Without needing Hu Ma's reminder, Old Master Zhao, who had understood the whole story after keeping vigil all night, came storming up in anger.
He raised his hand, ready to strike the man inside the house on the head. "I'll beat you to death, you good-for-nothing! What do you mean, 'blown away'?"
"I specifically sent someone last night to check if you had spread the lime! How come every other household has lime, but yours doesn't?"
The man, having received a slap from Old Master Zhao, didn't dare to fight back; he just held his head and said nothing.
It was the woman holding the child who, terrified, stammered, "He, he swept the lime away..."
But before she could finish, the man suddenly turned his head and glared at her fiercely. She instantly fell silent, too scared to continue.
"Still daring to act tough?"
Old Master Zhao, being a wealthy man in this village, was no fool. Seeing the man's expression, he immediately guessed something was amiss, which made him even angrier.
