The Xiao family had never eaten such delicious food before.
If they weren't guests at someone's home and worried about being impolite, they would have devoured the food; it was just too delicious.
They ate the food cleanly, even more thoroughly than Qiu Mei washed the dishes.
"I'm so full, sis, your cooking is amazing." Xiao Quanfu burped.
"Now that we've eaten, it's time to get back to work. Come with me to Chenjiaqiao."
Xia Hongfen waved her hand, and the Xiao family followed her to Chenjiaqiao in a menacing manner.
“Hongfen, that’s Chen’s territory after all. You two might suffer if you go alone. My daughter and I will go with you. I’ll go and call Lihua and her husband.” After saying that, Xia Mingshi stepped out of the door and walked towards Aunt Lihua’s house.
Without hesitation, Aunt Lihua and Xia Qiang immediately agreed to go along.
"We need to call Xintian too; he's the clan leader now." Before leaving, Xia Hongfen went to call Xia Xintian again.
After being elected by everyone, Xia Xintian has officially become the clan chief.
Led by Xia Hongfen, a large group of people went to Chenjiaqiao.
The Chen family was furious and racking their brains trying to figure out how to get back at Xia Chunmei and get their hands on the money, but then...
Thud...
The gate of the Chen family's house was broken open by Xia Chunmei's two brothers-in-law.
"Chen Jinshui, Liu Xiang, you old bastards, get out here!" Xia Hongfen stood in the yard, hands on her hips, cursing angrily, "Shameless old beasts, that slut Chen Erlan has already remarried, your Chen family has nothing to do with my Xia family, yet you shamelessly went to my niece's house to steal things!"
Chen Erlan, that heartless and rotten vixen, sold my Xia family's land before remarrying and ran off with the money. You guys are like bandits entering a village, robbing poultry, grain, bedding, and everything else, completely disregarding the lives of our four children.
And you're still not satisfied? The kids catch a few fish, and you even try to steal them from them. Are you even human?
Do you really want to drive my niece to her death?
My little niece is not even two years old yet! How could you bear to take away their things and force a two-year-old to eat wild vegetables and chew on tree leaves every day? Calling you animals is an insult to animals.
Gradually, the villagers of Chenjiaqiao gathered around after hearing the noise.
Chen Jinshui never expected that after they had already fought in Yijia Village, Xia Hongfen and her group would still chase them all the way to Chenjiaqiao!
His expression immediately turned sour.
He said, "It is our duty to be filial to our elders. Since you are their aunt, you should teach them what filial piety means."
"Serves you right! Be filial to your sister! You old hag, I spit on you!"
Believe it or not, I'll go around telling everyone right now that your whole family are bandits, robbing your son-in-law and grandson of their food rations. You're lazy and good-for-nothing, stealing food from two-year-olds and making your two-year-old granddaughter chew on tree leaves every day. I'd like to see who dares to marry their daughter to Chenjiaqiao, you inhuman beasts! I spit on you!
Xia Mingshi: "Why waste words with them? We'll go and tell everyone in the surrounding villages with great fanfare, so that everyone knows what kind of beasts they are! Let's see how their descendants will arrange marriages!"
Chen Jinlian appeared at the right moment: "Auntie, Aunt Ming, don't be impulsive. I know you're angry, but it's all their fault. It doesn't matter if their reputation is ruined, but what if people spread the word that all the people of Chenjiaqiao are like this, or that the people of Chenjiaqiao are bandits? How will the girls and boys of Chenjiaqiao find husbands then?"
As soon as Chen Jinlian said this, the people of Chenjiaqiao couldn't sit still anymore. One by one, they jumped out and said, "What if this affects my child's marriage prospects?"
"That's right, you can't go around saying things like that outside, or people will misunderstand and cause trouble."
Chen Jinlian stepped in as a peacemaker: "Uncle Chen, Erlan did such a thing, and you also took away the food rations from Chunmei and the other sisters. Many people know about it, and many outsiders are asking me about the atmosphere in Chenjiaqiao, asking if all people with the surname Chen are like you. What am I supposed to say?"
Chen Jinlian looked troubled, sighed, and continued, "Some families who wanted to marry their daughters into the village have backed out because of this. Uncle Jinshui, you also have to consider the rest of the villagers."
"Oh dear!" He, the woman next door to the Chen family, suddenly slapped her thigh excitedly. "No wonder my eldest son's marriage, which seemed so sure of itself, suddenly fell through. It's probably because of this! Chen Jinshui, Liu, this is all your fault! If my son can't find a wife and it delays the continuation of the family line, I'll never forgive you!"
Hearing He say this, the other villagers became even more panicked.
What should we do?
"Our child is also considering marriage; will this have any impact?"
"It will definitely have an impact. If the girls don't marry into the family, the children will all be bachelors, and the daughters will have to stay at home as old maids."
"Chen Jinshui, Liu Shi, if you don't treat yourselves like human beings, don't drag our whole village down with you."
"That's right, don't drag us into this!"
...
The villagers of Chenjiaqiao immediately turned their anger towards the Chen family, their hatred reaching a fever pitch.
Chen Jinshui was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
Village chief Chen Shuitian rushed over at this time: "I heard what everyone said. Auntie, please don't be impulsive. Let's talk this out. If you make a scene like this, other people in our village will suffer as well."
Xia Hongfen softened her tone and said, "Village Chief Chen, it's not that I want to harm everyone, it's just that they are such scoundrels. Stealing grain from orphans, is that something a human being would do?"
"They were in the wrong. How about this: I'll tell them not to bother your niece at the Xia family again, and you shouldn't go around spreading rumors about his misdeeds, lest it cause even greater trouble. Is that alright?"
“Village chief, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that a leopard can’t change its spots, and you can’t watch over them every day.”
"If they do it again, I'll kick them out of the village. Is that alright?"
Upon hearing that they were going to be kicked out, Chen Jinshui's family became anxious.
"Village chief, you can't side with outsiders."
"That's right, we're the child's uncles, and the maternal uncles are the most important. What's wrong with us eating a little something from her?"
"It's such a trivial matter, and you want to kick us out of the village? Village chief, you're making a mountain out of a molehill."
Xia Hongfen was furious: "Did you hear that? Did you all hear that? It's not me who's trying to harm you all, it's these bastards who are worse than pigs and dogs. I don't think we need to waste our breath. I'm going to go and spread the word right now. I want to see which blind fool will marry their daughter into this family!"
After saying that, Xia Hongfen angrily waved her hand and summoned everyone to start spreading the word.
"Auntie, don't be impulsive!"
"We can talk things out."
"We are innocent."
...
The villagers of Chenjiaqiao quickly stopped Xia Hongfen and the others.
Chen Shuitian angrily said, "Chen Jinshui, are you trying to make sure that all the boys in the village can't get married and all the girls can't find wives? If that's the case, then I won't give you any more chances. I'll kick you out right now so you don't drag us all down with you!"
"Yes, kick them out!"
"Get them out!"
"It also saves me from doing petty theft and making a fool of myself."
"Get them out!"
...
The Chen Jinshui family angered the villagers, who threatened to drive them out.
Xia Hongfen said coldly, "Let's see where you can move to. Let's see which village will take you in. Wherever you go, we'll go. If we don't cause chaos, I'm not human!"
If you are driven out of another village, the other villages generally won't agree to take you in unless you go far away. But if you go far away, how will you make a living? And in unfamiliar places, people will also take advantage of you.
Chen Jinshui realized things were going terribly wrong, and said with a mournful face, "Village chief, I...I promise, okay?"
"Really agree?" Chen Shuitian asked.
Chen Jinshui nodded: "I really agree."
"I'll trust you this once. But if any member of your family dares to cause trouble for Miss Xia and tarnish the reputation of the whole village, I'll take it upon myself to kick your whole family out of the village. Don't be so lenient then."
Don't think we can't see your underhanded tactics; so many eyes in the village are watching you.
Xia Hongfen said, "The grain that was stolen before must be returned, otherwise I will still go and spread the word."
The mere mention of needing grain was like a death sentence for the Chen family.
"We're out of food at home, almost starving," Chen Jinshui said with a bitter face.
"Whether there's food or not isn't up to you to decide, old man. Children, come with me inside to search!"
"No entry! No entry!"
The Chen family members quickly tried to stop them.
Xia Hongfen brought quite a few people, and the Chen family couldn't stop her at all.
The Chen family had incurred the wrath of the villagers, and the villagers of Chenjiaqiao were unlikely to side with them. The Chen family could only watch helplessly as Xia Hongfen acted like a bandit leader, ransacking the place.
They carried out twenty catties of millet, twenty catties of unmilled wheat, and caught five laying hens.
“We didn’t get this much stuff from that brat back then,” Chen Qiao said, tears streaming down her face.
“I say yes, no one says no. I live next door to Chunmei. I saw exactly how much you took,” Aunt Lihua said.
"But you've taken it all, what are we going to eat?" Chen Gui's heart was bleeding.
“That bitch Chen Erlan sold my Xia family’s land and ran off with the money. You have nothing to eat, so you can go to her. She has money.”
Xia Hongfen weighed the grain in her hand, thinking that according to her spendthrift niece's eating habits, this grain would probably last for a month.
“But we don’t know where that bitch Chen Erlan went!” Chen Qiao cried. “Village chief, you have to do us justice!”
"You took it from them first, so it's only natural that they take it back now, isn't it?"
Chen Shuitian's words nearly made Chen Qiao's family vomit blood.
Xia Hongfen said, "After this, as long as you don't bully my niece, I won't come to your house to take things anymore. But if I find out you're still not changing your ways, then don't blame me."
Xia Hongfen led a large group, carrying grain and hens, and walked back with her head held high.
The Chen family sat on the threshold as if they had lost their parents.
The Chen family was not well-liked or had a good reputation in the village, so other people felt a bit schadenfreude when they saw them like this.
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