clothes like that were a rare sight in Huangtuo Village. Besides Mrs. Yingzi, who had married into the village from the city, no one else had ever been seen wearing such a thing.

Liu’s eyes practically popped out of her head when she saw the outfit. The last time she’d gone to the market with Dazhu, she had seen many women in the city wearing clothes just like that and had been consumed with envy. She dreamed of wearing a similar outfit for her son’s wedding to show off in front of the villagers and her future in-laws.

Old Mrs. Bai frowned at the clothes. "She just got a little money and she’s already spending it so frivolously. What’s a farm woman doing wearing such flashy clothes? Isn’t she afraid of being laughed at?"

Without a word of greeting, the two of them walked straight toward the cabin. But just as they reached the doorway, a basin of water came pouring down on their heads, drenching them completely.

Zhao Lan stood there holding a wooden basin, an astonished look on her face as she gazed at Old Mrs. Bai and Liu. "Oh my—what are you two doing here? I’m so sorry, I was just about to throw out my wash water." She had a smile on her face, and though her words were apologetic, there wasn’t a hint of remorse in her eyes.

The cabin was small and its walls were thin; how could she possibly not have heard them muttering outside?

And so, that basin of dirty water just so "happened" to be poured right over their heads.

Liu wiped the water from her face, her eyes fixed on Zhao Lan’s arm. "Your arm is healed?" That wooden basin was not light, to say nothing of the fact that it had been more than half full of water.

Zhao Lan set the basin down and rubbed her arm. "It’s still a little sore, but it shouldn’t be a problem."

Old Mrs. Bai pulled a handkerchief from her robes and wiped herself down haphazardly. She was furious, but the thought of what she needed to say to Zhao Lan forced her to swallow her anger for now. ’I’ll deal with her later. Once she’s back in the Bai family, there will be plenty of opportunities.’

She said to Zhao Lan, "We have something to talk to you about."

Zhao Lan turned and went inside. "Come in and talk."

Earlier, Brother Hu had come by with a message from Zhi’er. Before leaving, she had specifically warned her mother that the Bai family members might show up while she was gone, and that she must not agree to anything, no matter what they said.

At the time, Zhao Lan had thought Zhi’er was overthinking it. Now, it seemed she was the one who had been too naive.

Old Mrs. Bai and Liu followed her inside, only to be stunned by what they saw. The cabin was small, but it had everything one could need, and everything was brand new. What caught their eye the most was the vanity table. On it sat a medium-sized bronze mirror, and even the comb was a uniquely shaped horn comb, intricately carved with beautiful patterns.