The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 446 - 445 Compensation? Life for Life?_2

Chapter 446: Chapter 445 Compensation? Life for Life?_2

"That’s right! We can’t leave such a person outside to harm others!"

...

Regardless, those living nearby were essentially locals, generations upon generations living here. Even if there were conflicts, it was all trivial matters like you stealing two dates from my house, and I pinching two knives from your kitchen.

Surely just writing grievances, who had ever heard or seen such things, where disagreement led to blinding and killing with poison. Suddenly, everyone felt endangered; such a person absolutely could not be allowed to stay in Shiqiao Town.

Shopkeeper Zhang’s face turned anxious immediately. Without the master’s orders, they couldn’t leave Shiqiao Town at will. But given the situation, even if they wanted to stay, they feared they could not.

After exchanging a glance with Hunter Qin, Shopkeeper Zhang clenched his teeth and said, "Auntie, even if it’s our brothers who have done wrong, we apologize to Song Chongjin. How about this, you set the terms. Whatever your demands, just tell us, and we’ll see if we can meet them? It’s also a form of compensation for Song Chongjin. What do you say?"

It was the first time that Shopkeeper Zhang had lowered himself so much, feeling his face burning with shame. He cursed inwardly, but for now, he had no choice but to bow his head and resolve the matter first.

Old Granny Zhang spat a thick gob of phlegm at Shopkeeper Zhang’s feet and sneered, "Bah! Do you think we’re here for the money? Let me tell you, you might think us country folks’ lives don’t matter! But let me tell you, my son-in-law’s life is worth much more than you two good-for-nothings! You’ve got money, but can money cure my son-in-law’s eyes? Can it heal his broken body? If it could, I’d give you silver; do you believe that?"

"You think you can brush me off with your lousy money? You’ve got the wrong idea! Today, either you cure my son-in-law’s eyes and his body, or you compensate with your lives for my son-in-law’s!"

Of course, Old Granny Zhang coveted money! But it depended on the sort of money, didn’t it? Currently, her family wasn’t struggling to get by, and life was quite comfortable. As ruthless as she was, she certainly had no reason to trade her son-in-law’s life for money.

So, she rejected the offer outright.

This action won her rounds of applause from the onlookers.

There were a few who originally thought that the Wang Family was just trying to extort money, acting as so-called smart people. Upon hearing Old Granny Zhang’s words, they suddenly felt their faces burning.

Shopkeeper Zhang had thought by lowering his voice and agreeing to compensation, if they were sensible enough to ask for a larger sum and take it back with them, it would be better than anything.

Song Chongjin was now practically a cripple; even if they wanted to take care of him, wouldn’t it take silver? Surely the Wang Family wasn’t planning to take care of him themselves?

They actually wanted him and Old Qin to pay with their lives for Song Chongjin? What a joke!

Wang Yonggui, who had been lying on the ground quietly, perked up his ears when he heard Shopkeeper Zhang mention compensation, thinking with how big the commotion had gotten, the compensation money must be substantial.

He had made quite a contribution today; maybe he might even get a share once back home.

Who knew that his own mother would outright refuse!

Wang Yonggui nearly jumped up in frustration.

His own mother, surely she wasn’t addled by anger? Rejecting cold, hard silver for some antidote, for compensating with life?

After all, years of professional swindling integrity forced him to just barely hold back.

First, he let out a long breath leisurely, then his eyelids fluttered, his fingertips curled a few times, before he slowly opened his eyes.

He opened them, then closed them again. After a while, he clutched his chest, slowly turned over, and sat up, feigning confusion, "What happened to me? Where is this?"

When the bystanders saw Wang Yonggui waking up, they immediately exclaimed, "The man who fainted from vomiting blood is awake!"

The focus of the crowd shifted to Wang Yonggui.

Wang Yonggui unsteadily got up, looking around before staggering toward Old Granny Zhang. Each step he took caused him to sway three times, in such a pained expression it terrified onlookers.

Old Granny Zhang secretly rolled her eyes; did she not know her own son Laosan? He was so desperate after hearing her reject the silver that he even stopped pretending to be unconscious.

At such a time, she had to support her son, signaling Jindou to help him come over.

"Oh my boy, you’re awake! Are you all right? Does your chest still hurt, does it feel stuffy? Can you walk?" As Jindou helped Wang Yonggui over, Old Granny Zhang grabbed his hand and pinched it hard, asking while examining him with great concern, though she whispered fiercely, "Why the hell did you get up instead of continuing to faint?"

While coughing and clutching his chest, Wang Yonggui replied softly, "Mom, they agreed to compensate with silver, why didn’t you accept it? They harmed my brother-in-law and injured me; we have to demand a lot of silver! At the very least, we should get from them one hundred, no, five hundred, a thousand, a thousand taels of silver..."

"Shut your mouth, or do you want me to make you actually faint right now? What do you know? Of course, we’ll take the compensation silver, but they must beg us to accept it! Go away, and don’t mess things up for me!" After saying this, she shoved Wang Yonggui into a corner and warned him not to speak out of turn.

These words, of course, did not escape the ears of Wang Yongzhu or Hunter Qin.

Hunter Qin almost exploded with anger!

Just as he suspected, the Wang family was up to no good; this was outright extortion, and they were even discussing it right before his own eyes. Were they disregarding him that much?

Hunter Qin’s mouth opened, ready to speak, but Wang Yongzhu stepped forward and said coldly, "Hunter Qin, if I were you and I were smart, I wouldn’t say a word now, or else..." She threatened with a chilly smile.

For some reason, when Hunter Qin locked eyes with Wang Yongzhu, he suddenly felt a bit cowered.

He snorted indignantly and, in the end, kept silent.

He knew his place!

Wang Yongzhu turned to face Shopkeeper Zhang.

Shopkeeper Zhang truly regretted it now. If only he had known it would lead to such a mess, they would never have taken that job! Now, it seemed, they had overreached and displeased both sides.