Chapter 79: A Lesson

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: A Lesson

Bai Xiaofeng caught a whiff of something fragrant and was about to call out to Bai Zhi, but the girl was faster than a rabbit. She was gone in the blink of an eye.

As soon as Bai Zhi got back to her room, she transferred the congee and wild vegetables into their own large bowls. She then found a corner to hide them, saving them for the evening meal.

Zhao Lan saw the smile on her face and asked, "What’s gotten into you? Every other time you come back from the main house, you have such a sullen little face, yet today you’re this happy."

Bai Zhi covered her mouth, laughing softly. "Mother, you’ll find out in a little while. Aunt will definitely come over to raise hell. Just you wait and watch the show."

Sure enough, a moment later, a shriek came from the direction of the main house. It was Liu. "The lard? Where’s my lard?"

This was followed by the sound of Liu’s quick, frantic footsteps. In no time, she was at the door of Bai Zhi and Zhao Lan’s wooden hut, and she kicked open the half-closed door without any courtesy.

With one hand on her hip, she pointed a finger at Bai Zhi and yelled, "Well now, you little wretch, you’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? Where did you hide the lard you stole from me?"

Bai Zhi shrugged. "I didn’t hide it. I used it all up just now when I was cooking the vegetables. Aunt, you know my hand is injured, so I can’t hold things steady, and the bowl with the lard was hot, so I accidentally dumped all the oil from the bowl into the pot. I originally wanted to scoop some out, but then I realized this was a token of your kindness toward me and my mother, so I used it all with immense gratitude. We’ve finished it all now. Here," she said, holding out the bowl. "This is the bowl. I’ll have to trouble you to take it back and give it a wash."

Zhao Lan finally understood what had happened. ’This girl is just too cunning,’ she thought. ’No wonder she was smiling so slyly earlier.’ The lard was Liu’s treasure. She always hid it away for Bai Xiaofeng to eat by himself; no one else was allowed to touch it. Now that Bai Zhi had used it all up, it would be a miracle if Liu wasn’t furious.

Liu trembled with rage, the finger pointing at Bai Zhi’s nose shaking uncontrollably. "You... you damn girl! You dare to touch my lard? Today, I’ll... I’ll—"

Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow, her gaze turning frigid. "Today what? What are you going to do to me, Aunt?"

Staring into those frigid, indifferent eyes, Liu felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively took a step back. Remembering how vicious Bai Zhi had been before, she took another step back. This time, her foot caught on the threshold of the hut. She lost her balance and fell backward, her lower back landing squarely on a rock. The pain made her cry out.

Bai Dabao and Bai Xiaofeng, who were standing in the courtyard picking their teeth, saw Liu fall out of the hut. They rushed over to help their mother up. Bai Dabao pointed at Bai Zhi and accused, "You damn girl, how dare you hit her?"

Bai Zhi shrugged, a look of pure innocence on her face. "You’ve got it all wrong. I’ve been standing right here the whole time without moving a muscle. Aunt fell all by herself. If you don’t believe me, ask her."

Liu was hardly one to tell the truth. Seeing that both her sons were present, she decided to use them to teach this damn girl a lesson. "It was you who pushed me! What, you have the guts to do it but not the guts to admit it?"

Bai Zhi sneered. "May whoever is lying be struck by lightning and die a horrible death. May their sons suffer the same fate and their bodies be torn to pieces. Do you dare to make that oath?"

If it were just a matter of being struck by lightning, Liu would have dared. She’d spouted such nonsense countless times and had yet to be struck. But to include her sons in such a terrible oath? She would never agree. Her sons were her whole world. Whether the curse would come true or not, she would never risk them by making such a vow.

"You damn girl! How can you be so venomous? How dare you say such wicked things? Aren’t you afraid of retribution?" Liu cursed, pointing at Bai Zhi.