Chapter 321 I've never been so humiliated in my life

Aunt Fang turned around and glanced at the frozen old couple, her eyes full of smug satisfaction at having succeeded in her scheme.

She spat contemptuously and raised her voice, "Everyone come and see! Old Mrs. Fang is going to beat me to death to avenge her man..."

"ah?"

Immediately, a villager asked her, puzzled, "They're such good-natured people, what did you say that made her want to kill you?"

"No matter why, this is too unreasonable and domineering! The old couple aren't usually like this," someone said.

Aunt Fang sneered, raising her voice, "Why? Because I said the old man acted dishonestly, deliberately letting Erniu's mother ruin Erniu's marriage to Su Laosan, causing so many villagers' hopes for profitable rice intercropping to be dashed, and then he used this to criticize everyone, making people..."

"Shut up!"

Grandma Fang gave a low shout, but it was too soft to be heard. She then grabbed the broom and swept the area, yelling, "Didn't you hear me tell you to shut up?!"

Aunt Fang had already seen it and hid to the side, leaving Grandma Fang, who had missed her target, under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Those standing nearby heard what Aunt Fang said, and those at the back who didn't hear it were unhappy after hearing what the people in front said.

The crowd erupted in uproar. One person exclaimed, "How could they do this? I gave them so many dried vegetables that I had sun-dried all summer so that my son could work with the village secretary. We didn't even eat any of them ourselves; we gave them all the best ones..."

The one said, "I gave Erniu's mother ten yuan for three feet of cloth..."

"I treated Erniu's dad to drinks, and it cost me five or six yuan."

"...I gave all the fabric my mother gave me as part of my dowry, such a large piece of satin, to the old lady!"

"Oh God, if this really doesn't work out, then all our things will have gone down the drain..."

"This is the only sickle in my house, I've used it for decades, you have to return it to me!"

Many people were indignant. When someone spoke up, the others joined in the commotion, shouting, "We don't care whether you get married or not, this has ruined what we gave you, you have to give it back..."

"Where's Fang Jianhua? What kind of damn village party secretary is he?"

"Your family has taken so many benefits from us, and you've done nothing right!"

"If you dare not return our goods, we'll go to the city tomorrow and report you to the high officials..."

A group of people echoed, "Yes, yes, yes, we'll go to the Fang family and sue them! The Fang family took bribes but didn't do anything for us..."

Grandma Fang gripped the broom, her vision blurring in waves.

Grandpa Fang felt his face burning from the villagers' stares, his face turning pale and then red, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

The couple had never been so humiliated in their lives.

The two exchanged a glance, and the old woman suddenly shouted, "Eldest son, what are you doing hiding in the house? Get out here right now and see what your wife has done!"

Uncle Fang slowly walked out, saw the villagers blocking the gate of the courtyard, and his two sons standing in the crowd, and then looked at the old couple.

He called out to his parents, saying, "It seems everyone won't be able to wait until tomorrow. They just want Jianhua to give them an explanation. Jianhua, come out here..."

Hearing this from the main room, Brother Fang took a deep breath and was about to leave when his younger brother grabbed him.

“Brother, there are a huge crowd of villagers outside. What would you say to them if you went out now? If you really resigned as the village secretary, you'd fall into the eldest son's trap. They're clearly using this as an excuse to embarrass you. They'd be more than happy to see you like this…”

"Yes, I know."

Brother Fang glanced at Brother Fang and said, "I know what they're up to. Rice intercropping is a matter of everyone's livelihood. I didn't make thorough preparations beforehand and publicized it to everyone, which offended some people. I was too hasty. But..."

He glanced up at the courtyard and listened to the commotion, then pursed his lips.

"Big brother..."

Brother Fang looked at him and continued, "At this point, I don't have many options. Either let Erniu and Su Laosan continue their marriage, but that's not very feasible, or..."

He turned to look at his still-shaken mother and said calmly, "Mom, did you hear the shouting outside? Go get what you've taken and return it to them in front of the villagers later."

Erniu's mother glanced at him guiltily, her lips moving slightly.

He asked him, "Boss, how did things turn out like this? It was such a simple matter; she just had to agree. Why didn't she agree? It's all her fault, isn't it!"

Brother Fang frowned and closed his eyes weakly.

Fang Xiaodi, unable to bear it any longer, gritted his teeth and shouted, "Mom, that's enough! What's the difference between what you're saying and pretending to be crazy? Everyone tells you that you can't do things yourself, so there's no reason to ask others to do them, but you just won't listen... It would have been simpler if you hadn't made the request, so why did you have to? Otherwise, those people would be here to congratulate us right now!"

"alright."

Brother Fang stopped him, and Little Brother Fang angrily shut up.

"It's no use blaming anyone now, Mom. Go get your things first, and we'll leave once you've got them. For money, clothes, and fabrics, just say you thought it was for Erniu's dowry. For food and drinks, just say you thought it was for Erniu's homecoming banquet. Don't say anything else, understand?"

Erniu's mother pursed her lips and remained silent.

When Brother Fang didn't show up outside, the noise grew even louder, incited by Aunt Fang.

Fang Xiaodi stamped his foot anxiously and said, "Mom, why are you still standing there? Hurry up and get the things! Or... should you just say whatever your eldest brother tells you to say? This is a big deal about whether your eldest brother can still be the village party secretary. Do you want to be trampled on by the eldest son's family and live with your tail between your legs from now on? Or do you want to be talked about behind your back by those villagers and live the rest of your life without being able to hold your head up?"

Erniu's mother's expression changed, and she immediately shook her head.

She glanced at her two sons and stammered, "It's not that I'm unwilling to pay it back, it's just that so many things... are gone. We ate the food, and the money and cloth... I took some back to my parents' home. Your eldest uncle's cousin is twenty-seven or twenty-eight and still hasn't gotten married. This time he's been asked to marry into a family, and they're asking for a dowry of three hundred yuan. I scraped together some money..."

Fang Xiaodi glared at him, "How much did you collect?"

Erniu's mother glanced at him, then at Brother Fang, who remained expressionless.

"Two hundred and fifty."

The two brothers, "..."

"You scraped together 250 yuan out of the 300 yuan dowry, Mom, you're really something." Fang Xiaodi was speechless and helpless, no longer knowing how to complain about his mother.

Brother Fang sighed in disappointment, glanced at his mother, and said, "Then take out the savings you've accumulated over the years and pay it back."

Erniu's mother shifted uncomfortably from side to side.

He said, "I'm broke. I gave Erniu so much money from my savings, and I only managed to scrape together 250 yuan from several households to give to your cousin. Where am I going to get 250 yuan to pay you back now..."

He suddenly stopped speaking, as if he had just thought of something. His eyes lit up as he looked at Brother Fang.

"Didn't Su Laosan say he'd send money over tomorrow? We'll use that money to pay them back. Didn't you say they earn three thousand a month? Then Erniu will get fifteen thousand..."