Chapter 174: Causing Trouble
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Today, Gu Zi had prepared a red bean coconut water chestnut cake at home and deemed it ready for serving.
She made her way to the kitchen and opened the glass box. The dessert inside had solidified into a firm pastry.
Turning the glass box upside down, she carefully removed the molded pastry and proceeded to slice it with a knife into diamond-shaped pieces. Placing them on two plates, she arranged them in the form of two flowers, while the remaining portions were stored in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness. This particular pastry was known to taste better when chilled.
“Thank you for your hard work. Enjoy the desserts I’ve made. Su Bing, Su Li, come and have some too,” she called out.
Su Li had already been eagerly waiting. Upon hearing his mother’s call, he hastened over.
Taking a piece of pastry, Su Li found it enchanting. Soft and supple, it resembled a layered steamed cake, featuring four white layers and three brownish-red layers, amounting to seven layers in total. The brownish-red layers were infused with abundant red beans, exuding a delightful fragrance.
Su Li eagerly took a bite. The coldness in his mouth offered a sticky yet not-too-adherent sensation. The fusion of red bean aroma with coconut delighted his taste buds.
Lin Cheng, Li Hua, and the others also tried the pastry, unanimously praising its incredible taste and lauding Gu Zi’s skill.
“Sister-in-law and Mother are very nimble. I, for one, don’t know how to make quilts or embroider,” Gu Zi remarked with a smile.
In this era, many women excelled in needlework, which was considered their forte.
Receiving these items had stirred quite an emotional chord within Gu Zi. Every stitch and thread symbolized the sincerity and blessings from her family. This sentiment was beyond monetary worth.
Blushing with pleasure at the praise, Li Hua responded, “Sister, you’re really eloquent. I enjoy listening to you.”
Gu Zi proposed, “Then, why don’t you all stay for dinner tonight? Brother and
Sister-in-law, help me prepare some food.”
She preemptively offered, hoping to spare them any embarrassment and make it harder for them to decline.
Lin Cheng and Li Hua headed to the kitchen to assist. One lit the fire while the other began to select the vegetables.
Observant as ever, Lin Hun noticed the low stack of firewood in the kitchen. He asked Gu Zi for a basket and went outside to collect more firewood.
Su Bing and Su Li eagerly pitched in, returning soon with a substantial basket brimming with dried branches.
Gu Zi took charge as the head chef in the bustling kitchen. The aroma of braised pork filled one pot, while chicken soup simmered gently in another. Adjacent to these, a pot sizzled with plum blossoms used for stir-frying vegetables.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Suddenly, amidst the activities, a frantic series of barks echoed from Big Yellow in the courtyard, startling Gu Zi.
Big Yellow, usually composed, rarely sounded such alarmed barks. Its urgent calls indicated an imminent danger.
As she rushed outside, Lin Hun, Su Bing, and Su Li stood up.
Lin Hun said, “Sister-in-law, trouble’s brewing. A man claiming to be from the Tian family insists you return his son’s leg.”
Gu Zi immediately recognized that Tian Hai’s family had come looking for her.
She wondered, “Wasn’t this resolved as Su Shen said?”
Urging Su Bing and Su Li to stay inside with Lele, she ventured out alongside Lin Hun and Lin Cheng.
Since the door hadn’t been locked, upon stepping outside, the group outside had already forced their way into the courtyard.
As Gu Zi emerged, she spotted a familiar figure swiftly blending into the crowd, disappearing from sight.
There wasn’t time to dwell on the mysterious figure. She felt an odd sense of unease and fear.
Big Yellow continued to bark incessantly but was restrained.
The leader of the intruders brandished a hefty stick and charged straight toward Gu Zi.
“You’re that vixen, right? How dare you instigate Su Shen to hurt my son’s leg?
Damn it, return it to him!”
The man, roughly 50 years old, bore a resemblance to Tian Hai. Agitated, he raised his club to strike.
In the face of this aggression, Lin Hun and Lin Cheng refused to stand idly by while someone bullied Gu Zi.
“You old scoundrel!” Lin Hun barked, seizing the man’s arm. His voice dripped with fury. “You dare lay a hand on a woman! Who do you think you are?”
Lin Hun wasn’t one to shy away from confrontation. With his rough edges and fearsome reputation, he was the village tough guy of Little Lin Village.
He had heard rumors about Tian Hai’s past actions. Tian Hai wasn’t a decent person. Not only did he flirt with women recklessly, but he also aimed to tarnish Gu Zits reputation.
Back then, no matter how much he loved Li Hua, he had never bullied her or ruined her reputation.
He was angry that she chose Lin Cheng over him. This was also the reason why he always bullied Lin Cheng, but he would never strike a woman.
Unlike Tian Hai, a coward, who, after being confronted by Su Shen, sought his father to intimidate a woman.
Observing this person about to strike his sister, Lin Cheng positioned himself in front of Gu Zi. Typically quiet, his eyes burned red as he faced these people who harbored malicious intent..