"Ouch, it hurts so much!" Feng Chunling cried out in pain.

Seeing this, Liu Yunxi didn't hesitate, immediately stepping forward to help Feng Chunling up and thank her.

"Thank you, Aunt Chunling. If it weren't for you this time, Er Gou would have been in serious trouble!"

Feng Chunling didn't say anything, merely nodding her head.

Yet another competitor for my daughter, she thought. Now things are going to be troublesome. If only I had known this would happen, I should have let Yang Mei make a move earlier. Why did I drag things out? Now there's one more competitor, and her chances have decreased significantly.

At this thought, Feng Chunling's brow furrowed deeply.

Liu Yunxi naturally saw her furrowed brow but simply assumed it was from the pain, completely unaware of the real reason.

Then, Liu Yunxi and Liu Ergou supported Feng Chunling as they walked back the way they came.

「Meanwhile.」

After leaving the village, Wu Dahu lingered outside for a long time before eventually returning.

Once back in the village, Wu Dahu didn't dare show his face, instead taking a side path to Liu Ergou's wasteland. When he reached the plot of land, he saw it looked no different from that morning, and he couldn't help but frown.

There's nothing to see here! It looks like I'll have to go to the village entrance and eavesdrop.

With this thought, Wu Dahu stealthily left the area and headed toward the village entrance. Before long, he arrived and found a concealed spot to hide.

No sooner had he settled into his hiding place than he heard people discussing the matter.

"That Wu Dahu is truly despicable, spreading rumors like that! If we hadn't come to our senses in time, we might have offended Liu Ergou!"

"Yes, exactly! If we had angered Liu Ergou and he stopped renting us land, we'd be ruined!"

"Ah, maybe not ruined, but the consequences would still be severe. We wouldn't just have to return the rent money; Liu Ergou might never rent to us again!"

"Tsk, that Wu Dahu is truly detestable!"

Hiding nearby, Wu Dahu heard every word clearly and knew his plan had fallen through once again. This made him grind his teeth in anger.

I swore to Sixth Master that I would deal with Liu Ergou properly. Now that the plan has failed again, how can I face him?

At this thought, Wu Dahu couldn't help but smack the ground beside him, making a loud noise.

Hearing the sound, the chatting villagers immediately looked toward his hiding place. A sharp-eyed man soon pointed and shouted, "Hey, look over there! Isn't that Wu Dahu hiding?!"

As he spoke, the others quickly realized it was him. Shouting, they all rushed over.

"It really is Wu Dahu! Let's get him! The rascal dared to spread rumors and nearly brought ruin to the whole village!"

Seeing the crowd surge toward him, Wu Dahu broke into a cold sweat. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and ran. He moved so fast that he vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The villagers were furious to see him disappear, but there was nothing they could do. They could only hurl a few curses before returning to the village entrance to continue their chat. This time, however, their conversation revolved entirely around cursing Wu Dahu and his entire family.

The fleeing Wu Dahu didn't dare to slow down, sprinting frantically down the road toward town. It was a great distance, but he somehow managed to run the entire way back. By the time Wu Dahu reached town, he was so exhausted he could barely walk. Just as he was about to sit down and rest, someone suddenly appeared before him.

"Wu Dahu, come with me. Sixth Master wants to see you!"

Without waiting to see if Wu Dahu had heard, the man turned and left. Still panting heavily, Wu Dahu muttered a quiet curse and hastily followed.

Following the man, Wu Dahu soon arrived at the town's villa district and was led into one of the houses. As soon as he entered the villa, Wu Dahu saw a young man with a remarkably gentle and effeminate appearance sitting on the sofa. Sixth Master was standing obediently beside him.

Wu Dahu was about to ask what was happening when Sixth Master spoke first.

"Wu Dahu, hurry over here! This is Yuan Wenkang! Young Master Yuan is my boss!"

Although Wu Dahu didn't recognize Young Master Yuan, Sixth Master's anxious expression told him this man must be a formidable figure. So, he quickly hurried over and called out in a fawning tone, "Young Master Yuan!"

Sitting on the sofa, Yuan Wenkang heard Wu Dahu's greeting and looked up at him. "Your name is Wu Dahu, right? I've heard Little Six mention you," he said. "You went to deal with Liu Ergou today. How did it go? Tell me about it."

Upon hearing this, a cold sweat immediately covered Wu Dahu's forehead.

How did it go? Terribly, of course. I used two of my best ploys, but Liu Ergou thwarted both of them. But I can't say that. If I do, I'll be in for serious trouble!

For a moment, Wu Dahu didn't know how to answer Yuan Wenkang and could only stand there with his head lowered.

Seeing Wu Dahu's silence, Yuan Wenkang immediately understood. "By the looks of it, you failed, didn't you?" he said softly.

"Yes, Young Master Yuan, I failed," Wu Dahu replied, steeling himself. "But, Young Master Yuan, listen to my explanation, I…"

Wu Dahu hadn't finished speaking when Sixth Master interrupted him. "Shut your mouth, Wu Dahu!" Sixth Master roared in a low voice. "Don't make excuses for your own incompetence! How did you assure me when you left? Look what happened! Just look!"

Sixth Master grew angrier and angrier, raising his fist to strike Wu Dahu.

But at this critical moment, Yuan Wenkang, still seated on the sofa, spoke up and stopped him.

"Alright, we can talk this out. There's no need for violence." He continued, "We can't put all the blame on Wu Dahu. This Liu Ergou is not to be trifled with. It was impossible to expect you all to succeed."

Saying this, Yuan Wenkang looked at Wu Dahu. "Don't be so nervous. Since you're with Little Six, that makes you one of my people. I always make a clear distinction between rewards and punishments for my own people. Although you didn't succeed, you did manage to cause Liu Ergou some trouble, and that's a merit in itself!"

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