"There’s no such thing, we never agreed to any marriage with the Yue Family, nor did we accept any dowry," Xu Qinghe asserted firmly upon hearing about the dowry.
Ji Ying felt that something was amiss and subconsciously thought of Xu Qinghu, who had been unusually diligent at home these past few days.
"Xu Brother, I do not believe you would marry Nianhua to Yue Hongliang either, considering Yue Hongliang has already lost two wives," Yao Feng added, saying, "That’s why, Xu Brother, you fought with them."
"Exactly, this matter, perhaps it’s all a misunderstanding," Cai Gen said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Uncle Xu, Aunt Xu, we must be getting home, so we’ll take our leave now."
"Why don’t you stay and have the meal with us?" Ji Ying invited. It had been a hard task for the two of them to carry Xu Nianji back from the brick kiln.
"No need, my mother is waiting for me at home."
Yao Feng and Cai Gen repeatedly excused themselves.
Ji Ying did not insist further but only asked them to come over for a meal another day to properly thank them.
After sending Yao Feng and the others off, Ji Ying and Xu Qinghe exchanged a glance and decided to first check on Xu Nianji’s condition. Apart from the bruising from the beating, the most grievous sight was his foot, bloodied by a brick, looking starkly alarming.
"Big brother, we should go to the hospital," Xu Nianhua said, looking at the wound, her heart kept racing, thinking that her brother had gotten hurt because of her.
Such incidents had never occurred before.
Xu Nianji had lain for a while and, after drinking some water, found the strength to speak. He said, "This wound looks worse than it is, it’s not a big deal. Let dad prepare some hemostatic herbs for me to apply, and it’ll be fine."
"Don’t worry," Xu Nianji reassured her as he saw her red-rimmed eyes. "Mom and dad adore you the most, they definitely wouldn’t marry you off so young."
Not to mention to Yue Hongliang; it’s not marrying off a daughter, it’s selling a daughter, it’s pushing a daughter into a pit of fire.
"Big brother is right, little sister, don’t worry," Xu Nian’an said, his hand resting on Xu Nianhua’s shoulder. He added, "Dad, mom, big brother’s wound is quite severe, we need to get to a hospital to clean it properly to avoid infection. What if it becomes inflamed?"
"I’ll clean Nianji’s wound first, let’s finish the dinner, borrow a handcart, and then take Nianji to the hospital," Xu Qinghe decided firmly.
Xu Nian’an quickly gathered some herbs and cold water the family had on hand. Regardless, he wanted to clean Xu Nianji’s foot wound first.
There was also medicinal wine, which was needed to rub out the bruises on Xu Nianji. If not massaged out today, the blood clots might worsen and cause severe swelling tomorrow.
Xu Nian’an and Xu Qinghe, father and son, were busy, one cleaning the wound and the other rubbing the bruised areas with medicinal wine.
Ji Ying and Xu Nianhua, mother and daughter, prepared dinner: pork ribs stew with flat beans, braised pork, and stir-fried bean sprouts, three dishes ample enough to fill up the five adults.
With pork rib soup and braised pork, a treat that in the past was only enjoyed during New Year’s, was now a delicacy they could enjoy every now and again.
Because of Xu Nianji’s injury, what should have been a happy, united family day was overshadowed, with no one in the mood for jokes or laughter during the meal, all were eager to finish eating, borrow a handcart, and then take Xu Nianji to the town.
"Dad, I’ll go with you."
As Xu Qinghe left to borrow the handcart, Xu Nianhua followed him.