CHAPTER 273: CHAPTER 273: MERCY, GRANDPA BUG

Madam Ma and Skinny Monkey left leaning against each other; they couldn’t help it as both were so weak in the legs they could hardly stand. Without supporting each other, they couldn’t walk.

It was only when they were far away from the Zhao Family that they were able to lean against a wall and catch their breath.

Gradually, they regained some strength.

"Madam Ma, you really screwed me over. Not only did we suffer this huge ordeal, how can I make a living in the future?" Skinny Monkey pointed at Madam Ma’s nose angrily. He relied on petty schemes to earn silver.

Clearly, things would not turn out well.

Now, having been fed with insects, he couldn’t do evil deeds in the future, or he’d feel pain.

That pain was truly unbearable.

Madam Ma showed a bitter expression, "How can you blame me? Who knew those people from the Zhao Family would be so wicked? We hadn’t done anything yet and got caught red-handed."

"Don’t give me a bunch of nonsense and shirk your responsibility. You have to take responsibility for this." Skinny Monkey said fiercely.

"How should I take responsibility? How should I? I’m already like this, and it wasn’t on purpose to harm you." Madam Ma said, feeling wronged.

She didn’t gain anything good either.

"Maybe those people are just scaring us. How could they know whether we’re doing bad things or not? As for those insects, if they knew, they’d become spirits." Madam Ma lowered her voice, "Where could such miraculous insects exist?"

Skinny Monkey felt hesitant, thinking Madam Ma made sense, yet afraid to take a risk.

Just now was too painful.

"How about giving it a try?" Skinny Monkey finally decided.

Madam Ma urged him, "We won’t know if we’re being fooled until we try."

Skinny Monkey headed straight for the street he frequented, choosing a stall he usually bullied, and without saying a word, he overturned it. "No protection fee paid, who allowed you to set up a stall here?"

The stall was kicked into a mess.

The stall owner timidly smiled, "Master Monkey, at least let this old man sell his goods, earn some silver, and have extra money to pay the protection fee. Master Monkey, please be generous, make an exception, make an exception."

Skinny Monkey focused on sensing his body’s condition; it seemed like there was no pain?

So, were those people deceiving him?

See? How could such miraculous insects exist?

Skinny Monkey grabbed the old man by his collar with a fierce look, "You’re bold, daring to haggle with me? What kind of thing are you? Do you deserve it?"

After saying that, he kicked the old man hard.

The old man staggered and fell backwards.

"Ah—"

A mournful scream rang out; Skinny Monkey curled up on the ground, rolling around with a face full of sweat.

"It’s not my fault; it’s not my fault. I didn’t hit back; I didn’t hit back at all." The old man wiped his tears in urgency; he hadn’t done anything, just honestly took a kick, and hadn’t even called out, so why was Master Monkey screaming?

Madam Ma shivered in fear; those insects really knew!

Hidden among the crowd, Bai Su laughed meaningfully.

She used the lowest-ranked Cannibal Gu on these two, requiring a close command for the insects to attack the host.

This time, let this pain engrave itself on Skinny Monkey’s bones, and in the future, he’ll naturally be honest.

As for Madam Ma, she is not daring; she only needed to witness Skinny Monkey’s pain to be intimidated.

"Wholeheartedly good." Bai Su whispered using ventriloquism.

Despite Skinny Monkey’s pain inducing rolling, the crowd whispered; by rights, Skinny Monkey couldn’t hear, yet he distinctly heard the voice as if it came from his own belly.

Could it be the insects talking?

"Madam, Insect Elders, I know I was wrong. I beg you, Madam, I beg the Insect Elders, spare me." Skinny Monkey pleaded frantically despite the pain, kowtowing.

Most of the onlookers knew Skinny Monkey; he was a local scoundrel. No one on this street had escaped his bullying.

So, what kind of performance was he putting on now?

Was he trying to extort Old Man Li?

Skinny Monkey was acting this hard, probably planning to heavily extort Old Man Li.

Poor Old Man Li.

But the mention of Madam and Insect Elders—who were they? There were no such people around.

Skinny Monkey was sharp-minded; even in pain, his brain worked quickly.

He felt extreme pain only after kicking Old Man Li’s stall.

Skinny Monkey struggled to kowtow to Old Man Li, "Uncle Li, I was a bastard; I’m despicable. I’ll tidy up your stall for you now. You can set up your stall as you wish, no protection fee. If anyone comes to bully you, I’ll stand up for you. I’ll return all the protection fees I took before, every single cent."

Old Man Li had never seen such a scene.

Not just Old Man Li, no one on the street had seen Skinny Monkey like this before. Was he possessed by ghosts?

"Fellow villagers, earlier I, Skinny Monkey, was evil-hearted, doing things that wronged all of you. Now, Skinny Monkey has returned to the right path, realizing my mistakes, and I hope you can give me a chance to right my wrongs. Skinny Monkey swears to be a good person from now on, never doing bad deeds again. If I break this oath, let me be eaten clean by insects without leaving a corpse."

Everyone felt baffled.

Skinny Monkey returning to the right path?

His vow was also quite odd; eaten by insects—how could there be insects that large?

But looking at his appearance, it didn’t seem fake.

Old Man Li trembled asking, "You really won’t extort me? And no protection fee? You’ll return what you took before?"

Skinny Monkey gritted his teeth and pulled out a broken silver piece from his pocket, "This silver is compensation to Uncle Li."

Old Man Li dared not accept, Skinny Monkey struggled to get up and shoved the silver into Old Man Li’s arms.

Then, he tidied up the scattered stall for Old Man Li.

Old Man Li was at a loss.

Once the stall was tidied up, Skinny Monkey felt his internal pain lessening.

So, the Insect Elders really knew everything.

Skinny Monkey forced a smile, "Uncle Li, you go about your business. If you need anything, you can find me at home."

Madam Ma trotted to catch up with Skinny Monkey.

Her face was as pale as falling into a flour vat.

"Were you really in pain just now?" Madam Ma asked stammeringly.

"I already gave away my silver, and you’re asking if I was really in pain or not?" Skinny Monkey gritted his teeth; he was forced into this. Better a miserable life than a dead one.

Besides, being bitten to death by insects wouldn’t be a good death either.

"What, what... what do we do in the future?" Madam Ma bewailed.

"What to do? Wholeheartedly good, you forgot already?" Skinny Monkey said with irritation.

Madam Ma slapped herself hard, regretting accepting Lady Lu’s steward’s request, ending up in this condition. What would she do with her life ahead? Her matchmaking was different from ordinary matchmakers; she dealt with those with hidden illnesses on the man’s side.

For a successful match, she naturally had to deceive.

That way, she could successfully obtain matchmaking fees.

As for the life of the girl after the marriage, it was never her concern.

But Madam Ma knew, several girls ended up living terrible lives after being deceived into marriage, some even unable to bear it, and ended their own lives.

She currently had several such matches in her hand; could she not do them anymore?