CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 191: FACIAL INJURY (1)

"Wow, such arrogance! Pfft, where did this crazy woman come from, daring to cause a scene in my shop?" The plump shopkeeper’s wife was furious. She stepped out from behind the counter, rolled up her sleeves, and charged at Xue Family.

Xue Family was so frightened, she took off running.

She only dared to talk big, but when it came to a real fight, she was yet to win one.

Xue Family lifted her skirt and ran for her life.

Who knew she would stumble and fall.

This slowed her down, allowing the plump shopkeeper’s wife to catch her.

"Smack!" The shopkeeper’s wife’s large hand landed unceremoniously on Xue Family’s face, "I’m not worthy to hold your shoes? I’m not worthy to clean your toilet? What kind of creature are you to speak to me like that?"

Slap slap slap—

Xue Family’s face received several slaps in succession.

Making her wail in pain.

Passersby couldn’t stand it any longer and came over to break up the fight, "Shopkeeper’s wife, let it go, anymore and she might die. She cursed you, and you hit her, so you’ve vented your anger, that should be enough."

The plump shopkeeper’s wife pushed Xue Family away, let out a snort, and left in high spirits.

The onlookers approached Xue Family, "Young lady, are you alright? Oh dear, why did you provoke her? She’s notoriously fierce, no one around here dares to irritate her."

Xue Family’s face stung from the several slaps, her ears buzzed, and her head was in a daze.

She looked back at Lin’s Cloth Shop, eyes filled with murderous intent, grinding her teeth secretly, hobbled away.

She wants to make a comeback!

She doesn’t want to live in poverty anymore!

She wants those who look down on her to see her in a new light!

Xue Family arranged her hair, and instead of returning to the Second Princess’s shop, she headed straight for the village.

She walked until noon before reaching home.

On the road in front of her house, she saw the Princely Heir working in the fields.

The once elegant and handsome Heir of Prince Luling, Li Xingmao, after months of fleeing, had become indistinguishable from a farmer.

He wore a farmer’s coarse short clothes, his pant legs rolled up to his calves, sleeves to his elbows, and wore a worn-out bamboo hat, swinging a hoe to dig up the roots of weeds in the field.

Xue Family thought back to when she first saw the Princely Heir, in the Imperial Garden.

It was a day in January, and the spring plums in the garden were blooming gloriously.

The Empress Dowager held a banquet in the Plum Garden, inviting the families of officials to admire the spring plums.

At that time, the late Emperor, accompanied by several young members of the Imperial Family, walked through the garden.

The young royal family members, dressed in luxurious and noble clothing, instantly attracted all the attention of the young lady guests.

Among them, the tallest, wearing a light purple robe, the Heir of Prince Luling, Li Xingmao, was the most eye-catching.

The young unmarried ladies whispered among themselves.

Some praised the Princely Heir’s appearance, others lamented that he was already engaged, so looking at him held no hope and merely added trouble.

The one engaged early to the Princely Heir was her eldest sister, who messed up a task and almost poisoned the Princess Consort Luling; originally, the marriage was called off, but the late Emperor and Empress Dowager intervened and reconciled the marriage.

Of course, her eldest sister had no chance to marry into the Lu Ling Royal Mansion any longer.

Among the many sisters in the family, she emerged as the winner.

The Princely Heir was the eldest son in the family, and his peerage was set at his birth.

He was the late Emperor’s personally appointed heir to the Lu Ling Royal Mansion.

Li Xing’an and the second Li Xingsheng had no chance to inherit the mansion.

The Princely Heir was the future Prince Luling, predestined.

She was the future Princess Consort Luling.

Just when she thought life would only get better, a sudden change happened, dropping her from the heavens to the depths of the valley.

The Prince Luling family wasn’t thinking of how to please the Little Emperor to make a comeback; instead, they settled into a farmer’s life!

Even the Princely Heir truly listened to that useless Li Yuzhu, opening wasteland and farming.

Just yesterday, the Princely Heir told her that from now on, she didn’t need to gather herbs, just take care of the crops in the field.

Take care of the crops in the field? Become a village woman?

Her delicate and fair face would be sunburned like old tree bark in less than half a month, hideously ugly!

Her slender fingers would become rough and short!

How could she still play the zither or trim flower branches?

No, no, no, no, she doesn’t want this kind of life!

Not even if she dies!

Filled with resentment, Xue Family inhaled sharply and exhaled heavily.

She didn’t call out to the Heir, striding towards the house gate.

But the Heir just happened to raise his sleeve to wipe sweat, catching sight of Xue Family.

From dozens of steps away, he shouted at the Xue Family, "Zhen Niang? Why have you returned alone? Where are second brother and second sister?"

Xue Family ignored him, pushed the door, and entered the house.

The Heir looked at the sky; it was almost noon. He stopped digging grass roots and carried the hoe home.

He placed the hoe behind the small house at the side of the residence’s gate and went to his and Xue Family’s South Courtyard.

The South Courtyard had three rooms, two prepared for their children to live in the future, and one was their bedroom.

The bedroom originally had one big bed and one small bed; the small bed was for Guoguo and Jingjing.

But Xue Family complained that the children were too noisy, affecting her sleep, always expressing discontent.

Princess Consort Luling also worried she couldn’t take care of the two children well and hoped they would have another, taking the two children to be with her.

When the Heir entered the house, Xue Family was sitting sullenly, head down, with a brand-new piece of aqua-red cloth on the table.

The fabric was coarse, but fortunately, the color was nice.

The Heir smiled and said, "Bought new cloth? This color looks nice and just suits your skin."

Xue Family sneered, "Now my face is sunburned like old tree bark; how could it suit?"

"How could that be? I see it’s still as beautiful as a peach blossom." The Heir lightly smiled, reaching out to touch Xue Family’s face.

Xue Family disdainfully turned her face away, raised her hand, and shook off his hand.

The Heir stared at her face, surprised and asked, "What’s wrong with your face? Who hit you?" He held her face, his eyes fierce, "Quick, tell me, who hit you?"

"None of your business!" Xue Family shook off his hand again.

The Heir looked at her and said solemnly, "You are my wife. If someone bullies you, how could it be irrelevant to me? Who hit you? Tell me, I’ll go find him!"

"Who bullies me? Everyone bullies me! If you had money and status, would I be ridiculed and beaten?" Xue Family angrily stood up, pointing at the Heir and started cursing, "Are you still a man? You are willingly staying here to farm? Aren’t you afraid of those people in the Capital laughing at you?"

The Heir looked at her, surprised, "We are acting righteously; why fear others laughing?"

"Laughing at you being a farmer! Laughing at you being useless!" Xue Family said angrily.

The Heir frowned, "Zhen Niang, are you despising me for being a farmer?"

Xue Family turned her head away, not speaking.

"I will go ask little sister for some medicine to apply on your face." The Heir glanced at her and walked out.

However, when he closed the door, the sound was a bit heavier.

Xue Family gritted her teeth in anger; how dare he slam the door? Does he still have the face to slam the door?

How did she marry a useless man who only knows how to get angry?

.

Li Yuzhu had returned from collecting herbal medicine, was washing vegetables in the kitchen, preparing to make lunch.

Xue Family and Second Princess went to the market, and Great Princess was in the bedroom, focused on sewing a piece of clothing, without even going to the bathroom.

No response even when called.

Li Yuzhu had to cook alone.

While she was washing vegetables, the Heir walked into the kitchen.

"Little sister." His tone was despondent.

Li Yuzhu turned back to look at him, "Big brother, what’s wrong?"

The Heir forced a smile, "Nothing, digging grass roots made me tired today. By the way, your sister-in-law fell and grazed her face. Do you have any ointment for this kind of injury? I’d like to take some to apply for her."

Since Li Yuzhu cured Liu Da Niu’s mother’s woman’s ailment, everyone in the family knew about her medical skills.

She often took out some ointments for the family to use.

Princess Consort Luling’s old back pain, Prince Luling’s stiff neck, Great Princess’s Beauty Enhancement Pill, Li Jing’s tonic pills, and even Second Princess’s diet pills, Li Yuzhu had given them.

However, Li Yuzhu said the harvested medicine was not much, so the ointments weren’t plenty.

Everyone only got them once; there wouldn’t be a next time.

The Heir wanted injury ointment too but worried that Li Yuzhu might not have made it yet.

Li Yuzhu didn’t want to give it to Xue Family; let the pain kill her instead.

Fussy!

Yet seeing the Heir’s defeated expression, knowing he was concerned for Xue Family, Li Yuzhu still took out a small porcelain box the size of a copper coin from her space, handed it to the Heir.

"The last one, no more left." Even if there were more, she wouldn’t want to give it to Xue Family.

The Heir forced a smile and thanked her, held it in his hand, and left the kitchen.

Although the Heir walked with a straight back, Li Yuzhu saw desolation in his silhouette.

"Are those two quarreling again?" Li Yuzhu frowned and said.

Problems just keep coming one after another.

Just as the Heir left with the injury ointment, Liu Da Niu’s little sister Liu Si Ni arrived, asking for injury ointment too.

"Elder sister hurt her face. Sister Yuzhu, do you have any ointment for face injuries?" The seven or eight-year-old girl timidly placed a handful of copper coins on the table.

Li Yuzhu asked in surprise, "Your elder sister hurt her face? She’s pregnant now; how could she accidentally hurt her face? Is it serious?"