The next day, Jiang Yimian took the remaining soap to town, while the others continued to work on clearing land in the small depression.
Not many people went to town today. Jiang Yimian and a few people from nearby villages rode in an oxcart and went to town in silence.
I thought there would be far fewer people in Qinghe Town, but I was surprised to find that it was still bustling with activity. Although it wasn't as crowded as a market day, it was still very lively.
The vendors on both sides of the street were shouting their wares, seemingly competing to see who could shout the loudest.
Jiang Yimian went straight to Huichuntang.
As soon as the shop assistant at Huichuntang saw her, he rushed over to greet her, "Miss Jiang has arrived."
Jiang Yimian nodded, took out the soap from the basket, and after the other party carefully counted it and confirmed that it was correct, he gave her two taels of silver.
After accepting the money, she was about to leave when the shop assistant quickly stopped her, asking curiously, "Where do you live, young lady? If there's any news about the shop, where will we look for you?"
Jiang Yimian thought for a moment before saying, "There's a stall selling konjac tofu on East Street. On market days, I or my family members will be there. If you have any news, you can go there."
The man then made a note of it.
As soon as Jiang Yimian stepped out of Huichuntang, Chen Guixiang pulled Li Chunhua along and followed, her eyes filled with resentment.
Last time, that little brat made her look bad in front of that Zhang Ba from Xiao Zhang Shi, which caused all the gossipy old women in the village to laugh at her whenever they saw her, making her so angry that she dared not go out.
I finally managed to come out early today, just to avoid the villagers, but instead I ran into that little hussy again.
She's determined to teach that little brat a lesson today.
Thinking about it, she quickened her pace.
Li Chunhua, standing to the side, looked puzzled. Seeing her mother walking faster and faster, she flung her hand away and said angrily, "Mom, what are you doing? Didn't you say you were going to buy fabric to make me clothes?"
Chen Guixiang glared angrily at the people in the crowd and whispered, "See that? That slut made me look bad in front of Xiao Zhangshi, which is why the villagers are laughing at me. Today I'm going to show her that an outsider can't ride roughshod over us."
As he spoke, he quickly followed.
As soon as Jiang Yimian left Huichuntang, she noticed someone following her. She didn't care and just wandered around the streets. After walking for a while, she saw a pork stall.
There weren't many people at the pork stall, and there weren't many pieces of meat left, and they weren't very fresh. Fortunately, the weather was still cold, so they wouldn't spoil so easily.
There was still plenty of meat in the cellar, so she wasn't in a hurry.
She walked straight over, and the middle-aged man standing behind the stall smiled and asked, "What would you like to buy, young lady?"
Jiang Yimian glanced around casually, her gaze landing on the pork fat hanging next to the stall. She asked curiously, "How much is this pork fat?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a mocking voice came from behind him, “A vagrant is a vagrant. So poor that they can’t even afford meat, yet they want that unwanted stuff.”
Jiang Yimian glanced at the newcomer and raised an eyebrow when she saw it was Chen Guixiang.
Behind the other person was a pretty young woman, but her eyes were full of disdain. I immediately realized that this person was Li Chunhua.
The man who coveted the brick and tile houses of the displaced people.
She said casually, "Yes, if you have money, share some with me and buy me three pounds of meat."
Chen Guixiang choked, clearly not expecting this reply. It took her a while to react before she cursed, "You little hussy, you wish! Why should I buy you meat?"
Her family can't even afford to eat meat, yet they buy it for this wretched girl. She spits at her.
Jiang Yimian then continued in a cold voice, "What I buy is none of your business."
Chen Guixiang was taken aback, and Li Chunhua also paused, but the middle-aged man behind the stall burst out laughing.
Chen Guixiang was so angry that her face turned black. She pointed at Jiang Yimian and said angrily, "Have you no shame? You ask me for meat. If your family is this poor, then don't come out."
Li Chunhua's pretty face was also full of disdain, and she immediately said irritably, "Mother, don't pay attention to these poor vagrants. It's one thing if they can't afford to eat, but now they're begging for food."
These refugees are all the same; they're all beggars. No one in their own village wants them, so they go to other villages to beg for food.
Jiang Yimian frowned, glanced coldly at the two people in front of her, and said indifferently, "As far as I know, there shouldn't have been anyone with the surname Chen in Qinghe Town before. It was only more than ten years ago that people with the surname Chen from other prefectures fled here, and that's when the surname Chen came to Qinghe Town."
"Li Chunhua, if I remember correctly, your mother and maternal grandfather's family were both surnamed Chen, right? So they were beggars too? And they gave birth to you, this little beggar?"
Being called a little beggar, Li Chunhua couldn't hold back for a moment and shouted back, "Pah! You're the beggar! I'm from Qingshi Village! You outsider, you vagrant from who-knows-where, are the beggars! All of you vagrants are beggars!"
Passersby stopped in their tracks upon hearing this, and their gazes toward Li Chunhua and her daughter changed.
One of the women couldn't stand it any longer and started yelling, "What nonsense are you two talking about? If refugees are beggars, then everyone on this street is a beggar!"
Everyone knows that Qinghe Town used to be a wasteland, and everyone's ancestors fled from other places to this place. You two are bullying others just because you're from this village. Have you no shame?
Another man with a full beard rolled up his sleeves and cursed, "You two stinking women are asking for death! How are we refugees beggars? If you're unhappy about outsiders in the village, go tell the government. You shameless bastards, bullying people in the street, I'll beat you up."
As the crowd grew larger and larger, with everyone's faces filled with anger, Chen Guixiang and her companion's legs went weak with fear. They immediately stopped shouting and begged for mercy and apologized repeatedly. However, the onlookers completely ignored their words and continued to approach them.
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