Chapter 6. Help the Poor Little One Take Revenge

Cheng Qingzhi stammered: “I went to the mountain to collect firewood, and accidentally got scratched.”

Cheng Songer glanced at the kitchen: “Is that so? But I see the firewood in the kitchen is as much as when I left.”

“I… After I got hurt, I hurriedly ran back, and forgot about the firewood… I, I’ll continue to collect firewood tomorrow…” Cheng Qingzhi’s tone became more flustered, his thin shoulders trembling slightly. In the past, he wouldn’t dare lie to her at all, but today the person who bullied him was Liu Su.

Before, he had suffered because of the other’s unreasonable and confusing arguments, and the unbearable memory in front of the ancestral hall was etched in his heart.

He was afraid that if he told Cheng Songer, Liu Su would continue to twist the truth, and he feared he would suffer the same torment again.

Although he knew that during this time, Cheng Songer had changed a lot, no longer hitting him, no longer scolding him, and even showing a hint of concern for him, he was still afraid.

His selfish desire was for Cheng Songer to stay in this gentle state forever, not wanting anyone to disrupt the hard-earned peaceful life.

“Since you’re injured, don’t go to the mountains. I’ll collect firewood when I’m resting,” Cheng Songer could see that he had something on his mind, deliberately concealing it.

But she knew this was Cheng Qingzhi’s psychological knot, and he needed to speak out on his own. Forcing him wouldn’t work, and would only make him more afraid.

“I bought a bag of salt from outside, so you don’t need to scrape salt from the salt-skin wood anymore. Come to think of it, the salt from that wood doesn’t taste very good either.” Cheng Songer stuffed a large, bulging bag of salt into his hands.

“…Mm.” Cheng Qingzhi’s heart was pounding heavily because he had lied, and he hadn’t calmed down yet, his beautiful eyes slightly lowered.

He took the large bag of salt to the kitchen.

Cheng Songer then picked up the animal trap net hanging in the main room, preparing to catch wild geese under the cover of night.

When she was about to go out with a bunch of nets and tools, she happened to run into Cheng Qingzhi.

In the night, his beautiful eyes were particularly stunning, especially the tear mole below his left eye corner, which was as alluring as spring water, even simple clothes couldn’t hide his beauty.

“Where are you going?” Cheng Qingzhi leaned against the door, his fingers nervously intertwined.

“This morning when I went to Liu’s village, I saw a pair of stray wild geese, I’m planning to catch them and sell them to the Liu landlord’s family.”

“Then you… be careful.” Cheng Qingzhi lowered his head, making way for her.

Cheng Songer’s eyes flashed with surprise, then she smiled. This was the first time Cheng Qingzhi had shown concern for her.

“Don’t worry, it’s just catching wild geese, I’ll return safely.” Her tone was gentle as she closed the dilapidated fence of the small courtyard and said to him, “You’re alone at home tonight, remember to lock the doors and windows tightly.”

She carried the heavy equipment, walking into the darkness, when suddenly a voice called out to her from behind.

“Songer-”

Cheng Songer turned back: “What’s wrong?”

His eyes were watery, his fair face pale and frail, his slender fingers tightly gripping the edge of the wooden door: “…Do you know where the wild geese rest?”

Cheng Songer shook her head. So she was prepared to search around under the cover of night, after all, during the day she still had to help at the landlord’s house.

Cheng Qingzhi bit his lip: “I know, I’ll take you there.”

—

Cheng Qingzhi had accidentally discovered the resting place of the wild geese while collecting firewood, so he led Cheng Songer there.

The night was dark and the road slippery, he accidentally fell, tumbling into the deep grass.

Cheng Songer crouched down, looking at his scraped palm, her tone somewhat worried: “I shouldn’t have let you come out. Why don’t you go back? Just give me a general location, I can find it myself.”

“I’m fine.” Cheng Qingzhi rubbed the wound and shook his head. The place was remote and couldn’t be precisely described. If she was only given a rough location, she wouldn’t know how late she’d have to work, maybe not even finding the geese’s nest all night.

“Alright then.” Cheng Songer looked at him, rarely stubborn in front of her, and was about to help him up when suddenly men’s voices came from behind.

“So you really gave that slutty fox Cheng Qingzhi a good beating?”

A man’s proud laughter came through the pitch-black night: “Of course, if that cheap slut hadn’t run fast enough, I would’ve definitely taught that bitch a lesson he wouldn’t forget. Daring to seduce my wife-master, hmph—”

Another man chuckled in agreement: “Anyway, that slut is in our village, there’ll be plenty of chances to deal with him in the future. But Liu Su brother, you’ve really vented some anger for the men in our village this time. Who doesn’t know that Cheng Qingzhi, famous for his beauty, women can’t even walk straight when they see him.”

Cheng Qingzhi’s face turned pale as he listened, his timid gaze turning towards Cheng Songer.

He was worried that his lie about the injury would displease her. He also feared that the malicious slander from those men outside would make her look down on him even more.

When he saw Cheng Songer’s hand tightly clenched into a fist, his entire heart suddenly lifted, a cold current sweeping through his body.

Cheng Songer didn’t pay attention to what Cheng Qingzhi was thinking, all her attention was on these two gossiping men.

Damn it, how can these men’s mouths be so foul!

“A while ago, I heard that Cheng Songer was planning to sell that slut, which made the men in our village quite relieved, finally not having to guard against that vixen, who knew, alas…”

“Who knows, maybe that slut has bewitched Cheng Songer too, after all, doesn’t that woman often frequent brothels? Facing such a vixen day and night, a man and a woman alone, maybe—heh—”

Liu Su laughed maliciously: “Yeah, maybe she’s already been deflowered, no wonder she can’t be sold!”

“Who are you saying has been deflowered?” Cheng Songer couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out from the deep grass, her sharp eyes pressing down, a cold light in their depths.

Liu Su and his companion were startled, looking at her with fear in their faces.

“I’m asking you a question, are you mute? Weren’t you just laughing and talking? What, is slandering people so interesting?” Her eyes were fierce, the coldness making people’s hearts tremble.

The two men kept backing away under Cheng Songer’s intimidation.

Cheng Songer suddenly raised her voice: “Speak!”

Although Liu Su was known as a shrew in the village, his shrewishness was only directed at easy targets, changing his tune depending on who he was dealing with. When faced with someone truly formidable, he immediately wilted.

Cheng Songer had a notorious reputation for being particularly fierce in fights, he never dared to provoke her directly, and the man beside him was already trembling in fear.

“Sister Songer, we didn’t mean it that way.” Liu Su mustered up his courage to smile apologetically.

“Didn’t mean it that way?” Cheng Songer raised an eyebrow, sneering, “Weren’t you just enthusiastically gossiping about my brother? Why have you stopped talking?”

Liu Su looked at Cheng Qingzhi, who was following behind Cheng Songer cautiously like a quail, a flash of hatred passing through his eyes before quickly disappearing.

He carefully pulled out a smile: “Those are just rumors in the village, we didn’t spread them, Sister Songer, please be magnanimous.”

“The injury on my brother’s neck was scratched by you, right? Apologize.” Cheng Songer said coldly.

Cheng Qingzhi looked at Cheng Songer in surprise. In the past, Liu Su had often bullied him, and she had witnessed it several times, but Cheng Songer had never once spoken up to stop it, let alone stand up for him.

Otherwise, Liu Su wouldn’t have become increasingly aggressive.

Cheng Qingzhi had originally thought that this time Cheng Songer would be a cold bystander like before, but to his surprise, she was actually helping him.

He stared at Cheng Songer’s straight back, feeling for the first time that she was so solid and reliable.

Liu Su nervously pinched his handkerchief, unwilling to speak.

Cheng Songer’s expression suddenly turned colder, grabbing his collar: “If you don’t want to apologize, that’s fine too. Then take me to your house, I’ll have a good chat with your wife-master about how you gossip about others behind their backs, and while we’re at it, let the neighbors come and see what kind of malicious-tongued husband she married.”

“No—no—no—” Liu Su cried, “I’ll apologize, I’ll apologize.”

He was terrified by Cheng Songer’s fierce gaze, and even more frightened by what she had just said.

With Cheng Songer’s ruffian-like personality, she would definitely spread it widely in the village, and would even wake up all the neighbors. If it really came to that point, how could he ever show his face in the village again?

Cheng Songer sneered contemptuously and let go of her hand.

Liu Su’s face was covered in tears, reluctantly apologizing to Cheng Qingzhi: “I’m sorry-”

In reality, he hated Cheng Qingzhi extremely, his resentment towards him increasing even more, believing that all these things were caused by Cheng Qingzhi. If it weren’t for him, how could he suffer such humiliation?

This was the first time Cheng Qingzhi had received an apology from someone. Even though he knew the other party was forced by Cheng Songer’s threat, he still didn’t know how to react.

His seeking gaze instinctively turned towards Cheng Songer.

Cheng Songer looked at the somewhat timid and helpless gaze, her calm voice carrying a hint of reassurance: “Why are you looking at me? He’s apologizing to you, whether to accept it or not is up to you to decide.”

The timidity in Cheng Qingzhi’s eyes gradually dissipated, Cheng Songer’s words giving him confidence.

Liu Su naturally heard the meaning in her words, and quickly grabbed Cheng Qingzhi’s hand, starting to ingratiate himself, showing no sign of being the same person who wanted to strangle him and tear his face apart earlier in the day.

“Brother Qingzhi, I was wrong just now, my mouth is loose, I offended you, please be magnanimous and forgive me this once.” Liu Su cried and whimpered.

Cheng Qingzhi bit his lip, looking at the man who often bullied him now bowing his head to apologize to him, feeling indescribable emotions in his heart. He felt as if a heavy stone pressing on his heart had been removed, and he could finally be free.

Cheng Qingzhi was ultimately kind-hearted, kind to the point of weakness. He let Liu Su and his companion go, and the two scrambled away.

“Just letting them go like that, no regrets?” Cheng Songer asked.

After a long while, Cheng Qingzhi nodded, his pale skin looking even more fragile against his thin clothes.

Cheng Songer had always believed in revenge, but she knew that just her standing up for him was useless.

The key was how to correct Cheng Qingzhi’s weak personality that had been bullied to the point of losing his own character, to make him stop swallowing his anger silently in the future.

She walked towards him, her gaze fixed on him: “Why didn’t you tell me when Liu Su hit you before?”

Cheng Qingzhi lowered his head, his jade-like face somewhat stiff, as if he still feared her.

She sighed, realizing it wasn’t easy to make this poor little one who was used to being bullied open up to her.

She lowered her head, her gaze gentle: “Tell me honestly, I won’t hit you.”

These words seemed to touch Cheng Qingzhi’s heart. Even though Cheng Songer had changed a lot now, the lingering fear left by her original self still remained in him.

Silent changes wouldn’t work on him, she needed to give him a reassuring pill.

Sure enough, Cheng Qingzhi’s eyelashes trembled slightly, his pitiful gaze looking at her: “Really?”

“Mm.” She nodded solemnly.