Chapter Thirty-Two: The Befuddled Liang Youcai

"Are you sure you don't need me to pay for the damages? Won't those scholars come to Xike Restaurant to cause trouble later?"

Liang Yunqing was someone who disliked inconveniencing others.

Proprietor Xia looked as if she had heard something amusing, the smile on her face never wavering. "Do you think they would dare? No need to pay. You should head back early."

After saying this, Proprietor Xia departed, surrounded by her maids. Manager Yang handed the silver he had prepared to Liang Yunqing. "Miss Liang, it is fifty taels in total. Please count it."

"Manager Yang, how could I not trust you?"

Liang Yunqing took the money, tucked it into her clothes, and led her parents out of Xike Restaurant.

"Was that really the proprietor?" Liang Mingxue had only just regained his senses. He found it impossible to believe that a person could look like that; she was even more beautiful than a celestial being.

Lady Chu was also still immersed in the image of the woman’s beauty.

"She is indeed the proprietor of Xike Restaurant. By the way..." Liang Yunqing glanced at Liang Youcai, who was still hiding by the doorway. "Father, do you intend to take him back?"

"We should take him back. After all, he is your second uncle's son."

With that, Liang Mingxue dragged the sprawled Liang Youcai toward the carriage. Uncle Ma, who had been waiting for them, paused for a long moment before realizing that the thing being dragged on the ground was a person.

"Good heavens! Is... is this the scholar Liang Youcai? Who beat him into such a state?" He stared at the disfigured Liang Youcai in disbelief.

"Uncle Ma, let's head back now."

Liang Yunqing helped her father pull him onto the carriage, and the group swayed as they traveled back to the village. Throughout the journey, Liang Youcai covered his face with his clothes. He still cared about his reputation; if the villagers saw him beaten like this, it would be a laughingstock.

As they walked down the village path, the passing villagers cast sidelong glances at him. Undoubtedly, everyone recognized the figure as Liang Youcai, but each of them felt a sense of satisfaction. Ever since Liang Youcai had passed the imperial examination to become a scholar, he had looked down on everyone. People had been harboring deep resentment, and seeing him beaten like this made everyone feel much better.

By the time they returned home, it was already dark. Li Pinghua and Grandmother Wang had finished making the shaomai and were sitting in the courtyard with Liang Zhiyan and Liang Youyong, waiting. Everyone rubbed their hands, constantly looking toward the gate.

When Liang Yunqing pushed the gate open, Li Pinghua immediately hurried over with a stool. "You must be tired, take a rest."

Everyone stared longingly at Liang Yunqing's pockets. Grandmother Wang also brought over a bowl of warm water. All eyes were fixed on her, and no one noticed Liang Youcai following behind until Xiao Hong let out a cry of surprise.

"Big Brother?"

Li Pinghua turned to look at Liang Youcai and immediately shrieked, "Youcai! My precious Youcai! Which heaven-forsaken person beat you like this?"

Grandmother Wang, who had been clearing the table, also rushed over. She cradled Liang Youcai’s swollen face, pained and confused—why did the injuries look so familiar? "Youcai, who beat my precious grandson like this?"

"Wuwu... it was her! Grandmother, Mother, it was her who hit me!" Liang Youcai, as if finding his support, pointed at Liang Yunqing, who was sitting on a stool.

Li Pinghua looked in the direction he was pointing, and upon seeing it was Liang Yunqing, she immediately reached out and slapped his hand down.

"Mother! What are you doing?" Liang Youcai looked at the anxious Li Pinghua in disbelief. Didn't his mother always spoil him? Why wasn't she rushing to hit back after seeing him beaten like this?

"Youcai, tell me clearly—did you provoke her?" Li Pinghua lowered her voice. Even the grandmother, who had been pitying him moments ago, asked, "My precious grandson, tell Grandmother, did you go and provoke her?"

"Mother! Grandmother! What has gotten into you today? I've been beaten like this, how can you not help me?" Liang Youcai cried out indignantly. Li Pinghua quickly covered his mouth to prevent him from saying anything else.

"Yunqing, did Youcai do something today? How did you two end up meeting?"

Facing the inquiry, Liang Yunqing spoke with a calm expression. "Today, my parents and I went to deliver goods. Your precious scholar beat my parents on the spot and said that he didn't have poor relatives like us."

"What?" Li Pinghua turned to look at her eldest son, and seeing his guilty expression, she knew it was true. However, looking at the wounds on her son's face—and considering Liang Youcai was the pride of the family—Li Pinghua still spoke up bravely. "But... but you shouldn't have hit him like this. How is Youcai supposed to go to school now?"

"Exactly, he is the only scholar in this family," the grandmother added, chiming in.

"School? In broad daylight, instead of studying at the academy, he was drinking at Xike Restaurant with a group of hoodlums. We scrimp and save at home to support his education, and he takes the family's hard-earned money to squander, all while refusing to acknowledge his own kin. Do you still think I hit him too hard?" If Liang Yunqing hadn't earned money today, she wouldn't have had the patience to explain things to this family.

Hearing this, the grandmother felt the most pain, and she slapped Liang Youcai on the shoulder. "You really went to Xike Restaurant to drink?"

Liang Youcai retreated a few steps, feeling guilty. "It... it was an invitation from my classmates."

Standing to the side, Liang Mingxue let out a loud, cold laugh. He hadn't wanted to say much, but ever since he was struck by that bamboo tube, he felt that relying on Liang Youcai was a joke. He spoke up: "I heard you were the one who offered to treat them to drinks. When I went up to greet you, you not only ignored me but insulted me, saying that a poor man like me wasn't worthy of calling you."

"What?" Liang Zhiyan was incensed upon hearing this. He stood up abruptly and pointed at Liang Youcai, cursing, "Damn you! You little brat, instead of studying hard, you dare to spend money treating others to drinks!"

Li Pinghua also angrily twisted his ear. "The money we gave you—where did you spend it?"

Liang Youcai kept denying it. He looked at Liang Mingxue, who had exposed him, and roared, "Liang Mingxue! What would a crude country man like you know? I was entertaining my peers!"

"Slap!"

This slap did not come from Liang Yunqing.

It was Lady Chu, who had been silent all this time. She was filled with hatred—hatred for herself for having sold her dowry to pay for Liang Youcai's studies. She hated her own cowardice in the first half of her life, borrowing money from her maiden family to subsidize Liang Youcai even when her own daughter didn't have enough to eat. She hated herself for not being able to utter a word when her daughter was being insulted. The person she had painstakingly raised was nothing more than an ungrateful wretch.

"You! You dare hit me!" Liang Youcai's face was covered in snot and tears.

The grandmother glared at Lady Chu with dissatisfaction. Although Li Pinghua knew her son was at fault, she would not accept someone else slapping him. "Lady Chu, have you lost your mind? You dare to strike my grandson!"

The grandmother moved to strike back, but before her hand could reach, Liang Yunqing grabbed it in mid-air. She looked at them with a sense of helplessness and spoke, her voice heavy with fatigue: "It seems I haven't gone 'crazy' in too long, and you all think you can act up again."