Chapter 63: Misunderstanding
Su Yaoguang looked sharply at Hu: "Auntie, you better have a reasonable explanation, or this won’t end well."
Hu was from the neighboring village and was known for her arrogance there.
She puffed out her chest and said viciously, "What can a little girl like you do to me?"
Su Yaoguang picked up a stone from the ground, clenched it forcefully, and when she opened her hand again, the stone had turned into powder.
The arrogance on Hu’s face froze, and her eyes bulged. When she looked at Su Yaoguang again, much of her arrogance had dissipated.
"This man is mine. Your mother was pulling and tugging with him, clearly needs to be taught a lesson." Hu pointed to Doctor Lin, claiming ownership.
Doctor Lin said angrily, "Nonsense, when did I become yours? I’m already an old man, don’t sully my reputation."
At the door, Yang asked Zhong next to her, "Did you bring melon seeds?"
Zhong opened her hand, sharing a small handful of pumpkin seeds with her.
"Doctor Lin hasn’t married. Over the years, many have been introduced to him, but he didn’t fancy any of them. Now he’s planning to get a wife?"
"My sister married into the neighboring village, so I frequently visit her. I’ve heard of this Hu. She gave birth to five sons, and her husband died two years ago."
"Doctor Lin is the only doctor within a ten-mile radius. Many have an eye on him, why choose such a shrew?"
"If she were good-looking, it’d be different, but she looks so unattractive."
Several women gathered to whisper, but there were many people around, and everyone heard.
At that moment, they looked at Zhang Zhaodi and Hu. When compared side by side, they actually found Zhang Zhaodi much more attractive.
"Has Lady Yaoguang become fairer?"
"And her hair, isn’t it glossy and black?"
The attention of several women shifted to Zhang Zhaodi’s changes. Previously unnoticed, but upon careful observation, they found that Zhang Zhaodi looked younger recently.
As for Su Yaoguang, her little face had become a shade fairer, and her originally sparse hair had grown thicker. In short, her overall appearance was rejuvenated.
"I heard that the mother and daughter are selling rouge and powder, previously claiming not to have earned money. But today they bought an ox cart, I think they did make some profit."
"Whether they earned money or not isn’t important. What matters is they became more beautiful. What kind of rouge and powder is it, is it expensive? If it’s not, I’d like to buy a bottle too."
Seeing Doctor Lin’s denial, Hu sat on the ground, wailing, "You heartless man, you clearly promised to marry me, and now you want to back out, making me a laughingstock. I don’t want to live; I’ll bang my head and die in your house, haunt you as a ghost until you give me justice."
"When did I say I would marry you? I did agree, but the agreement wasn’t with you." Seeing the situation escalating, Doctor Lin couldn’t care about his old reputation anymore and explained the entire situation. "Five days ago, my sister came back to find me, saying my brother-in-law was sick and wanted me to check his condition. I went with her, and she led me to the riverbank, pointing at a woman doing laundry, saying she was the woman for me to consider as a wife, asking if I was willing. I... I didn’t know she meant you, I thought she meant the one next to you."
After saying this, the whole place fell silent.
Doctor Lin had already said this much, so there was no reason not to continue, "I did nod. When my sister took me to present betrothal gifts, I realized I’d mistaken her identity and quickly withdrew with my sister. I didn’t give you any betrothal gifts, so there’s nothing between us. Why are you still coming to cause trouble for me?"
"Your sister personally said you agreed. The whole village knows I was going to marry you, but you took back the gifts. Are you trying to drive me to despair?"
"I later explained everything to my sister and asked her to visit you to clarify. As an apology, I also gave quite a bit of medicine as compensation." Doctor Lin explained, "I’m thirty-eight, and you’re forty-five. I would never have thought my sister meant you."
"Fortunately, Doctor Lin was wise enough not to accept this shrew." Zhang Zhaodi straightened her hair, gloating, "Look at you, if Doctor Lin married you, even patients wouldn’t dare visit him. I was speaking openly with Doctor Lin in the yard, the gate wide open, yet you barged in and attacked, truly deranged."
Doctor Lin bowed apologetically to Zhang Zhaodi, "I’m sorry, Lady Yaoguang. I didn’t expect her to behave like this. Take a bottle of wound ointment when you leave, free of charge."
"It’s not your fault." Zhang Zhaodi touched the injury on the corner of her mouth.
"It’s not Uncle Lin’s fault, but it’s definitely her fault." Su Yaoguang said, "My mother can’t be injured for nothing, the cost of the wound ointment should come from her, and she should also compensate my mother to nurse her health back."
"In your dreams. If she hadn’t shamelessly talked to my man, would I have hit her?" Hu said defiantly.
"So shameless, still claiming it’s your man. Did Doctor Lin acknowledge it? Doctor Lin already said, he made a mistake in identifying people, that’s why he nodded. Since no betrothal gifts were exchanged, there’s no relationship between you. You’re just crazy thinking about men, even when he’s unwilling, you’re clinging." When it came to quarreling, Zhang Zhaodi feared no one.
If she weren’t fierce enough, she and Su Yaoguang would’ve been bullied to death by the villagers long ago.
"Mother, let’s not get into this. Let’s focus on the fact she beat you for no reason." Su Yaoguang said.
They had said everything that needed saying, stood up for fairness when needed, and helped Doctor Lin resolve the issue. Rumors could spiral out of control if they kept defending him; even truth could turn into fiction.
"Compensation!" Zhang Zhaodi rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward.
Her daughter’s presence gave her confidence. After all, even if Hu brought her five sons, they might not be a match for her daughter. That previous family had been an example.
Hu stiffened. "I have no money. You didn’t suffer a loss; the injuries on my body are from you, let’s call it even."
"You attacked me for no reason and want me to accept it silently, dream on. You must compensate me today, or I’ll seek you out and beat all your five sons." Zhang Zhaodi said fiercely.
The villagers: "..."
Zhang Zhaodi and Su Yaoguang, this mother-daughter pair, were becoming increasingly fierce. Anyone who crossed them was truly unlucky.
Hu knew she was in the wrong and was aware this mother and daughter were not to be trifled with. She had hit a wall this time. Reluctant but unwilling, she pulled out a string of Copper Coins from her belongings.
"This is all I have, nothing more."
Zhang Zhaodi wasn’t easily dismissed. She reached directly into Hu’s bosom to retrieve more.
"What are you doing? It’s robbery, robbery." Hu struggled, trying to stop Zhang Zhaodi, but Su Yaoguang held her hands down, leaving her powerless.
Zhang Zhaodi pulled out three strings of Copper Coins, handed one string to Doctor Lin, shoved one back into her bosom, and sneered, "I only want compensation, not here to rob. These two hundred cents will cover my recovery and health, and the hundred cents for Doctor Lin will supplement the medicine costs since I need the medicine for my injury."
After saying this, she told Doctor Lin, "Doctor Lin, please pay attention to what I mentioned earlier, looking forward to good news from you tomorrow."
Doctor Lin nodded, "Rest assured Lady Yaoguang, since I promised, I will definitely help you with it."