Chapter 5, The Lesson of the Stone

Uncle Tie glared at his son and spoke in a gruff voice: "Where is Luo girl? Is she seriously injured?"

Then they all entered the room one after another to discuss matters. I wanted to follow them in, but my aunt grabbed me and threw me out, saying that adult conversations had nothing to do with children and that it was proper for me to go to bed early

The usually arrogant Stone did not dare to raise his head in front of his father, only quietly glancing over at me.

The stone turned its head away and said softly, "My father hasn't said I can get up yet"

A crisp sound echoed as Nangong Ming, in shock, dropped his teacup. The guards sitting at the adjacent table could not bear to watch; several of them even spat out their tea, all turning their heads away, their faces flushed red, unwilling to look back. A dark-faced uncle even joked, "This girl is truly as beautiful as a flower..."

I tightened my focus, first checking the monkey butt-shaped blush I had applied to my face. Then, taking small, delicate steps, I trembled as I held the tray and walked up to the two large beasts. I set down the tea and flashed them a "charming" smile, before lowering my head to quietly observe the effect.

For the first time, I carefully observed this father and son. They bore a strong resemblance to each other, both having slender eyes, thin lips, prominent canine teeth, and wheat-colored skin. However, Shitou's face was slightly more refined than his father's, featuring charming dimples. On the other hand, Uncle Tietou had a scar on his face, and with his unkempt hair and beard, he appeared quite fierce, resembling a thug even without makeup. Coupled with his taciturn nature and robust physique, it was no wonder that everyone in the village feared him

If Nangong Huan wants a foster daughter like this, he must be blind as a bat

Uncle Ironhead walked over, bent down, and examined the injury for a while. Suddenly, he commanded: "Open your mouth."

Listening to the bursts of mockery, I looked around with satisfaction, only to see a man in his thirties approaching from around the corner. He bore a slight resemblance to Nangong Ming, standing quietly in the corner. His attire and appearance were not particularly ostentatious or striking, yet he exuded a commanding presence, much like a lion that could never be mistaken for a puppy, compelling one to take notice.

I stood in the courtyard for a while, lost in thought, and saw that Shitou was still kneeling on the ground, covered in bloodstains. Fearing he might contract tetanus, I went to fetch some medicinal alcohol and ordered him to take off his shirt so that I could tend to his wounds

With gritted teeth and clenched fists, he remained silent no matter how hard he was struck

After a while, there came two heavy knocks on the door. My uncle, feeling hesitant, was urged several times by my grandmother before he finally put on a beaming smile and went to open the door

I was left speechless, so I had no choice but to squat on the ground and wait with him, as the two of us counted ants together

I looked at my grandmother, hesitantly opening my mouth to show her the two small front teeth that had fallen out

At first, everyone thought that Uncle Ironhead's whip was more bluster than substance, and they also felt that the child often played pranks and truly deserved a beating, so no one strongly advised against it. Later, they noticed something was wrong; Shitou's clothes were actually seeping with traces of blood. This caused a panic, and they rushed to grab Uncle Ironhead's arm, desperately trying to snatch the whip away, fearing that he might strike too hard and actually kill the child.

I made a servile expression, opened my mouth to smile at him, and tried my best to show six small teeth

Such severe domestic violence would be reported to the police in modern times. Even though I usually find Shitou quite displeasing, at this moment I was sufficiently frightened and had no choice but to join the crowd in trying to intervene, pleading in a shaky voice: "Uncle, please forgive Shitou this time, he won't dare to do it again in the future"

I find it quite baffling

Nangong Huan calmly twitched the corner of his eye twice, then raised his chin slightly towards Nangong Ming and asked, "Is she the one you are referring to?"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he tightly gripped a horsewhip in his fist, which was as large as a sand pot. Without being angry, he exuded an intimidating presence, causing his uncle to completely forget his grandmother's instructions, and he kept smiling apologetically: "It's nothing, just a mischievous child who lost a couple of teeth; they will grow back in a few months."

By the time we reached the third round, Uncle Ironhead finally appeared, his face full of ease. He walked over quickly, patted my head again, and took the injured stone back home. My grandmother and uncle looked at me, smiling sweetly, no longer mentioning the disfigurement, as if everything was light and carefree, as if nothing had ever happened

Uncle Ironhead's expression became even more ferocious, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, which was quite terrifying. Suddenly, he turned around, fiercely swung his whip, and shouted: "Kneel down!"

After much hesitation, Shitou finally agreed to undress. I saw that the whip marks were raised half an inch high, resembling centipedes, crisscrossing all over his body, with several areas broken open, which looked terrifying. After applying the medicinal alcohol, he squeezed his knuckles until they turned blue, his teeth chattered, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably, yet he refused to utter a single word of pain

Uncle Tie Tou, filled with rage, picked up the whip and walked over. He raised his hand and struck the stone mercilessly, cursing as he hit: "Having grown up like this, refusing to study, unwilling to learn, only knowing how to play and cause trouble every day. I might as well beat you to death, this unworthy beast! Then I can go and keep your mother company, and that would be the end of it!"

I looked at the mirror, feeling pleased that I did not have to disfigure myself personally, and I helped out in the tea house every day, eagerly anticipating the arrival of those two beasts before their teeth had grown in. With this appearance, I aimed to swiftly turn the dark narrative of the twenty-one forbidden tales and rush into the warm embrace of the farming story sister

Uncle Ironhead thought for a moment, then turned to his grandmother and said: "Let Luo girl take good care of her injuries and not think too much about other things. We can make it and discuss the rest later."

After taking several deep breaths, Shitou finally managed to squeeze out a sound between his teeth: "A real man must never cry in front of a girl!"

The stone immediately knelt straight down to the ground, and my uncle was so frightened that his legs went weak, nearly causing him to sit down on the ground

"Forget it, forget it. Now that things have come to this point, we must consider what to do with Luo girl in the future," the grandmother sighed and shook her head.

Heaven has finally favored me once, on the seventh day of squatting at the tea house, the people from the Nangong family finally arrived. Next to the beautiful white colt that was grazing stood a tall and majestic horse covered in black clouds and snow, adorned with exquisite brass harnesses, which made it appear even more imposing.

Well, the effect is very good. What about Nangong Huan

Grandmother truly cares for Lin Luor, scolding while wiping her tears. Although Aunt feels it does not concern her, she has a reputation for being virtuous, so she gently comforts from the side, soothing me at times and the old lady at others, showing great thoughtfulness. Meanwhile, my cousins are hiding nearby, secretly laughing, displaying a bit of schadenfreude.

The stone merely lowers its head and remains silent

Uncle Tie looked at his stubborn son and finally stopped. He raised his head, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh. He dropped the whip, patted my head, and said hoarsely: "Luo girl, you are understanding. Shitou has lacked maternal guidance since childhood, and I have been busy making a living by forging iron, failing to properly educate him, which has led to his unruly behavior. I am indeed a failure as a father. From now on, I will strictly discipline him and not allow him to continue down this reckless path..."

Stone's father, Li Tietou, stood outside the door with his son, resembling an iron tower

Looking at this stubborn child who prioritizes face over comfort, I helplessly softened my movements a bit. After finally finishing the treatment, I patted his shoulder and said: "Get up, let's go to the kitchen and wait for your father to come out"

However, this injury has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me. No matter how adorable a little girl may be, if she has a wounded mouth, a scraped nose, a peculiar smile with missing teeth, and a voice that sounds off, she can easily transform into an ugly creature. Coupled with an unkempt hairstyle and mismatched clothing, no one would want to spare me a second glance

"How can it not be serious!" My grandmother forcibly pulled me out, mustering her courage, wiped her tears, and raised her head to scold, "Your son is even more mischievous than you were as a child! Look at my granddaughter's face, what will happen in the future?"

My cousin brought a wet towel to wipe away the bloodstains on my body, while my aunt used medicinal alcohol to clean the wound, causing me to grit my teeth and howl in pain. After that, she applied the ointment and changed me into tattered clothes, before I went to face my grandmother's scolding.

"Hey, if it hurts too much, just cry it out; holding it in is not good." I advised while applying.