Xia Ruqian always remembered that pair of corduroy pants, and kept saying that it would be a pity if they were ruined by washing them carelessly.
This wasn't the era of soap, laundry detergent, or liquid laundry detergent. People washed clothes with either soap nuts or wood ash. The better ones used stinky soap, which reeked of industrial materials and was said to be bad for people, so it was only used for washing clothes. More importantly, to ensure a clean wash, people often beat the clothes with a mallet, also known as a "mang hammer." This made clothes more susceptible to damage.
Xia Ruqian's request for corduroy fabric wasn't particularly difficult for Xia Chunfu. He had many acquaintances across the country, including some returned educated youth with whom he had connections. Xia Chunfu quickly found someone to bring corduroy fabric or pants to the two sisters.
Xia Ruzheng had been worried about Huang Zhong's affairs. Sure enough, not long after, the rumors that had been dormant suddenly spread again, and this time they were even more serious than before.
This time, Xia Juaner told the two sisters about it when she returned to her parents' home.
"The rumors are going crazy, saying Zhengzheng, you've already followed Huang Zhong! His parents keep saying that you'll be marrying into their family soon!"
Xia Juan'er was still being very tactful in her words. Others said something even more disgusting, saying that Xia Ruzheng had slept with Huang Zhong, and not just once or twice, and that the place was somewhere in the woods, in a dilapidated house, or something like that.
If you think about it carefully, this statement has no credibility, but it is so gossipy and explosive, coupled with the gossip of the gossipers, everyone would rather believe it is true even if it is not true!
Yes, there are many people committing adultery these days, but they are basically young wives and old men who already know all about human affairs. But this is not the case for virgins. If they lose their virginity before marriage, they are considered sluts and deserve to be drowned in saliva!
Xia Ruzheng's face turned pale when he heard this, and Xia Ruqian was even more angry than a cow, with steam almost coming out of her ears.
"How could those people be like this! My sister is such a good person, and has such high standards, how could she possibly look down on that filthy bastard Huang Zhong! Are they even human?! They're actually making up stories about a pure and innocent girl!"
Xia Juan'er knew the personalities of the Xia sisters. Xia Ruzheng used to be ambitious, but she would never be with a man before marriage. She always felt that Xia Ruzheng was not someone who could look down on ordinary people.
"Qianqian, you're familiar with the gossipy women around here. They eat rice and spit out shit. They're so abominable. Didn't my sister just bump into someone? What kind of rumors were spread about her when she came back?"
Xia Ruqian slammed the table and said, "I really want to kill them! They can't even take care of their own family affairs, yet they have the nerve to spread rumors about other families!"
Xia Ruzheng was so angry she almost gasped. She had known Huang Zhong was shameless, but she hadn't expected him to be this shameless. In her previous life, she had thought she had offended him in some way, but now it seemed like it had nothing to do with likes and dislikes, because the two of them had never gotten along! Huang Zhong would do anything to achieve his goals!
Seeing Xia Ruqian's hands red from clapping on the table, Xia Ruzheng hurriedly pulled her back and said, "Don't hurt yourself."
Xia Juan'er said, "There's no point banging the table here. Go bang the table at those people outside. And there's one more thing I want to tell you. Don't think I'm saying this on purpose."
"What's going on?"
Xia Juaner seemed to have made up her mind before she said, "Do you know why this rumor spread so quickly?"
The two sisters shook their heads.
Xia Juan'er said, "Because Xu Xianhua is also spreading the news! She said that you told her, Zhengzheng, that you and Huang Zhong did have a brief relationship!"
Xia Ruzheng suddenly felt like a Buddha had left his body and two Buddhas had ascended to heaven! Xu Xianhua! Xu Xianhua actually helped Huang Zhong! She and Xu Xianhua had been friends since childhood, but she was not as good as such a weak and scumbag! This was not only about valuing love over friendship, but also a betrayal. Xia Ruzheng admitted that she did not like Xu Xianhua after her rebirth, but she had never treated her badly! If there was anything delicious, fun, or fresh at home, she would give Xu Xianhua a share without hesitation. Xu Xianhua had no idea how much she had taken from her, and now she was biting her back! It really felt like raising an ungrateful person.
After a long while, Xia Ruzheng said with trembling lips: "As expected, an ungrateful person is an ungrateful person. No matter what you do, you can't change your nature."
In her previous life, she couldn't wait to get together with Huang Zhong, but in this life, she betrayed him in advance, and in the end, the two of them were still in opposition.
Xia Ruqian, in turn, comforted Xia Ruzheng: "Okay, sister, we won't let people like her into the house anymore!"
They were usually good friends, so Xia Ruqian couldn't say anything harsh and could only say that she would no longer have any contact with them.
It is very normal for families in rural areas to not interact with each other and to get angry when they meet each other. Sometimes they will fight over trivial matters and then not speak to each other for decades, unless the younger generations grow up and slowly resume contact.
Xia Juan'er continued in a soft voice, "I haven't heard Xu Xianhua say this myself, but many people have said it, and even Xu Xianhua said that you and Huang Zhong were just a casual couple, so it's probably true. Although I don't like Xu Xianhua as a person, I won't make up stories about her for no reason. Zhengzheng, I think it's better for you to get married sooner rather than later. Then there won't be so many rumors."
Is marriage the end of everything? She wouldn't marry Huang Zhong. Who else could she marry? Xia Chunfu wrote to his old friends to ask if they had any men of the right age. But Xia Ruzheng didn't want to be married off blindly. It would take a long time to get to know each other and get along well, so there was no way she could get married right away.
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