7 – Be Tougher, Prove Your Innocence
Though Taohua was small in stature, her back was ramrod straight, and her eyes gleamed with ferocity.
Moreover, the bloodstain was originally a symbol of a girl’s purity, and now that she had presented the evidence, there was nothing left for the crowd to question.
Standing behind her, Sun Xiao Lan even began to praise her outright: “Well done, Taohua! You’ve grown some backbone. Shut this old venomous woman up and see what she’ll use to spread rumors about you in the future!”
Aunt Tao in the village had never gotten along with Granny Wang, and now, seeing Granny Wang humiliated, she was grinning from ear to ear.
She took the lead in spitting at Granny Wang: “Look at our Granny Wang, with a face as thick as a city wall and a tongue as long as they come. I was wondering why she kept picking on Taohua—turns out she had such filthy schemes in mind, trying to take revenge on the poor girl.
Well, now it’s different. The girl was unmarried before and couldn’t prove her innocence. But now it’s different—her husband has vouched for her. Oh my, some people’s old faces have really been torn off and left for others to trample on.”
As she spoke, Aunt Tao spat fiercely on the ground twice.
Granny Wang’s slander against Taohua had been baseless from the start, and now, rendered speechless by Taohua, she was seething with pent-up anger.
With Aunt Tao now joining in, Granny Wang flew into an even greater rage, rolling up her sleeves as if ready for a fight.
Granny Wang was stout and sturdy, while Aunt Tao was thin and frail. If a fight broke out, Aunt Tao would likely come out worse for wear.
Sun Xiao Lan’s family had always been on good terms with Aunt Tao, and since she had no fondness for Granny Wang either, she came up with a plan.
Before Granny Wang could make a move, Sun Xiao Lan kicked over the wooden basin containing Granny Wang’s clothes.
The clothes fell into the river and were quickly carried away by the current.
Only after the clothes had drifted far away did Sun Xiao Lan start shouting: “Oh no! Whose clothes are these? They’ve been washed away by the river! Such fine fabric—what a shame to lose it to the water!”
The moment Granny Wang heard the words “fine fabric,” she immediately looked down at her feet.
At the sight, she was stunned. Slapping her thigh hard, she cried, “Those are mine, my family’s clothes!”
She bent down, using a wooden club to fish for the clothes in the river. Though she managed to retrieve a couple of pieces nearby, the rest drifted away with the current.
Granny Wang had no choice. She couldn’t afford to lose the clothes, especially in the middle of winter, so she took off her shoes and waded into the water to retrieve them.
As she ran through the river, she wailed in panic.
She was a gossipy, sharp-tongued woman who had offended many people over the years.
So even when others saw her clothes floating past them, they couldn’t be bothered to help. Instead, they secretly rejoiced, thinking, “Serves the old hag right!”
Aunt Tao had finally vented her anger today. After calming down, she brought her own clothes over to Taohua’s side to wash.
As she scrubbed the clothes, she said to Taohua, “You’re a brave one. Usually, you keep to yourself, but yesterday you were bold and fierce. Being a stepdaughter is truly tough—after all, he’s not your real father and won’t truly care for you.
If you had resisted earlier, as long as you were still in that household, you would have suffered even more. Not only would you have suffered, but your mother might have faced hardship too. But now it’s better—you’re married, you have your own home, and you can speak with confidence. Especially since you don’t have any in-laws to serve above you.”
“But Taohua, you must remember, all this confidence comes from your husband. You can put on a stern face among the womenfolk, but when you return home, you still need to be gentle. That’s what makes people like you, understand?”
Aunt Tao had spoken many heartfelt words in one go. Sun Xiao Lan nudged Taohua’s arm beside her: “Did you hear that? Aunt Tao is teaching you. Auntie has relied on this trick to stay on good terms with Uncle for decades.”
“You little Sun girl!” Aunt Tao glared at Sun Xiao Lan. “You really dare say anything. Your Uncle Tao and I are an old married couple—saying things like that makes my old face burn with shame.”
“My mother and father really are good together, what’s there to be ashamed of?” The Tao family daughter-in-law beside Sun Xiao Lan also leaned out halfway, taking the initiative to speak to Taohua.
In the past, Taohua had a weak temperament. Since childhood, she had always watched Chen Dashan and the Chen family’s expressions. Even when coming to the river to wash clothes, she didn’t dare speak much with others—except for Sun Xiao Lan.
Back then, she always kept her head down, and others weren’t inclined to approach her either.
But now she was no longer the Chen family’s stepdaughter; she was the Qin family’s daughter-in-law. She held her head high, chest out, full of confidence, and her relationships with everyone had improved!
This river had always been the gathering place for the women of Baiyun Village. Before, she felt the liveliness of this riverside gathering had nothing to do with her, but today, she was enjoying herself.
However, right in the middle of chatting, Taohua suddenly put down the bedsheet and stood up.
Sun Xiao Lan, curious, asked her: “What’s wrong?”
Taohua frowned slightly: “I saw my younger sister, but she’s alone.”
“Ah? You mean Xiao Guo? How could your mother let her come alone?”
“I don’t know either. I’ll go check.”
“Alright, go quickly.”
Not long after, Taohua returned leading her younger sister, Chen Xiao Guo.
Seeing Chen Xiao Guo still holding a basin of clothes, Sun Xiao Lan asked what was going on.
Taohua explained quietly: “My mother used washing clothes as a pretext to go to my house. She was afraid Chen Dashan would find out, so she had Xiao Guo come wash clothes first while she went to my house alone.”
Sun Xiao Lan understood immediately and said with a smile: “Your mother must be bringing you something. She probably knows in her heart that your husband spent all his savings to marry you.
Since you’ve cut ties with Chen Dashan and can’t return to your maiden home, she can only go find you herself. Alright, you hurry back. Let Xiao Guo wash clothes beside me; I’ll watch her for you.”
Taohua nodded: “Thank you, Xiao Lan.”
“Hey, what’s there to thank between sisters? Hurry up, let’s wring out this bedsheet together.”
Taohua’s bedsheet was almost washed; it just needed one more rinse and wringing out.
By the time Taohua hurriedly rushed home, Mrs. Zhou had already arrived.
Mrs. Zhou seemed to have just arrived not long ago. Seeing the locks on Taohua’s door, she grew somewhat anxious, picked up the basket she had placed on the ground, and was about to head toward the kitchen.
Taohua saw her from afar and immediately quickened her pace.
She said excitedly: “Mother, I’m here!”
…………
Taohua unlocked the door and welcomed Mrs. Zhou into her home.
“Mother, we don’t have cups at home, only bowls. Let me pour you a bowl of water.”
“No need, no need,” Mrs. Zhou said, seeing the basin Taohua had brought back. “Hang the bedsheet to dry first. I’ll help you.”
“That won’t do. Mother has come to my home—how can I let you work?”
“Silly girl, can’t your mother just feel for you?” Mrs. Zhou said, wiping the corner of her eye. “When I came earlier and saw your door locked, I thought you two newlyweds had gone somewhere. It worried me sick.”
“I went to the river to wash clothes. What were you worried about?”
“Afraid you’d left.” Mrs. Zhou sighed. “Last night when you weren’t home, my heart felt empty, especially unaccustomed. And Qin Feng is from out of town. Seeing your door locked today, I thought you’d left this place.”
While mother and daughter talked, they finished hanging the bedsheet to dry.
Taohua thought for a moment, then told Mrs. Zhou about what had happened at the river earlier that day.
Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou’s eyes reddened again.
“Good girl, you’ve suffered so much before. You’ve been strong-willed since you were little, I’ve always known that. I also know all these years, for me to live well in the Chen family, you’ve swallowed your pride everywhere, wronging yourself. Now you have your own home, and you’ve cut ties with him as father and daughter. Your good days are ahead. Only…”
Mrs. Zhou glanced around the room. “Your house is too simple. There’s not even a fence in the yard. Forget about comfort, is it safe at night? Have you asked Qin Feng how much savings the family still has?”
Taohua shook her head, whispering, “Mother, yesterday was my first day of marriage, there were many things. Besides, he brought so many things to the Chen family, how could there be anything left?”
Mrs. Zhou sighed. “Yes, I know that too.”
As she spoke, she placed the basket she had brought in front of Taohua. “There are over a dozen eggs here, and a little rice and oil. Take them for now.”
Taohua shook her head. “No, if Chen Dashan finds out, it won’t be good. I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”
“Don’t worry, I secretly saved these eggs. He won’t notice if a little oil is missing. Just take them, it’s a small token of my heart for you both.”
Just as they were speaking, a sudden commotion came from outside.
Judging by the sound, it was quite a disturbance.
Taohua immediately frowned. “Could it be Chen Dashan coming to find us?”