"I feel so hot... So itchy..."
She gasped, leaning on the adobe wall of a villager’s house, her face reddened so much that the thick layer of white powder could not hide it anymore.
"Oh my, isn’t this our sister Ping’er?"
From inside the courtyard, a lewd head came out, and seeing Cai Ping in such an outfit, the eyes on the head practically bulged out, just barely holding drool back.
Cai Ping raised her head, took a bewildered look, and seeing that it was Mu Erlaizi, a well-known rascal in the village, she planned to leave as soon as she could.
${Mu Erlaizi was notoriously bad. He stole chickens and dogs, drank, gambled, oppressed widows, and deceived villagers. He was literally up to no good. Thus, he was almost thirty but still unmarried.
At this moment, Mu Erlaizi was alone in his room, drinking broodingly. As it was Chinese New Year, all families were full of joy. Everyone else was smiling warmly with their wives and children, and he, the only loner, could only drown his sorrows in alcohol!
However, as people often said, "Alcohol is the mediator of lust". After a few sips of his drink, Mu Erlaizi suddenly rose to his usual desires. So, leaving his drink, he stumbled out of the door, ready to visit a widow he often exploited, planning to exploit her again.
Yet, as soon as he stepped out, he saw Mu Caiping in this state. Having been frequenting places such as gambling houses and brothels for a long time, he was aware that Cai Ping had been drugged with an irresistible potion. Mu Erlaizi was thrilled beyond words, feeling as if he had picked up a gold ingot that had dropped from the sky.
His heart aflutter, his lecherous thoughts surging, seeing Cai Ping trying to leave, he hurried out to stop her. Speaking softly with a smirk, he said, "Sister Ping’er, don’t leave. Come to my room, I’ve got something nice to show you."
Cai Ping wanted to resist, but Mu Erlaizi unsettled her, and the effects of the drug worsened. Unable to control herself, she collapsed into his arms. Mu Erlaizi swept her up in one swift motion and carried her back to his den ...
Mu Liankui carefully folded up the document his second son had written to transfer the ownership of the restaurant to him, and locked it in the chest beside his Kang.
This time, the document was fully complete with all procedures: not only was there the signature and handprint of himself and his son, but also the signature and handprint of the clan leader as an impartial person. Even if anyone now wanted to deny the debt they couldn’t, the Bafu Restaurant now belonged to him, Mu Liankui.
"Hahaha, everyone has been busy for half a day, you must all be hungry. Come, come, let’s eat. Eldest daughter-in-law, second daughter-in-law, serve the food quickly..."
Mu Liankui was delighted with the happy event, cheerfully inviting everyone to dine.
Cai Wei thought that a man of Nangong Yi’s noble status would disdain to sit with these hypocritical, greedy villagers. However, he sat at the table with an indifferent expression, even exchanging a few pleasantries with the clan leader. It shocked her and also made her feel more and more puzzled about him.
However, she didn’t intend to figure him out. Their relationship was merely one of mutual cooperation. Once Tianjizi was destroyed, they would go their separate ways, each returning to their own lives. She would earn her money, he would seize his country, and from then on, they would not intersect...
While the men were dining in the main room, Lady Li and Lady Du were serving by the side, adding rice and serving dishes. Lady Bai was sitting at the Kang table in the inner room with Cai Wei, Cai Fei, Wen’er, and Wu’er, having a separate meal. This meal, however, was much more modest compared to the men’s feast.
Members of the big family were always stingy, even on New Year’s Day. They couldn’t bring themselves to be generous. The full table of dishes was filled with nothing but potatoes and radishes, which was incredibly depressing. The only meat dish was placed in front of Lady Bai. She was the only one eating from it. Anyone daring to stick their chopsticks into that dish would make Lady Bai lift her drooping eyelids and reprimand them for their lack of etiquette, accusing them of grabbing food from their elders.