Qingxia Village.
The Dong family.
Two timid little girls followed beside Widow Dong.
A farmer in his fifties or sixties sat in the chair and said with a smile:
“Niece-in-law, Tiesuo is dead, and there are no able-bodied men in your family. You can’t manage all ten or so acres of land by yourself… Why don’t we uncles help you during the busy farming season…”
Two other men sat in the main room, their expressions indifferent.
Widow Dong's heart skipped a beat.
Having a man in the house is different from not having one.
Without a man to stand up for the family, there's no one to step up when trouble comes.
They said they were helping out, but later on, they helped with farming, and then the land was all gone.
He shook his head. "This is the last inheritance that Tiesuo left me. I'm thinking of adding some dowry when my two eldest daughters get married, so you uncles won't have to worry about it."
Boss Dong's smiling face instantly froze.
“Niece-in-law, there have been a lot of rumors about you in the village lately.”
I'm very worried about the Dong family's reputation..."
Widow Dong shook her head and said, "I have not done anything wrong."
The other man, Dong Lao Er, who was sitting silently, chuckled and said, "But your reputation in the village is really bad."
"You and Chen Dashui from the Chen family were all lovey-dovey on stage back then..."
"Second Uncle, it was just a show in the village back then, nobody took it seriously."
Boss Dong's expression softened slightly.
"Who can say for sure about these rumors?"
Tie Suo has been dead for so long, no one knows if a woman can still uphold her virtues. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your two children, right?
Da Ya and Er Ya hid behind Widow Dong. One was a little older, over ten years old, and the other was a little younger, seven or eight years old.
When adults are talking, you can usually understand the gist of what they're saying.
Da Ya said aggrievedly, "Back then, when Young Master Wenxuan was looking for someone to play that female ghost, no one was willing. Later, Young Master Wenxuan paid several dozen coins for my mother to finally play the role."
"That was just a performance for everyone's amusement; nobody took it seriously. Why would Grandpa say such things about my mother?"
Boss Dong looked embarrassed.
Dong Lao Er rebuked:
"Niece-in-law, is this how you raise children? You have no manners at all. I am an elder, and even you shouldn't talk to me like that, let alone a child!"
Widow Dong held Daya close to her side.
"Uncle, there's no need to say anything more. I will educate the child. That land is the last thing Tie Suo left me. I will not hand it over to you."
The three men left the house looking displeased.
Dong Laosan remained silent inside the house, but surprisingly, he spoke up once he left.
"Elder brother, second brother, my nephew's wife is unwilling. In my opinion, we should just let this matter go."
Old Dong grumbled, "Forget it, forget it? Her family has seven or eight acres of good farmland, and whatever grains they grow there will grow strong and healthy!"
Those all belong to our Dong family.
It would be one thing if he had given birth to a son for Tiesuo, but they are all girls!
Didn't you hear me?
After Daya and Erya get married, a portion of the dowry will be set aside!
What do you mean? The Dong family's land is going to be transferred to someone else's family. That's all Dong family property. Are you willing to accept that? I certainly am not."
Old Dong said solemnly:
"Big brother, second brother, are you really planning to take over all of Tie Suo's land?"
I do have an idea.
Both of them asked curiously, "What idea?"
Dong Laosan whispered a few words.
The other two men stared at him in astonishment.
"Isn't that a bit too mean?"
Boss Dong hesitated.
Dong Lao Er also adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
The third brother remained calm. "Didn't the eldest and second brothers always want her family's land?"
Whether it's a fair and square competition or a clandestine scheme, isn't the end result the same? What's the difference?
Boss Dong frowned in thought.
"The key point is that this matter involves Chen Dashui's family, and his family and Chen Xian's family are very close. Chen Xian's family has recently gained a great reputation in the village."
If he gets involved, this matter will become difficult.
Old Dong frowned. "Then let's do it this way: when we spread the news, we'll only spread news about Da Ya Niang, and we won't mention anything about Chen Da Shui!"
"It seems this is the only way!"
The two brothers of the Dong family looked at Dong Laosan and remained silent for a long time.
...
Wei Residence.
As darkness deepened and the night grew thicker, the air was filled with the dry, dusty smell of cooking. In the kitchen, people were busily preparing dinner.
After finishing the meal.
The maid cleaned up the kitchen and prepared to go back to rest.
Someone nudged a maid who had a blank expression and remained silent.
"Huahua, go and rest after you finish eating. I'll help you with the work here..."
The maid was exceptionally beautiful, with clear, bright eyes, an oval face, and fair skin.
Among the maids, she was considered the most beautiful.
Unfortunately, he had a numb face, devoid of any emotion, like a piece of wood.
The maids sighed.
"It's so pitiful. Hua Hua was such a lively and cheerful girl when she first came to the manor. Look at how she's been tormented now..."
"Stop talking nonsense, this is not something we can control..."
Suddenly, a figure slipped into the second wife's room.
A hushed voice came from inside: "Are you ready?"
"Yes, yes, I'll get started right away."
Unbeknownst to them, a ghostly girl lurked in the darkness outside the door, her face expressionless, silently listening to the people inside speaking…
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