Shrew At The Door
"Mom, dad. We have collected plenty of rice, chickens, and rabbits from the dimension. We should look for another opportunity to sell them and, at the same time, have the doctor visit one more time and see what more he could do for dad." Cheng Xiao Xiao expressed what was on her mind.
Cheng Bi Yuan lowered his dimmed eyes. Mrs. Cheng, who was standing nearby, nodded and smile, "Xiao Xiao was right. I will go and borrow the cow-drawn wagon from Patriarch Liu again so we can sell our produces for more money and get some better medicines for your dad. Now that he is recovering, we should continue on with the treatment."
"Plus, we need more salt and oil. Let's arrange our trip for day after tomorrow!" Mrs. Cheng had made the decision.
Looking at the silent father, Cheng Xiao Xiao could figure out what was on his mind. She added, "Dad, we don't need much, we just want you to recover to normal."
Even though she didn't have the original memory of Cheng Xiao Xiao, but she could still tell that her father was not just a commoner. Espeically seeing how her brother Cheng Zheng Yuan has been practicing kung fu everyday. She was sure her dad was a very skilled kung fu master of his time.
Unfortunately she didn't know how he had offended someone. Not only did they force him to this place, they followed him all the way just to sever his tendons and crush his bones - the way to rid someone of all his skill in kung fu. That much she could figure out.
Cheng Bi Yuan slowly raise his head. He knew his daughter has changed, but he didn't expect her to have such intuition. Casually, he said, "You can make decisions around the house; be careful when you go sell things at the marketplace." Slight worry flashed passed his eyes, he worried that others will realize they have mythical animals here.
He knew very well that if others discovered these mythical animals, they will never have peaceful days again. But the family needs money and they didn't have anything else to sell. What options did he have?
"Mom, dad, I understand!"
After that was settled, Cheng Xiao Xiao stayed and chitchatted for a bit before she exited her parents' house.
Woof woof woof woof.....
Cheng Xiao Xiao heard her dogs barking right before she was about to enter her house. She dashed toward the outside immediately.
"Xiao Xiao, who came?" Asked Mrs. Cheng when the ruckus drew her attention and she, too, exited her hours.
"Mom, I'm not too sure!"
The two of them walked to the field to check out what was going on. They saw a woman squatting next to the vegetable field and yanking on a half-grown bok choy. Cheng Xiao Xiao was furious and shouted, "How dare you! Coming here to steal in broad day light!"
Her shout startled the woman who was yanking away in the vegetable field. She almost plowed face-down into the field. She turned around, and it was An Xiao Hung, the evil Hung niang.
"An Xiao Hung, how could you come and steal from us in board daylight! Isn't that a bit much?!" Even Mrs. Cheng had lost her temperament.
Cheng Xiao Xiao ran up to look and noticed that she had already yanked out half the bok choy from the field. Angrily, she shouted, "An Hungniang, what was wrong with you? You can't just come here and take our vegetables!"
"What's the big deal? You didn't need to yell. I am just taking a couple of your sprouts. How care you call me a thief!"
The displeased An Hung niang stood up and patted away some of the dirt on her clothes. She then bent over and picked up a bunch of the bok choy that she had pulled out and said to the two of them, "We are all Willow villagers. There's no need to name call. Aren't you guys a bit rude toward Willow villagers?"
They have seen unreasonable people, but not someone this unreasonable. The Cheng's mother and daughter were shaking from their anger!
This was the first time Cheng Xiao Xiao wanted to physically strike someone. Sternly she warned, "Put the vegetables down or else!"
"Oh? Or else what? You want to hit me? Don't forget, the Cheng's were outsiders. You dare strike me, I will make it impossible for you to stay here. You want to try?" An Hung niang got more brazen.
"Very well, let's find out!" Said Cheng Xiao Xiao with a deathly look as she command the two dogs with her consciousness.
Mrs. Cheng tried very hard to suppress her anger, "An Hung niang, don't you think you are crossing the line? We grew these as food for our family, you don't have the rights to come and pick them!"
"Rights? I am An Hung niang, I pick what I want. Don't you dare tell me what I can or cannot pick!" With a look of despise and arm full of bok choy, An Hung niang looked at the two of them with a sideway glance, "You should keep in mind that it's us Willow villagers that took you in. Otherwise you will have nowhere to be!"
Woof woof woof woof....
Suddenly the two dogs charged at An Hungniang. Mrs. Cheng, who was just about to make a comment was shocked.
An Hung niang, who was about to leave, was startled and started taking off, bok choy and all in toll, while shouting behind her, "You bunch of ungrateful people! Just you wait!"
Woof woof woof woof....
The two dogs followed their order and chased after her and a race between the human and the dogs ensued. Even though An Hung niang was a farm woman, but she was a bit on the chubby side. There was no way she could out run the two dogs, let alone that these were not your normal dogs.
After about 20 meters or so, she was surrounded by the two dogs. Under Cheng Xiao Xiao's order, they did not lurk forward to bite her right away.
Seeing her trapped by the dogs, Cheng Xiao Xiao laughed coldly. Mrs. Cheng, who was standing next to her, worried that the dogs would hurt her and cause more trouble and rushed over, "Xiao Xiao, don't let the dogs bite her!"
"Mom, how is it our fault if she's bitten by the dogs when she came to steal from us?" said Cheng Xiao Xiao, but she agreed with her mother. "Mom, you stay where you are. Don't get any closer. We wouldn't want her to hurt you."
Mrs. Cheng nodded. She knew that An Hungniang was an unreasonable shrewd and didn't want to deal with her either.
Cheng Xiao Xiao walked toward An Hung niangwhile picking up the vegetables that she had dropped. Even though these weren't fully grown, they were already half grown and could be stir fried. She didn't want them to go to waste.
"Mom, big sister, what happened? Eh, our vegetables were yanked?"
"Mom, what's happening to An Hung niang?"
"Why are the dogs trying to bite An Hung niang? Did she steal something?"
The three young ones came out of nowhere. Cheng Zheng Yuan ran over and helped Cheng Xiao Xiao in picking up the dropped vegetables. "Mom, she was stealing our vegetables?"
The out-of-breath An Hung niang was enraged. Of course, she was afraid of the mean-looking dogs in front of her, but she wasn't going to let that show. She shouted angrily at Cheng Xiao Xiao, "You skank, how dare you sic the dogs on me! Let me tell you, I am not a nobody. You better send your dogs away now, otherwise, you will have to answer to the Willow villagers!"
"Good idea!" Cheng Xiao Xiao stared at her coldly and said to her brother, "Zheng Yuan, why don't you hurry over to Willow Village and invite Patriarch Liu over. I would like him to opine on who's at fault here!"
"Okay, I will head over right away. I couldn't believe she was shouting at us after she tried to steal from us!" Cheng Zheng Yuan give An Hungniang an angry stare before running toward Willow Village.
An Hung niang seemed concerned for a second, but recovered quickly. Lifting her chin, she said, "Great, you should call the villagers over! We will take back our land and evict you all!"