Early the next morning, just after breakfast.
Madam Sun came to Jiang the Hunter's house to borrow a cart and happened to see Jiang Lin loading game onto a cow cart. Upon hearing that Madam Sun was taking Yu Xiaolian to town to sell baskets, he drove the cow cart to the Yu Family's door to load the baskets.
Yu Changhe and Jiang Lin quickly loaded over forty wicker baskets onto the cart.
Jiang Lin invited Madam Sun and Yu Xiaolian to get on the cart, but Madam Sun said the cart was too full and she'd walk. However, she told Yu Xiaolian to get on because she walked slowly.
Jiang Lin persuaded, "Auntie, the things on this cart look like a lot, but they're not actually heavy. You'd better get on to save time for selling goods."
Thinking about the need to be early to sell at the market and wary of delaying Jiang Lin's game sale, Madam Sun promptly got on the cow cart and sat down.
Unlike baskets, which could be brought back if unsold, game would spoil after a couple of days.
Seeing that Yu Xiaolian and Madam Sun were seated securely, Jiang Lin whipped the cow's rear with a short lash, urging the cart towards town.
They barely reached the village entrance when someone shouted Jiang Lin's name.
Jiang Lin stopped the cart and saw it was the old woman Ma from the same village, who, with a basket full of eggs, had caught up to the cow cart.
"Just my luck, I'm going to town too. What a coincidence, can't believe my good fortune. I don't have to walk with my hip hurting so badly lately. Jiang Lin, I'll just ride with you."
Speaking, Madam Ma didn't wait for Jiang Lin's response. She shoved a wicker basket towards Yu Xiaolian, creating space and planted her plump self on the cart.
Everyone in the village knew that riding Jiang's cow cart cost two copper coins. Yet Madam Ma always found excuses not to pay, either promising to pay next time or pleading poverty due to having five sons.
Normally, neither Jiang Lin nor Jiang the Hunter wanted to take Madam Ma along, but she was so thick-skinned that no matter what they said, her face never reddened.
"Auntie, the two copper coins for the fare!"
This time, Jiang Lin was wiser, demanding Madam Ma pay first, for once they reached the destination, she'd be the first to dart away.
Madam Ma placed a basket of eggs on her lap, cradling it carefully. Upon hearing Jiang Lin demand fare, she immediately pulled a face. "Child, we're not there yet, are we? I'll naturally pay you when we reach town. If I give it now, what if you kick me off midway?"
Jiang Lin replied bluntly, "Our family has a new rule: pay upfront or get off."
Madam Ma wasn't expecting Jiang Lin to be so blunt, leaving no room for dignity. Embarrassed, she retorted, "Child… why so petty? I was even planning to introduce you to my niece soon. You're truly squandering my goodwill!"
Jiang Lin was indifferent. Madam Ma loved taking advantage and was unreasonable. People said the niece would resemble her aunt, so how could she be any better?
It wouldn't matter if she offered her for free; he wouldn't take her.
"Introduce me? You have five sons, four of whom are bachelors. Perhaps you should focus on your own children! Are you getting off or should I pull you off?"
Jiang Lin made a move to pull Madam Ma off the cart, and seeing he was serious, she yelled, "Why ask me alone? Did Madam Sun and Little Calamity pay you?"
Madam Sun quickly took out four copper coins, "Here, the fare!"
Jiang Lin pushed back Madam Sun's hand, "Auntie, I won't take it."
Madam Ma was miffed, "Hey, Jiang Lin, why the double standard? You won't take Sun's, only mine?"
Jiang Lin didn't argue, sidestepping along the cart to grab Madam Ma, who, fearing her eggs might break, hastily said, "I'll pay, I'll pay the fare!"
As she spoke, she pulled out two copper coins wrapped in a handkerchief and handed them to Jiang Lin, muttering, "Honestly, my hips wouldn't allow such folly to ride this damn cart."
Jiang Lin had no desire to earn the two copper coins from Madam Ma, but to prevent wasting more time arguing, he accepted the money and resumed the cart ride.
Madam Sun, seeing Madam Ma glaring at her, felt awkward returning the stare and instead said, "Elder sister, why are your legs hurting lately?"
"Oh, it all started when I had my youngest. I didn't recover well postpartum. My hip really feels like it's caught a draft, hurting a lot."
Madam Ma, despite her modest circumstances, always prided herself on being superior, solely because she gave birth to five children—all sons.
She was proud and boastful!
Whenever a family in River Bend Village bore a daughter, Madam Ma couldn't help but mockingly sneer, believing that those who had daughters were inept and unlucky.
"Sun, it's not my place to say, but your Kuang boy has been gone for so many years, why aren't you pregnant? Is it your failure or is it Yu Changhe's?"
Madam Sun's expression darkened, "Sister, there's no need for you to worry about my family's issues."
Saying this, Madam Sun turned her head away, not wanting to see Madam Ma's face, as if not seeing it could ease her mind.
"Pah!" Madam Ma spat harshly on the ground, "A barren old hen is better off being butchered and eaten."
Madam Sun was so enraged she trembled, wanting to retort but held back.
Madam Ma was notorious for being unreasonable in River Bend Village. Madam Sun had seen many instances of Madam Ma's outrageous antics, and truthfully, she harbored some fear towards her.
Yu Xiaolian, sitting behind Madam Ma, separated by a few wicker baskets, couldn't stand Madam Ma's insinuating bullying towards Madam Sun. She discreetly took out a stun stick, set it to a low current, and slipped it between the baskets, jabbing it at Madam Ma's rear.
Madam Ma shuddered, her hands slackened, and the egg basket fell off the cart.
"Oh no, my eggs… my money…" Madam Ma shrieked, jumping off the cow cart.
Seeing the basket of eggs shattered, not one intact, Madam Ma almost fainted in anger.
Finished, the eggs were gone, could not be sold, and the two copper coins for the fare were wasted.
Madam Ma furiously cursed Madam Sun, "You barren hen, you set me up, you pushed it, you owe me for the eggs!"
Madam Sun, who had turned her back to Madam Ma, had no idea what had happened. Only after hearing Madam Ma screech did she realize the egg basket had fallen.
"Sister, you dropped the basket yourself. How can you blame me for that?"
This woman was truly unreasonable, but Madam Sun was no pushover either.
Madam Ma knew it wasn't Madam Sun's doing but had felt an uncontrollable jolt, her hand failing to grip the egg basket.
Yet she couldn't let a whole basket of eggs go to waste without someone to blame, and seeing that Madam Sun wouldn't admit to it, she pointed to Yu Xiaolian, "If it's not you, it's Little Calamity's doing. I must've been mad to sit with her on the same cart. I don't care, you all must compensate for my eggs today."
Madam Ma was even more unreasonable than the Old Lady Yu, and Yu Xiaolian slightly regretted not using the highest setting on the stun stick earlier.
Madam Sun said coldly, "I don't have money, and even if I did, I wouldn't give it to you. You can't blame others for you not holding the basket properly."
"No money, huh? Aren't all these baskets worth enough? The baskets are mine as repayment." Madam Ma said as she attempted to unload their baskets.
Yu Xiaolian stood up from the cart, and when Madam Ma charged over, she kicked her in the chest, sending Madam Ma sprawling backward.
Madam Ma, heavyset, was lying on her back and couldn't get up for a moment. Yu Xiaolian didn't even glance at her and told Jiang Lin, "Drive, let's go."