Chapter 75: My voice has become so girly.
Hearing this, all the villagers were dismissive, thinking that the Huang family’s future daughter-in-law was just trying to scare them. They were all neighbors, and how could they possibly escalate the matter to the authorities?
“Uh… daughter-in-law… are you planning to report to the officials?” Li Fen asked uncertainly.
“Of course, thieves should face the penalty of the law,” Huang Qi wrote quickly on the paper.
“There’s no need for that among neighbors. It’s just a piece of meat, isn’t it?”
“Yes, we’ll just give it back to your family. We see each other all the time.”
…
The Wang Bao couple still held onto a sliver of hope and tried to appeal to their emotions.
“Thank you for your trouble. Take this protective charm and report to the county office immediately.” Huang Qi, unexpected by the other party’s shamelessness, directly wrote a line on the paper and handed it to Liu Keqian. He was determined to make an example of them today.
“Yes, sister-in-law!” Liu Keqian respectfully took the protective charm.
“She’s serious? So she wasn’t bluffing!”
“The Wang Bao couple is going to be in big trouble now. Our county magistrate enforces the law strictly, they’ll get what’s coming to them.”
“Serves them right. They’ve always had sticky fingers wherever they go, and now they’ve run into a tough nut to crack!”
…
The villagers whispered among themselves, some sympathetic, some mocking.
“No, no, no! I was wrong, I was wrong. Please don’t report to the officials.”
“Yes, niece, we have old and young at home. If his father goes to jail, what will happen to us?”
…
The Wang Bao couple finally got scared and quickly begged for mercy. Huang Qi remained unmoved and continued to wave at Liu Keqian. Liu Keqian took the protective charm and walked out the door. Although there was some risk involved, he always respected his elder brother, and he would resolutely carry out his sister-in-law’s orders.
“See what? Once you go in, you won’t be seeing anyone!” Huang Kairong clearly approved of the “daughter-in-law’s” style of doing things and immediately added insult to injury.
“Sister-in-law, please beg for mercy for us!”
“Sob, sob… niece… I’m kneeling to you! Please don’t report to the officials!”
…
The Wang Bao couple were truly terrified then, and with a “bang,” they knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to admit their mistakes.
“Daughter-in-law, please spare them this time. Today is your grandfather’s sixtieth birthday, and it’s really not appropriate to cause trouble with the officials.” Li Fen, feeling soft-hearted, interceded for them.
Huang Qi rolled his eyes in contempt. Since his mother had spoken, he naturally couldn’t refuse. So he wrote on the paper, “Let this be a warning. Otherwise, you won’t need to steal; the officials will provide you with three meals a day.”
“Yes, yes… yes, yes…” The Wang Bao couple kowtowed repeatedly, then sheepishly fled the Huang residence.
“This daughter-in-law of the Huang family is truly extraordinary. I’ve never seen any woman act so decisively!”
“That’s because your horizons are too narrow. Look at her clothes and demeanor! How could she possibly put a country bumpkin like Wang Bao in her eyes?”
“Yes, with such a daughter-in-law supporting them, I’m afraid no one in this village will dare to provoke the Huang family anymore!”
“In the village? Be bolder, I’m afraid no one in the ten surrounding villages will dare to provoke the Huang family anymore. I’ve never seen anyone as generous as her.”
…
The surrounding villagers started discussing again. This time, not only did they look upon Huang Qi with awe, but their attitude towards the entire Huang family also became extremely respectful.
Next, it was time to prepare the dinner again. As the saying goes, money makes the world go ’round. Huang Qi was so generous that the villagers couldn’t refuse. They went home and pooled their resources, quickly gathering the necessary items. Some were even eager to dismantle their own roof beams.
With the supplies in place, the birthday banquet became lively. As night fell, due to the presence of Yin Energy, the temperature dropped rapidly. Huang Qi also took the opportunity to present his new clothes to his grandfather. They were prepared specifically for his birthday, so when else would he wear them?
After putting on the pure cotton robe, the elder Mr. Huang felt a warmth all over his body. He instantly loved it and walked around the yard repeatedly, telling everyone that it was a gift from his granddaughter-in-law. It was less about showing off the gift and more about showing off his granddaughter-in-law. Those old men of similar age were extremely envious, as such clothes were unaffordable for ordinary people in this era.
Finally, the dinner was served. The hungry villagers swarmed to their seats, picked up their chopsticks, and began to feast. Each person was afraid of eating less than others and ended up with distorted mouths, completely unable to speak. It was truly a gluttonous feast.
Huang Qi, wearing a veil, couldn’t eat. Although he was ravenous, seeing the villagers eat so contentedly gave him an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
“Daughter-in-law, aren’t you hungry? Don’t just stand there, come and take a seat!” Li Fen quickly went to greet him. She dared not neglect such a daughter-in-law for the Huang family.
Huang Qi wanted to refuse, but he was too hungry to bear it. So he took out paper and wrote, “Mom, please arrange a room for me. I’ll eat in the room. My face is too ugly to be seen in public!” Li Fen, knowing that young girls loved beauty, smiled and quickly brought a bowl of meat broth and led her daughter-in-law to a room in the east wing.
“This was my son’s room. The conditions in the countryside are poor, I hope you don’t mind!” Li Fen said apologetically. Huang Qi naturally shook his head indifferently. This was his room after all; it would be strange to mind it. Li Fen did not linger but thoughtfully left.
Huang Qi closed the door and removed his veil before starting to eat. Because the human skin mask had reshaped his features, his mouth was much smaller than before, so he had to eat small bites like a girl. He found it quite uncomfortable.
Huang Qi felt that he had never eaten so slowly before. However, when he finished his meal and came out, he found that the villagers in the courtyard were still eating, their stomachs seeming like bottomless black holes. It wasn’t until late at night that the gluttonous feast ended. Two whole pigs were eaten, leaving only scraps. It was terrifying.
As the night deepened, the temperature dropped rapidly, as if the late summer and early autumn had turned into the coldest part of winter. The villagers shivered and couldn’t stand it, so they started to leave one after another. However, before leaving, they thoughtfully helped the Huang family clean up the leftovers. The house finally became quiet. Everyone was tired, so after washing up, they prepared to sleep. Li Fen cleaned the son’s room meticulously and laid out clean bedding as a temporary residence for her daughter-in-law. Huang Qi wanted to help but was stopped by his mother. He felt a little ashamed, as he wasn’t the real daughter-in-law of the Huang family. Thinking of this, Huang Qi began to hesitate whether to tell his parents and family the truth. After all, the birthday banquet was over, and there was no need to hide it from the people he trusted most.
But for some reason, seeing his mother’s happy smile, and recalling his father’s red-rimmed eyes and his grandfather’s behavior, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Daughter-in-law, allow me to ask presumptuously, why would you, a young girl, come to the countryside alone? Are your parents at ease?” Li Fen asked the question that had been bothering her after she finished preparing.
Huang Qi knew that someone would ask him this question, so he had already prepared a reason and wrote on the paper, “Actually, I didn’t come alone. There were several bodyguards. After they dropped me at the entrance of the village, they left. It was inconvenient for us to come together.”
“Ah! So that’s how it is.” Li Fen understood, but then she felt strange again, “Then how will you get back after they leave?”
“It’s okay. Someone from home will come to pick me up after some time.” Huang Qi continued to lie. His fundamental purpose was to stay there legitimately. After all, the secluded Huatian Village was the best place to hide from the HongHua Sect.
“So that’s how it is. Then you should stay here for a few more days.” Li Fen was naturally happy to oblige, as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law needed to build their relationship. However, she added seriously, “But your mother-in-law wants to ask you for a favor. After you go back, please notify Huang Qi to come back as soon as possible. Your grandfather might not have many days left.”
“What?” Huang Qi exclaimed in shock, but the next moment he realized something was wrong. He reflexively covered his mouth, but his hand froze halfway because he realized his voice was still echoing in the room, clear and pleasant, like a bird’s song from a valley, lingering endlessly.
“Why has my voice become so girly?” Huang Qi was already flustered, and the subsequent change scared him out of his wits.
