Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey! Chapter 5 5 Going Too Far

Holding the rabbit tightly, Chen Jie raced back to his residence and swiftly reached his simple thatched hut.

Suddenly, he spotted a large group of folks clustered in his yard.

A jolt of alarm hit him, *Could Su Yunjin and her sister have taken their own lives inside while I was away?*

Recalling Su Yunjin's bold resolve from earlier that day, he figured she might indeed do something so drastic.

With such worries swirling in his mind, Chen Jie dashed straight to his yard, and as he drew near, the sounds from within reached his ears.

"You with the surname Su, I reckon you've grown weary of life, bold enough to forage for wild veggies on my territory. Unless you offer a proper account today, I'll flay you right here, you pathetic wretch."

The initial voice that struck him was a harsh, bullying tone from a woman. Chen Jie instantly knew it belonged to Lu San's spouse, Lu Qinsi, the infamous village termagant renowned for her ferocity.

Leveraging her husband's ties to the local fishing operations, she frequently terrorized her neighbors.

From the snippets he caught, Chen Jie pieced together the events rapidly.

It seemed that right after his departure that morning, Su Yunjin had ventured out with Ruirui, also known as Su Yunrui, to gather wild vegetables.

In those days, such greens weren't abundant everywhere, so they headed to the East River area.

That spot, adjacent to the water, teemed with water plants and boasted the richest supply of wild veggies, yet it had been claimed by the Lu household for ages.

Among them, Lu San's wife, Lu Qinsi, proved the most overbearing, staking out the zone as her exclusive domain and barring anyone else from harvesting there.

Driven by intense hunger, Su Yunjin had brought Ruirui along to collect a handful of those plants, only to get nabbed by Lu Qinsi, who then pursued them back home, vowing to extract compensation from Su Yunjin.

Should she fail to punish this Su woman this time, others might follow suit and pilfer from her claimed land henceforth.

This chaos explained the unfolding drama, and Chen Jie's brow furrowed as he then caught Su Yunjin's voice emerging from the courtyard, "Sister-in-law Lu, I'm the one who gathered these wild vegetables. I'm sorry this time, and I promise not to return."

"Not return? As if there'll even be another chance? You pathetic wretch, dreaming big. Listen up, hand back every last wild vegetable you took today, then drop to your knees and kowtow to me in full view of everyone, and maybe I'll let it slide. Refuse, and I'll strip your hide off."

Upon hearing this, the nearby villagers knitted their brows. Lu Qinsi's spouse was excessively tyrannical. Simply returning the dug-up greens ought to suffice, so why demand kneeling and bowing?

This bordered on outright oppression.

Yet nobody dared voice support for Su Yunjin, given the Lu family's notoriety for being a nagging nuisance, like an adhesive that wouldn't peel off. Provoking them was the last thing anyone wanted.

At that instant, Su Yunjin's complexion had drained of color. Hailing from an educated lineage, she was well-versed in concepts like decorum, justice, honor, and dignity, yet it was clear Lu Qinsi aimed to crush her self-respect, and she refused to yield to such degradation.

With that in mind, Su Yunjin declared, "Sister-in-law Lu, you're forcing things too much!"

"Oh, you've got the nerve to retort? Watch me rip that foul mouth of yours, you pathetic wretch!"

With those words, Lu Qinsi geared up to lunge. Truth be told, her visit today was meant to flex her dominance, since household supplies had dwindled lately, and foragers were getting bolder, sometimes snatching bits from her territory.

Still, those other homes had able-bodied men to defend them, so she held back from going too far. But now, even Su Yunjin had the audacity to trespass, sparking her rage.

While others had husbands to shield them, Su Yunjin's lot included only a spineless gambler who ignored her plight. As such a lowly figure, how dare she challenge someone like Lu Qinsi? Fine, then, she decided, this frail target would serve perfectly to reestablish her control.

As Lu Qinsi charged at Su Yunjin, the onlookers averted their gazes, unable to stomach the sight. How could a refined scholar's daughter like Su Yunjin stand against a harpy such as Lu Qinsi? A thrashing appeared unavoidable.

Su Yunjin's features were ashen then, though her gaze burned with resolve. She'd never scrapped before, but surrender to victimhood wasn't an option.

Indoors, Ruirui pressed against the window frame, peering out, her tiny dark fingers gripping the wild vegetables firmly. Her sister had instructed her to safeguard them at all costs.

But witnessing her sibling on the verge of assault left her frozen in fear.

Right as Lu Qinsi barreled toward Su Yunjin, a shout rang out from beyond the entrance.

"What's all this commotion?!"

The voice prompted all heads to turn toward the doorway, where Chen Jie entered carrying a hefty, meaty rabbit. Envy lit up the spectators' faces; that creature must have tipped the scales at seven or eight pounds!

"Jiu Si has returned."

The group offered Chen Jie warm greetings and parted to clear his path at the gate.

Chen Jie stepped inside.

Lu Qinsi caught sight of Chen Jie too, particularly the plump rabbit he clutched, making her swallow hard despite herself.

"Chen Jiu Si, perfect timing on your return. You better handle this wretch in your home."

Facing Chen Jie, Lu Qinsi showed no fear whatsoever. On the contrary, her attitude grew even more haughty, as though he were an ally in her corner.

It wasn't odd for Lu Qinsi to behave so boldly, for Chen Jiu Si had once been a notorious rogue. During her prior blockade at their door to harass Su Yunjin, he'd even delivered a couple of slaps to his own wife.

Back then, Chen Jiu Si lurked indoors without uttering a word. Afterward, rumors spread that rather than aiding his spouse, he'd berated Su Yunjin for stirring up issues.

A spineless type like that—who else but him to target for bullying?

This reputation had painted Su Yunjin as prime for easy picking: unsupported by her husband, family fallen on hard times—who could be softer than her?

Lu Qinsi hauled Su Yunjin right in front of Chen Jie and proclaimed, "Jiu Si, you've come back at the ideal moment. Sort out this wretch of yours. She's gone way too far, poaching wild vegetables from my turf. You owe me a reckoning, or else when your Brother Lu San gets home, he won't let you off easy."

At these words, all eyes shifted to Chen Jie, and Su Yunjin stole a glance his way, though despair clouded her expression. She was certain he wouldn't stand up for her; he bullied only within walls but cowered beyond them.

Harboring this belief, she bowed her head, bracing for the shame and blows to come.

Chen Jie eyed Lu Qinsi steadily, his tone even as he inquired, "What sort of reckoning are you after?"

She took his question as a sign of intimidation and impending compliance, so Lu Qinsi grinned and replied, "Hehe... I figured Brother Jiu Si was always the sensible sort. I'm not out to oppress you. Forget the wild vegetables—I don't care for them. Just make this lowly woman kneel and beg my pardon, hand over that rabbit you're holding, and we'll call it even. Sound fair?"

Ssss~

The crowd drew sharp breaths at her demand. Lu Qinsi's gall was astounding, attempting to swindle a whole fat rabbit for mere wild greens. This was blatant overreach.

The young miss of the Su clan was truly pitiable, wed to such a spineless dolt. Even when another woman climbed atop him and departed, he swallowed the insult.

A household lacking a strong man spelled doom for any wife there.

Sympathy rippled through the bystanders, who sighed over Su Yunjin's dire circumstances. It was no wonder the saying went that a woman's marriage marked her second birth.

The Su lineage had once commanded respect for scholarship across the surrounding ten li. In Master Su's era, admiration flowed their way from all. Yet now, his daughter was bound to Chen Jiu Si, the good-for-nothing gambler, dooming her line to misfortune...

Chen Jie stayed silent, but Lu Qinsi pressed on with a warning, "Jiu Si, your sister-in-law isn't pressuring you. Just say yes or no to the apology. I'm being civil now, but once your Brother Lu San returns this evening, the conversation won't stay so polite."

Faced with this, Chen Jie at last responded.