Even after marriage, she still can’t settle down!
Aunt Shen grew even angrier. She stepped forward and tugged at Jiang Yingying. “You may have no shame, but our Shen family still values our reputation! Get back to work right now!”
Jiang Yingying stumbled along with the force of the pull and deliberately fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. “Aunt Shen, what are you saying? I was just about to enter the house when Cheng Zhiqing stopped me and wouldn’t let me leave!”
“I am the Shen family’s daughter-in-law. What do you mean by calling me shameless the moment you see me?”
“Is it because our family is poor that everyone feels they can bully us?”
“And this Cheng Zhiqing—he started making inappropriate advances and using foul language, yet somehow it’s my fault?”
“Waaah, I don’t want to live anymore! I’m being bullied!”
“If my reputation is ruined, how will I ever be able to hold my head up again?”
She was already beautiful, and when she cried, she looked even more pitiable, like pear blossoms bathed in rain. Her long eyelashes were dotted with teardrops as large as beans, trembling as if about to fall, evoking the image of a delicate lotus emerging from the water, stirring compassion.
The men gathered around couldn’t bear to watch, their hearts moved with sympathy.
Although Jiang Yingying had once pursued Cheng Zhiqing for a while, which woman in the village didn’t enjoy looking at this fair-skinned young man who could recite melancholic poetry? Now that she was married and wanted to live a proper life, what was wrong with that? And from what Jiang Yingying was saying, it sounded like Cheng Wenjian was the one trying to harass her?
However, Jiang Yingying’s reputation wasn’t the best, and though everyone was whispering among themselves, no one stepped forward to speak up.
Aunt Shen, despite her fiery temper, was a straightforward person. Seeing Jiang Yingying cry made her somewhat uncomfortable. “Shen Yao’s wife, was it Cheng Zhiqing who provoked you?”
Jiang Yingying leaned against a tree, her eyes red with grievance. “Auntie, please don’t ask anymore. If my reputation is ruined, I might as well crash my head against this tree and die!”
As she spoke, she made a move as if to dash toward the tree.
Aunt Shen was dumbfounded and hurriedly wrapped her arms around Jiang Yingying’s waist. “Hey, hey, Shen Yao’s wife, I spoke too hastily without thinking. Don’t be impulsive!”
It hadn’t been easy for Shen Yao to get a wife. Regardless of her reputation, if she were to take her own life because of something Aunt Shen said, wouldn’t Li Xuelian come after her with a vengeance?
Cheng Wenjian stared blankly at Jiang Yingying, who was sobbing across from him, completely baffled.
Was this the same Jiang Yingying who had once thrown herself at him, crude and brainless?
Seeing the situation unfold, the people around began to speak up one after another. “That’s right, this is the entrance of the Shen family. If she wanted to flirt, she wouldn’t choose this spot, would she?”
“Cheng Zhiqing, your work is in the eastern part of the village. What are you doing all the way over here in the west?”
“Exactly, Jiang Yingying just got married yesterday. What’s the meaning of you showing up at her doorstep today?”
…
Cheng Wenjian began to panic. Gripping the strap of his satchel tightly, he tried to defend himself. “I was just passing by! Jiang Yingying and I have always been innocent. Don’t make baseless accusations!”
The commotion outside grew louder, and Shen Qinghong and Shen Xiaoyun came out of the house to see what was happening.
The moment Shen Xiaoyun saw Cheng Wenjian, she exploded. Pointing at Jiang Yingying’s nose, she yelled, “You vixen, what are you up to now?!”
Shen Qinghong scolded her sternly, “Xiaoyun, you have no right to speak here!”
He walked with unsteady steps, but his chest was held high and straight. “Yingying, my child, you tell us what happened!”
Jiang Yingying felt a pang of guilt. If she hadn’t transmigrated into this body, the original host would have truly shamed the Shen family today!
“Father, little sister, Mother had just gone to the fields when I ran into Cheng Zhiqing. We barely exchanged a few words.”
“And why is Cheng Zhiqing at our doorstep? I don’t know either.”
She didn’t elaborate further, after all, it was a fact that the original host had once pursued Cheng Wenjian frantically. Changing people’s perceptions would take time.
Cheng Wenjian quickly chimed in, “I was just passing by, just passing by!”
Shen Qinghong glanced around at the crowd, his expression softening. “Daughter, go home first. Later, you’ll need to bring food to your mother and the others.”
With that, he turned and left without another word, yet his attitude had made his stance clear to everyone.
He trusted his daughter-in-law.
Shen Xiaoyun stamped her foot angrily and glared at Jiang Yingying. “Aren’t you going back inside? You’re so embarrassing!”
Jiang Yingying wiped her tears pitifully and walked into the courtyard with her head lowered, not displaying even a hint of her former arrogance. The onlookers were wide-eyed with surprise.
Aunt Shen also gave an awkward laugh and began shooing people away. “What are you all staring at? Hurry up and get to work in the fields! Once the sun rises higher, it’ll be scorching hot!”
It was summer, and the early morning was the best time for work. Hearing this, the crowd quickly dispersed.
However, the news that Jiang Yingying’s temperament had changed after marriage spread rapidly.
As for Cheng Wenjian, not only had he failed to squeeze even a penny out of Jiang Yingying, but he had barely exchanged a few words with her and nearly ruined his own reputation in the process.
He could only leave with a gloomy expression, planning to find another opportunity to have a proper talk with Jiang Yingying in a couple of days.
He refused to believe that Jiang Yingying had lost all feelings for him in just one day!
It must be because he had deliberately stood her up that day, forcing her to marry Shen Yao out of anger!
Although Jiang Yingying was a bit foolish, she had many older brothers, and her father was the village chief, so she had always had a bad temper. It was normal for her to be a little moody.
In the courtyard, Shen Qinghong looked at her gently. “Daughter, go inside and rest. At noon, you’ll have to deliver food, and it’s a long walk.”
Shen Xiaoyun, who was scooping water, snorted coldly. “How can delivering food be tiring? Even city girls aren’t this delicate! I’m warning you, Jiang Yingying, if you dare to cause trouble outside and embarrass my brother, I’ll beat you to death!”
“Shen Xiaoyun!”
Shen Qinghong’s voice was not loud, but it was icy cold, clearly showing his anger. “Apologize to your sister-in-law right now!”
“I won’t!”
Shen Xiaoyun’s eyes reddened as well. She threw the ladle heavily into the water vat. “Why does my brother have to marry her? She, she…”
She couldn’t bring herself to say the words “shameless,” so she gritted her teeth and ran into the house without another word.
Shen Qinghong trembled with anger, his lips quivering. When he turned back, he seemed to have aged several years. “Yingying, it’s my fault as a father for not raising her properly. As her sister-in-law, please don’t hold it against her.”
She was just a teenage girl, after all. Besides, the things the original host had done were truly outrageous.
Jiang Yingying shook her head, this time speaking with some sincerity. “Dad, I’ve made mistakes in the past. It’s only right for Xiaoyun to scold me.”
“You’re a good child.”
Shen Qinghong sighed heavily. He understood the saying, “Three people spreading rumors can make a tiger.” He had heard about Jiang Yingying’s past actions, but since he hadn’t witnessed them himself, he wouldn’t easily pass judgment on a young girl. Now that she had married into his family, her words and actions showed she was sensible.
So, he regarded the past gossip as nothing more than rumors.
Even if Jiang Yingying had once had feelings for that Cheng Wenjian, so what? Which young girl in the village didn’t glance at the educated educated youths?
It was just that Yingying was more beautiful, making her an easier target for gossip.
Hiding in her room and wiping away tears, Shen Xiaoyun secretly listened to the conversation outside. She heard Jiang Yingying actually say that she deserved to be scolded…