C2

"Mom, did you forget? Daddy joined the army, and yesterday you said he left for half a year."

A Jin said.

So that was how it was. Wars broke out one after another in chaotic times. It wasn't a rare thing for strong men to be on the battlefield.

Su Zhi let out a faint sigh and looked towards the window. The dilapidated fenced yard had been turned into a paste by the rain. It would be difficult even if they went out.

There were only a few large white poplars visible.

"How long has it been raining?"

"It started early this morning and just stopped not long ago."

There was no kerosene lamp to light the room.

After the sky darkened, he still didn't know how to starve his way through the night.

"Mother will go out and find some wild vegetables to eat. You guys stay at home and don't come out."

"Mother, don't …"

A Jin held onto her tightly, refusing to let her open the door. "Don't go. After a few months of drought, the manor won't grow anymore. The villagers took all the plants that could swim in the sky, run on the ground or grow in the fields."

Su Zhi sensed his nervousness. She stopped her steps and asked patiently, "Obediently A Jin, are you afraid?"

A Jin shook her head and stubbornly didn't utter a word. Her small body pressed against the door, preventing her from leaving.

How could three people spend a night on half a sweet potato?

Just as Su Zhi was about to speak, a noise came from outside the door, accompanied by the village woman's sharp and ear-piercing curses.

"Su Zhi, you seductive vixen, come out for me!"

Su Zhi looked over and saw a peasant woman standing outside the closed firewood door. She only revealed a pointed monkey face and was glaring at her.

A Jin bit her lips, guarding the door fearfully but firmly, she took out half of the sweet potato and gave it to the little girl.

"What's going on?"

Seeing his unfriendly face, Su Zhi knew that he had come to cause trouble.

Her head hurt, but she still patiently squatted down to comfort the trembling boy.

"Good child, tell your mother what happened."

With tears in her eyes, A Jin looked at her pitifully and replied, "They stole my sweet potato."

After forcing himself to finish his sentence, tears started dripping down his face, "I found it, it's in my house."

Su Zhi understood that drought caused famine, and crops were not easy to grow. Most farmers lost their rations, and it was not hard to see people fighting over food over time.

A Jin was indeed a sweet potato that he had dug out from his own field. The youngest son of the Zhang Family had seen her snatching half of it away. During this time, fights broke out between the two.

"Don't be afraid. Since they're the ones that stole you, the fault lies not with you."

When A Jin calmed down, the woman outside the yard still couldn't stop swearing.

Su Zhi knew that this woman would not let this matter rest, so she openly opened the door.

"Zhang family, why are you pestering us like this?"

Seeing that Su Zhi had come out, Zhang Shi became even more spirited and stuck her waist, spitting out a mouthful of water towards the yard.

"Pah! You little b * stard, do you know who's wrong? What right do you have to hit my child with that little brat you're raising?!"

Su Zhi did not lose her composure and asked, "The little bastard you're raising is not good at learning at such a young age. The learning mountain robbers are stealing from my child, shouldn't he be taught a lesson?"

Mrs. Zhang was so angry that her old face turned red. She kicked at the wooden door that was blocking her. "Lowly hoof, if you have the guts, come out. I'll tear your face apart!"

Su Zhi did not get angry, instead, she laughed, ridiculing him, "Seems like the reason you came to cause trouble is because you don't like my face?"

The two men standing opposite the door refused to give in.

Mrs Zhang was unable to gain any advantage and could only curse at her until her mouth was parched. Yet, this woman, who usually didn't dare to say anything when she was scolding with her, had, for the first time today, rebutted her for half a day?

Mrs Zhang was so angry that her face turned pale. She refused to leave, "Everyone come and take a look, it's that charming Hunters' Wife again. She stole their things and beat them up. Is there any justice in the world?!"

"Pei, this blind hunter, helping others raise their son, now that we are out fighting, this old lady even ordered me to rob things and beat people!"

With the Zhang clan scolding like this, it did not take long for it to attract the attention of the villagers. When the Zhang clan saw this, they scolded even more fiercely.

Su Zhi was still unable to restrain her anger. She pushed the two children back into the room and then went forward to argue with Zhang family alone.

"Don't spout slander, just blabbering doesn't end well. Be careful of your tongue being pulled out of the Underworld."

You shameless fox, you're not a person from our An'an Village. I don't know where you came from, but you brought an illegitimate child with you. Only a hunter brat would be willing to help you raise your son.

As for the relationship between the original owner and her husband, Su Zhi hadn't completely understood it yet. She could only roughly tell that A Jin was not the current husband of the original owner.

No wonder they dared to bully the orphans and widows when no man was home.

"Let me advise you, hurry up and leave this place. You are framing me, I can report this to the government!"

Su Zhi's face sank, and said with a hint of warning.

Mrs Zhang snorted disdainfully, "You should go and report it! This county magistrate court in Qing He County has already been trampled to the ground by the refugees. Today, obediently kneel down and plead guilty to this old lady. If I were to teach that evil child of yours another lesson, I'll spare you! "

Su Zhi sneered. "I dare to kneel, but even you might not be able to take it!"

Zhang Shi had yet to speak up, but was interrupted by a loud and clear voice, "Who's making a ruckus here? Kneel before the lord! "