“As for the things your family lost, your father will handle that.
Why is a child like you meddling in adult matters? You’d better think about where you’re going to sleep tonight.” He pointed toward Lin Dayong’s house.
Lin Dayong’s house had always been a mud-brick structure. With so many people crowding in to watch the spectacle, even the door panels had fallen down, and two of the windows were broken and drafty. Who knew what kind of mindset the thief had stealing things was one thing, but why dismantle the windows too?
Lin Yinyin was a grown girl now. Sleeping alone at night in such an exposed house would be improper.
The brigade leader’s gaze then fell on Old Lady Lin. “Your family will take Lin Yinyin in.”
“No!”
Old Lady Lin had just freed her mouth from Old Man Lin’s “iron grip” when she shrieked, “That girl is born with a lone-star cursed fate! I refuse to take her in!”
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.
Whether she was grieving over Lin Baogui or suffocating from having her mouth covered, she sat on the ground wiping her tears and wailed, “It’s her! It must be her fault!
When she was born, her own grandfather died!
At three, she sent her grandmother to the grave!
At six, she cursed her uncle into the ground!
At nine, she buried her own father!
At fourteen, she sent her mother to the Yellow Springs!
And now she’s ruined my grandson’s future!
Ahhh! Who would dare bring such a jinx into their home?”
Lin Yinyin: “…”
The old lady sure had a way with rhymes.
But counting it up… it did sound rather ominous.
Some villagers who hadn’t gone far nodded in agreement.
One lowered his voice. “Isn’t that so? Even though we’re not supposed to believe in feudal superstition anymore, everyone in the village knows about Lin Yinyin’s ‘curse.’ She brings misfortune to her father, her mother, the whole family. Only Lin Dayong’s fate was strong enough to dare keep her at home.”
Another aunt chimed in, “Isn’t that why Lin Xiulan secretly stuck needles in her to suppress the curse?
Whenever we ran into Lin Yinyin, we’d instinctively keep half a meter away, afraid of catching bad luck.”
Before the murmurs died down, frantic shouting suddenly came from the village entrance.
“Fire! There’s a fire! The east end of the village is on fire!”
Everyone looked up and saw thick black smoke billowing from Old Man Lin’s house.
“Ah! Old Man Lin’s house is on fire!”
“Put it out! Hurry!”
The villagers instantly fell into chaos.
Old Lady Lin trembled violently. “My house!”
Then she pointed at Lin Yinyin. “You passed by my house just now, and now it’s on fire! It’s because of you! You did this!”
Lin Yinyin: “……”
By sheer coincidence, the old lady had guessed the truth.
In an instant, everyone stepped even farther away from Lin Yinyin.
Lin Yinyin: “……”
That’s a bit much.
She had passed by many houses on her way down the mountain why hadn’t anything happened to them?
Before she could speak, the brigade leader said, “Lin Yinyin, go stay in the cowshed at the village entrance for one night. When your house is repaired, you can return.”
Lin Yinyin lowered her head, looking obedient and compliant, and answered softly, “Okay.”
Lin Dani opened her mouth as if to speak but closed it again.
She wanted to say the cowshed wasn’t fit for a person to live in, but her father tugged her sharply.
“Don’t say anything. That girl’s a plague star! Haven’t you seen how anyone who gets near her ends up unlucky? Let’s go!”
Lin Dani cast a reluctant glance at Lin Yinyin. Lin Yinyin shook her head at her.
“Put out the fire! Hurry!”
“What are you all standing around for? The granary isn’t far from Old Man Lin’s house. If the fire spreads, this winter’s grain supply will be gone!”
So the villagers who had been watching the drama all rushed off to fight the fire.
Lin Yinyin stood alone.
Truthfully, she could have been even harsher. Stealing from the granary wasn’t impossible.
But she had principles. Taking revenge on the entire village was a bit too much.
Still, why hadn’t the fire at the brigade leader’s house caught?
Had she made a mistake?
She wanted to go back and check, but she needed to hurry to Wangjia Village to see whether her “stepmother” had already entered the bridal chamber.
(What Lin Yinyin didn’t know was that the fire she’d set had already been extinguished. Had she known earlier, she definitely wouldn’t have married Li Jinye so readily later.)
One hour earlier.
Wang Erhua had ridden a donkey cart to Wangjia Village.
At noon, cooking smoke curled above the village. Wang Dagen’s house was especially lively today. A red silk ribbon hung at the courtyard gate, and aunts and relatives crowded at the entrance chatting and laughing.
As soon as the donkey cart stopped, Wang Erhua jumped down with a bamboo basket in hand, her face full of bright smiles. “Oh! Dagen’s mother, congratulations! Such a big happy occasion why didn’t you let me know earlier? Good thing I passed by and saw it. I hurried over to share in the joy!”
Wang Dagen’s mother, Wang Fen, was so busy her feet barely touched the ground. When she spotted the ten plump eggs nestled in the basket, her eyes lit up.
Ten eggs were a generous gift in these times. She didn’t bother asking questions and immediately grabbed the basket. “Erhua, that’s so thoughtful of you! Come inside, sit! We just steamed coarse-grain pancakes eat as much as you like!”
Wang Erhua didn’t mind. The eggs had been given to her by Lin Yinyin as a “ticket” to watch the show.
She handed over the basket and pretended to look puzzled. “By the way, Wang Fen, I noticed the bride’s been unconscious the whole way here. Do you think she’s ill? Maybe you should take a look?”
Wang Daqiang, standing nearby, quickly leaned close to Wang Fen and repeated in a low voice what Lin Yinyin had told him about drugging her and stuffing her mouth.
Wang Fen felt uneasy hearing that. She hadn’t even minded that the girl was rumored to be cursed, yet the girl dared to look down on her son first. Good thing Lin Xiulan had drugged her otherwise, if she caused a scene, it would be troublesome. The last one had made too much of a fuss.
While Wang Fen was silently cursing Lin Yinyin, she saw Wang Erhua pretending to lift the bridal veil to inspect the bride.
“Wang Erhua, get away from her! My daughter-in-law my son hasn’t even seen her yet. Don’t touch!”
“Daya, come help!”
Mother and daughter each took an arm and led the “bride” into the courtyard.
A light breeze blew, tilting the red veil aside and revealing half a face. Wang Erhua quickly helped adjust it and leaned close to Wang Fen with a smile. “I’ll help too! Let’s get the bride inside!”
Originally there should have been a full wedding ceremony, but Wang Fen feared complications and dragged the unconscious bride straight into the room.
Inside, Wang Dagen sat cross-legged on the kang bed, grinning foolishly and chanting, “Wife… sweet…”
Seeing this, Wang Erhua deliberately teased, “Your only son finally got himself a wife. But Dagen… is he capable in that regard?”
“Of course he is! Before, Dagen once” Wang Fen abruptly stopped herself.
Wang Erhua silently spat in disgust.
The implication was obvious. This family had harmed other girls before.
She didn’t respond and turned to leave. The real show would come later. For now, filling her stomach at the banquet was more important.
Four tables were set up in the courtyard. Each table had a bowl of egg soup as the main dish, along with coarse-grain pancakes, cabbage, sweet potato vines mostly vegetables.
Wang Erhua sat down unceremoniously and started stuffing pancakes into her mouth.