Chapter 9: Catching the Little White Rabbit

She looked at Li Ruantang, who was guarding the courtyard gate, in an extremely provocative manner. In Hu Village, even the deceased village head had to give way to her surnamed Fu.

Moreover, Fu Lanxian came to collect debts with a justified reason. Even if the villagers were watching, they dared not step forward to interfere, fearing that they would be implicated.

Seeing Li Ruantang not saying a word, Fu Lanxian stretched out her finger and was about to push her.

Meng Jun and Hu Youning were hiding in the kitchen, watching through the cracks of the window while holding their breath. Seeing this scene, the young gentleman’s heart almost jumped to his throat.

Li Ruantang’s injuries had not yet healed completely, and he was not sure if she could handle it alone.

He was extremely nervous. He glanced at the narrow kitchen and said softly, “Youning, can I borrow the things in the kitchen?”

Borrowing things was not a difficult matter, but it seemed a bit incongruous at this juncture.

Hu Youning was also nervous. He nodded and only then thought of asking him the reason.

The young gentleman pursed his lips and carefully picked up a rolling pin, explaining to Hu Youning, “After all, my wife-master is injured, and they have the advantage of numbers. If my wife-master can’t hold up…”

Meng Jun was lying by the window crack and lowered his voice, “I have to go out and protect her.”

“Jiu-jiu, why don’t we go out now?” No matter how Hu Youning looked at it, Li Niangniang’s sickly appearance couldn’t withstand a beating.

He had only taken one step towards the kitchen door when Meng Jun dragged him back firmly, “No, you can’t go out now.”

Li Ruantang had instructed the young gentleman well before going out to stop Hu Youning.

“In the end, it was because I didn’t listen to my father’s instructions that I provoked the Fu family to come to our door.” Hu Youning was both self-blaming and sad, “If something happens to Li Niangniang, how can our Hu family bear the responsibility?”

The future that his mother had sought for him was about to be ruined by his hands.

Meng Jun pressed Hu Youning, who was so anxious that his eyes turned red, onto the small stool in front of the stove, “Youning, if you go out now, you will only add trouble for my wife-master. Think about it, only if we are safe will she not have to worry too much. Otherwise—”

A scream came from outside the window, and the young gentleman’s anxious heart suddenly sank into a piece of icy coldness. Not having time to comfort the teary-eyed Hu Youning, Meng Jun hurriedly lay by the window and looked through the thin crack.

He saw Li Ruantang dodge slightly and twist Fu Lanxian’s arm behind her back.

Her face showed no expression, while Fu Lanxian, who had just been extremely arrogant, was gritting her teeth in pain and cursing incessantly. She quickly turned her face and angrily said to the few people who had shrunk back half a step in fear, “You’re paid to do this, what are you hiding for now? Hurry up and swarm her, give her a good beating for this lady!”

“Lady Fu, why don’t we come back another day?”

The few followers who had just been following behind Fu Lanxian lowered their voices. None of them knew martial arts, and in the past, they relied on brute force and gatherings to beat people.

At this moment, they hadn’t even seen how Li Ruantang moved her hand, and Fu Lanxian was already twisted into a withered branch. Who would dare to step forward and get beaten now?

Fu Lanxian was already in so much pain that her face was red and her neck was thick. Seeing them about to back down, she immediately shouted herself hoarse, “Whoever can beat this woman until her nose is green and her face is swollen, this lady will reward one tael of silver!”

“One tael is not enough.” Li Ruantang smiled slightly at the corner of her mouth and looked at the few people. She exerted force with her hand, and Fu Lanxian, who had just been able to shout, immediately felt as if someone was pressing down on her vital energy, trembling all over like a sieve.

“At least five taels of silver. Otherwise—” The smile on her face deepened, “How will you all support yourselves for the rest of your lives?”

“……”

She spoke sincerely, but her tone sounded extremely arrogant. The others were so frightened that they kept retreating. They didn’t dare to take half a step forward, their legs weak and feet slippery, fearing that Li Ruantang would chase after them.

“Leaving so soon?”

Li Ruantang glanced at Fu Lanxian’s wet skirt and let go of her hand with extreme disgust.

Losing support, Fu Lanxian fell to the ground in a sorry state. Since she came of age, she had never lost face like this before.

She took a few deep breaths and suppressed the viciousness in her eyes, putting on a timid appearance, “Are you really letting me go like this?”

“If you break the law, the laws of the Great Jin will deal with you.”