The four-year-old girl, though better cared for than before, remained thin and small.
Usually diligent, this child never slacked in gathering firewood or foraging mountain goods, even outperforming adults.
Though everyone knew poor children mature early, such a sensible child inevitably evoked extra sympathy.
Moreover, this child had already lost her father, and now her mother was being slandered…
What a tragedy!
Third Grandma Tang helped Tang Tian up and shielded her beside herself, “Get up, child, get up! Let me see who dares to harm our Tang Family’s daughter-in-law today, who wants to leave our Tang Family’s children motherless!”
Third Grandma Tang’s face turned iron-gray as she slammed her cane heavily, completely ignoring Zhang Shitou’s wife’s swollen face, and sternly demanded.
“Zhang Family’s wife, stop pretending to be dead! Get up and explain clearly—how exactly has our Tang Family offended you? If this isn’t resolved today, I’ll be the first to hang myself at your doorstep! Once the rumor about the Tang daughter-in-law seducing men spreads, none of our hundred-strong Tang Family, young or old, will have the face to live!”
Everyone else, including the young wives who had earlier gossiped together, felt their hearts sink.
In these times, a woman’s reputation meant everything!
If such gossip truly spread, the entire Tang Family would suffer—no daughter from their clan would ever marry well again!
Instantly, everyone’s expressions darkened.
“Third Grandma, it’s not that serious, not that serious!” Zhang Shitou, lean as a monkey, had been hiding behind the crowd but grew frightened at this scene.
He hurried forward, bowing and scraping to apologize to Third Grandma Tang, then nudged his wife with his foot, scolding, “Get up and apologize! Always spouting nonsense—just wait till I beat you dead when we get home!”
His wife, initially somewhat afraid after being caught gossiping, now faced universal disgust and her husband’s betrayal. Enraged, she scrambled up from the ground and shrieked.
“Why should I apologize? Why scold me? That Li Qiushuang is vile, seducing men—what’s wrong with saying a few words! What did I say that was untrue…”
Li Qiushuang gritted her teeth in fury, stepping forward to smash the woman’s mouth, but someone moved faster—landing two heavy slaps that sent Zhang Shitou’s wife spitting out two teeth!
Tang Chuan, putting too much force into the blow, nearly collapsed along with Zhang Shitou’s wife, one hand clutching his chest, clearly overwhelmed by rage and exhaustion.
“Say one more word about my mother, and I’ll… fight you to the death!”
His face flushed crimson, but his words were ice-cold, terrifying Zhang Shitou’s wife into stunned silence.
Zhang Second Grandpa quickly stepped forward to support Tang Chuan, frowning as he rebuked the Zhang couple, “Have you nothing better to do than stir up trouble? Chuan Ge’er’s mother struggles to raise three children—how hard her life is! Instead of helping, you bully her!”
“Don’t you play the saint here!” Zhang Shitou’s wife, in pain and indignation, threw caution to the wind, screeching, “It was your family’s old lady who said it first! She claimed Li Qiushuang bought a cartload of sieves and pottery basins—must be cozy with the grocer, covering for him!”
Second Grandma Li stood behind her children and grandchildren, immediately dragged out by the furious old man. She was also frightened, waving her hands while defending herself, “I didn’t say that! I only said it must be because the grocery store sold them cheap…”
But though she said this, anyone with half a brain could tell she was the source of the rumor!
Second Grandpa Li and his descendants flushed with shame, as if they’d been slapped across the face.
Zhang Shitou’s wife seized the opportunity to press her advantage.
“You all called me loose-tongued, but which of you hasn’t gossiped behind others’ backs? Now you’re pushing all the blame on me! Hmph, none of you are any good!”
Second Grandma Li grew panicked, afraid of being beaten by her husband when they returned home. Gathering her courage, she redirected the accusation toward Li Qiushuang.
“Qiushuang, you should know better too. Why can’t you just live quietly? What do you need so many sieves and pottery basins for! Anyone who sees them would naturally wonder, thinking you and the grocery shop…”
“Shut your mouth!” Second Grandpa Li raised his hand to strike her, but was restrained by his children and grandchildren.
Li Qiushuang hadn’t wanted to reveal their family business too soon, but now that she was forced into the spotlight, if she didn’t explain clearly, she wouldn’t be able to shake off the accusation of adultery…
She couldn’t help glancing at her daughter, clearly hoping she would take charge.
Tang Tian wasn’t troubled in the least—she had originally intended to rally the villagers to their cause.
So now, she hugged Third Grandma Tang and cried out with childlike innocence, “My mother didn’t do anything bad! She bought the sieves to grow bean sprouts! We eat the bean sprouts as vegetables, and sell them for money to treat my brother’s illness and buy me new dresses!”
The crowd didn’t understand but didn’t know where to begin questioning.
Meanwhile, Tang Tian had already run to her mother’s side and asked in her clear young voice, “Mother, didn’t you say you were afraid to sell bean sprouts in the city? Could we ask Second Grandpa and Third Grandma to go with us? Second Grandpa and Third Grandma are so impressive—the city people wouldn’t dare cheat them!”
Feeling more confident, Li Qiushuang nodded and said, “Li Er Shu, San Bó Niáng, we need money for Chuan Ge’er’s medicine and treatments, and now Hai Ge’er has started acupuncture too—the expenses are considerable. So I’ve been growing some bean sprouts, hoping to sell them. Those sieves and pottery basins are for growing bean sprouts, which is why I bought so many.”
“The day after tomorrow, I need to take the children to the city for medical consultation and treatment, and plan to sell bean sprouts along the way. If you could help bolster our courage, the children and I would be endlessly grateful!”
Second Grandpa Li, already ashamed of his wife’s loose tongue, immediately agreed.
“Alright, I’ll bring my eldest and fourth son to help pull the cart.”
Third Grandma Tang also nodded, her face stern as she responded, “I’ll go along too! I want to see who dares look down on a Tang Family daughter-in-law working honestly to support her children! When the truth comes out, if anyone still dares spread rumors, I’ll smash their foul mouths!”
The young wives all lowered their heads, and Zhang Shitou’s wife winced in pain but didn’t dare make another sound.
Thus the matter was settled. Li Qiushuang took her three children home and guarded the bean sprouts in the cellar as if they were her own eyes, wishing she could sleep beside them.
Now, these bean sprouts represented not just hope for her family’s livelihood, but also her means to clear her tarnished name!
Time flowed on, days and nights passing in succession.
Early that morning, the first snow had already accumulated two fingers deep on the ground. Mischievous children, bare-headed, were running wildly across the courtyard, completely oblivious to the adults’ grim faces as they worried about how the winter’s harsh cold might claim several lives in their households.
Second Grandpa Li arrived early at the Tang Family’s doorstep with his two sons. Li Qiushuang deliberately delayed for a while, trimming the roots off the final sieve of bean sprouts in their presence, briefly removing the bean heads, then neatly arranging them into baskets before wrapping them in an old cotton quilt.
The plump, tender white bean sprouts won the Li father and sons’ affection almost the moment they were unveiled.