Chapter 7
Settling the Score
When Zhang Defa saw Li Mei, his heart skipped a beat.
Li Yu’s aunt glanced at Li Yu and his sister before turning to look at Zhang Defa. She walked up to him and spat at him. She cursed angrily, “Son of a bitch Zhang, do you think all the adults in the Li family are dead? You ungrateful dog, what’s the point of bullying a child?
Only my brother, who was blinded, would believe you and think that you were his good brother! Pui! Let me tell you, return my nephew’s things immediately. If you don’t, I’ll go to the government office and sue you for being ungrateful. I’ll see how the county magistrate will deal with an ungrateful dog like you.”
After Li Mei finished scolding, she turned to look at Li Yu and reprimanded, “What did I tell you back then? Look at the two of you. You’re so skinny. It’s been almost four years, but you haven’t grown taller. I’ll settle the score with you later.”
Seeing her frown and stern look, Li Yu thought to herself, With such a fierce aunt, why did Father Li entrust the child to Zhang Defa back then?
Li Yu nudged Li Qing. Li Qing went over to pull Li Mei and called out sweetly, “Aunt, you haven’t come to see me in a long time. I don’t even recognize you anymore.”
Li Mei hugged Li Qing and touched his thin face. Her heart ached. “Aiyo! Everyone, take a look. This is the only descendant of my Li family! How badly has he been abused by the Zhang family? Even the people begging on the streets look better than him. Ah Qing, be good! It’s good that you’re back. I’ll nourish you well in the future. However, we have to get back what your father left for you first.”
Zhang Decai looked at Li Mei and tugged at Zhang Defa’s sleeve. “Brother, why is this spicy fellow here? Didn’t she fall out with Li Yu and her sister for the past two years?”
Zhang De did not make a sound and looked at Li Mei with a dark expression. Li Mei pointed at Zhang Defa and shouted, “Big Dog Zhang, are you still not returning it? Give me a quick answer.”
Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu and Li Mei, who were standing behind Li Mei. He revealed a look of disgust and said hatefully, “You have to break off the engagement.”
“You make it sound like you don’t want to. When I walked out of the courtyard, I heard that my Xiaoyu wanted to break off the engagement with your family. Aren’t you the one who refused to do so?” Li Mei looked at Zhang Defa in disdain. “Big Dog Zhang, do you remember how many things you took from my brother? You might have forgotten, but I remember everything! You better not be mistaken.”
Zhang Defa looked at Li Mei viciously and cursed in his heart. “B*tch, don’t fall into my hands in the future.”
Li Mei looked at Zhang Defa and patted her chest, pretending to be afraid. “Yo! Zhang Defa, are you going to eat someone? Why don’t we go to the Green Mountain Academy and talk to your son?”
Zhang Defa gritted his teeth. “Four pieces of fox fur for twenty taels of silver, five pieces of deer hide for twenty-five taels, twenty pieces of gray rat skin for nine taels, and a hundred pieces of rabbit skin for one tael, right?”
Li Mei looked at him mockingly. “You have to ask your conscience! What’s the point of asking me? Don’t forget that you also took the grains, farming equipment, and furniture in the barn.” Li Mei clapped her hands. “Aiya! Speaking of farming equipment, I also know that some of my brother’s farming equipment is still in Dog Zhang’s house. Dog Zhang, don’t you think so?”
Li Mei looked at Zhang Defa and his brother with a sneer. “I never expected that the things that the father of the Elementary Scholar helped my nephew manage would all grow legs and become relatives!”
Zhang Defa was so angry that his face turned green. He pointed at Li Mei and argued, “You, even if you leave it there for a long time, it will still spoil. Now that I’ve calculated it and returned it to you. Don’t take advantage of me.”
Li Mei looked at him with disdain. “I don’t care. Return my brother’s things.”
Zhang Defa no longer paid attention to Li Mei. He took out the silver and the marriage contract and said to Chen Yaohui, “Brother Yaohui, you’ll be a witness today. I’ll hand over the marriage contract and the silver to you. The leather was sold for 55 taels of silver, and the grains were sold for 12 taels.” Zhang Defa looked at the silver and trembled in heartache. He gritted his teeth. “In the past few years, other than what Li Yu and her brother have eaten and used in the fields, I’ll compensate her with 5 taels of silver. I’ll suffer a little for those farm equipment and furniture. I’ll just give them 10 taels as a good deed. I won’t be able to collect the farmland this year even if I plant it. You have to give me the salary and seed money. In total, I’ll give her family 80 taels. Ask her to bring her marriage contract over. We’ll hand over the money and end the engagement.”
The onlookers whispered, “I couldn’t tell that Li Shan had earned so much. Sigh! In the end, it’s all because of money!”
“So the Zhang family suddenly has money to do business and even moved to the city because they received such a huge sum of money from the Li family!”
“Exactly. You’d think it would fall from the sky! Or grow out of the ground!”
Li Yu took out the marriage contract and letter of marque from her pocket and handed them to Chen Yaohui. Thinking of the dead Little Li Yu, she turned to look at Zhang Defa and said, “My father used his life to save yours. Before he died, he thought that you would take into account the fact that you saved his life and treat us kindly. That’s why you entrusted us to you. I didn’t expect that you were actually a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. You won’t be able to repay a life with a life. As the saying goes, the heavens are good. Can I wait to see if the heavens will spare you?”
“You.” Zhang Defa flew into a rage out of humiliation. He raised his hand and wanted to slap Li Yu. He looked at the furious Li Mei and her husband, Chen Yaohui, and then lowered his hand. After handing the silver and Li Yu’s marriage certificate to Chen Yaohui, he took Zhang Guisheng’s marriage certificate and left.
Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu viciously. When he walked past Li Yu, he threatened in a low voice, “Little hussy, just you wait. Let’s see how long you can talk for.”
Li Yu suddenly slapped Zhang Defa on the back. “Ah!” Zhang Defa staggered and fell to the ground. The onlookers were dumbfounded.
Li Yu stared at him and said, “What’s the use of threatening me behind my back? Bring it on if you have the guts.”
Zhang Decai hurriedly helped Zhang Defa up and turned to point at Li Yu. “I won’t bicker with you, girl. Remember to be careful when you go out in the future.”
“Everyone, look! This is the beast my brother saved with his life. This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Zhang Defa, let me tell you, if my niece and nephew are fine, it’s all good. If anything happens, it’s your family’s doing.”
“I won’t argue with a shrew like you.” Zhang Defa’s face darkened as he pulled Zhang Decai towards the place where the ox cart was tied.
Zhang Decai turned to look at Li Yu and asked softly, “Brother, why has this girl become like this? Wasn’t she very honest in the past?”
“I find it strange too! She was originally an honest person, but she changed overnight. I still have to blame Guixiang for pushing her for no reason! I lost so much money and even spent all the money to pay off the goods.”
“Brother, I don’t want to criticize you, but your Guixiang really has to be controlled.”
Zhang Defa nodded and untied the cow rope. After the brothers got into the car, Zhang Defa instructed Zhang Decai, “Keep an eye on the Li siblings in the village. Don’t let them benefit for nothing.”
Zhang Decai understood. “Yes, Li Shan is no longer around. Isn’t it easy to deal with these two children? Go back and settle your son’s marriage first, in case Mr. Zhu hears about it. These scholars value their reputation.”
Li Yu watched as the Zhang brothers drove the ox cart away and thought to himself, Zhang Defa won’t let it go so easily. Looks like I have to be more careful in the future.