As the ox cart rolled into the village, the people sitting beneath the old locust tree all looked up.
One woman clicked her tongue.
“Their family’s already in such a miserable state, and they still spent money riding an ox cart home. Granny Tian certainly knows how to ‘manage a household.'”
Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
Before Granny Tian could answer, Granny Lin shot the woman a glare.
“Did they eat your rice?”
“Or spend your money?”
“Mind your own business.”
Granny Lin was Granny Tian’s closest friend.
The two had married into Dali Village around the same time and had been inseparable since they were young.
The woman who had been scolded was just about to argue back when someone else exclaimed,
“Hey! They even bought cloth!”
“And it looks like good quality!”
“Has the Xie family struck it rich?”
As Jinxiu and Granny Tian came closer…
Everyone finally noticed the three bolts of cloth Jinxiu was carrying.
One bolt was a lovely soft pink.
It immediately caught everyone’s eye.
“What beautiful fabric!”
“Granny Tian, are you planning to wear that?”
The old woman laughed.
“Stop teasing me.”
“At my age, wearing pink would make everyone laugh.”
“It’s for my granddaughter-in-law.”
The earlier woman felt even more jealous.
She hadn’t managed to get the better of Granny Lin…
And now she finally found an outlet for her resentment.
“Granny Tian…”
“You really are willing to spend.”
“Everyone says your granddaughter-in-law is a jinx.”
“Yet you treasure her like she’s made of gold.”
The smile instantly disappeared from Granny Tian’s face.
No one could insult Jinxiu in front of her.
Hands planted firmly on her hips, she pointed directly at the woman.
“Wu Third’s wife!”
“Say ‘jinx’ one more time!”
“My granddaughter-in-law brings fortune to both husband and family.”
“Yet you shameless people keep slandering her!”
“I’ll sew that filthy mouth of yours shut so you can stop spewing manure!”
The moment she finished speaking…
She charged forward like a cannonball.
Snatching a sewing basket from another woman nearby…
She grabbed a needle and thread.
The ferocity of the old woman’s expression frightened Wu Third’s wife so badly that she jumped off her stool.
“Have you gone crazy?!”
“Crazy?”
Granny Tian brandished the needle.
“If you’ve got the guts to spread rumors…”
“Then don’t complain when I deal with you!”
“I’ve been wondering where those lies came from.”
“Now I know!”
“It had to be you!”
“We were minding our own business.”
“What did we ever do to you?”
“You dare slander my family right in front of me?”
“I’ll cut your tongue out!”
The gleaming needle lunged toward her face.
It came within inches of her mouth.
Wu Third’s wife screamed and stumbled backward.
Several women hurried over to separate them.
“Granny Tian!”
“Calm down!”
“You’ll really hurt someone!”
Granny Lin rubbed her friend’s back while trying to soothe her.
“Those women gossip all day long.”
“Heaven will punish them eventually.”
“There’s no need to dirty your own hands.”
Jinxiu had never imagined Granny Tian could be so fierce.
She hurried over, still clutching the cloth.
“Grandma…”
“Don’t get angry.”
“It’s bad for your health.”
Just then…
A thin woman spoke up.
“Actually…”
“You blamed the wrong person.”
“Wu Third’s wife didn’t start the rumor.”
“It was Granny Bai.”
Granny Tian froze.
“You sure?”
“Of course.”
“I heard everything clearly that day in the bamboo grove.”
The woman quickly explained the entire incident.
Granny Tian let out a cold laugh.
“So…”
“It was that old hag.”
“I knew it.”
“Besides her family…”
“No one else in this village has such a grudge against the Xie family.”
Without another word…
She set down the heavy basket she’d been carrying.
It landed with a loud thump, kicking up dust.
The cloth covering it hid whatever was inside.
Turning to Granny Lin, she barked,
“Old Sister!”
“Watch my basket.”
“Guard it carefully!”
Before anyone could react…
Granny Tian exploded toward the western part of the village like a storm.
“Grandma!”
Jinxiu reached out to stop her.
Too late.
The old woman had already disappeared.
Wu Third’s wife peeked out from behind the locust tree.
A smug smile spread across her face.
“Looks like she’s off to settle accounts with Granny Bai.”
Good.
The harder they fight, the better.
Everyone in the village knew the bad blood between those two families.
When Xie Changsheng and Li Xiuhong had suffered their accidents…
Granny Bai had spread no shortage of malicious gossip.
Whenever the two old women crossed paths…
A shouting match was almost guaranteed.
Now…
Old grudges and new hatred had finally collided.
Worried Granny Tian might be outnumbered…
Jinxiu immediately chased after her.
Granny Lin picked up the basket.
“Oof…”
“It’s heavier than I expected.”
She had no idea what was inside.
Only that Granny Tian had repeatedly emphasized that it must be watched carefully.
Granny Lin’s home stood only a few steps away.
Fearing her old friend would suffer alone…
She rushed inside and called out loudly.
“My sons!”
“Come out!”
Her three grown sons immediately appeared.
She also shouted to her two grandsons.
“Yesterday your Granny Tian shared meat with us.”
“We can’t let anyone bully her.”
“Come.”
“We’re going to Granny Bai’s house.”
Turning to the boys, she ordered,
“Big Dog.”
“Second Dog.”
“Go notify the Xie family.”
“If no one’s home…”
“Check the fields.”
“You know where they are.”
“The southern fields next to ours.”
The three Lin brothers had only just returned from farm work.
Without hesitation…
They followed their mother toward Granny Bai’s house.
Meanwhile…
The two grandsons split up.
One ran toward the Xie residence.
The other headed straight for the fields.
By then…
Granny Tian had already reached the front gate.
Hands on her hips…
She unleashed a torrent of curses.
“Bai, you old hag!”
“Come out!”
“How dare you slander my granddaughter-in-law!”
“Let’s see how I deal with you today!”
She didn’t stop there.
“Song Muhuo only lost his business because he married a broom-star like you!”
“You’re the true jinx!”
“The bringer of ruin!”
“And you still dare call my granddaughter-in-law unlucky?”
When no one came out…
She sneered.
“What?”
“Too scared to show your face?”
“Or is your guilty conscience bothering you?”
Inside the Bai household…
Only Song Muhuo and the eldest son were absent, working in the fields.
Everyone else remained home.
They all knew Granny Tian had every reason to be furious.
Originally…
They intended to let her vent before coming outside to calm things down.
But Granny Bai herself had no intention of backing down.
The moment she heard Granny Tian bring up the old business failure…
Her own temper exploded.
“Come out?”
“Fine!”
“As if I’m afraid of you!”
She yanked open the courtyard gate.
Whoosh!
A small stone flew straight toward her face.
She barely dodged it.
“So close!”
Furious…
She bent down to scoop up a handful of dirt.
Unfortunately…
Granny Tian moved even faster.
She rushed forward…
And kicked her squarely to the ground.
“You old witch!”
Granny Bai shrieked as she clawed wildly.
By the time Jinxiu arrived…
The two elderly women were already rolling around on the ground.
She instinctively stepped forward to help.
Granny Lin grabbed her arm.
“Don’t.”
“This is a matter between elders.”
“You stay out of it.”
On the ground…
Granny Bai was clearly losing.
Granny Tian had pinned her beneath her.
Both hands scratched furiously across her opponent’s face.
Granny Bai desperately shielded herself while screaming toward her family.
“Are you all dead?!”
“Come help me!”
Her younger son, Song Yaozu, immediately shouted,
“Granny Tian!”
“It’s one thing to curse people.”
“But you actually hit my mother?”
“Do you think our Song family has no one left?”
He and his nephew, Song Wenjie, charged forward.
Before they could reach the old women…
Granny Lin’s three sons stepped directly into their path.
The eldest, Lin Dajin, spoke firmly.
“This is a dispute between elders.”
“Let the elders settle it themselves.”
“If the younger generation starts fighting…”
“Do you still want your reputation?”
“Let’s wait for the village head.”
The commotion had become so loud…
It wouldn’t be long before the village head arrived.
Song Yaozu glared at him.
“Easy for you to say.”
“The one getting beaten is my mother.”
“Your family’s always been close to Granny Tian.”
Lin Dajin answered without hesitation.
“Granny Tian and the Xie family are benefactors to me.”
“I won’t allow anyone to bully them.”
Years ago…
When Lin Dajin was only seven…
He had accidentally eaten improperly prepared cassava and suffered severe poisoning.
It was Granny Tian who forced an entire jug of peanut oil down his throat, saving his life.
The oil itself had come from the Xie family.
Even though they had been relatively well-off back then…
That much oil was still expensive enough to feed an ordinary household for months.
To Lin Dajin…
That kindness could never be forgotten.