Chapter 79: Worry-Free Book Shopping

  Li Zheng was shocked and frowned: "What? Someone got hurt..."

  "No way, I even invited Lai Tou Li from the village head to come and see the wound last night... This is absolutely true, he can't deny it..." Shen Sisi said with a smile.

  The villagers were shocked to see Si Bao's weak appearance, and Li Zheng was also taken aback. Looking at the injured Si Bao, his face changed color. Sneaking around wasn't a big deal, but hurting someone was different. His face turned iron-gray as he said, "So what do you want to say about your family?!"

  Shen Sisi didn't say a word, just smiled and looked at Tian Guihua, saying: "Auntie Tian, yesterday he was still looking for the recipe for chestnuts, luckily I caught him..."

  "Uh..." Li Er Dan's eyes widened in a wolf-like stare, fixed on Shen Si Si. How could this girl make him the target of hatred?! He hadn't even thought about finding Fang Zi yesterday, and he knew that country bumpkin wouldn't say anything either. Yesterday, he had indeed come to steal silver, but it had nothing to do with Fang Zi! Wasn't this just making the villagers hate him more?!

  Tian Guihua was originally waiting in the crowd to watch the excitement, but as soon as Shen Sisi said that, her face changed. She stepped forward with large strides and angrily spat a mouthful of saliva at Li Erdou's face: "Shameless thing, only knowing how to sneak around, this kind of person should be driven out of the village, nothing more to say..."

  She gritted her teeth in hatred, and her original intention of watching the excitement also turned into anger, fearing that Fangzi would be taken away by Li Erdou, and then how could they monopolize the sale of roasted chestnuts?!

  Shen Sisi finally turned back, smiling at Li Zheng: "Uncle Li Zheng, our family doesn't have any special requests, we just want fairness and justice. Uncle Li Zheng, you handle it as you see fit, the Zhong family will not object..."

  This girl is pushing all the responsibility onto him, Li Zheng suddenly stared at Shen Sisi, with a face full of scrutiny. This girl, really not simple.

  He stared at Shen Sisi, and Shen Sisi didn't dodge either. She just faced him squarely, and after a long while, Li Zheng said: "Of course, let's have the villagers decide on this matter..."

  "Of course, he must be driven out. This kind of thievery is the most hateful, and it will corrupt the children. There's nothing else to say, let's expel him from the village...". The villagers had already been eyeing him with disapproval, and one by one they chimed in, with Tian Guihua being especially loud.

  "Looks like we don't need to open the ancestral hall after all. Let's just decide on this: take back the two mu of land from Li Er Dan's family and give it to the Zhong family, consider it compensation for Si Bao's medical expenses... move out of the village within three days..."

  Li Er Dan's eyes widened in shock, and he struggled desperately. He knew that this matter was not trivial today, but he did not expect that even the land would be confiscated. This is his family's only two mu of land.

  Everyone just cheered him on, but no one actually understood him.

  Shen Sisi narrowed her eyes, the power of the Li family was indeed great, they could take back whatever they wanted. She covered her eyes for a moment, thinking that she really needed to become stronger, otherwise, if something happened in the future and the Li family said they would take it back, it would be too humiliating.

  "Roots born, are you satisfied?!" Li Zheng didn't ask Shen Sisi anymore, but turned his head to ask Zhong Gen Sheng.

  Zhong Gensheng didn't expect to be called himself, and it took him a while to react. He stuttered: "...... I have no opinion."

  "That's settled then......" Li Zheng patted his hand and said, "Everyone scatter, what are you doing surrounding this place, go back home and farm......" Li Zheng waved his hand to let the villagers disperse in twos and threes, and said, "I'll have a few elderly people from the village accompany you to get Li Er Dan's land back..."

  "Uncle Li, please help our family sell those two mu of land. We're short on money at home and although the land is good, Fourth Treasure needs to see a doctor urgently and we need the money right now... "

  Li Zheng looked at her in surprise, nodded and said: "This is also good, when there is news, I will come to inform you again..."

  "Can't we trust Uncle Lǐzhèng at our house? Uncle Lǐzhèng is the most fair, just help us watch the sale and that's it, we're just waiting to get the money for treatment..." Shen Sisi said with a smile.

  Li Zheng looked at Shen Sisi with a smile, finally understanding that the one in charge of this household was indeed this young lady. He couldn't help but take a few more glances at her, and said with a laugh: "This is also good, if you're willing, I'll just sell it off and give the money to you..."

  "Good... thank you, Uncle Li Zheng." Shen Sisi said sweetly.

  He then waved his hand and left, instructing the Zhong family to release Li Er Dan if nothing happened.

  Shen Sisi finally walked in front of Li Er Dan, who was desperate and resentful, with all his hatred in her eyes. She finally collected her smile, and her sharp eyes stared at Li Er Dan, saying: "......Do you hate me?! Hmm?! I don't care if you hate me or not, next time I see you again, I have a thousand ways to make you unable to live in this world, this time is just driving you out of the village, it's already cheap for you."

  Li Er Dan was shocked by her gaze, he couldn't say a word, just staring at the small and thin little girl in front of him who was speaking to him with such a threatening tone. Listening to her ruthless words, it seemed as if she could really do it. He shivered, but also felt regretful for his own cowardice, extremely resentful, and angry at himself for being afraid of an eight-year-old little girl.

  Two acres of land were lost, and the opportunity to make a living in the village was also lost. Such a big loss of face, he will have to get it back somehow.

  Shen Sisi saw the expression on his face early, but just gave him a light and sarcastic glance, untied the rope from his body, and smiled: "Let's go, everything has to be paid for, this is what you got last night for stealing, in the future if you do something again, maybe... think it through yourself."

  Li Er Dan shivered with a chill, stared at Shen Si Si for a moment, then fled in disarray, and was even pelted with several stones by the villagers along the way.

  To add insult to injury.

  However, Shen Sisi couldn't sympathize with her at all.

  "Tuni, will Li Er Dan harbor resentment in his heart and come back to take revenge on us?!" He Axiu worriedly asked.

  "Mother, we hurt him yesterday and let him go, won't he harbor resentment in his heart?!" Shen Sisi said: "If so, then let him get a lesson, let him not be able to live in the village, if he still doesn't know how to repent, and does something again, this is also his own fault... Mother, such people are not worth sympathizing with..."

  Zhong Gen Sheng paused for a moment, then said: "Yesterday I even used my bow to hurt him. Since he has already set his sights on our family's silver and Fangzi, even if we don't find Li Zheng to deal with him, just letting him go like this isn't right either. This person is always reckless, can't do anything, now that he's been dealt with, it's good, at least in the future, when something happens, Li Zheng and the villagers will have a number, and can testify for us..."

  "Yes, Father is right. When encountering such a person, there's really no way out. If you don't handle him properly, he'll just become more and more overbearing..." Shen Sisi smiled and said: "Forget it, let's not mention this. Fourth Treasure still needs to catch the medicine, Father, you stay at home, I'll go with Eldest Treasure, that's enough..."

  Zhong Gen Sheng thought for a moment and then nodded, saying: "You be careful on your way."

  "Got it." Shen Sisi packed up her things and set off on the road with Da Bao. They had walked this road dozens of times before, so they were very familiar with it. When they arrived at the county town, they bought some medicine for Si Bao and then went to a bookstore where they purchased three primers that cost a total of ten taels of silver. Da Bao was so distressed by the expense that he scratched his ears and cheeks.

  Shen Sisi also felt heartache, but thinking about the future, she calmed down and handed over the medicine and books to Da Bao to carry. She went to the market meat stall again to ask about the price of meat, and then the two turned back home.

  She thought about going to find Zheng Tunfu in the afternoon to discuss the price of meat. If he quoted a high price, it would be better to spend some effort to buy it in the city. At most, she could make an extra trip. Anyway, they also need to come to the city to sell braised meat. At that time, she can ask someone to reserve the meat and bring it back home after selling the braised meat.

  Of course, buying from the village is better, mainly because it's more convenient.

  Returned home, handed the book to the three brothers and said: "You guys learn first, be careful, these three books are worth ten taels of silver. Later when you've learned it, you can also teach the four treasures..."

  The three brothers held the book tightly and carefully, their eyes shining with excitement. This was a book worth ten taels of silver, a book that could bring them a bright future.

  Zhong Gen Sheng looked at the three brothers and saw that they treasured these three books, his heart felt very comforted and he said: "Study hard, our old Zhong family's ancestral tomb will be filled with a fragrant smoke, if we can produce a scholar it will bring honor to our ancestors..."

  The Lao family had been laborers for generations, and this was the first time such a precious thing as a book had appeared in their home. Zhong Gensheng couldn't help but feel moved to tears. The most successful person in their household had always been his older brother, who had managed to become the manager of a small shop. In eight years, he had heard that his brother had already been promoted to be the manager of a branch store. It seemed that his parents were finally enjoying some good fortune...

  Zhong Gen Sheng sighed and said, "...In the future, no matter who among you becomes a scholar, be sure to remember to pull each other up, you are all brothers born of the same mother. Don't let wealth and glory blind your eyes and forget the original agreement..."

  "Yes, father..." The three brothers hastily responded and carefully hid the book in the house.

  Shen Sisi knew that her father was thinking of his elder brother, so she didn't say anything. She had heard some things about this matter when she first came here, but she didn't know the specifics.

  He Axiu sighed and said: "What's the point of telling this to the children? Alas..."

  Zhong Gen Sheng said with a worried face: "I'm just talking, and whether or not I can pass the imperial examination is still unknown. I couldn't predict what hasn't happened yet, I just hope for it."

  "It's not easy to become a scholar, you think it's as simple as pulling out a radish from the ground? Don't have too high expectations... " He Axiu smiled and said: "Just recognizing a few characters and then going to the city to be an accountant is also not bad..."

  "This is...". Zhong Gensheng relaxed and smiled: "Tuniang is indeed a decisive one."