nashuaworldcup Chapter 32: The last path was blocked.
Chapter 32: The last path was blocked.
As she spoke, she also pounded her own head with her hand, putting on quite an enthusiastic performance.
"What did you remember?" Li Xianglian pressed, relentlessly pressing her and giving her no chance to catch her breath.
"Xiaoyun... Xiaoyun isn't lost!"
Aunt Zhao gritted her teeth, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between them. "Last night, Xiaoyun told me that her cousin from her aunt's family was getting engaged today, and she wanted to go to the county town to join in the fun and buy some things. I was half asleep then, so I just agreed. But this morning, my mind wasn't clear, and I completely forgot about it! Oh dear, I'm so senile, so very senile!"
So that's how it's written?
Li Xianglian cursed the old fox inwardly, but on the surface she pretended to be relieved, patting her chest and letting out a long sigh: "Oh dear, so she went to Aunt's house in the county town! Mother, you really scared me to death. I thought something bad had happened to our family. Now that Xiaoyun is alright, we can rest assured."
She turned around and bowed deeply to the villagers who had gathered to watch the commotion. "Dear uncles and aunts, I'm so sorry to have made you all worry. My mother was just missing her daughter so much that she was obsessed, and on top of that, she's getting old and her memory isn't what it used to be, so she caused this whole misunderstanding. Everyone, please disperse. I'll have Gangzi come back another day and apologize to everyone in person."
These words were so well-chosen that they not only humiliated Aunt Zhao but also placed the speaker on a moral high ground.
When the villagers heard this, although they felt that the matter was a bit strange, they did not investigate it further.
After all, even her own mother said she's fine, so what can outsiders say?
"Alright, alright, it's good that you're alright."
"That old woman Zhao, she shouldn't be so jumpy in the future, she's scaring people to death."
"Let's go, let's go, there's still work to be done in the fields."
The group shook their heads and dispersed in twos and threes.
Seeing this, Sun Laowai wiped the cold sweat from his brow and slunk away into the crowd without even daring to look back.
Instead of enjoying the excitement, they got themselves into a mess.
Liu Chunhua stood under the sun, her polyester shirt stained black and yellow, and her trousers were covered in chicken droppings that hadn't been wiped off. The sour, stinky smell hit her right in the face, making her feel nauseous.
She stared intently at Li Xianglian's retreating figure as she helped Aunt Zhao into the house, her molars practically grinding to powder.
I originally thought that today I would see this scumbag ruined, be scorned by the whole village, and finally be driven out of the Red Star Brigade like a stray dog.
As long as Li Xianglian rolls away, Qin Rushan will be her meat in her bowl.
But who would have thought that in the end, all the blame would be placed on that old hag Zhao, while Li Xianglian would become the dutiful daughter-in-law who suffered injustice but still put the overall situation first!
"Pah! What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty!"
Liu Chunhua spat fiercely, ignoring the people around her, and started cursing, "A whole family of drama queens, making a fool of the whole village! I don't believe Zhao Xiaoyun really went to visit relatives; it's probably just a cover-up, and who knows what kind of filthy secret is hidden underneath!"
"Hey, Chunhua, watch your mouth."
Aunt Wang, who was carrying a vegetable basket nearby, couldn't stand it anymore and frowned as she chimed in, "Xianglian has done everything she could for this family. You saw how she scraped her knees trying to save Granny Zhao. Why are you, a young woman, acting like a gossipy old woman?"
Aunt Wang was known throughout the village for her kind heart, and she couldn't stand the way the Zhao family mother and daughter were constantly finding ways to torment Li Xianglian.
Seeing Li Xianglian suffer so much and still be slandered by Liu Chunhua today, my anger flared up instantly.
"Me, a gossip?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Chunhua's pent-up anger finally found an outlet. Her phoenix eyes narrowed, and she pointed at Aunt Wang's nose, launching into a tirade: "I think you're just blind! That Li Xianglian has a seductive vixen face, and she walks with her hips swaying like she's on springs. Only blind people like you would think she's good! She's not saying she has nothing to say; she's just feeling guilty!"
"How can you talk like that, child?"
Aunt Wang's face darkened, and she slammed her shopping basket on the ground. "People are good-looking because their parents gave them good looks. What, does being good-looking make you a vixen? And you, who looks like a steamed bun, are a decent person?"
The women around, who hadn't quite dispersed yet, burst out laughing.
Liu Chunhua was so angry that her face turned red and her neck bulged. She stomped her feet and screamed, "Who are you calling a dumpling?! My dad is the Party Secretary! Believe me or not, I'll have my dad deduct your family's work points!"
"Oh, oh, oh, so you're trying to intimidate me with your dad's influence, huh?"
Aunt Wang wasn't buying it at all. She put her hands on her hips, her fighting spirit instantly exploding. "So what if he's the Party Secretary? Does being the Party Secretary's daughter give you the right to smear people like that? You should take a good look at yourself in the mirror. You're always hanging around the Qin family's doorstep, has Qin Rushan ever even given you a second glance?"
This statement really hit Liu Chunhua where it hurt.
She froze, her face a fascinating mix of emotions, turning from red to white, then white to blue, as if a dye shop had been opened.
Aunt Wang had no intention of holding back. She took a step forward, spitting as she spoke: "Who in the whole village doesn't know your scheming ways? You're always dressed in red and green and loitering outside the Qin family's courtyard. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were going to put on a show!"
Qin Rushan would rather help Xianglian, a widow living a life of hardship, than pay any attention to you, an unmarried young woman. Don't you have any self-awareness? And you're still being sarcastic about Xianglian; I think you're just jealous! Jealous that she's prettier than you, jealous that she's more popular with men than you!"
"You...you old hag!"
Liu Chunhua was so shocked by the rebuke that she trembled all over. Her hand, which was pointing at Aunt Wang, shook as if she had Parkinson's disease, and she couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
The women around them, always eager for a good show, covered their mouths and muttered amongst themselves.
"Aunt Wang is telling the truth. Qin Rushan is known for having very high standards. Why would he be interested in her?"
"That's right. I just saw her being turned away at the Qin family's door. Now she's coming to cause trouble for Xianglian. It's really shameful."
The whispers and comments felt like needles pricking Liu Chunhua's ears.
She felt like everyone's eyes were peeling her skin off, mocking her overestimation of her abilities.
She really couldn't stay in this place any longer.
"Fine! You just wait! This isn't over!"
Liu Chunhua threw down a harsh but innocuous remark, covered her face, turned and ran, her feet seemingly oiled, as if afraid that if she was a step too slow she would be drowned by the mocking laughter.
Aunt Wang watched her flee in a disheveled manner, then spat angrily on the ground: "What a piece of trash! Thinking she's something special? Doesn't she know who's going to eat her with sauce?!"
She bent down to pick up the vegetable basket, sighed at the tightly closed gate of the Zhao family, shook her head, and walked away.
Xianglian's life is truly miserable. She's stuck with such a family, and she also has to guard against mad dogs outside. Her days are probably going to be even harder to endure.
Meanwhile, inside the main room of the Zhao family's house...
In the blink of an eye, the once noisy Zhao family courtyard was reduced to just the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and Tiger, who was crying on the ground until his voice was hoarse.
Aunt Zhao slumped to the ground, staring at the empty gate, looking as if all her energy had been drained away.
She knew that once she said those words, she wouldn't be able to openly look for Xiaoyun anymore.
She personally blocked the last path to finding her daughter.
"Mother," Li Xianglian walked up to her, looking down at her, "Since Xiaoyun has gone to the county town to enjoy life, you shouldn't sit on the ground here. The ground is cold, don't catch a cold and get sick, then I won't be able to explain it to Gangzi when he comes back."
Aunt Zhao suddenly raised her head, her cloudy old eyes flashing with venomous resentment, as if she wanted to devour someone: "Li Xianglian! You little slut! You just wait! This isn't over!"
"Mother, this is not over yet."
Li Xianglian's voice was soft, yet more biting than the wind of the coldest winter: "This is just the beginning. You'd better pray that Xiaoyun is having a good time at that 'aunt's house,' otherwise, aren't you afraid she'll come back to haunt you in the dead of night?"