The Lady Butcher and the Delicate Bride - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

On the morning Mother Mu went to steal the money, Mu Dingxiang mentioned that other families had already planted their fields. Although it was late spring, it wasn’t too late; at most, they would just be a bit later than others. Thus, she entreated Chu Yu to help her buy seeds.

Chu Yu slaughtered pigs year-round and had no idea what seeds to buy, so she decided to take the girl out with her. As soon as Zhu-er saw her “fragrant” Mother was heading out, she also hid in their bamboo basket and followed them to the county.

It wasn’t until they reached the county that the two discovered the little bamboo shoot sprite had tagged along; they hurriedly covered the basket with clothes to hide her.

At that time, the sky was just turning grey with dawn. Mu Dingxiang had nowhere to go, so she had to follow Chu Yu to a household to slaughter a pig. Because Zhu-er couldn’t go near the slaughter site, Mu Dingxiang held her and waited outside the door for over an hour before the work was finished.

Chu Yu and Shi Man had been partners for many years and had a great rapport; for a pig of two or three hundred catties, the two of them could handle it using their tools.

After the slaughter, they loaded the meat onto a carriage to pull to the county butcher shop to sell. Chu Yu rode her horse, carrying Mu Dingxiang and Zhu-er. Along the way, Zhu-er kept complaining about the bloody smell on Chu Yu, making Chu Yu so annoyed she slapped her bottom several times.

It wasn’t until they returned at noon that they discovered the vines near the stone bridge were in a mess, drooping at the roadside, with several branches snapped off.

As soon as Zhu-er drew near, she clamored for Chu Yu to stop. Her small arms and legs hopped down from the horse, her eyes watery as she kept crying out, “Brother Vine… Brother Vine…”

The two of them realized immediately that someone had been near the Chu house that morning and became alert.

Zhu-er stretched out her fair, tender little hand and placed it on the trunk of the vine. With her eyes closed and muttering under her breath, it took only a moment for the drooping leaves of the plant to instantly become spirited and lush green. The previously damaged bark also became whole in an instant, though those snapped stems and branches could not be reattached.

After Zhu-er retracted her hand, her body slumped, and she fainted into Mu Dingxiang’s arms.

Chu Yu hurriedly explained, “Don’t be afraid. It’s just excessive consumption of energy; she just fainted. She’ll wake up later. But I wonder who was here this morning?”

Zhu-er was unconscious, and Chu Yu had no way to communicate with the vine. She could only hold the sprite and lead the horse toward the cave. Just as she took a step, a vine coiled around her arm. Looking down, she saw a small money pouch entangled in the vine.

The two couldn’t help but look at each other. This money pouch was originally placed on the bed; when did it get here?

In the morning, when Mu Dingxiang said she wanted to buy seeds, Chu Yu felt she should give her some money to keep on her person, in case she saw something she wanted to buy.

Mu Dingxiang refused, saying she had money and would dig it up later. After pushing back and forth, they eventually just tossed the money pouch onto the bed, yet for some reason, it had appeared here.

They exchanged a glance and hurried toward the cave.

Although the cave only contained simple household items, the thought of someone entering their private domain made anyone feel uncomfortable.

After a careful check, nothing else was missing besides the money pouch. The newly bought clothes had clearly been rummaged through, and a chair on the floor was knocked over on its side. It seemed the person had fled in a panic and tripped.

Who exactly had been here and made off with the money pouch?

Chu Yu couldn’t figure it out. It had been nearly two months since she returned to Furong Village, and usually, no one came by. How could such a thing happen only two days after Mu Dingxiang arrived?

Both of them had suspicions in their hearts, but neither spoke them aloud.

It wasn’t until the afternoon when Zhu-er woke up that she said tearfully, “Mother, a mean old lady came this morning and took Mother’s money pouch. Brother Vine recognized the pouch and tripped her to stop her from leaving. Then she tore Brother Vine’s branches and leaves, breaking so many of them, waaaaah.”

Although they had already suspected as much, hearing Zhu-er say it still made them very angry.

The thought of that woman’s haunting presence made Mu Dingxiang feel she had burdened Chu Yu. She lowered her eyes and apologized, “I’m sorry. My mother is just that kind of person. If it weren’t for her connection to me, she wouldn’t have come here.”

Chu Yu lightly tapped her head and said, “Don’t just think about apologizing at every turn. She is she, and you are you. Why should you apologize for her faults? Don’t worry, I’ll make her pay for this.”

Hearing her say this, Mu Dingxiang felt a bit better.

Now that the money pouch wasn’t lost, it was only a pity for that cluster of vines near the stone bridge. Mu Dingxiang decided that starting tomorrow, she would properly fertilize and weed it to thank it for helping guard the home and driving away the bad person.

However, before Chu Yu could think of a way to punish that wicked woman, another event occurred that made one’s teeth itch with rage.

Mu Dingxiang was no longer at the Mu house and no longer worked the fields there, so she thought about going to dig up the two taels of silver she had buried over the years.

Chu Yu accompanied her. To their shock, once it was dug up, they found the jar was empty. The two taels of silver accumulated year after year had vanished without a trace.

Mu Dingxiang couldn’t hold it back; she burst into tears, crying uncontrollably.

This money was every single coin she had saved by being frugal and utilizing every tiny bit of spare time! She didn’t know how many catties of pig grass she had cut for how many people; six whole years of time had just disappeared like that.

She had clearly taken it out and counted it carefully a few days ago. Mu Dingxiang suddenly felt as if life were not worth living. If it hadn’t been for Chu Yu, she had even planned to rely on these two taels to run away. But now the money was gone; how could she not be heartbroken?

Seeing the girl crying so hard she was nearly gasping for breath, Chu Yu hurriedly called Zhu-er out and had her ask the little flower and plant sisters nearby who exactly had taken the two taels.

This inquiry made their tempers rise again. It was that Mother Mu again this morning. After following Mu Jueming to the field and remembering Mu Dingxiang’s usually secretive manner, she felt the girl must have hidden money at the edge of the field. After rummaging everywhere, she actually found the place where the money was buried. Having gotten her hands on those two taels, she immediately went home beaming with joy, not even caring about the work in the field.

Upon hearing that Mother Mu had taken her money, Mu Dingxiang stood up to go to the Mu house to get her money back, but she was grabbed by Chu Yu. “If you go like that, how would she ever admit to taking your money? Going would be in vain and would only upset you further.”

“Am I just supposed to let her spend my money? I saved that for six whole years; I can’t swallow this anger.” At this point, Mu Dingxiang’s eyes began to redden again, and the tears that had just stopped began to flow in a line.

This made Zhu-er feel heartbroken as well, helping to wipe her tears and comfort her: “Mother, don’t cry, Mother don’t cry. Zhu-er will blow on it for Mother.”

Although she had only spent five or six days with Mu Dingxiang, Chu Yu could see she was a very strong-willed girl. She would grit her teeth and endure physical hardship or exhaustion; she rarely cried when hurt or in pain.

She had only seen her cry twice. Once was that evening when she was washing clothes by the river and the girl walked over looking as if life had no hope; then, when she asked about the wound on her hand, the girl’s tears flowed like a spring. The other time was now, when the copper coins she had worked so hard to save for six years were stolen away by her own mother.

The saddest thing in the world is undoubtedly the destruction of hope. From the moment Mu Dingxiang knew she was to be sold to Widower Zhang, she had completely given up hope for the Mu family. She had thought that this bit of silver would give her a bit of confidence while living with Chu Yu, but now it was all taken away, making her feel both humiliated and heartbroken.

Chu Yu reached out to embrace her, stroking her hair. “It’s only two taels; we aren’t short of that money. Tomorrow I’ll go to the money changer and withdraw all the money I’ve saved over the years and give it to you, okay?”

Mu Dingxiang shook her head violently. “I don’t want your money. I only want my own money.”

Her small face was covered in tear stains and her eyes were red, making one unable to help but feel pity.

“We are together now; my money is your money.”

Mu Dingxiang still shook her head.

Chu Yu had no choice but to comfort her softly. “This money must be taken back, but we have to find a way to get it back. Maybe she’s already spent it by now; we have to make them obediently deliver those two taels back to our door in full.”

Hearing Chu Yu say the money might have been spent by Mother Mu, Mu Dingxiang cried even harder.

It took Chu Yu and Zhu-er a long time to soothe her. While Chu Yu was deep in thought, she took the person and the spirit onto the horse and headed home.

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