Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Settled

The village families pushed their children forward one after another, as if shame could be shoved out of the body with enough force.

The children lined up in front of Tang Yi Xiao, bent at the waist, and squeezed out an “I’m sorry” with faces so red they looked scalded. The ones who spoke too softly were yanked closer and made to say it again, their parents terrified the Tang Family would take the matter further.

But the Tang Family hadn’t come today for a single apology. They had come for justice—for this beating, and for the ones that came before.

Qin Hui Yin’s voice carried without strain. “Aunties, an apology by itself doesn’t feel like enough. My younger brother’s old injury has flared up again and again because of what was done to him, and our family has spent a lot of silver on medicine. Of course, we understand these children weren’t the masterminds. They were pushed into it.”

A ripple of relief moved through the crowd. People had been bracing for a demand they couldn’t afford.

“That’s why,” Qin Hui Yin continued, “we won’t ask you for silver compensation or anything like that.”

The tightness in several chests loosened at once. They finally understood what she meant: the Tang Family would not squeeze them for money—but sincerity still had to be shown.

One woman stepped forward quickly. “My family saved up 50 eggs to sell. Not this time—we’ll give them all to Brother Xiao to help him recover.”

Another followed, words tumbling out. “We raised two rabbits. We’ll give them to Brother Xiao too.”

“My natal family sent a jin of meat,” someone else said, lifting her basket as if presenting evidence. “That’s for Brother Xiao.”

“My family doesn’t have eggs—none at all,” an older woman blurted, panic thick in her voice, “but we do have 20 jin of mung beans. If you don’t mind, we’ll give you all of it.”

More voices rose, overlapping, each offering what they could scrape together. When the last of them finished, the attention drifted—slowly, uneasily—to Tang Ji Zu’s household.

Tang Ji Zu’s gaze cut to Li Er Niu like a blade. “You stay and kowtow,” he said. “Don’t get up until you’ve done 3,000.”

Li Er Niu’s face twisted. “Bao Yu’s father, I’m hurt too, and yesterday… I truly can’t take it anymore. Three thousand? I can’t even do 100. Please—just this once, let me go!”

“It’s not that I’m unwilling to let you off,” Tang Ji Zu said flatly. “It’s that the person you offended doesn’t want to let you off. You did wrong, so you should be punished. Or do you want Bao Yu to stay and kowtow instead?”

Tang Bao Yu whipped his head around and glared at her. “Don’t even think about it. If you dare make me kowtow, I’ll never acknowledge you as my mother again!”

Li Tao Hua’s mouth curled with disgust. “If every son turned out like this, you might as well raise a dog instead.”

Whatever light Li Er Niu had left drained away. She sank to her knees and began to kowtow, forehead dipping toward the ground as if she were made of string and someone had cut it.

“I’ll stay and count,” Tang Yi Xiao said. His voice was even. “I want to see how many she does.”

“That’s how it should be,” Li Tao Hua said. “She’s apologizing to you in the first place. These kowtows are for you too. Lu Wu, you stay here and look after Brother Xiao. The rest of us will go back and get to work.”

Qin Hui Yin paused as if remembering something, then smiled faintly. “If she doesn’t kowtow enough, come back and tell us. We’ll go to Uncle Tang for the rest of the compensation.” Her eyes flicked to Tang Bao Yu and back. “Auntie, actually, Bao Yu’s head is worth more. If he stayed to kowtow, each one would be worth two wen. But you love him so much—I’m sure you wouldn’t bear to leave him here. Fine. Forget I said anything.”

Li Er Niu’s movements slowed almost immediately. After only a handful of kowtows, she had to brace herself with both arms, shoulders trembling as if her bones might collapse out of their sockets.

A woman nearby snickered. “Bao Yu’s mother, you’ve only done 10. You’ve got a long way to go. Hang in there.”

Another villager clicked her tongue. “All right, stop provoking her. She’s pitiful enough. I can’t even bear to watch.”

People began to drift away. Tang Ji Zu left with Tang Bao Yu, and the rest of the villagers dispersed too, laughing as if they’d just watched a farce.

When the courtyard finally emptied, the cold sank into Li Er Niu’s marrow.

It felt as though the world had hollowed out until only she remained, kneeling in the dirt. She couldn’t hear anyone’s footsteps now. She couldn’t feel anyone’s eyes. She clung to the rhythm like a lie she could hide inside—bow, knock, lift, repeat—until her body failed her.

Li Er Niu pitched forward and collapsed.

Eyes squeezed shut, breath tearing in and out of her throat, she pleaded hoarsely, “Brother Xiao, Lu Wu… Auntie really can’t do it anymore. Please, spare me!”

Tang Yi Xiao’s voice did not change. “120. You still owe 2,880.”

Tang Lu Wu’s fingers clenched at her sides. She couldn’t bear it—but she wasn’t the one who had been hurt. She had no right to forgive on someone else’s behalf.

“Can you truly not hold on?” Tang Lu Wu asked.

Li Er Niu forced her eyes open, latched onto her as if Tang Lu Wu were a rope thrown down a cliff. “Lu Wu… Auntie knows you’re the kindest…”

“Brother,” Tang Lu Wu said, turning quickly, “you stay and watch her. I’ll go back and find Mom and the others. We’ll go to Uncle Tang’s house to ask for the rest of the compensation.”

If she went to Tang Ji Zu’s house alone, as a young girl, they would pin her down with words until she couldn’t breathe.

She had barely taken a step when Li Er Niu grabbed her ankle with shaking hands.

“Please… Auntie really can’t…”

“We aren’t forcing you,” Tang Yi Xiao said calmly. “Didn’t we suggest getting your family to share the burden?”

Li Er Niu’s grip tightened, knuckles white. “They won’t care whether I live or die…”

“If your own family doesn’t care whether you live or die,” Tang Yi Xiao said, “why should we?” He lifted his chin slightly. “Did you forget how you hit me yesterday? You didn’t hold back at all. My face—look. These bruises are proof.”

Li Er Niu’s eyes flickered with resentment that she couldn’t quite hide. “I already apologized…”

“Were you sincere?” Tang Yi Xiao asked. “You and I both know that if you weren’t forced, you wouldn’t apologize at all. Next time you’d hit harder.” He glanced at Tang Lu Wu. “Go find Mom and elder brother.”

As for his father—

He had never expected Tang Da Fu to stand up for him.

Li Er Niu’s hand slid off Tang Lu Wu’s ankle. She tried to push herself up again, tried to bow again, but her limbs wouldn’t answer. In the end she could only lie there, eyes shut, despair sealing her like wax.

—

Tang Lu Wu found Li Tao Hua and Qin Hui Yin in the vegetable garden, sleeves rolled up, pulling weeds as if nothing in the world had happened.

Neither of them looked surprised to see her.

Li Tao Hua dropped a fistful of weeds and wiped her hands on her apron. “Come on,” she said to Qin Hui Yin. “Time for the second half of the show.”

Tang Lu Wu hesitated. “Should I go back and get elder brother?”

“No need,” Li Tao Hua said. “Don’t bother your elder brother over something this small. His chest wound still needs time to heal. Don’t let him strain himself.”

Li Tao Hua rolled up her sleeves higher, eager and sharp as a blade drawn from its sheath.

Qin Hui Yin couldn’t help laughing.

With Li Tao Hua practically burning for a fight, Qin Hui Yin found her almost adorable.

They hadn’t even reached the lane when Tang Ji Zu stepped out with a bundle in hand, Tang Bao Yu trailing behind him like a rooster that had been plucked and thrown back into the yard. When Li Tao Hua appeared, something vicious flashed in Tang Ji Zu’s eyes—then vanished so quickly it might have been imagined.

Li Tao Hua planted her hands on her hips. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Tang Ji Zu lifted his chin. “Bao Yu is injured too. Doctor Shi’s medicine didn’t do him any good, so I’m taking him into town to see a doctor. Da Fu’s wife, do you have any other instructions?”

“I wouldn’t dare instruct you,” Li Tao Hua said sweetly, the sweetness edged with steel. “It’s just that your wife fainted after only 120 kowtows. For the rest, are you having your son do them, or are you doing them in her place? If neither of you wants to, then use silver to trade for it.”

“I don’t have any silver on me,” Tang Ji Zu snapped.

“Then kowtow.”

Tang Ji Zu’s face tightened. “But… a man’s knees are worth gold. He kneels to heaven, to earth, and to his parents. How can I kneel to some brat?”

“Then let your son kneel.” Li Tao Hua’s gaze pinned him. “Enough talk. Give me a straight answer—silver or kowtows? You, or him?”