Chapter 47: Group Fight
That’s what they said, but they also helped restrain Bai Shanbao.
Would Bai Shanbao just stand there waiting to be caught?
Of course not. He was someone used to fighting. As soon as the sack touched his head, he struggled to the side. Two people held him down, and he started shouting and kicking. In that brief moment, Man Bao also crawled out from behind the reeds. Seeing Bai Erlang jumping up to pin Bai Shanbao down and try to put the sack over his head, she was stunned.
But only for a moment. She immediately called for Da Tou outside while rushing over to push Bai Erlang.
So the five children became a rolling, fighting mess, pushing and hitting each other.
Seeing Bai Erlang persist in trying to sack Bai Shanbao’s head, his little companion could no longer hold back, shouting “They’ve all seen us, idiot!”
Bai Erlang paused, then angrily said, “Who are you calling an idiot?”
The other hesitated, but unhesitatingly continued restraining Man Bao and Bai Shanbao while shouting back, “You, who else is an idiot?”
Each was the treasured child of their family. Although your family is the landlord’s and richer with better snacks, we’re willing to follow your lead, but not foolish enough for this.
The two bickered, and Bai Erlang’s grip on Bai Shanbao loosened. Taking advantage, Man Bao persistently kicked Bai Erlang, allowing Bai Shanbao to push him off and get up from the ground. He pinned Bai Erlang down instead, shouting while clenching his fists to hit him.
The servants on the high ground had noticed the situation below at Bai Shanbao’s first shout and immediately ran down in alarm from the high ground, but the place they’d chosen was a distance from the river bank, so it took them a while to arrive.
And before they got there, Da Tou had already rushed over, first pushing away the person fighting his little cousin, then taking over and fighting the other side himself.
The two were of similar age and soon rolled into a tussle, with Da Tou not afraid to hit his opponent, though the other dared not lay a hand on Man Bao, after all she was a girl and younger. The two boys grappled and slapped gleefully.
Of course, Man Bao sided with her little companion and big nephew. When the servants arrived, all six were embroiled in the melee.
The servants shouted sternly, restraining everyone before separating the two groups to check on their young master.
Not only was Bai Shanbao covered in mud all over his face and body, his forehead was cut with several bruises on his face.
Looking at the others, their conditions were similar.
The servants looked at their young master piteously, holding back tears. He was the family’s only child! The old lady had told them to watch over the young master, yet they’d let him get beat up like this – they would surely face consequences at home.
But Bai Shanbao had no such concerns. Pushing a servant aside, he took a step toward Bai Erlang and issued a stern warning: “Villain! You played dirty with an ambush. If you’ve got guts, issue me a challenge note. See if I don’t break your head!”
Man Bao also felt Bai Erlang was too despicable, not only ambushing them but outnumbering kids younger than him. But seeing their own tattered state, she thought his tactic not bad.
Unable to take the provocation, Bai Erlang immediately rolled up his sleeves and said, “If it’s a fight you want, I’m not scared. Let’s go right now!”
“Bring it on!” Bai Shanbao also rolled up his sleeves. “Come on!”
Man Bao cheered him on from the side. “You can definitely do it! Hit his face, pinch his arms!”
Da Tou looked around and even found a mudball for him.
Finally unable to hold back, a servant knelt down wailing, hugging their young master’s legs. “Young master, please spare me! If the old lady and madame find out you were fighting outside, they’ll flay me alive! Let’s go home quickly!”
Just then, Zhou Silang also stumbled over. The group amid the reeds had been noisy but from outside, he couldn’t see where they were, especially with the kneeling servant.
So he called out, “Man Bao! Da Tou! Where did you two run off to? Come out right now!”
Zhou Silang and the Bai family’s servant thus led the tattered group of kids back. Upon entering the village just as families were sitting down for dinner, the sight of the six muddy urchins didn’t draw much attention from the villagers at first.
Such scenes were normal for country children.
But then they noticed the little lady of the Zhou family walking at the front and were surprised. “Ai ya, Man Bao, you were out fighting too?”
They looked at Zhou Silang. “Silang ah, did you beat up your little sister?”
Zhou Silang scowled. “Do I have the guts for that?”
Indeed, unless he had eaten a bear’s heart and a tiger’s gall bladder, how dare he lay a hand on the Zhou family’s precious treasure?
The villagers watched Man Bao with keen interest, even asking her, “Man Bao, did you win or lose this fight?”
Man Bao wasn’t stupid. She could tell it wasn’t a kind question, so she snorted, “Of course I won! If not, call your grandson out, and I’ll beat him in front of you.”
The other person laughed. “This little girl has quite the temper. How can she fight?”
“I’ll discipline my nephews and grandsons.”
The person paused, only then realizing he was of the same generation as Zhou Dalang, making him the same as Man Bao – so his grandson was indeed her nephew! He didn’t dare provoke her further for fear she’d really confront and beat his grandson.
The Zhou family’s treasure was usually prim and proper, always accompanied when going out, rarely looking so disheveled.
They remembered in the first couple years after Man Bao learned to walk, she played with Da Tou and the others under the big tree at the village entrance. A couple of village boys snatched the candy in her pocket and even pushed her into a puddle.
One of those boys was even the village chief’s grandson! Afterward, Zhou Silang sternly led his brothers and nephews to confront and reprimand the two kids.
The chief’s daughter-in-law and wife didn’t dare utter a word, and the chief himself brought eggs to visit Man Bao, who was reportedly shocked and delighted, but fell into a high fever.
From then on, when disciplining their kids, adults could allow fights with Da Tou and the others but warned against making trouble for Zhou Man Bao.
As a child, her health was weaker than most, so who knew if such a fright could have worse consequences.
Seeing the tattered state Man Bao was in now, the villagers said nothing out loud but inwardly worried for her and the kids who had beaten her up.
Zhou Silang glared sternly at Zhou Erlang and the others before carrying his precious little sister home to bathe and apply medicine.
The servants, of course, brought the rest back to the Bai residence.
At the Bai manor, the adults were again alarmed.
Seeing her son’s bruised face, Zheng Shi swayed and clutched him, wailing in anguish.
Liu Shi also wobbled but steadied herself, rebuking her daughter-in-law before telling her to take the children away first. Only then did she turn to the old Master Bai and say, “Your brother’s wife is too careless. What child doesn’t get a few scrapes and bruises?”
Yet inwardly she, too, felt heartbroken.
