Outside the courtyard, a crowd had gathered around the two old women who were brawling.
“I tell you, of all people to provoke, Granny Bai just had to pick Old Madam Tian. That woman’s been hot-tempered and fierce ever since she was young. She’s not someone you can casually mess with.”
“What happened? How did it turn into such a huge fight?”
“It’s all because of what happened years ago. Old Master Xie refused to lend Song Muhuo his merchandise, and Granny Bai’s held a grudge ever since. She’s always spreading rumors about the Xie family. This time she even claimed Old Madam Tian’s new granddaughter-in-law is a jinx.”
“That can’t be right. I heard that girl’s incredibly lucky.”
“If you ask me, Granny Bai’s the one who can’t tell right from wrong. Back then, the Song and Xie families weren’t even related. Old Master Xie had no obligation to help them. You can’t blame him for that.”
…
Dagou ran to the Xie household to deliver the news.
Coincidentally, Huang Mei was there as well.
The moment she heard Old Madam Tian was fighting someone, she hurried out together with Old Master Xie.
“Father, I’ll go fetch Third Brother.”
She immediately turned around and sprinted home.
Meanwhile…
Ergou ran to the fields to find Xie Jinnan and Xie Changsheng.
As he explained what had happened, Song Muhuo and his eldest son, who were also working nearby, overheard everything.
Both groups hurried toward the Song residence.
Xie Jinnan, however, headed off to find the village chief first.
…
Zhang Yuying was standing outside her house eating broad beans.
In the distance she spotted Xie Changsheng and the others hurrying toward the western side of the village.
Shortly afterward, the village chief and Xie Jinnan appeared as well.
She frowned.
“Husband!”
“Come out quickly!”
“It’s your elder brother… and even the village chief.”
“What happened?”
Xie Fusheng stepped outside, his brows knitted together.
For the matter to involve the village chief…
It had to be serious.
But judging by the direction everyone was heading…
They weren’t going toward the eldest branch’s house.
Just then…
A husband and wife hurried over.
The wife was the thin woman who had been gossiping beneath the scholar tree earlier.
She had also gone to watch the excitement until her husband dragged her away because one of their children had suddenly fallen ill.
Seeing Xie Fusheng, she immediately called out,
“Hey, Second Branch of the Xie family!”
“Your mother’s fighting with Granny Bai!”
“It’s gotten really bad!”
Xie Fusheng looked shocked.
“How did they end up fighting?”
“Isn’t it because Granny Bai kept spreading rumors that Jinxiu’s a jinx? Then Old Madam Tian found out…”
“That’s enough.”
“Must you poke your nose into everything?”
Her husband interrupted impatiently.
“You’re obsessed with gossip.”
“Our child is sick and you’re still watching other people’s drama.”
He dragged her away in a hurry.
The moment Xie Fusheng heard his mother was fighting someone, he instinctively rushed forward.
Zhang Yuying grabbed his arm.
“You’re not going.”
“This whole thing started because of that jinx.”
“What does it have to do with you?”
Xie Fusheng frowned.
“She’s Jinnan’s wife.”
“She calls us Uncle and Aunt.”
“People call her a jinx, and you’re repeating it too.”
“Besides…”
“They shared rabbit meat with us yesterday.”
Zhang Yuying raised an eyebrow, her voice turning shrill.
“Who cares about her rabbit meat?”
“If you ask me, she’s not only a jinx…”
“She’s a troublemaker.”
“She’d only just entered the family, and the whole household’s already in chaos.”
“You know your mother’s temper.”
“She must’ve manipulated Mother into standing up for her.”
That day in the bamboo grove, Zhang Yuying had heard every word Granny Bai and the others said.
She knew Old Madam Tian had been trying to find whoever spread the rumors.
She simply pretended she knew nothing.
Deep down…
She actually agreed with Granny Bai.
Completely oblivious to how dark her husband’s expression had become, she continued talking while pinching his arm.
“The two families already live separately.”
“What does any of this have to do with us?”
“It’s embarrassing enough already.”
“Jinxiu’s unlucky.”
“If she drags the eldest branch down, the second and third branches will end up supporting them.”
“Why stay so close to them?”
“When they eventually come asking for help, it’ll be hard to refuse…”
Smack!
Her wrist was suddenly seized.
Xie Fusheng forcefully shook her hand off his arm.
Before Zhang Yuying even realized what had happened…
A loud slap landed across her face.
“You, Zhang!”
“I’ve tolerated your complaints before.”
“But now my own mother is being bullied, and you feel nothing?”
“You even tried to stop me from helping her!”
“Do you take my mother for your enemy?”
Although Xie Fusheng often felt his mother favored the eldest branch…
She had still been the woman who gave birth to him and raised him.
If he stood by and watched her be bullied…
Could he still call himself a son?
“You hit me?”
“You actually hit me?”
“Xie Fusheng!”
“Just you wait!”
“When you come home, you’ll regret it!”
Holding her swollen cheek, Zhang Yuying screamed after him as he walked away without once looking back.
…
By the time the Xie family arrived…
Song Muhuo and his two sons had arrived as well.
The two old women had already been pulled apart.
Even so…
They continued cursing each other nonstop.
Though people restrained their arms…
Neither pair of old legs stopped kicking, each desperately trying to land another hit.
Seeing Granny Bai’s disheveled hair and swollen face, Song Muhuo’s expression darkened.
Then he looked at Old Madam Tian.
Apart from slightly rumpled clothing…
She looked perfectly fine.
Turning toward Old Master Xie, he shouted angrily,
“Your Xie family has some nerve!”
“Your wife beat mine senseless…”
“And now you’re pretending to be the victims!”
When Ergou had rushed to the fields earlier…
He’d made it sound as though Old Madam Tian had suffered terrible abuse at the Song family’s hands.
But looking now…
Who exactly had been bullied?
Old Master Xie snorted coldly.
“Your family started slandering my granddaughter-in-law.”
“If Granny Bai couldn’t win the fight…”
“Who else can she blame?”
Just then someone suddenly shouted,
“The village chief is here!”
“The village chief!”
“Make way!”
The crowd immediately parted.
The village chief walked through first.
Xie Jinnan followed close behind.
His eyes searched the crowd until they landed on a slender figure.
“Jin’er.”
Jinxiu turned around.
The moment she saw Xie Jinnan striding toward her, her eyes lit up.
“Husband!”
He grasped both her shoulders.
His gaze swept carefully over her from head to toe.
“You’ve suffered.”
Jinxiu glanced toward the grim-faced village chief before shaking her head.
“I’m not the one I’m worried about.”
“I’m afraid Grandma will be the one who suffers.”
“This whole thing became so serious because of me.”
The village chief wasn’t a government official.
But within the village…
His authority was absolute.
And…
Old Madam Tian had indeed thrown the first punch.
Jinnan cast a cool glance at Granny Bai’s bruised, swollen face.
His eyes darkened.
“This has nothing to do with you.”
“And Grandma did the right thing.”
He gently took Jinxiu’s hand.
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered softly,
“Nothing will happen.”
“I’ve already made the necessary arrangements.”
“Mmm.”
His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a tingling sensation through her body.
It felt as though a feather had lightly stroked her heart.
Seeing his calm confidence…
The worry in Jinxiu’s heart gradually melted away.
The village chief stepped between the two families.
“You’re all from the same village.”
“What are you making such a fuss for?”
“At your age, you’re still fighting like children?”
“Stop this immediately!”
“Village Chief!”
Granny Bai suddenly burst into loud sobs.
“You have to stand up for me!”
“Old Madam Tian hit me!”
Then she clutched her chest dramatically.
“Oh…”
“My chest…”
“It hurts so much…”
Rolling her eyes upward…
She collapsed backward.
The Song family panicked and hurriedly carried her to one side before laying her on the ground.
“Wife!”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Don’t leave me!”
Song Muhuo knelt beside her.
Seeing Granny Bai lying motionless like a dead fish, he trembled as he pointed accusingly at Old Madam Tian.
“If anything happens to her…”
“I’ll never let you off!”
“Fine!”
Old Madam Tian wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.
“If this old hag dies, I’ll go with her!”
“Everyone knows I may not be a physician…”
“But I know plenty of folk remedies.”
“Isn’t she unconscious?”
“This old woman has plenty of ways…”
“…to wake her right up!”