Farm Tough Girl

Chapter 125 - 125 126 Were going to have a problem_1

?Chapter 125: Chapter 126 We’re going to have a problem_1 Chapter 125: Chapter 126 We’re going to have a problem_1 Muniang stared blankly before saying, “What do you mean?”

“A compensation of ten thousand taels of silver isn’t a small amount, even if you sold all of your possessions, you couldn’t cover it. Hmm, plus the bear, maybe it would be enough, but those are things you have worked hard for over half a year to obtain. Wouldn’t it hurt to sell them just like that?”

Muniang frowned, “How do you know how much I own?” It was as if this man understood her very well, yet their interactions were merely business transactions.

Wu Haoli gave an unnatural cough twice. This woman was too shrewd, so sensitive; he certainly couldn’t say he had someone specifically investigate her.

“We’re all from the same neighbourhood, isn’t it expected to know about each other?” Wu Haoli said with a teasing smile.

Muniang glared at him discontentedly, “Who’s from the same neighbourhood as you?” Their standards of living were not even on the same wavelength.

Muniang didn’t want to dwell on trivial matters at the moment. The fact that Wu Haoli was willing to extend help during her time of need signified that he posed no threat to her, and there was no need for excessive caution. Muniang promptly picked up the silver note on the table and counted it, exactly ten thousand taels.

“Consider it a loan from me, I’ll definitely repay you within three months,” Muniang was not one to feign strength or vanity. She truly couldn’t bear to sell the Tianzhuang and the mountains. Now that she had the help of this living Bodhisattva, she was naturally pleased and at ease.

Wu Haoli didn’t really care about the ten thousand taels, for with his true wealth, it was but a drop in the ocean, “As you wish, but you owe me another favor now.”

“I remember,” Muniang smiled. But suddenly, she felt something was amiss, “Hey, you’ve sold off all your family’s possessions, where did you get so much silver?” And to be so generous, it was hard to tell whether he was just pretending to be grand or if he was truly wealthy.

Wu Haoli replied lazily, “Recently, the young master has had good fortune at the gambling house and made a comeback. How about it? You might as well follow me, it would be much more reliable than running that Embroidery House of yours.”

Muniang couldn’t be bothered to engage with him, “That’s enough from you.”

Though she said this, Muniang didn’t really believe it. From the first glance at Wu Haoli, she intuitively felt he was no ordinary man. The idea that such a wealthy person was a spendthrift was laughable!

Chengzi had been in a deep sleep for two days before he slowly woke up. Muniang had been vigilantly watching over him almost without rest. Qingya sometimes pitied her lady for the hard work and wanted to take over for a while, but Muniang never left his side.

Fortunately, the matter with Mr. Ling was finally settled with ten thousand taels of silver. Ultimately, having received the money, Mr. Ling had no grounds to cause any more trouble; he just cursed a few times and left. As for the black bear that Chengzi had brought back, Li Cheng also helped deal with it. After all, as the weather grew warmer, it was easy for the meat to spoil. Such a large bear fetched nearly the same price as the tiger they had previously caught. However, Muniang kept two bear paws and some bear gallbladders to help Chengzi recover.

“Are you awake?!” Muniang asked joyfully.

“Hmm,” Chengzi seemed to want to sit up but realized that his body ached everywhere. Muniang quickly pressed down on his wound, afraid it would open up again.

“What are you moving for? Don’t you realize you’re injured?” Muniang sounded a bit fierce. Thinking back on his recklessness in undertaking such a dangerous task, her anger flared. Previously, her heart was filled with worry and gratitude for his safety, but now that he was out of danger, the delayed anger could not be avoided.

Chengzi pursed his lips, “Wife, I hurt.”

Wouldn’t you know, that really works on Muniang, and her tone softened immediately, “Now you know you’re in pain, you still shout.”

“You’ve said before, when I’m in pain, I must tell you,” Chengzi was earnest.

Muniang was momentarily stunned, then she remembered that this was still about the incident from half a year ago. When he first arrived, he had a wound on his chest, which even when it split open, he never uttered a sound. Muniang had told him that he must inform her if he ever felt pain in the future, and she hadn’t expected that he would remember her every word so clearly.

Muniang said with annoyance, “Now you remember to listen, but when you impulsively ran up the mountain without telling me, why didn’t you think to listen to me then?”

Erlang blinked, “My lady, you’ve never said that I’m not allowed to go up the mountain on a whim.”

Muniang slapped the bed plank in frustration. Was this guy deliberately making a mess of things?

Erlang shrank his neck and hastily added, “My lady, rest assured, I definitely won’t go up the mountain on a whim in the future!”

Muniang softened a bit, then said, “Do you realize you were unconscious on the mountain for an entire night? If Chengzi and Qiangzi hadn’t risked the dangers of heavy rain and landslides to find you, it would’ve been hard to say whether you’d be alive or dead. You better be truly thankful to them this time.”

“Yes, I know!” Erlang nodded vigorously, and then as if he remembered something, he said, “But, my lady, when I was unconscious on the mountain, I had a nightmare.”

“What dream?”

After a moment’s thought, Erlang said, “I dreamt that many people were trying to chop me with knives. I desperately tried to dodge, but I couldn’t evade them. I was attacked from both fronts and backs, and someone stabbed me in the chest with a knife. I thought I was going to die until—until—”
Muniang’s heart skipped a beat, and her complexion worsened. The scenario was eerily similar to the condition Erlang was in when he first arrived: “Until what?”

“Until I saw my lady. It seemed like it was in a dream, yet it also seemed like it wasn’t,” Erlang murmured.

Muniang tentatively asked, “Have you, remembered anything?”

Erlang grinned, “It must have been my lady who saved me!”

Muniang looked into his innocent eyes and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She forced a smile, “This nightmare must be because you were frightened. Don’t overthink it. I’ll get your medicine for you.” Having said that, she got up and went out.

Upon closing the door, Muniang gently touched her unrestful heart. Erlang’s trip up the mountain this time, with such a heavy blow, might have triggered some memories, like this dream, though vague, was somehow reminding him of his past.

She had thought that matters of the past were far away, but now faced with the reality, Muniang found it difficult to accept. After all, this was an unknown gamble—if his lucidity returned only to bring about his indifference, then she would be utterly defeated. Contemplating this, Muniang couldn’t help feeling a touch of heartache.

However, peering through the window at Erlang obediently lying in bed waiting for her to bring the medicine, Muniang felt that nothing else was that important anymore. As long as he was by her side, what did it matter if he was lucid or not? She, Qiao Muniang, was certainly not a faint-hearted person!

Muniang’s face broke into a radiant smile, and she turned to get the medicine from the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Qiao Dalang, having heard that Muniang was now safe and sound, was so angry that his teeth chattered, “How does that wretch have such good luck? She deserved to be sold, and yet she ends up fine in the end!”

But Qiao Lianhua wore a worried expression, “Brother, now is not the time to think about that. With Qiao Muniang being fine, I’m afraid we’re the ones in trouble.”