"You...you're talking nonsense!"

Xu Yuxian was both angry and flustered, her face flushed red under her veil.

Wang Xiaoju tilted her head and glared at her: "I'm talking nonsense, then why are you staring at my man and asking me all sorts of questions?"

We're just cotton carders, we sell our skills, not our bodies. Don't think you're so great just because you have a few bucks. No wonder you're hiding like this..."

Seeing that Wang Xiaoju was getting more and more excited, Xu Genbao hurriedly covered her mouth and said to Xu Yuxian, "Madam, please be magnanimous. My wife is a little out of her mind and is talking nonsense."

Wang Xiaoju slapped Xu Genbao's hand away and angrily said, "Get out of the way! If you dare to have any funny ideas, I'll go back and tell the village chief to beat you to death!"

After saying that, he realized that his mouth was full of cotton fluff, so he quickly spat it out repeatedly.

Xu Genbao stomped his foot: "Hey, what are you thinking about all day? You start having all sorts of wild thoughts every time I see a woman."

Xu Yuxian and the old woman, who were standing nearby, finally realized what was happening and their faces turned green with anger.

The old woman pointed at Wang Xiaoju and cursed, "You little rascal, are you looking for a beating?! How dare you ruin my lady's reputation!"

Wang Xiaoju raised her eyebrows: "If you're upright, you have nothing to fear. If your wife stands straight and walks honestly, what's there to be afraid of if she has nothing to hide?"

We won't earn that money from your family, Genbao, pack your things!

Xu Yuxian's hands trembled with anger, wishing she could kick this little shrew out.

But she still had questions to ask, so she had to suppress her anger: "Wait, there's a misunderstanding here."

My child is about the same age as you, but I asked a few more questions because I saw you two were working hard. Don't misunderstand!

Xu Genbao also said, "Please forgive me, Madam. My wife was just arguing with me and dragged you into this!"

When Wang Xiaoju heard that the lady in front of her was so old, she realized that she had misunderstood and lowered her head to say nothing more.

This time, Xu Yuxian stopped beating around the bush and asked directly, "What's your father's name? Does he know Xu Maowan?"

Xu Genbao said earnestly, "My father's name is Xu Maojin, and Xu Maowan is my cousin in the clan."

Xu Yuxian looked Xu Genbao up and down a few more times and realized that he didn't look like Brother Maojin, but rather resembled Sister Liu.

"How is Xu Maowan's family doing now? Have Da Rui and Er Rui gotten married yet?"

Xu Genbao exclaimed in surprise, "Da Rui died a long time ago. He drowned when he was six years old. Only Er Rui got married."

Xu Yuxian's eyes widened: "Da Rui is dead? What about Xu Maowan? And the rest of the family?"

Xu Genbao didn't speak immediately, but stared at the woman in front of him with suspicion: "How do you know so much about Aunt Jiang's family, Madam? Who are you?"

Everyone in the village knew about Aunt Jiang's affair; Da Rui used to be his playmate.

When Aunt Jiang used to scold Xiao Tian, ​​she always kept mentioning that Lan Xiaogu who would disappear without a trace.

Lan Xiaogu was beautiful and eloquent. When she grew up, she married into a wealthy family in the city and enjoyed a life of luxury, which made all the girls in the village very envious.

But two years later, after sending a child back, there was no news of him again. Uncle Mao went out to look for him for a long time, but he was beaten up and returned, and his health deteriorated.

Beside her, Wang Xiaoju was also staring at her, her gossip-loving heart burning brightly.

As someone who used to visit every household in the village, Wang Xiaoju naturally knew everything that was going on in the village, even more than Xu Genbao.

The villagers all said that Xiao Tian didn't seem to be Lan Xiaogu's child. He was only a month old when she brought him home, and she never came back to see him after abandoning him. What kind of mother would be so heartless?

Outsiders say this child has no father or mother and is a wild child.

But the maternal grandparents treated them like treasures, which also burdened Da Rui and Er Rui.

Stared at by four eyes, and hearing that Da Rui was dead, Xu Yuxian, also known as Xu Xiaolan, panicked and couldn't speak for a moment.

An old woman standing nearby chimed in, "My wife heard about your Xu family's affairs from a former maid. She was kind-hearted and treated even maids like family."

With her interruption, Xu Yuxian immediately calmed down: she had finally achieved the life she had now, and she couldn't let it be ruined.

It's not uncommon for children to die young in farming families; if anyone's to blame, it's the mother for being careless.

She blurted out, "It's a pity that the child named Da Rui died young. How are the rest of the family?"

Before Xu Genbao could reply, Wang Xiaoju interrupted, "What's so good about farmers' families? If you really have a kind heart, Madam, please help that maid's family! Aunt Jiang's house burned down, and she's still living in a shack!"

The old woman said coldly, "He's a poor wretch from a poor village, always thinking about money."

Xu Yuxian knew she couldn't ask any more questions after not getting much information out of her.

The man was easy to deal with, but this woman was sharp-tongued and cunning; if I asked her any more questions, she might reveal her true colors.

Although my sister-in-law's clothes were worn but without patches, and she could still ride in a sedan chair, it's likely that her family was doing well.

What's the big deal about a farming family raising one more child? It's like adding another bowl of water. Every family has three or five children.

Xu Yuxian: "Godmother, give the cotton fluffer an extra fifty coins! We don't need to fluff this cotton!"

Soon, Xu Genbao and Wang Xiaoju were kicked out of the courtyard with their wages. They didn't bring the washed quilt covers and just threw them haphazardly into the cotton.

Xu Genbao, carrying a large bow, looked at the sullen Wang Xiaoju and said, "You should have just held back. You had to argue with the master. Now you've lost your job!"

Wang Xiaoju lifted her basket, curled her lip, and snorted coldly: "If there's no work, I'll go back. I should go see Leiwa."

Xu Genbao thought for a moment and said, "Okay, it's still early. Let's put the cotton bow at Brother Xiang's house and then go back! It's just a pity that you didn't take the things you washed for so long with you."

A sly glint appeared on Wang Xiaoju's face: "Why would I take all that junk? Of course, I'll only take the good stuff. Don't worry about that, let's go first."

The couple were eager to return home, so they immediately went to Dejin's house to leave their cotton-ginning tools, and then they were about to walk home.

Besides, only Xu Yuxian and the old woman lived in the courtyard.

Xu Yuxian looked at the pile of cloth with a gloomy expression: "Why are these things still here? Burn them immediately!"

The old woman kicked it with her foot, still looking disgusted: "This isn't your dowry quilt, what are you afraid of? It's you who panicked like this after just a few questions. If someone questions you another day, let's see how you cover it up."

Xu Yuxian said with a stern face, "So much time has passed. If my brother and sister-in-law come to visit, just give them a few coins to send them away!"

The old woman nodded: "The master has started a business over the years, so there's no need to worry about what anyone will say."

The child your mother raised is grown up now. Just give him some money to get married and buy him a few acres of land in the village, and that will be enough to repay his mother's kindness.

Xu Yuxian's expression was uncertain, and she clutched her chest with both hands, feeling as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

She spoke lightly, but she knew in her heart that it wouldn't be so easy to resolve the matter that way.

If nothing had happened to her family, it would be fine, but I just heard from Xu Genbao that Da Rui is dead...

Da Rui!

My sister-in-law cherished her first nephew, the apple of her eye. She had held him in her arms before, and Da Rui even called her aunt. But he died when he was six years old.

If her sister-in-law found out that the child sent back wasn't hers, given her temper, she would definitely make a huge scene.

Where are my parents?

How have you been these past few years?

If the two elders knew that the child had no relation to the Xu family and that she had lied to her family, they would definitely be disappointed in their daughter!