CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 56: STEALING SHEEP MEAT

After this group fight, the relationship between the three little ones, who had gone through a shared hardship, became even better. Even Qiao Muchen no longer rejected Wei Shulan.

At the same time, this was the first fight for the three little ones, and it brought different gains for each of them.

After Wei Shulan’s first fight, she received Old Lady Wei’s protection, and her life was no longer as difficult as before.

Because of Zhao Zhitong’s appearance, Wei Shulan’s personality had also brightened considerably, and she was no longer afraid of her older female and male cousins. Whenever they tried to bully her, she would listen to Zhao Zhitong and be even fiercer in her retaliation.

Qiao Muchen learned from this fight that fighting was a very dangerous thing and decided that, in the future, he would use words rather than fists if possible.

Zhao Zhitong, however, had thoroughly enjoyed the fight and decided that, henceforth, if a matter could be settled with fists, she wouldn’t waste time talking.

But this didn’t change the fact that the three became good friends. Wei Shulan finished carving the Peppa Pig for Zhao Zhitong and personally brought it to the school to give to her.

Zhao Zhitong was delighted, cradling the little pig, unable to put it down. "I love it so much!"

Wei Shulan smiled and said, "I made one for myself too. You don’t mind, do you?"

Saying this, she took out another little pig.

Zhao Zhitong immediately recognized it as George and shook her head. "I don’t mind! We each have one, a perfect pair of siblings. Mine is the sister, and yours is the brother. How wonderful! I’m going to hang it on my luggage box and carry it with me to school every day."

Wei Shulan said happily, "Okay, okay, I’ll hang mine too."

With that, she took out the tools she always carried from her luggage box.

Then, the two little ones huddled together over the desk, carefully drilled a small hole in each pig’s ear, threaded a red string through, and hung them on their respective luggage boxes.

While the two were laughing and talking, the Teacher had already entered the classroom.

Wei Shulian hadn’t come to school for several days since the last fight, claiming she was sick.

She came today, but she didn’t look very well. After greeting the Teacher, she glared at Zhao Zhitong and her friends before going to her seat. Zhao Zhitong and the other two paid her no mind.

They continued to attend school happily and rush to the kitchen together to queue for food.

However, an unexpected situation arose that day!

Just as Zhao Zhitong, Wei Shulan, and Qiao Muchen were happily heading to the kitchen, they saw a group of scholars gathered at the kitchen entrance. Faint sounds of arguing could be heard from inside. Zhao Zhitong pricked up her ears and heard someone mention stolen meat.

"Hey, what happened?"

Zhao Zhitong jumped a few times but couldn’t see clearly, so she forcefully squeezed her way in.

Wei Shulan and Qiao Muchen, close behind, shouted for her to be careful, but seeing that she wouldn’t stop, they also squeezed in after her.

Zhao Zhitong was small and nimble, and in a few moments, she slipped through a gap in the crowd.

Then, she saw an old woman pointing at her mother and yelling, "Well, Mrs. Sun! What’s this you’re saying, that the meat was already like this when I gave it to you? This is high-quality lamb that my master sent to supplement his young masters’ and misses’ health.

"Children from destitute families like yours might never get to eat such a thing in their entire lives, and now you’re all benefiting from it. How dare you secretly keep it for yourself! Don’t even think about denying it. Either you pay up, or we go to the Master and let him decide."

Sun Mei looked troubled. "Auntie," she said, "you can’t just say things like that. When you gave me the meat, there was only this small piece. If I had taken any, I would certainly admit it! But if I didn’t, don’t try to falsely accuse me."

Another old woman in the kitchen whispered, "Auntie Wu, it’s true. I can also testify to that. When you gave it to us, there really was only this small piece."

Old Lady Wu flew into a rage. "Bah! What do you mean, ’there was only this much when I gave it to you’? What are you implying? That I deliberately shorted you and then framed you for it?"

The other woman, greatly alarmed, quickly waved her hands. "No, no, that’s not what we meant. We meant, Auntie Wu, perhaps you were deceived by the butcher when you bought the meat? Look, Mrs. Sun and I have been cooking for so long, and we’ve never taken advantage of the school."

This was true; the two women had been hardworking and dedicated since they started cooking. Scholars traditionally endured hardship in their studies and were often the poorest. In their hearts, they believed that taking advantage of scholars was something that would incur heavenly retribution.

Old Lady Wu snorted. "Bah! Don’t think I don’t know. Sun Mei’s daughter has been scrounging food and drink from the school all this time. And you say she isn’t taking advantage? Only a fool would believe that!"

Just then, Zhao Zhitong walked over to Mrs. Sun, took her hand, and called out, "Mother."

Sun Mei was startled. "How did you get here?"

Zhao Zhitong blinked her eyes and said in a childlike voice, "Mother, are you so upset by that bad person that you’re muddled? We’re out of school now."

Then, she turned to Old Lady Wu and shouted at the top of her lungs, "I have not been scrounging food and drink! My mother paid grain to Country Gentry Wei. And my mother would never take advantage of the school. She even brings tofu from our home for us to eat every day! If you don’t believe me, ask the scholars."

Qiao Muchen and Wei Shulan were the first to step forward and testify.

Qiao Muchen said, "That’s right! Auntie Sun often gives us tofu for free. Auntie Sun would never take advantage of anyone!"

Wei Shulan added, "Exactly, exactly! For the food Tongtong ate before she was even enrolled, Auntie Sun paid the grain. I saw it with my own eyes! If you don’t believe me, I can call my eldest uncle over for you to confront him directly."

The other scholars also chimed in, speaking up for Mrs. Sun.

Mainly, Mrs. Sun was usually very good to the children. She was gentle, always smiling, and her cooking was exceptionally delicious. She often gave them extra tofu, which was better than what they ate at home.

Children, after all, as long as they haven’t been taught badly, are mostly pure and kind-hearted. They can distinguish clearly between who is good and who is bad.

At this, everyone present stepped forward to speak up for Mrs. Sun.

Old Lady Wu’s expression soured. "Fine, fine!" she retorted. "Even if she paid for grain, and even if she often brings tofu from home for you to eat, what does that prove? Look, this is mutton—mutton, I say! Such fine meat! It’s only natural she’d be tempted!"

Then she turned to Sun Mei and said, "No matter how much you argue, it’s an undeniable fact that the meat is missing. Mutton costs nine hundred cash per catty, and it’s short by more than two catties at least. That’s two taels of silver you won’t escape paying today."

People in the Zhou Dynasty adored mutton. Mutton, like pearls and tortoiseshell, was a symbol of a high-quality life.

The reason was that the Zhou Dynasty lacked large expanses of grassland, so mutton production in the various prefectures and counties was low. Furthermore, for national security, most of the limited grasslands and fodder were used for raising warhorses, which further reduced mutton production.

This resulted in extremely low mutton output, with good-quality meat being exceptionally rare. Coupled with the high demand from the rich and powerful, the price naturally became even more expensive.

Such expensive mutton could only appear at the banquets of wealthy and noble families. If an ordinary family occasionally acquired a piece of mutton, they would treasure it like a priceless gem.

Therefore, that was why Old Lady Wu would say Mrs. Sun was tempted by ’profit’ and stole the mutton.