Since childhood, Shen Xiaofang had grown up with a widowed mother and was well protected. Because of that, she developed a personality that demanded whatever she wanted—wind or rain, she would get it.
She liked handsome men.
Looking across the entire commune and even the surrounding areas she had visited, she couldn’t find a single man better looking than Zhou Ye.
His skin was exceptionally fair. Normally, that would make a man look weak.
But Zhou Ye was different—besides his flawless skin, he also had a perfect physique with no visible flaws at all.
One glance at him was enough to make a person’s imagination run wild, even enough to make someone want to have a beautiful child with him on the spot.
Thinking about that made her feel even more upset.
“Su Xiaoqi. You ruined my happiness. Shouldn’t you apologize to me?”
“I looked at your house. If you and your mother weren’t living in it, that house would be mine.”
After a pause, Su Xiaoqi continued calmly,
“You’re occupying my house. Shouldn’t you be apologizing to me instead?”
Old Xu Six immediately nodded.
“What you said actually makes sense.”
Shen Xiaofang snapped at him,
“Xu Lao Liu! You’re from the same brigade—why are you helping an outsider?”
“Pah! I just don’t like you,” Xu Lao Liu said, leaning against a tree with a mocking grin.
Shen Xiaofang burned with rage.
“You’re a robber! That house belongs to my family!”
“Same to you. You’re not a good person either,” Su Xiaoqi replied coldly.
At that moment, Zhou Ye returned from outside.
Before even reaching the gate, he already heard the situation from others.
He pushed the door open and glanced at Shen Xiaofang coldly.
“Where did this ugly thing come from, shouting here?”
Shen Xiaofang’s heart leapt when she heard his voice.
But after hearing his words clearly, it shattered instantly.
Tears immediately poured down her face.
“Zhou Ye… how can you say that about me?”
“Ugly people cause more trouble. You came looking for my wife yourself—don’t blame me for being rude.”
Zhou Ye walked to Su Xiaoqi’s side, but his eyes stayed on Shen Xiaofang.
“I’d rather stay single for life than ever look at you.”
“You don’t need to look at me. Just marry me,” she insisted.
“You wish,” Zhou Ye’s words were sharp as blades.
“What have I done in this life that I must marry you?”
“You…”
“If your family doesn’t have a mirror, go borrow one from next door.”
After speaking, Zhou Ye turned to Su Xiaoqi with grievance.
“Xiaoqi, I really didn’t know about this.”
Su Xiaoqi glanced at him.
“You’re always attracting trouble.”
“I didn’t,” Zhou Ye quickly defended.
“You didn’t, but your mother and your sister did,” she said.
They had both previously mentioned Shen Xiaofang as a “good daughter-in-law candidate.”
Zhou Ye’s eyes turned cold and landed on Xu Meizhen.
“Xu Meizhen, why don’t you marry Shen Xiaofang then?”
Xu Meizhen hurriedly waved her hands.
“She’s a woman!”
“You two would match perfectly,” Zhou Ye said flatly.
Then he turned to Shen Xiaofang.
“Anyone from the Zhou family who contacts you, you take them away.”
After that, he directly pulled Su Xiaoqi toward the kitchen.
Once inside, he lowered his voice.
“I’ll cook fish for you.”
“Okay.”
Su Xiaoqi could sense the anger brewing inside him.
Zhou Ye took out the big silver carp.
The knife in his hand chopped at the fish as if it were his enemy.
Xu Meizhen stood at the kitchen door, visibly unhappy.
Tomorrow was Wen Anning’s wedding day.
They couldn’t possibly serve shabby food.
“Um… Mom said we can only eat the fish head and tail at noon. The fish meat is for tomorrow’s banquet,” she said.
Zhou Ye snorted.
“Tomorrow you’re getting married? If it’s not your wedding, what’s it got to do with you?
I’m cutting fish, not you. Are you offended?
If you don’t want to eat, then don’t. If you care so much, why don’t you take out your own snacks and pocket money to host the banquet?
Go benefit the whole brigade while you’re at it.”
Xu Meizhen’s eyes turned red with anger.
“It was Mom’s order!”
“Then go catch your own fish and come talk to me,” Zhou Ye replied coldly.
He kept his dark expression the entire time.
Su Xiaoqi was barely holding back laughter.
When Yang Huaihua returned, before even entering the yard she heard Zhou Ye raging inside.
He was saying the chickens in the coop were staring at him, clearly wanting a fight.
He complained that the tree by the gate was ugly and should be cut down for firewood.
He even said the courtyard wall was so ugly it couldn’t even block an ugly person, and he would rebuild it.
After hearing all this, Yang Huaihua felt uneasy.
Could Zhou Ye have been scared into madness?
When she entered, she smelled the fish aroma but didn’t dare complain.
“Zhou Ye… are you holding a grudge against your mother?”
Zhou Ye casually chopped the tree in the yard a few times with an axe.
“How could I dare? Since you like Shen Xiaofang’s family so much, why don’t you give your own man to the widow Shen?”
“…”
He was definitely holding a grudge.
“I only meant it a little back then. Xiaofang just looks like someone who can bear sons and work hard. What a good girl,” she argued.
“A ox is also hardworking and eats less. Why don’t you match Xu Lao San with an ox then?”
That shut her up completely.
Xu Lao Six, sitting in a tree, laughed so hard he shook.
“Hahaha! Aunt Youtian, why not match Youtian uncle with it too?”
Yang Huaihua pointed at him and cursed, but Xu Lao Six didn’t back down at all.
The two of them argued—one in the tree, one on the ground.
Zhou Ye called out to Xu Lao Six.
“Old Six, go get a big bowl. I’ll give you fish meat.”
Xu Lao Six immediately climbed down and ran off.
Yang Huaihua shouted angrily,
“You ungrateful brat! You dare give Xu family food away? Not even a fish bone leaves today!”
“The Xu family’s good-for-nothings can’t even catch fish themselves,” Zhou Ye shot back.
The men of the Xu family who had just arrived stood silently at the gate.
Too angry to speak.
They turned around and left, deciding to come back after the shouting stopped.
Inside, chaos continued until finally the matter escalated further.
A jujube tree suddenly crashed down, smashing part of the courtyard wall and terrifying everyone.
Soon after, the dispute ended with the Xu family reluctantly eating a huge pot of fish.
That noon, an entire seven-to-eight-jin silver carp was eaten.
Su Xiaoqi and Zhou Ye shared the fish head and belly.
Even Zhou Zheng and Zhou Cao got portions.
In the end, everyone ate in uneasy silence—except those sitting at Su Xiaoqi’s side, who ate happily.
And Su Xiaoqi, smiling, thought:
Let him vent. From now on, no one would dare mention Shen Xiaofang again.