Throughout the journey, Ke Ruxiu, Zhou Yan, and Liu Shi kept glancing in Ning Huan's direction.
Zhou Yan couldn't help but mock, "Some people are ugly but still come out and annoy people. They're shameless."
Madam Liu echoed, "That's right. She didn't even know to wear a veil when she went out. If a child saw what was on her face, they would probably be scared to tears."
The only person on the bus whose face was covered in red pimples and spots was Ning Huan, so everyone knew that the two people were talking about Ning Huan.
But Ning Huan herself didn't think so; she had never cared much about her appearance.
Besides, she had carefully examined the original owner's face before, and it only looked bad because the original owner often had irregular eating habits, liked to eat greasy food, and was not hygienic or clean.
So naturally, a lot of pimples would grow on her face, but the original owner didn't know that. Instead, she would often pick at them after they appeared.
Her hands were not clean, and she picked at the pimples, causing them to become infected, which is why they got worse.
Ning Huan used the spiritual spring water to wash her face and cleanse it. In addition, she only ate light food to lose weight. Her face had actually improved slightly, but it was not obvious.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Zhou Yan thought that she had provoked her, and she became even more smug.
She even chuckled, "If I had this many things growing on my face, I'd rather die than go out!"
"Enough!"
Zhou Lan's face flushed with anger. She reached out and shielded Ning Huan behind her, angrily saying to Zhou Yan, "Second sister, no matter what, Ning Huan is still your third sister-in-law. How can you humiliate her in front of so many people!"
Zhou Yan was stunned by the shout, and Liu Shi was also unable to speak.
Meanwhile, Ke Ruxiu slowly said:
“Sister Zhou, why are you so angry? Sister Zhou Yan was just telling the truth. You say she humiliated someone in public, but I think she's a straightforward person, and she gave someone a wake-up call.”
Ning Huan stared coldly at Ke Ruxiu. This woman appeared gentle and kind, but her words were as sharp as knives.
She sneered and then said, "No matter how we talk, this is originally a family matter between us. What my elder sister says is none of your business, an outsider."
Liu chimed in from the side, "Ruxiu is no outsider!"
Upon hearing Liu's words, Ke Ruxiu's face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
Ning Huan raised an eyebrow: "Sister-in-law, do you know that Ke Ruxiu's heart belongs to my husband? When you say 'not an outsider,' do you mean you consider me an outsider?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the onlookers began to whisper among themselves: "We've long heard that this Lady Ruxiu still seems to have feelings for the third son of the Zhou family. Now that his wife has spoken out, it seems that it's true."
"That's true. Since Scholar Jing'an was injured, she has come to visit him two out of every five days, and she often comes when his wife is not at home."
"Although Ke Ruxiu was betrothed to the scholar Jing'an since childhood, it ended when he married you. But it's really shameless of her to keep thinking about other people's husbands."
"Who says otherwise? Besides, Ke Ruxiu's in-laws and husband treat her incredibly well. She always has the best food, clothing, and daily necessities in the family."
"If that's the case, then this Lady Ruxiu is really a bit indecent."
The whispers made Ke Ruxiu blush instantly, but she still forced herself to say, "I've known Jing'an since childhood. What's wrong with childhood sweethearts caring more about him? Besides..."
She paused for a moment and then said, "In terms of looks and character, in what way am I inferior to you? Even if I have feelings for Brother Jing'an, have I done something wrong?"
Ning Huan was about to retort when Zhou Lan tugged at her sleeve and spoke up:
“Ruxiu, you are mistaken. If you and my third brother are both unmarried, then it is not wrong for you to have feelings for him.”
“But my third brother is already married and has children, and you are already married to someone else. If you still have any intention of being with my third brother, it will be despised by the principles of morality and ethics!”
Zhou Lan spoke softly, but every word was firm.
Ke Ruxiu's face froze instantly, but she still stubbornly insisted:
"Big sister, you've gone a bit too far. I was just joking and using an analogy. My relationship with Brother Jing'an is naturally that of brother and sister."
Zhou Lan looked at her coldly and said:
"That would be best. Then you don't need to call me 'elder sister' anymore. Just call me 'elder sister of the Zhou family' like the other sisters do."
"Besides, jokes aside, I hope Lady Ruxiu won't take it too seriously. After all, even if you are better looking and virtuous than my current third brother's wife, you've been married for quite some time now, and your belly..."
She slowly drew out her words, her gaze fixed on Ke Ruxiu's stomach, and everyone else followed Zhou Lan's gaze towards Ke Ruxiu.
“Your belly hasn’t shown any signs of pregnancy. Our Zhou family values offspring the most, unlike Ru Xiu’s current in-laws. If you were to go to the Zhou family, your parents would definitely dislike you for not having an heir, one of the seven grounds for divorce.”
These words made everyone laugh out loud at Ke Ruxiu, as Zhou Lan's words subtly belittled her.
Ke Ruxiu blushed and then lowered her head in grievance, remaining silent.
Liu and Zhou Yan wanted to stand up for her, but Zhou Yan was afraid of her older sister, so she didn't say anything more.
As for Madam Liu, she had long heard her husband say that although this eldest sister seemed gentle and easy to talk to, she was actually someone you couldn't afford to offend in the family. So she didn't dare to say anything.
Ning Huan felt a surge of warmth in her heart as she watched Zhou Lan speak up for her.
With this little incident, the journey became much faster. Before Ning Huan could even take a good look at the scenery along the way, the oxcart had already arrived in town.
After Zhu Dali tied up the oxcart, he called for everyone to get off: "We've arrived in town now. Let's all go about our own business. We'll meet here in the evening, so don't be late."
Zhou Lan came to town to buy some fabric to make clothes for her grandmother, so Ning Huan made an appointment with her at a shop and would go to find her after she finished her work.
After the two parted ways, Ning Huan began searching for clinics and restaurants in the town.
Before she could find it, she passed by a market. There were many people gathered at the back, and shouts could be heard from the middle from time to time.
"Come on, everyone, take a look! Don't miss out! This is a genuine thousand-year-old ginseng, a royal gift! Only eight hundred taels!"
You won't lose out or be cheated by buying this!
Ning Huan raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued when she heard that such a small town could sell thousand-year-old ginseng.
He got up and walked towards the sound of the shouts.
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