Old Mrs. Jiang’s narrow, upturned eyes were filled with disbelief.
“How dare you lay hands on me?”
Zhou Xiaomai knew that in this world, the word “filial piety” could crush a person to death.
She would have to live in this world from now on, so she must adapt to local customs.
Even if she despised it, she couldn’t openly defy filial piety.
“Grandma, what are you talking about? Wasn’t it you who went crazy for money and told me to go make trouble at the Han family? I refused for the sake of the Zhou family’s reputation, and you got so angry you tried to hit me. Then, in your excitement, you lost your footing and fell, didn’t you?”
Zhou Xiaomai deliberately raised her voice so the villagers peeking in from outside could hear.
“Grandma, we can’t behave like this. Even if it’s for money, even if you don’t care about our family’s reputation, you still have to think about the entire Zhou clan. Our clan has a scholar in it. If this blows up, even he will lose face.”
In this world, there was collective honor and clan honor.
The Zhou family was a prominent clan in the village, and the village itself was even named after them. Once collective honor was involved, it was no longer just a family matter.
Sure enough, upon hearing Zhou Xiaomai’s words, the onlookers immediately grew displeased. One by one, they pushed open the fence gate and walked into the yard, scolding Old Mrs. Jiang from the courtyard toward the main hall.
“Aunt Jiang, how you schemed with the Han family back then—who doesn’t know about it? Now that Xiaomai has been divorced and sent back home, her reputation is already in tatters. If you make her shamelessly go cause trouble at the Han family again, how will others look at our Zhou clan?”
The first to speak was a woman named Zhao Hongmei, known for her bluntness.
She had two daughters at home. If Zhou Xiaomai’s situation wasn’t handled properly, it could affect her own daughters’ marriage prospects in the future.
“Exactly! Usually, everyone minds their own business behind closed doors. But if anyone disregards the reputation of the entire Zhou clan, we’ll go to the village chief and the clan elders to have them driven out of the village and struck from the clan register!”
Old Mrs. Jiang leaned against the doorframe, panting heavily, still thinking about how to tear Zhou Xiaomai’s mouth apart. But upon hearing the indignant voices in the yard, she was so furious she felt her blood rushing to her head.
She pointed viciously at Zhou Xiaomai. “I’ll deal with you, you little wench, when I get back!”
Then, Old Mrs. Jiang walked out of the main hall and began spewing venom at the villagers in the yard.
“You’re like a dog catching mice—meddling in others’ business! Zhou Xiaomai is my granddaughter. Whatever I tell her to do, she has to do it. Who are you to gossip?”
Zhao Hongmei had never gotten along with Lu Hui, Old Mrs. Jiang’s eldest daughter-in-law, and by extension, her relationship with Old Mrs. Jiang’s family wasn’t good either.
Their houses were separated by two other families. They saw each other every day, but either they didn’t speak, or when they did, their words were sharp and barbed.
This time, Zhao Hongmei didn’t hold back at all with Old Mrs. Jiang.
“Aunt Jiang, if you want to ruin your own granddaughter for money, we can’t stop you. But if you want to ruin the reputation of all the Zhou clan’s daughters, we won’t stand for it!”
Everyone nodded in agreement. “Yes, that’s exactly right!”
Old Mrs. Jiang spat viciously at Zhao Hongmei. “Don’t you stir up trouble here! You were green with envy when my Zhou Xiaomai married the son of Squire Han, weren’t you?”
Zhao Hongmei spat back at Old Mrs. Jiang. “Bah! Envy you for selling your granddaughter for twenty taels of betrothal money, marrying her off to a sick old man without caring if she lived or died? Heaven sees what people do. Those who are wicked will come to no good end!”
Old Mrs. Jiang didn’t feel the slightest shame at being accused of selling her granddaughter. If it really came down to it, those words could be used to condemn too many people.
“You’re more full of it than a bucket! What, which family in the village doesn’t accept bride price when marrying off a daughter? Or are you saying your Zhao family’s two daughters won’t accept any when they get engaged later? I bet both your daughters combined aren’t worth as much as my Zhou Xiaomai. Can’t have it, so you’re just sour grapes here, aren’t you?”
Zhao Hongmei was about to retort when she heard the voice of Zhou Xiaomai’s father, Zhou Xiang, coming from the outer courtyard.
“Why are there so many people at my house today? What’s going on here?”
Everyone turned to look at Zhou Xiang.
Not only had the third branch returned, but the first branch couple had also come back.
Old Mrs. Jiang’s family was large. The first branch, Zhou Ji and Lu Hui, had three sons. Currently with them was the youngest third son, ten-year-old Zhou Jiwang.
The eldest, Zhou Jiye, had taken his wife and children to his in-laws’ place to help with the busy farming season.
The second son, Zhou Jizu, was working in the county town.
As for the third branch, Zhou Xiang and Liu Caixia were accompanied by their other two daughters.
Fifteen-year-old second daughter Zhou Xiaomin and eleven-year-old third daughter Zhou Xiaodong.
They all held farming tools, their clothes covered in wheat awns, clearly having just returned from harvesting wheat.
Zhao Hongmei said, “Zhou Xiang, you’re back just in time. Your Xiaomai has been divorced by the Han family. Your mother still wants to force Xiaomai to go to the Han family and make a scene, demanding money from them. As her father, you must stand up for your daughter now that you’re back.”
For the third branch, this news was like a bolt from the blue.
Especially for Liu Caixia, whose tears instantly fell as she wept for her unfortunate daughter.
“Xiaomai… divorced? What will my Xiaomai do now? How will she hold her head up?”
Old Mrs. Jiang sharply scolded Liu Caixia: “Shut your mouth! Even professional mourners aren’t as quick as you!”
Liu Caixia immediately fell silent, turning to quietly wipe her tears.
Zhou Xiang frowned and asked, “Where is Xiaomai?”
Old Mrs. Jiang said, “In the main hall!”
Without paying attention to the people in the courtyard, Zhou Xiang first strode into the house.
For the third branch, it felt like the sky had fallen.
The first branch also wore worried expressions. After all, Zhou Xiaomai had received monthly silver from the Han family. She had food and drink and hardly spent any money herself, sending back three to five hundred copper coins to the family every month.
Now that she was divorced, who would send money back regularly and punctually?
Lu Hui quickly pulled Old Mrs. Jiang aside and asked quietly, “Mother, didn’t you teach Xiaomai before that if the Han family ever considered divorcing her, she should make a scene?”
Mentioning this made Old Mrs. Jiang furious.
“That worthless girl was tied up and sent back by the Han family today.”
“Did the Han family give any money?”
“If they had given money, would I be this angry?”
Lu Hui stamped her foot: “What are we going to do? Our family relies on farming the land for food, with no other sources of income. Are we supposed to sew our mouths shut from now on?”
If the other party weren’t someone they couldn’t afford to provoke, Lu Hui would have gone to make a scene herself.
Old Mrs. Jiang thought for a moment, feeling this matter couldn’t be left like this. After disciplining Zhou Xiaomai, she would still have to force her to go to the Han family and demand money.
Old Mrs. Jiang turned and headed toward the main hall. With more urgent matters at hand, she had no time to continue quarreling with Zhao Hongmei.
Such matters were ultimately disgraceful. Zhou Ji addressed the watching villagers: “We’ve made a spectacle for everyone.”
Zhao Hongmei taunted, “Being a spectacle is one thing, but don’t drag our entire Zhou family into disgrace, making it hard for our daughters to find good marriages!”
Zhou Ji always found it difficult to argue with a woman. Lu Hui’s mind wasn’t on Zhao Hongmei either; normally, she would have been the first to clash with Zhao Hongmei.
Zhou Ji put on an apologetic smile: “Everyone, please go back for your midday meal. We just returned from the fields and don’t yet know what exactly happened.”
Some men also reminded Zhou Ji before leaving: “Jizi, you are after all the eldest son of this family. Don’t be too harsh. Xiaomai is truly pitiful—don’t push her any further.”
What could Zhou Ji say?
He was just the uncle. With Zhou Xiang present, it wasn’t his place to make the final decision.