Chapter 22: I Wonder If You Can Handle It?

"I confess! I confess!" Xu Fugui, terrified out of his wits, kowtowed repeatedly. "It’s all my fault. I shouldn't have struck anyone. I shouldn't have hit them. I am willing to pay."

Once the precedent was set, the others, seeing the situation, dared not resist any longer. They all wept and kowtowed obediently.

Fang Cinian stepped out of the room, frowning as he spoke, "Ningning, tell these people to get out and stop making such a racket. They are disturbing me."

"Eldest, how is your father?" Grandma Fang asked with a trembling voice.

"Mother, Father is temporarily out of danger. He will be fine once he wakes up, so don't worry." Fang Cinian wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Are you certain?"

"I wouldn't lie to you."

As he spoke, Fang Cinian examined the wounds of Dashan and Tiezhu. Dashan had a dislocated joint, while Tiezhu suffered from several skin abrasions. Though they were superficial, the large patches of scraped skin looked quite frightening.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" As soon as Fang Cinian touched Dashan’s arm, Dashan began to yelp.

"Dashan, I heard you have a woman on the side?" Fang Cinian bluffed, trying to distract him.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Dashan exclaimed, agitated. "Oldest Fang, if you keep talking rubbish, I’ll—ah! Wait, it doesn't hurt anymore?"

Taking advantage of Dashan’s outburst, Fang Cinian snapped the elbow joint back into place.

"How is it?"

"It’s miraculous! It doesn't hurt at all." Dashan flexed his arm in surprise.

"Don't move," Fang Cinian stopped him. "Someone, please find two wooden boards. They need to be... this long." Lacking a clear conversion for centimeters and inches at the moment, he measured the length against Dashan’s arm.

"I’ll go find them," Fang Wenqin said, hurrying into the house.

"What else do I need to do?"

"You need to immobilize it. Don't use this arm for the next few days, or it will easily pop out again."

"Yes, yes, yes, I’ll listen to you."

Tiezhu’s bleeding had already been stanched by Uncle Zhou, so he was in no immediate danger. Only after splinting Dashan’s arm did Fang Cinian turn to treat Tiezhu’s wounds.

There was no alcohol available, and the local spirits were not strong enough, so Fang Cinian had to mix salt into boiled water to create a saline solution, using it to rinse the wounds for a simple disinfection.

Uncle Zhou asked out of curiosity, "Oldest Fang, is it really useful to wash wounds with salt water?"

Fang Cinian nodded. "Yes, it helps the wounds heal faster. But it’s not a case of the more salt, the better; the ratio matters."

Si Yuheng, standing behind the crowd, listened with a thoughtful expression. This family of three had changed so drastically!

***

Fang Ling pulled Fang Ning aside. "You ran to Xu Family Village all by yourself? There are so many people there; were you trying to get yourself killed as a child?"

"I was prepared." Fang Ning smugly pulled out her chili-water spray gun. "See this? It makes them howl in agony."

"I don't believe you."

"It’s filled with chili water."

"Chili?"

"Yes, I used up all the chili powder Mother bought. Eldest Sister, you have to help me plead my case later; I’m afraid I’ll get a beating." Fang Ning tugged on Fang Ling’s sleeve, looking pitiful.

Fang Ling scoffed, "I’m not helping you. You deserve a beating, better that than being killed by outsiders."

"Please, dear sister..."

"No."

"Then I won't help you fix those little gadgets you make next time."

Fang Ling tightened her fists. "You can fix them?"

"Uh-huh."

"Fine. In exchange for your help, I’ll help you this once. But consider this a favor returned; don't push your luck."

"Don't worry, Eldest Sister!"

She was essentially a tsundere little girl; there was nothing she couldn't handle.

Once Fang Cinian finished cleaning Tiezhu’s wounds, Fang Ning ran over. "Father, how much is the medicine for Grandpa and the others? Just name a number, and make them pay!"

Behind the backs of the Xu Family Village men, she gestured a number to Fang Cinian: fifty taels. This was the limit of what they could afford, and just enough to cover the medicine.

Fang Cinian understood. "At the very least, fifty taels."

The men from Xu Family Village exploded. "Fifty? Why don't you just rob us?"

"We don't have the silver. If you want our lives, take them."

"I can only cough up five taels at most; there is no more."

Fang Ning sneered, "No? Then we go to the county magistrate's office. I’d much rather see you get a taste of the paddle. I just wonder if you can handle it? Father, tell them, how are the paddles used at the magistrate's office?"

Fang Cinian cleared his throat with a feigned solemnity. "I saw it years ago when I was traveling. The prisoner’s buttocks were beaten until the skin and flesh were torn apart, with more breath going out than coming in. I was so terrified I left; I don't know if that prisoner even survived the night."

"That’s perfect, I’d like to see it for myself. Uncle Yu, have someone prepare. Let’s head to the magistrate's office now. It’s still early; we’ll arrive before dark, just in time to file a complaint." Fang Ning looked at Yu Dong.

Yu Dong understood Fang Ning’s intention perfectly and nodded immediately. "Good, I’ll go prepare right now."

Seeing Yu Dong leave, the men from Xu Family Village were terrified. "Fifty taels! We’ll pay! Don't involve the officials; we still have reputations to uphold!"

"Then have someone fetch it now. Once I see the silver, you’re free to go."

"And what about our eyes?"

"They’ll be fine by tonight."

"Fine, I’ll have someone get it." Xu Fugui gritted his teeth. "My family only has fifteen taels; you all have to cover the rest."

"Why should I? It wasn't me who injured Old Man Fang. I’m only paying three taels."

"I’ll pay three, too."

"Five taels, no more."

...

The men soon devolved into an argument over the money, growing so red-faced and heated that one would think their ancestral graves had been dug up by each other.

"Stop bickering! If none of you are willing to pay, then fine—recount exactly what happened. I’ll tell you how much each of you owes! Father, get some paper, ink, and a brush. Write down everything they say, and have them sign and thumbprint it."

Making them pay wasn't just about the money. By inciting infighting, she could easily force them to confess everything, rendering any underhanded tricks by Scholar Xu useless.

Fang Cinian did as he was told. Yu Dong, witnessing this, looked at Fang Ning with newfound respect. Once this child woke up, she was incredibly sharp!

Under the unanimous testimony of the men from Xu Family Village, the primary culprit for injuring Old Man Fang and Dashan was Xu Fugui. As for Tiezhu, he had been injured when they all pushed and shoved him.

"Xu Fugui, you pay thirty taels. The four of you can split the remaining twenty," Fang Ning said, dividing the medical expenses after they had provided their fingerprints.

"I don't have thirty taels!" Xu Fugui was furious, determined to play the rogue to the end.

"Then sell your fields and land. If you don't pay, I’ll take these testimonies to the magistrate's office and ensure you lose everything and end up in prison. Oh, by the way—once you've been a convict, your son will never be able to enter the civil service."

"Are you threatening me?"

"If you don't believe me, feel free to ask Scholar Xu!"

Terrified, Xu Fugui dared not say another word. His wife started a huge scene because of this, only to be beaten by her parents-in-law.

Killing three birds with one stone, Fang Ning felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. The people from Xu Family Village, not daring to play any tricks, obediently delivered the silver and took their people away.

Fang Ning divided the fifty taels into portions of twenty-five, fifteen, and ten, giving them to Old Man Fang, Tiezhu, and Dashan respectively.