“No, no, my cousin didn’t run off with some wild man. It’s my fault, I didn’t take good care of her,” the young woman explained in a panicked, flustered tone.
“My cousin is a very good person, please don’t misunderstand her.”
“She’s already pitiful enough; her reputation can’t afford to be ruined any further.”
On the surface, these words sounded like they were defending her cousin’s reputation, but in reality, they were only making it worse.
What a perfect cup of “green tea.”
Song Yueying recognized the voice of the young woman, it belonged to one of the original owner’s paternal uncle’s twin cousins, the elder one: Song Rumeng.
As her name suggested, she loved daydreaming.
The original owner had suffered quite a few losses at the hands of this “green tea” cousin and her twin sister.
The courtyard gate wasn’t closed. Song Yueying could see a woman lying on the ground with her hands and feet bound.
The woman’s face was turned toward the entrance, falling directly into Song Yueying’s line of sight. She looked to be in her forties, with delicate features and a face that bore a resemblance of seven or eight parts to Song Yueying herself.
She wore a patched shirt that was still full of tears and holes. Her pants were washed so often they had turned completely pale, the original color no longer recognizable.
Her eyes were closed, as if she were asleep.
This was the original owner’s mother, a pitiful woman.
Seeing that Mother Song was not in immediate danger, Song Yueying decided to stand at the doorway and watch the show for a while.
“Xiao Meng, we all know exactly what kind of person Song Yueying is. Even if you defend her until your mouth is dry, she won’t be grateful to you.”
“Yes, yes, Xiao Meng, Song Yueying is just an ungrateful wretch.”
“Yes, Xiao Meng, why are you still so naive? Just think about how many good things you said for her before, did she ever show you any gratitude? It would already be good if she didn’t resent you.”
The other aunties and sisters-in-law also chimed in one after another, each saying a few words, all persuading Song Rumeng not to keep defending that ungrateful Song Yueying.
Hearing everyone criticize Song Yueying, Song Rumeng felt secretly delighted inside.
“Thank you, aunties and sisters-in-law, for caring about me. You are all kind-hearted people,” she said, bowing to the crowd with a face full of gratitude.
Song Yueying watched Song Rumeng’s fake bow of thanks, a mocking curve forming at the corner of her lips.
“But Yueying is my biological cousin. I can’t just ignore her.” With that, Song Rumeng put on a pained expression and even raised a hand to wipe away nonexistent tears from the corner of her eye.
“Why bother with her? You treat her like a real cousin, but she doesn’t treat you like her real cousin at all.”
“That’s right, Xiao Meng. Song Yueying is just an ungrateful wretch. Don’t waste your time on her, it won’t end well.”
“I know you’re all right… but…” Song Rumeng trailed off deliberately, looking pitiful and hesitant, which only won her more sympathy from the aunties and sisters-in-law.
“I beg all of you, please help me ask around the village. See if anyone has seen my cousin. She went out yesterday morning and hasn’t come back all night…”
“No, no, that’s not it. My cousin must have just gotten lost somewhere. Please, everyone, help me look for her. I’m really worried something might have happened to her.”
“Oh come on, Xiao Meng, stop covering for her. We all know exactly what kind of person Song Yueying is.”
“That’s right, Xiao Meng, you’re just too kind-hearted, which is why Song Yueying keeps bullying you.”
“She didn’t come back all night, there’s no way she got lost. The production team is only this big. She’s not a child; how could she possibly get lost?”
“Song Yueying has always liked running around. Not coming back all night, who knows, maybe she went off fooling around with some man.”
“No, impossible, she wouldn’t do that anymore. She… she…” As if remembering something, Song Rumeng’s face suddenly turned pale.
“Then what am I?” came a faint, unreadable voice from the doorway.
She had only intended to stand there and watch the show for a while, but in the end this so-called “green tea” woman kept circling back to one thing, fixing the claim that she had run off with a man.
The intention wasn’t just disgusting; it was malicious.
Hearing the voice, everyone turned toward the doorway at once. The morning sun wasn’t too harsh yet, spilling across the figure standing there, as if she had walked straight out of the light itself.
She wore a floral dress, bright and elegant. A light breeze passed by, making her look soft, delicate, and a little charming.
Anyone who saw her would think she was a young lady who had been pampered and raised with care.
“Who’s that girl?” one of the women asked.
“No idea. Probably one of those educated youths sent down to support rural construction.”
“She’s so pretty, and has such a good figure. Must be an educated youth.”
“I haven’t heard of any new arrivals at the production brigade’s youth camp recently. If she’s from the old group, we’d all recognize her, but there’s no one that looks like her.”
“Then who is she? Why did she come here?”
“She looks kind of familiar to me.”
“Oh? Aunt Zhang, are you getting addicted to matchmaking? You see a pretty girl and suddenly she looks familiar, thinking of arranging another marriage for some young man again?”
“Go on, go on. I’m not joking. She really does look familiar.”
Song Rumeng stared at the person walking slowly inside, momentarily stunned. Hearing the whispers around her, a trace of malice flashed in her eyes.
She recognized at once who had just walked in, Song Yueying.
Although the clothes she was wearing now were not the same set from yesterday, she wouldn’t mistake her.
This suddenly appeared woman was Song Yueying.
Quickly adjusting her expression, Song Rumei ran toward Song Yueying as she entered the courtyard. “Cousin, you’re finally back. I thought you—”
Before she could finish, she suddenly broke into loud sobs.
Without even letting Song Rumei get close, Song Yueying instinctively kicked her away.
She flew about two meters and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Letting out a sharp scream, Song Rumei was in so much pain she couldn’t speak.
The women in the field and courtyard were all stunned.
Song Yueying calmly withdrew her leg and cursed, “Where did this whining crybaby come from? Crying and sniveling first thing in the morning at my house, did someone in your family die?”
Ignoring everyone else, she walked straight toward Mother Song, crouched down, and began untying the ropes binding her hands and feet.
One of the younger women snapped back to her senses first and quietly asked an older woman beside her, “Aunt Zhang, did you hear what she just said? ‘My house’? This is her house? How is that possible?”
Aunt Zhang, being older and more experienced, studied Song Yueying carefully while watching her untie Mother Song.
“She is Song Yueying,” Aunt Zhang said with certainty.
“Song Yueying? You’re saying she’s Song Yueying? How is that possible?” another woman exclaimed in shock.
At that moment, not a single person thought to help Song Rumei, still lying on the ground.
When Song Rumei ran toward Song Yueying crying, her speech had been slurred, so none of the women present had clearly heard her calling “cousin.”
After finishing untying Mother Song’s hands and feet, Song Yueying looked at the rope marks on her wrists and ankles.
Rage suddenly surged in her heart.
She briefly checked Mother Song and confirmed there were no other injuries. Only then did she slowly stand up, her gaze turning cold as she swept it across everyone present.