Shenjia Village is not large, with only a few dozen households and a few hundred people. Because of the small population, each family's yard is quite large, allowing them to grow vegetables and raise chickens.
It's afternoon now, and some people who aren't working in the fields are sitting under trees or at their doorsteps chatting.
"Isn't this Lan Ying? I haven't seen you visiting these days." A middle-aged peasant woman greeted them as they walked over together.
Madam Gu glanced at the person who spoke and replied, "Sister-in-law Shen, it's just that there have been so many things going on at home lately that I haven't had time to come out."
"Your family is always going to the county, I heard you're selling food there? How's business?"
Gu smiled and replied, "It's alright, just enough to make ends meet."
"How could that be? I see you guys bringing back a whole truckload of vegetables every day, the truck is almost too heavy to move. If business wasn't good, why would you buy so many vegetables?"
After the man finished speaking, he looked at the woman sitting next to him.
"Lin Er's wife, don't you also sell food at the dock? How's business lately?"
A short, middle-aged peasant woman, who looked to be in her fifties or sixties, glanced at Meng Zhao and darted around with her eyes. "What can I do? I'm just an old woman, old and ugly, and I can't even talk properly. How can I compare to those young ladies who call everyone 'brother' and coax people into buying from them?"
The person who asked the question looked somewhat embarrassed upon hearing her words, but actually glanced at Meng Zhao with their eyes.
The people sitting and chatting nearby were also there, enjoying the spectacle.
"Oh dear, look at your face, it's practically drooping to the ground. What are you comparing yourself to that young girl?"
The sour peasant woman immediately retorted, "You still have the nerve to talk about me like that? Aren't you the same?" Then she raised her head and said disdainfully, "Besides, even if I were twenty or thirty years younger, I still wouldn't do something like hawking my wares on the street."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu immediately became furious. She took a step forward, about to speak, but was stopped by Meng Zhao.
It wasn't that Meng Zhao didn't understand the implication; she knew perfectly well that the other person was referring to her. However, since the other person hadn't named her, her rebuttal only earned her more criticism.
After looking him up and down, he recognized who he was.
She was a vendor selling fried cakes at the dock, a bit far from their stall, and they didn't usually see each other. But after hearing Gu mention her family, Meng Zhao's lips curled up slightly, and she spoke with a hint of surprise.
"Hey, isn't this Aunt Lin? Those good days are gone. I remember your stall was doing really well. You probably made enough money to fill sacks."
Upon hearing Meng Zhao's words, the man immediately became anxious, "Who said that? When will you see my business doing well? I'm just running a small business."
Business people should try not to flaunt their wealth, as it can easily arouse jealousy. Many people, even if they have made money, are unwilling to talk about it.
"I saw my second cousin the other day. I saw him coming out of the casino. The casino clerk said that my second cousin is the kind of person who can lose two taels of silver in a game without batting an eye, and he can still go out to drink and eat meat. Since my second cousin is so generous, I naturally thought that my aunt's business was doing very well."
Aunt Lin jumped up from the stool and pointed at Meng Zhao, saying in a trembling voice, "You, you, you, you're talking nonsense, you're spouting rubbish."
“Auntie, I’m not making this up. I saw my second cousin come out of the gambling den with my own eyes. I was thinking that if my business didn’t go well and I couldn’t afford to eat, I was planning to ask you to help me out. I suppose Auntie Lin’s family is so wealthy and powerful that she would definitely be willing to help her fellow villagers in need, right?”
Meng Zhao looked completely innocent, as if she really meant it, but what she was really thinking was, "Are you afraid of me borrowing money from you? Humph."
"You're talking nonsense. We don't have any money, not a single penny." As he spoke, he walked towards Meng Zhao, almost spitting on Meng Zhao's face.
Aunt Feng'e quickly stepped forward and pushed Aunt Lin away, "Lin Er's wife, what are you doing here? You're so old, why are you arguing with the younger generation? You should use this energy to manage your son. I heard that the people from the gambling den came to the village last time and almost threw your son into jail."
Aunt Feng'e had a loud and clear voice; as soon as she opened her mouth, she drowned out the voice on the other side.
"Liu Feng'e, you shrew, you're talking nonsense! Your son is in jail!" Aunt Lin's mouth was never one to back down; she was always the one scolding others, never the other way around. Hearing Aunt Feng'e say this, she was so angry she almost fainted.
“Everyone knows if someone’s son owes money outside and is afraid to come home, and the debt collectors come to the village to make trouble. If you ask me, we should just tell the village head to separate your whole family. Otherwise, you’ll end up in jail and ruin the reputation of our whole village.”
"Who are you talking about, you jinx? You're a widow, how dare you talk about others? You deserve to be a widow, and you deserve that your son will never find a wife in his life." Aunt Lin was furious but powerless to refute. The village head had already spoken to the old couple about this matter. Although he wouldn't kick them out of the village, he had given them an ultimatum.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Feng'e also became anxious, "Bullshit! Your son is the one who will never be able to get married in this lifetime!"
Both of them were angry. Aunt Liu raised her hand to push Aunt Feng'e, but before Meng Zhao could stop her, Aunt Feng'e turned around and dodged. With another gentle push, Aunt Lin fell face down on her hands and knees.
Not only was her hair disheveled, but her face was also covered in dirt. Several children saw her lying on the ground crying and laughed around her, which made her angry and she cursed loudly again.
"You uneducated little beasts, get out of here!"
"Whose brat is this? Go and take him away right now."
She has always been tactless with her words and doesn't get along well with many people in the village. Now that she has fallen, there's not even anyone to help her up.
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