Chapter 466
Was she encountering kidnappers? Zhan Feiyu glanced at the silver-patterned white butterfly cloud brocade dress she was wearing, with a hollowed-out peony and green jade at her waist.
She then looked up at the two kidnappers on her left and right. Their clothes were patched, which was fine, but the crucial point was that the woman and the man were dark and thin. The woman, with her long face, had a mean look. Could she have given birth to a daughter with a face as round as hers?
Seeing Zhan Feiyu "staring blankly" without shouting or crying, her dark eyes blinking, the woman was also taken aback. She was so fair and tender; could she be an idiot?
The middle-aged man also glanced at Zhan Feiyu and gave the woman a look. Whether she was an idiot or just dull, as long as she looked good, why worry about selling her?
As they reached the alley entrance, the noise of people became noticeably louder.
Fearing any trouble, the woman wiped her eyes and, in a hurried and annoyed tone, cursed at Zhan Feiyu, "Er Niu, you can't run around blindly anymore. This isn't our mountain. If you get lost and taken by kidnappers, your parents won't be able to find you."
"It's all your fault for spoiling her!" the middle-aged man grumbled in a deep voice, blaming the woman for doting on their child. "The whole family tightens their belts to feed and clothe Er Niu, while Da Niu and San Niu are so thin a gust of wind could blow them over."
Seeing passersby looking over, the woman's voice choked with sobs, "Can you blame me? When I gave birth to Er Niu, our lives were almost lost. Er Niu was as small as a mouse when she was born."
Wiping away a few more tears, the woman sobbed, "I was afraid she wouldn't survive, so I could only feed her well. We're visiting her third uncle, so I borrowed this outfit. We can't afford to lose face outside."
At first, some passersby were surprised that the three didn't look like a family. How could parents be so ragged while their daughter was fair, tender, and delicate, clearly raised with wealth?
But upon hearing the man's complaints and scolding, and then the woman's tearful account, it wasn't so strange anymore. If a child was doted on by their elders, they would naturally eat and dress better than their siblings.
Didn't they see the Old Hong family at the end of the alley? The family was so poor they couldn't even afford to eat, and their twenty-odd members looked like beggars on the street.
In the dead of winter, the children shared only one pair of cotton pants; whoever went out wore the pants. Yet, they still supported the youngest son of the Hong family to study in a private school, with tuition costing ten taels of silver a year.
"A doting mother spoils her child!" the man cursed angrily again. "If you spoil Er Niu like this, how will she find a husband in the future?"
A scholar in a blue gown and long robe passing by the alley entrance looked at Zhan Feiyu with a stern and contemptuous gaze. "Heaven is the beginning of man, and parents are the root of man. You, as a child, indulge in luxury and oppress your parents, acting contrary to human nature!"
The common folk couldn't understand the scholar's pedantic words, but an old man setting up a stall nearby, who had studied for a few years, chimed in, "They say good food should be given to parents first, and good clothes should be worn by parents first. Young lady, at your age, you should be sensible and not just think of yourself."
"That's true. Look at how your parents are dressed, like beggars," a passing aunt with her child nodded vigorously, feeling that the woman and the man didn't know how to raise children. Of course, she couldn't help but lecture Zhan Feiyu, "Young lady, look at what you're wearing. Your outfit is enough for a whole family to eat and drink for a month."
The sky had already darkened. The light blue cloud brocade fabric appeared dim in the night, looking like ordinary cotton cloth. Because she had sat in a carriage all day, Zhan Feiyu had only used a hairband for her hair.
As for the green jade used to adorn her clothes, small stalls on the streets also sold them. A piece of jade of poor quality cost only a few hundred wen, and an ordinary family could afford it if they gritted their teeth. However, such decorative items were not usually bought by ordinary people.
Instantly becoming the target of everyone's lectures and scolding, Zhan Feiyu didn't miss the fleeting look of smugness on the woman's face. She figured these things were their specialty, and they could dispel any suspicion in a few words.
Could she really be an idiot? The woman glanced at Zhan Feiyu again. Even if she hadn't reacted at first, she should be shouting by now. Zhan Feiyu's quietness made the woman's heart pound.
"It's all this woman's spoiling," the man said, wiping his face awkwardly. Country folk only knew how to work in the fields. They didn't know how to raise children. He felt embarrassed now and cursed at the woman, "Why are you still standing there foolishly? Hurry up and carry Er Niu to your third brother's house. It's getting dark."
The woman bent down, intending to pick up Zhan Feiyu and leave quickly.
"I don't need you to carry me, I can walk myself!" a clear little voice rang out. Zhan Feiyu suddenly darted forward, moving so fast that the woman and the man didn't have time to react.
Fortunately, they weren't foolish. They exchanged a look, and one of them strode after her. How could they let the fat sheep they had in their grasp escape?
Zhan Feiyu didn't intend to run. Seeing the small stalls selling combs and wooden hairpins nearby, she rushed towards them. "I want this comb..."
Before the young man selling things could be happy about a customer, Zhan Feiyu, moving too quickly, knocked over his stall. With a few clangs, the goods on the shelves fell to the ground.
"I..." Zhan Feiyu knew she had caused trouble and immediately ran to the side.
A moment later, the street descended into chaos.
Seven or eight stalls were knocked over by Zhan Feiyu. Some items could be picked up, wiped clean, and still sold, but the food items that fell on the ground were dirty.
Not to mention the one selling calligraphy and paintings. The calligraphy and paintings had fallen to the ground, and in the confusion, they were stepped on countless times, completely ruined.
"Don't you dare leave!"
"Pay up! My old mother is waiting for me to sell these things to buy medicine."
"I haven't made a single sale tonight. This is all money! If you don't pay me two taels of silver, you're not leaving!"
In an instant, seven or eight stall owners and passersby surrounded the woman and the man. Don't say you're poor; didn't they, who came out to set up stalls to make a living at night, also struggle with poverty?
Zhan Feiyu didn't run anymore. She stood aside with a smile, looking like a mischievous child who didn't know her mistake. But no one had the time to lecture her now; they were all focused on demanding compensation from the woman and the man.
This must be an idiot! The woman glared fiercely at Zhan Feiyu, who was a few steps away. She wanted to step forward and give her a good beating, but as soon as she moved, the stall owners surrounding her immediately closed in, lest the woman escape.
"My mother has money," Zhan Feiyu shouted, giggling. "She pried open my third aunt's chest. I saw her stealing money."
At first, the stall owners were worried about not getting their money, as the woman and the man's clothes were patched, indicating poverty. But upon hearing Zhan Feiyu's words, their anxious hearts immediately relaxed. As long as there was money, it didn't matter how it was obtained.
The woman and the man glared fiercely at the babbling Zhan Feiyu. Damn it, this little girl isn't an idiot; she's playing them!
If Zhan Feiyu had really started shouting at the beginning, the woman and the man would have had plenty of countermeasures. They hadn't encountered this situation before. Then the man would have slapped her, stunning her first. Who would intervene if a father hit a disobedient child?
Then the woman would cry and pick up the child, and the family of three would leave. No one would suspect anything. Even if the child cried and fussed, covering their mouth would resolve everything. But who knew they would encounter such a tough opponent as Zhan Feiyu today?
"Pay up, hurry up and pay!" a stall owner said angrily, his greedy eyes fixed on the woman. "You're not leaving until you pay one tael of silver for my entire stall!"
One tael of silver! Even with good business, it would take half a month to earn that much, and besides, although the stall was knocked over, the items could still be sold after being wiped clean.
Greed stirred the hearts of all! The other stall owners also started shouting, their fierce demeanor seeming as if they would tear the woman and the man apart.
As for Zhan Feiyu, the troublemaker, no one cursed her. Perhaps in their hearts, they were even grateful to her for knocking over the stalls, otherwise, how would they have easily obtained this money?
Zhan Feiyu grinned at the fierce-looking woman and, without hesitation, added another blow. "My mother is stingy. The aunties in the village say she values money over her life. You should hand her over to the officials, otherwise, my mother won't give you a single coin, and my father will beat you!"
Never had they seen such a disobedient child who would turn her own parents over to the yamen! Looking at the smiling Zhan Feiyu, everyone couldn't help but shake their heads. Spoiling a child is like killing a child; that saying was indeed true. If this were their child, they would definitely beat them three meals a day. It was too infuriating!