Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Putting on a Show
Tang Da Fu hauled in firewood and set up a brazier in the middle of the yard. The coals glowed, pushing back the worst of the cold.

The Village Head had been yawning every other breath. Tang Da Fu invited him inside to warm himself and doze for a while, and the man didn’t refuse.

Madam Wang and Tang Ming Xiu, however, did not get so much as a step across the threshold. If Li Tao Hua hadn’t been afraid they’d catch a chill and then come screaming for compensation, she wouldn’t have bothered lighting the brazier at all.

She sent the children inside to rest, then planted herself in the yard like a guard.

Madam Wang tried to slink back next door, muttering something about needing to fetch clothes, but Li Tao Hua blocked her at once.

“You came in. You stay,” Li Tao Hua said, her voice light and deadly. “No running back and forth in the dark to invent stories.”

So the mother and daughter stayed.

Tang Da Fu brought out a stool for Li Tao Hua and draped a thick coat over her shoulders. She sat with her chin lifted, coat wrapped tight, pale face gleaming in the firelight as she stared at Madam Wang and Tang Ming Xiu the way one stared at weeds sprouting from mud.

The night dragged.

Madam Wang dozed sitting upright, arms locked around the clothesline pole as if it might float away. Tang Ming Xiu, heavy-headed and unsteady, ended up hugging the big stone used to anchor the ox cart, her forehead dipping and lifting like a broken puppet.

Li Tao Hua gave a soft, cold chuckle. “Sleeping so well. I wonder if you’ll still sleep later.”

When the sky finally began to thin toward dawn, Tang Da Fu slipped out.

He was gone long enough for Qin Hui Yin and the other children to get up and start breakfast, long enough for Li Tao Hua’s temper to rise again.

“Useless when it matters,” she muttered, eyes never leaving the two trespassers.

Then, from the road, came the creak of wheels and the slow clop of hooves.

An ox cart drew near.

Li Tao Hua strode to the gate and swung it open.

Third Master Tang rolled in, reins in hand, his face tight with sleep and annoyance. Tang Da Fu sat beside him, and behind them, bundled against the cold, was Doctor Shi from Shi Jia Village.

Li Tao Hua turned on Tang Da Fu at once. “So that’s where you went. Off to fetch a physician. How’d you manage it?”

Tang Da Fu looked guilty. “I asked Third Uncle to drive the cart and go with me. Third Uncle hasn’t eaten breakfast yet…” He glanced toward the kitchen. “Do we have extra food?”

Li Tao Hua rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t stick. “Are you stupid? Even if you don’t eat, you still feed Third Uncle. And you’re asking if there’s extra?”

Tang Da Fu scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. “Wife’s right. I really am dumb. Luckily my wife is smart—you make the decisions at home.”

Li Tao Hua stared at him, half ready to hit him, half ready to laugh. She chose neither and instead went to the kitchen.

Doctor Shi stepped down from the cart, stroking his beard as his eyes found Qin Hui Yin. “Young girl… have we met before?”

Qin Hui Yin came out wiping her hands, calm as ever. “Physician, last time I brought you a big piece of business. It was late then, too. We rode an ox cart to Shi Jia Village and asked you to treat someone.”

Doctor Shi’s face brightened. “Oh. You! I remember now. What happened to your family this time?”

“We attracted some petty troublemakers,” Qin Hui Yin said, and her tone made it sound like she was talking about flies. “Sorry you had to come see this. Let’s eat first. After everyone’s full, we’ll talk. Uncle Tang—go see if the Village Head is awake. If he is, invite him to eat with us.”

The smell of hot porridge drifted into the yard.

Madam Wang and Tang Ming Xiu woke fully at once, as if their stomachs had been kicked.

Li Tao Hua and Qin Hui Yin carried breakfast out for the Village Head, Doctor Shi, and Third Master Tang, setting bowls and plates down without sparing Madam Wang and Tang Ming Xiu a glance.

Outside the fence of warmth and food, Madam Wang’s belly growled loudly enough to hear over the crackle of coals.

Tang Ming Xiu licked dry lips and whispered, “Mother, what do we do later?”

Madam Wang’s eyes stayed fixed on the bowls. “Insist you have internal injuries. As long as you insist, even a physician can’t do anything.”

“But what if the physician says I’m fine?” Tang Ming Xiu’s voice shook. “If we keep pushing, will Li Tao Hua let us go? She’ll tear us apart.”

Madam Wang’s mouth twisted. “Who cares? Today we make them bleed money. Li Tao Hua’s hard to deal with—do you think I’m easy? I must win this round back.”

Tang Ming Xiu swallowed. “And we didn’t even find out anything last night.”

“I’m sick of talking.” Madam Wang’s gaze sharpened. “Deal with today first. Secrets can wait.”

Inside, Li Tao Hua pulled Qin Hui Yin aside. “Normally you would’ve left already. It’s getting late. Go, or you won’t make it back today.”

“I want to see this settled before I leave,” Qin Hui Yin said. Her eyes flicked toward the yard, toward the two figures by the brazier. “At worst, we’re an hour late.”

“Our customers come during that hour,” Li Tao Hua said bluntly. “If you arrive late, they’ll think we’re not setting up today. We’ll lose regulars.”

Qin Hui Yin understood—and still she hesitated. Her shoulders stayed tense, as if she couldn’t unclench until the trouble was gone.

She glanced again at Madam Wang and Tang Ming Xiu, then leaned close to her mother. “My guess is almost certainly right. Unless something unexpected happens, they won’t be able to make a fuss for long. They’ll fall apart from inside soon.”

Li Tao Hua snorted. “Then stop worrying. I can handle them.” She jabbed a thumb toward herself. “Against nobodies like that, your mother can take on three at once.”

Qin Hui Yin couldn’t help it. She let out a short laugh.

Outside, Tang Da Fu and Third Master Tang began loading the cart. Everything went into big wooden barrels and buckets, each one covered tight so nothing could spill and no one could see what was inside. The folded mobile stall cart took surprisingly little space once collapsed. They stacked folding tables, folding stools, charcoal, bowls and chopsticks, bamboo bucket bowls—everything that turned an empty street corner into a market stall.

Madam Wang and Tang Ming Xiu watched with hungry eyes, trying to read meaning into every barrel and bundle. But it was useless. Covered wood looked like covered wood.

Tang Lu Wu hovered beside Qin Hui Yin, anxiety written all over her face. “Yin Yin… are we really leaving?”

She glanced toward Li Tao Hua and Tang Da Fu, then back. Madam Wang’s tongue was sharp enough to draw blood. Li Tao Hua was fierce, yes, but in Tang Lu Wu’s eyes she still looked delicate—someone a shrew could bully just by screaming loudly.

Qin Hui Yin’s voice stayed steady. “They aren’t worth losing seven or eight taels of silver. Would you throw away seven or eight taels just to fight with them?”

Tang Lu Wu’s head shook so fast her braid whipped. “No. No.”

“Then go.” Qin Hui Yin softened. “My mother can fight. Two women are nothing to her. And your father is staying here. If they try to act tough, he’ll block them.”

Third Master Tang climbed up and snapped the reins. “We leave now. We’re later than usual, so stop wasting time. Once the morning market passes, we’ll have far fewer customers.”

“Coming,” Qin Hui Yin said.

Madam Wang and Tang Ming Xiu watched the cart roll away, faces pinched with frustration.

When the dust settled, only Li Tao Hua and Tang Da Fu remained at home with the Village Head and Doctor Shi.

Tang Da Fu’s family ate early because of the stall. The rest of the village still slept. With nothing else to do but wait for daylight and the next round of nonsense, Li Tao Hua poured tea and set out dried fruit.

The Village Head had come to the Tang house many times lately—always because something had gone wrong—and he’d never had the leisure to look around. Now, with the yard quiet and no one screaming in his ear, he finally noticed details.

The place was neat. Not just clean, but orderly—every tool and bowl set where a hand could reach it without thinking, the floor swept, the corners cleared. It had everything a household needed, and the way it was arranged showed planning.

Tang Da Fu’s previous wife had never kept a house like this. As he watched Li Tao Hua move, quick and sure, the Village Head found himself grudgingly impressed.

Troublesome woman or not… she was capable.