Fortunate Wife

Chapter 208: Distressed (2)

The bony man looked at them impatiently, “Little beauty, is it enough? Aren’t you coming? This father doesn’t want to play hard with you ah.”

“Why so anxious?  If you want to play hard, why not just beat me to death now?” Li Man was also angry and used this kind of manner for the first time to talk to someone.

Who would have thought, when the skinny man heard her, he looked up to see her beautiful face, although angry, but her eyes were sparkling brilliantly, her cheeks flushed red, complimenting her tender crimson lips, she looked even more beautiful that he can’t help but laugh, “Ah, this father didn’t know that beauty is so fiery, talking to this father like that. Alright, alright, hurry and say goodbye to your husband. After you become mine, this father won’t treat you unfairly.”

“Don’t you have any better thing to say?” Li Man let go of Li Shu and slowly walked to the skinny man, “You come over with me.”

“Oh?” the bony man was curious, looking at Li Man going to the pork vendor, “What do you want to do?”

“My husband is hurt like this, I want to buy for him two jin of pork for him to bring back home and nourish his body with, can’t I?” Li Man turned and glared furiously to the skinny man.

The skinny man immediately laughed, “You can, you can! Haha, this father get his wife, then I’ll give him two jin of pork. It’s really worth it ah, worth it.”

“Give me silver.” Li Man chased the crowd away in a bad mood.

“Silver? This father doesn’t use silver to buy things–”

“Take the silver out.” Li Man shouted in a stern voice, making the skinny man paused for a while. Looking at her pair of fiery and beautiful eyes, he suddenly felt an unbearable itch. He then busily grabbed some silver from his chest.

Taking advantage of the time when the skinny man searching for silver from his chest pocket and the butcher preparing to collect the payment, Li Man abruptly seized two bone-cutting cleavers from the vendor.

Not waiting for those two people’s reaction, she quickly aimed the bony man’s neck using one cleaver, while the other aiming at his crotch, “Hear this grandmother, call your dogs to scram immediately! Otherwise, this grandma will remove your head and your number two at the same time.”

That skinny man was stupefied in a spell, but he still grinned cheekily and cracked a joke with Li Man. Li Man’s hand this time wasn’t soft, she exerted some strength on the celaver on his neck. The sharp edge of the cleaver pushed against his skin and left a blood trail. The frightened him immediately shouted like an animal, “You crowd of good for nothing, you’re still not…”

When he still hadn’t finished his sentence, Li Shu had long ago ran over to their place. Li Shu swung his arms to the skinny man’s back, and then took over the cleavers from Li Man’s hands and shouted angrily, “You son of a bitch! You dare to rob this father’s wife, this father will now cut your life!”

Saying this, he truly used the knife and severed the skinny man’s arm. Immediately, the skinny man roared in pain just like a slaughtered pig.

Li Man hurriedly gave Li Shu a meaningful glance, afraid that he will really kill someone so she only said, “Are you still not telling your dogs to scram?!”

“Scram, scram! All of you scram far away for this father!” The bony man cried without tears from the severe pain.

Each and everyone of those thugs looked at each other in dismay because they didn’t know what to do best.

“Quickly scram!” The man’s thigh was pressed with the cleaver, and he immediately roared madly to those thugs.

When those burly men saw that Li Shu would really use the sharp cleaver and cut up their master, they scattered right away and flee through the back gate.

Li Shu brought Li Man while keeping his grip on the skinny man to the main gate because he was afraid those men were still waiting for them in ambush, therefore, he didn’t immediately released this evil man, but rather brought him until they went outside of the market.

Looking at the guy’s pale face, Li Shu immediately pushed him aside while grabbing Li Man’s hand, both of them ran on the road leading out of the market.

The two people both ran until they arrived at the foot of the mountain. Li Man can’t keep on running anymore, so she sat down on the ground, paralyzed, kneading on her tight lower abdomen, while her little mouth desperately gasping for breath.

Li Shu looked everywhere and found that no one chased after them until here, so he simply laid down on the ground and panted hard too.

“Li Shu, are you okay?” Li Man turned her body and asked worriedly.

Li Shu narrowed his eyes and looked at Li Man, but he only breathed roughly without saying anything.

Li Man suddenly cried in panic, reaching out her hand and took hold of his face, “Li Shu, say something, you can’t die ah.”

“Wife.” Li Shu gripped her hand and stuck it to his own cheek.

“You- how are you feeling? I…” Li Man couldn’t bear seeing Li Shu hurt grievously, she looked around to find something else that could be a cart so she can push him back home.

“Wife, I’m okay, don’t cry.” Looking at Li Man shedding her tears, Li Shu abruptly sat up and stretched his hand to help her rub away her tears.

Li Man stared paused for a while, “Are you really alright?”

“I’m really al- cough cough…” when Li Shu forced himself to sit up, he coughed two times, but luckily there’s no blood coming out with it.

Li Man didn’t dare to neglect him and hurriedly went to support him, “Li Shu, can you still walk? I’ll support you, we should go home right now.” She couldn’t just wait here, those people could still chase them down.

“Wife, I’m alright, I can walk.” Li Shu felt pain all over his body, but he didn’t rest. He could still walk even if he would exert himself, but he felt distressed for Li Man. He wanted to carry her home on his back, but he really didn’t have any energy left.

Thus, two people supported each other while crossing over mountain after mountain to their home.

As a result of the fierce fight, both of them were already exhausted of their energy. Moreover, the mountain road was difficult to pass through, so they walked very slowly. The sun began to set to the back of the mountain when they finally arrived at the village gate and met with Li Mo and Li Yan.

Because they came back late, Li Mo and Li Yan was worried and decided to go out and search for them.

When they saw the two people walking slowly while supporting each other, Li Mo and Li Yan’s heart trembled and promptly realized that they had met with a mishap.

“Third Brother.” the two men shouted in unison and ran to the village gate with a fast pace.

“Elder Brother, Second Brother.” seeing his two brothers, Li Shu’s taut mind and body immediately slacked off. His whole body became unstable and almost slid down from Li Man’s body.

Li Man hurriedly supported him. At this time, Li Mo and Li Yan came over. Li Mo supported Li Shu while Li Yan hugged Li Man in his worry.

“What happened?” Li Mo was shocked looking at Li Shu’s face full of bruises and blood.

Li Shu waved his hand, “go home first then we can talk.” he turned his head and looked at Li Man. When he saw that she was in Li Yan’s embrace, his heart could finally settled down.

Both of Li Man’s legs were still shaking, not only because of the fear she felt, but also because of the long and difficult road she walked that she felt really tired right now.

As a result, when Li Yan wanted to carry her in his embrace, she for the first time didn’t struggle and even softly said, “Thank you.”

“Stupid. What are you thanking me for.” Looking at her like this, Li Yan felt both heartache and anger, “What happened? You were still alright this morning when you went out.”

“Go home first.” Li Mo saw that Li Shu can’t keep up anymore so he just carried him on his back.

Just like this, four people went to their home together.

There’s only Little Five at home. At this time, his small figure was standing under the eaves, looking at the entrance with anxiety in his heart.

When he finally saw a man’s figure coming, he shouted with joy, “Big Brother, Second Brother, has Third Brother and Sister come back home?”

When he approached them and looked at their situation, the little guy’s heart sunk at once, “What happened to Third Brother and Sister?”

“Go back to the room.” Li Mo ordered.

Little Five immediately ran to the West Room and lit the oil lamp for more light.

Li Mo put Li Shu on the kang bed, “Third, you sleep now, I’ll go and find doctor.”

“Big brother, I’m okay.” Li Shu pulled back Li Mo and looked at Li Yan carrying Li Man inside.

Li Yan put Li Man at the further side of the kang bed. Li Man followed by leaning on the corner of the walls, slightly closing her eyes. Her mind can’t recover it’s calmness for a long time.

“Third, what really happened today?” Li Yan asked.

Li Shu took a glimpse at Li Man, slowly retelling how they ran into a local tyrant that wanted to snatch Li Man away.

The three brothers all heard with a wooden look, they didn’t expect that there would be such a thing happening in broad daylight.

Li Shu blamed himself, “This was all my fault for being unable to protect wife, I should just die, I’m useless, I…”

“Third.” Li Mo used the leftover liniment that he used before and rubbed it on Li Shu while gently consoling him, “It’s not a problem, it’s already good that you guys can come back.”

“Third brother.” Li Yan also bent over and pat Li Shu’s shoulder, “Don’t say things like this, me and Older brother were the ones who should be ashamed. We’re not there when you met with this kind of accident. It’s already lucky that you and Man Er both can come back safely, otherwise…”

Li Yan anxiously looked at Li Man, but then found out that she was leaning on the corner of the wall, her head slightly drooping down while softly breathing evenly, clearly sleeping.

Those several brothers all looked at each other helplessly.

Li Shu breathed in some air, and with a distressed sound he said, “Wife must be dead tired right now. Today, it was thanks to her. If it’s not because of her, I’m afraid that I can’t even come back home.”

Thinking when Li Man took the cleaver and pressed it against that dirty swine, and when she rudely calling herself ‘grandmother’ like a shrew woman, Li Shu snorted and laughed, affecting the wound cut on the corner of his mouth, then he shouted Ouch, ouch! In pain.

“Keep your voice down.” Li Mo hurriedly muffled his mouth, but because he’s afraid of hurting his brother, he only lightly covered his mouth.

Li Shu busily kept his silence, but when he looked at Li Man once again, the smile on his face became filled with a stronger love.

Listening to him talking like this, Li Mo and Li Yan were also shocked. They never expected that she could act shrewish in a crucial moment like that.

Finally, Li Yan laughed softly, “It’s not weird, it’s just like her.”

Pu… Li Shu looked at him like looking at a ghost, “Second brother, what are you saying? Wife usually is just like a little timid kitten. Don’t say it anymore, I was shocked by her today. However…”

Thinking about it, Li Shu laughed again, “Actually, her furious and shrewish appearance was really cute too.”

As a matter of face, Li Shu didn’t need to say this because both Li Mo and Li Yan were already imagining the scene where Li Man ruthlessly made a scene many times over, their hearts were filled with both love and pain.

“Big brother, I’ll carry her to the other room.” Li Yan wanted to hold her, afraid that she wouldn’t get a good night sleep here.

Li Mo busily said, “No need, just leave her to sleep in this kang bed.”

Li Yan paused a bit hearing him say, “Her courage is small. Those things happened to her today, she would be afraid if she wakes up tonight and find herself alone.”

“M-hm.” Li Yan thought that it was right. He arranged his bunk slightly and gently put Li Man on it, slowly removing her shoes and socks, then covered her with a quilt, “Big Brother, I’ll go and heat some water and help her wipe.”

“En.” Li Mo nodded. He saw that the wounds on Li Shu’s body all covered with medicine, he then let him took off his clothes.

Li Shu always said that he’s alright, that his wounds were only superficial, but Li Mo insisted that he wanted to give a thorough check, afraid that he would have invisible injury.

At last, failing to persuade his Big Brother, Li Shu helplessly took off his upper garment, revealing a wide red and swollen bruise at his back. Li Mo was alarmed and ordered Little Five to hold the lamp nearer. He found out that the red and swollen face had a startling traces of blood.

However, Li Shu himself didn’t pay it any mind, “I don’t know which bastard sneaked an attack on my back.” After saying this, he suddenly thought when Li Man flung by one of the thugs straight to the ground. He hurriedly said, “Big Brother, quick, take a look at wife, she also received an injury.”

“Ah.” Li Mo’s stomach tightened, his hands trembled a little, “Where did she got hurt?”

“I don’t know, you hurry and take a look.” Li Shu took the ointment on Li Mo’s hand to Little Five to help him spread it on his back.

Li Mo lifted the quilt on Li Man’s body while trembling in fear. Seeing at her deathly pale small face, his heart was tugged tightly.

At this time, Li Yan brought over a tub of hot water as he looked at Li Mo’s trembling finger wanting to undo Li Man’s clothes, so he hurriedly came over, “Big Brother, what happened?”

“Third Brother said that Li Man was hurt.” Li Mo tried to untie her belt several times but without success, his forehead perspired with worry.

Li Shu said with a low voice, “That bastard son of a bitch flung wife to the ground, she of course got hurt because of that.”

“Big Brother, let me help.” looking at Li Mo’s clumsy movement, Li Yan put the tub of water on a stool and busily pushed him away. His slender fingers lightly pulled thrice and took off Li Man’s outer wear, revealing a single silver pink dudou. [T/N: ancient Chinese female undergarment]

---

TL NOTE

Dudou

Hmmm… I’m actually afraid that that ‘noble’man would come find them and exact revenge, afterall, his arm got severed ah. (I’m not sure if I translated it right, wether it was ‘cut a wound’ or ‘severe all of his arm off’, but after much contemplation and Pleco’s help, I decided on severe) It won’t help that people on the market knew that Li Man lives in Goddess’ Ravine Village.

---

CH 207

CH 209