Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
A woman in her forties who suddenly approached them had a sword held against her throat, forcing her to kneel in fear. âMadam, Iâm innocent! Iâm just an incense seller!â
She then swiftly produced incense sticks from her bag, offering them with a smile and a hint of flattery. âPlease buy some incense, Madam, please!â
From the incense shop, a woman in her thirties rushed out, brandishing a broom. âSun Guixiang, Iâve had enough!â She yelled, whacking the kneeling woman repeatedly.
âSun Juxiang, you bitch!â Sun Guixiang, surprisingly nimble, stood and avoided the broom. Brandishing her fist, she confronted his attacker. âI took you in, gave you a job! Yet you stole my opportunity and suppressed me everywhere. Today, Iâll beat you to death!â
The guards from both sides immediately intervened, ushering Zhou Ying to safety. They watched as the two women brawled fiercely, seemingly on the verge of killing each other.
Intrigued, Mingyu asked a nearby snack vendor, âUncle, whatâs going on? Why are they fighting, and why doesnât anyone stop them?â
The vendor shook his head. âNasty business. Anyone who tries to intervene with the sisters gets blackmailed. So, nobody bothers anymore.â
âSisters?â Mingyu queried, surprised.
âCousin sisters, I heard,â the vendor explained. âThey just canât stand each other anymore.â
âWhat happened?â Zhou Ying inquired.
âSun Guixiang, a widow related to a temple maid, started selling incense here after the templeâs renovations. When Sun Juxiang, childless and evicted, came along, Sun Guixiang took her in and got a job selling incense. They lived well together.
âThe trouble began last year. Shops were built at the mountainâs foot, and a fight erupted when they tried to buy a shop as it first came first served.
âThey agreed to open a shop together, but after the New Year, Sun Guixiang hooked up with an old man and wanted to go solo, employing her cousin. Sun Juxiang refused, and the old man bought a shop solely for her, shutting Sun Guixiang out. Thatâs how the feud started. People tried to mediate, but they wouldnât listen. Now, nobody cares.â
Zhou Ying frowned. âWhat about the old man? Canât he do anything?â
âHavenât seen him since they bought the shop. Probably busy elsewhere.â
Concerned about the commotion, Zhou Ying ordered two guards to stop the fight. She addressed the women directly, âDonât you fear disturbing the Mother God and incurring her wrath? Continue this chaos, and youâll face consequences..â