Chapter 8: Making a Deal
Translator: Flying Lines
Edited by Lord Immortal

Cui Zhuang stood up and banged the table with his fist.

Aunt Cui quickly reacted to his words. Looking at the Bu Yao in her hand, she gritted her teeth. “Don’t worry. Let me fly a kite. If she’s willing to help us cover the truth, we’ll protect her. If not, then…”

After making a deal with her husband and son, regardless of the heavy rain, Aunt Cui put on the bamboo hat and straw rain cape and went to the bamboo house of Geng Zhishan.

It took her a long time to totter to the bamboo house. Sitting near the door, Xie Mengxuan was watching the raindrops fall and was obviously upset with her lips lowered down.

Through the rain curtain, Aunt Cui observed her from a distance. Looking at her expression, she desired to go back home, but at the thought of living a good life in the future, she clenched her teeth and went straight forward to Xie Mengxuan.

“Mrs. Geng!” Aunt Cui called her with a smile as she climbed the stairs. Her voice sounded extraordinarily warm. Those who were unfamiliar with them might think they were relatives.

Xie Mengxuan had already noted her when she appeared, seeing her hesitation and smirk. Therefore, she pretended to be in a good mood with a faint smile. “What happened, Aunt Cui?”

Xie Mengxuan didn’t correct what Aunt Cui had called her because it was not long before she would leave here, and these people would no longer have a chance to see her.

Aunt Cui took off the bamboo hat and straw rain cape and sat close to her. She replied with a smile: “Nothing. I just come to visit you. Looking at your fine skin, I bet you must be a young lady from a noble family. It’s a pity that you have married Geng Zhishan. The poor life in our village can never be compared to what you once lived.”

Xie Mengxuan glanced at the heavy rain outside, and her smile turned sincere. She answered with gratitude: “Quit pulling my leg, auntie. It’s wrong of me to make you worry on such a rainy day. In my family, I just worked less due to the love of my parents. There’s nothing to show off.”

Then her eyes turned as she asked, “Auntie, have you estimated the price of my jewelry?”

“Sure! Those are indeed good things.” Aunt Cui nodded.

Having found that she had something to say, Xie Mengxuan sat straight and spoke earnestly, “There’s no need for auntie to beat around the bush. Since you come here despite the rain and slippery road, you must have something important to tell me.”

Aunt Cui didn’t answer but instead looked around and asked, “Where’s your husband?”

“He went fishing to make soup for me.” Xie Mengxuan answered her without thinking too much.

Aunt Cui gave out a sigh of relief and laughed with her eyes turning into a slit, hard to be seen. “Wow, well, your husband really knows how to be nice to his wife.”

Instead of responding to her, Xie Mengxaun quietly watched her. Aunt Cui licked her lips, softened her voice, and continued with an embarrassed look, “To be frank, my son has estimated the price of that jewelry. They are valuable, but…”

“Is there something difficult for auntie?” Xie Mengxuan pretended that she didn’t understand what Aunt Cui meant.

Aunt Cui breathed a deep sigh with no smile on her face. “Over the past years, our family has donated a large amount of money to the village. Several years ago, there was a severe drought, and ten years ago, it was a flood disaster. To make villagers’ life better, we offer villagers money and food from time to time. In order not to let them lose their confidence, we never let them know the truth. Our family bore the deficit silently.”

Xie Mengxuan had little faith in what she just said. But, she only praised her, “What righteous people Aunt Cui and the village head are! If other villagers know the truth, they would be grateful to you.”

Aunt Cui wore a humbled smile. “We’re leading a good life on the surface, but what we’ve suffered is difficult to describe to others. Now that there’s a chance, we also want to alleviate our burden.”

Xie Mengxuan turned her eyes and said with a puzzled look, “This is your family affair, and there’s no need to tell me, a new-comer.”

“You are the one who knows the price of those pieces of jewelry the best…” Aunt Cui paused.

Xie Mengxuan quickly understood her intentions and assured her with a smile, “Don’t worry, auntie. If other villagers don’t find faults with me, I will keep the value of those things to myself. No one will know about it other than your family and me.”

Aunt Cui sighed in relief, “Okay, good girl. I have nothing else to worry about. I’ll keep your kindness in my mind.”

“Take it easy, Aunt Cui. It’s too late, so you’d better go back soon. It took a long time for the rain to stop.” Looking at the rain that was slowly weakening, Xie Mengxuan said out of care.

Aunt Cui nodded and took the bamboo hat and straw rain cape. “Okay, I’ll go back. When your husband returns, please tell him that you are both welcomed to have a drink and eat meat in my home when free.”

“Thank you, auntie. Since my leg is still injured, it’s inconvenient for me to send you home.” Xie Mengxuan said with a smile.

When Aunt Cui left, the smile on Xie’s face disappeared. She slowly swayed back and forth in the rocking chair.

Aunt Cui seemed to be short of money. Regardless of the heavy rain, she came here just to ask her for a promise. Somehow, she felt that life would not be calm in days to come.

Xie Mengxuan slowly lifted her eyelids, only to find the gentle rain turning heavy again, just like a curtain through which people could never see clearly. Suddenly, a blue-colored figure flew across the courtyard and disappeared within a blink of the eye. Very excited, Xie Mengxuan immediately sat up straight with a surprised look. Unbelievable! Who did she just see? Was she dizzy? Did she mistake someone as him? Or it was him!

Sitting in the rocking chair, Xie Mengxuan was in an anxious mood. Her hand held the armrest of the rocking chair so tightly that the white bones could clearly be seen. She couldn’t wait to get up and go out to confirm her hunch but failed to go anywhere with her injured leg. All she could do was to see the figure disappear with her eyes.

The moment Xie Mengxuan thumped the armchair with her fist with anger, Geng Zhishan had just come in with two lively fish. He immediately ran to her without taking off the bamboo hat and straw rain cape and asked anxiously, “Darling, what happened? Why did you do this? Are you injured? Does it hurt?”

Faced with a series of questions, Xie Mengxuan impatiently waved her hand and did not say a word. However, Geng Zhishan ignored her reaction and pulled her hand and observed it. The rain on his bamboo hat fell on her hand along the edge. She took a breath out of pain and frowned. “It’s okay. You should first remove these things which make the room wet and make me feel uncomfortable.”

“Okay, okay.” Geng Zhishan took off his bamboo hat and straw rain cape. All of a sudden, the thought that the fish was still in the yard came to him. He ran out in the rain and came back with fish in his hand. He presented the fish to Xie Mengxuan as if they were a treasure, and smiled, “Darling, look! How fat they are! I will make fish soup for you. Since you love it, you have to drink more later.”

Xie Mengxuan looked at the fish that was twisting and then leaned backward. Having noted that, without targeting, Geng Zhishan dropped the fish into the big tank that had been filled with water. Looking at this, Xie Mengxuan’s eyes darkened, and she suddenly pushed Geng Zhishan.