Grandma Lin’s battle with Chen Po-zi could be described as a complete victory for Grandma Lin. Amid the villagers’ clamor, the Chen family also arrived, revealing the advantage of having a large family in this era.
Father Lin faced off against the Chen family’s son, while Mother Lin stood in front of Xiao Chen Shi. Even Lin Yuhe, who didn’t know how to fight, grabbed a pot-scrubbing brush.
She even made “Heh, heh” sounds while gesturing with it, which was particularly amusing.
Changan, standing behind her, tugged at Lin Yuhe’s clothes. “Sister, where did you get that brush? You’re blocking me. The two brothers each have a wooden stick.”
As for where she got it, it was naturally from the yard where Mother Lin had hung it to dry after scrubbing the pot. She couldn’t use anything that might seriously injure someone, so she grabbed the first thing she saw. At least it was some kind of weapon.
Lin Chang’an firmly pulled Lin Yuhe to the back. “Honestly, someone who doesn’t know how to fight still pushes to the front. Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt by mistake?”
Suddenly, someone shouted, “The village chief is here!” The crowd automatically made way, allowing the village chief to enter.
“Don’t you all have anything better to do? Have you finished weeding the fields? You’re all just bored and looking for trouble. Stop watching and go do what you need to do!”
The village chief’s stern scolding had its effect. Seeing the village chief arrive, the villagers dispersed, as the excitement was over. Only a few playful children remained in the distance, laughing and playing.
“You two, let go and get up! The two of you are over a hundred years old combined. Don’t you know how embarrassing this is?” The village chief’s face was as dark as it could get.
If his own son hadn’t run home to tell him that the two old women from the Lin and Chen families were fighting, he wouldn’t have known about it.
“You let go first! No, you let go first!” Neither wanted to be the one to give in first. In the end, it was Chen Po-zi, who was pinned down and beaten, who let go first.
True to form, Chen Po-zi played the victim first. “Village Chief, I was just passing by when the Lin family’s old woman splashed muddy water all over me. Look at my new jacket—it’s filthy!”
She even walked up to the village chief, tugging at her clothes and smoothing her hair, almost pressing herself against him. “Chen Po-zi, you shameless old hag, stay away from my husband!”
Lin Yuhe watched as Chen Po-zi nearly pressed herself against the village chief, startling him so much that he stumbled backward.
A woman in her forties approached from a distance, pointing at Chen Po-zi and ready to scratch her.
“Why are you here too? This has nothing to do with you. Go back home!” The village chief, seeing his own wife arrive, was afraid she might cause a scene.
“Why can’t I come? If I hadn’t come, how would I have seen that shameless woman trying to cling to you?”
It turned out the newcomer was the village chief’s wife. She had originally come to watch the commotion but was infuriated by Chen Po-zi’s behavior.
“Village Chief, she’s lying! This old woman was trying to sneak into our fenced courtyard. Luckily, someone was home. If no one had been there, she would’ve broken into our yard!”
Grandma Lin was no pushover either. Everyone knew how to make accusations.
“You old Lin woman, you’re framing me! I’ll fight you to the death today!” Chen Po-zi said, raising her hands to strike Grandma Lin’s face.
“Enough!” The village chief seemed truly angry.
“He girl, you tell me what happened,” the village chief called on Lin Yuhe to explain the whole story.
Lin Yuhe, who had been called upon, was still holding the pot-scrubbing brush. “Heh, heh, heh, heh,” she chuckled awkwardly, quickly hiding her hands behind her back.
"Village Chief Uncle, my family picked up some shell snails from the river ditch to feed the ducks. My grandma was throwing water out, and who knew Granny Chen was peeking into our yard by prying open our fence? That's how she got splashed with a basin of water."
Lin Yuhe did not lie, and she admitted to splashing the water, but said she didn't know someone was prying open their fenced courtyard—it was unintentional.
"Chen Po-zi, why are you prying into someone else's yard instead of staying in your own home? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
The village chief's wife, who couldn't stand her behavior, sided with the Lin family, following Lin Yuhe's words.
"Hmph, you little girl aren't any good either. Didn't you jump into the river? You were clearly dead, so how did you come back to life? Are you possessed by something unclean?"
The villagers feared nothing more than unclean things, and as soon as Chen Po-zi's malicious words fell,
Mother Lin rushed forward and scratched Chen Po-zi's face. "You old woman have a truly poisonous heart! Are you upset that my daughter didn't die? Doctor Qian from the west side of the village has already examined her and said she was just choked by water."
Grandma Lin also kicked Chen Po-zi. "I'll teach you to spout nonsense!"
"Everyone, break it up! Chen Po-zi, you're always gossiping in the village for no reason. You deserve to be beaten. Chen Da, why aren't you pulling your mother away? Go back and tell your father to discipline her more."
The village chief had truly had enough of this Chen Po-zi. He wondered if she was foolish, saying such things about the Lin family's child right in front of them—wasn't she just asking for a beating?
"And your family too, can't you talk things out properly? Do you have to resort to fighting to solve everything?" The village chief lectured both sides.
"Yuhe, are you all right now? If anything happens in the future, you can come to my house to find me. No matter how big the problem is, you must never try to take your own life again," the village chief said to Lin Yuhe, both concerned and displeased.
The Lin family and the village chief's family had always been on good terms. The two families often visited each other, and the village chief and Father Lin had grown up playing together since childhood.
"Village Chief Uncle, I know I was wrong. It's hot outside, please come into the yard and have some cool tea. Auntie, please come in too."
Lin Yuhe knew that the village chief held the authority over the village's affairs, and she would likely need his help in the future. It was best to build a good relationship now.
The village chief, having just settled the matter, didn't want to go in, fearing that the villagers would see and accuse him of favoring the Lin family. But unexpectedly, his wife went in first.
"Oh my, your yard really needs some repairs. Look, there's a hole over there," the village chief's wife said as she entered the yard, inspecting every corner.
"Yes, we plan to patch up the broken spots after the autumn harvest is over."
Mother Lin poured cool tea for the village chief and his wife.
"Auntie, my father and I picked up a lot of shell snails. Let me pack some for you to take home and feed your ducks," the clever Lin Yuhe pulled the village chief's wife to the kitchen door, insisting on giving her some.
"Yuhe, there's no need. Auntie's family doesn't raise ducks, just a few chickens."
As she spoke, the village chief's wife glanced around the Lin family's kitchen but didn't find anything unusual, so she lost interest.
"You all go about your business. We won't stay any longer. We should tidy up and head to the fields," she called out to the village chief, who was talking with Grandpa Lin, to go home.
The village chief had long noticed his wife's wandering eyes as soon as she entered the Lin family's yard, feeling somewhat embarrassed and displeased.
His wife had been thinking about whether the Lin family had gotten something good, otherwise why would Chen Po-zi pry into their fenced courtyard? Fortunately, Lin Yuhe had let the village chief's wife see the snails scattered all over the ground.
After the village chief and his wife left, Grandma Lin said, "Why do I feel like the village chief's wife came to our yard looking for something?"
Lin Yuhe thought to herself, Grandma, you've hit the nail on the head.
Lin Yuhe hadn’t originally intended to let the village chief’s wife into the kitchen. It was only after she came in and saw that all the dug-up lotus roots had been hidden away that she felt at ease letting her in.
“In the future, if our family earns any money, we should first build a wall around the yard. Otherwise, it’s inconvenient to do anything in the courtyard.”
When it comes to foresight, it has to be Grandpa Lin.