The busybody's expression changed, but he still retorted, "You ungrateful girl! It's your good fortune that my nephew is willing to take you in!"
Lin Qian ignored her and turned back to continue working.
Not long after, a scoundrel swaggered over to where Lin Qian was working, spouting nonsense: "Hey, isn't this Lin Qian? I heard your reputation isn't so great these days, but it doesn't matter, I don't mind. Follow me, and I guarantee you'll live the high life."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qian was furious. She put down her tools, walked over to the hooligan, and slapped him across the face without saying a word, making him see stars.
"You dare hit me?" The hooligan covered his face, looking at Lin Qian in disbelief.
Lin Qian said coldly, "Hitting you is too lenient. If you bother me again, you'll be sorry!"
This stunned all those around who wanted to take advantage of Lin Qian, and for a moment no one dared to step forward.
Lin Qian thought to herself, "Although Su Yao's schemes were simple, she still caused me a lot of trouble."
003 responded, "Host, don't be angry, we'll handle it."
Elsewhere in the village, the village chief's wife overheard this gossip and became so angry that she cursed loudly at home.
"Those gossipy women, all they do is spread rumors and talk nonsense without any evidence! I think Lin Qian is a very nice girl, they're just jealous of her!"
"If I see them, I'll teach them a lesson!" the village chief's wife said angrily. As she spoke, she waved the rolling pin in her hand, as if the gossipers were right in front of her.
While Lin Qian was at work, those older women weren't idle either; they were making sarcastic remarks on the sidelines.
"This Lin Qian, she really thinks she's something special. It's just that she built a house, what's so great about it?" an old woman said sarcastically.
“Exactly, she even dared to hit someone. She’s too aggressive.” Another older woman chimed in.
The rumors about Lin Qian in the village intensified, like an invisible storm sweeping through the entire village.
The way the educated youth at the settlement looked at Lin Qian became increasingly strange, their eyes filled with doubt, suspicion, and even a hint of disgust.
Lin Qian noticed these changes, but she chose to pretend she didn't know. She knew that any explanation at this moment would be weak and powerless, and she would wait for a suitable opportunity to prove her innocence.
That day, Lin Qian was washing clothes alone by the stream near the educated youth settlement. Just then, Liu Cui appeared. Liu Cui and Lin Qian had always been at odds, and there were always some minor frictions and conflicts between them. So when Liu Cui walked towards her, a sense of doubt welled up in Lin Qian's heart.
"Lin Qian, I want to talk to you about something." Liu Cui's tone was no longer sharp as before, but instead carried a hint of concern.
Lin Qian stopped what she was doing, looked up at Liu Cui, and asked in her eyes.
Liu Cui hesitated for a moment before speaking, "What are you going to do about those rumors circulating in the village? I think you should clarify them, otherwise it will damage your reputation. You know, reputation is very important in this village."
Lin Qian was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected Liu Cui to come and say these things to her. She began communicating with 003 in her mind.
"003, why would Liu Cui suddenly come and tell me all this?" Lin Qian asked.
“Host, perhaps she had a change of heart and felt that this was unfair to you,” 003 replied.
Lin Qian looked at Liu Cui and said calmly, "Liu Cui, why are you suddenly concerned about my affairs?"
Liu Cui turned her head away, somewhat uncomfortably, and said, "I just feel that this is not fair to you. Those rumors are completely fabricated. Although we don't usually get along, we still need to clarify these things."
Lin Qian's heart skipped a beat; she hadn't expected Liu Cui to have this side to her. She was silent for a moment, then said, "Thank you for reminding me. I'll find a way to resolve this."
Liu Cui nodded and said, "That's good. I just didn't want to see you wronged." After saying that, she turned and left.
As Lin Qian watched Liu Cui's retreating figure, her opinion of her began to change. She knew that in this complex environment, people's hearts were not simply black and white; perhaps everyone had a kind side.
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