"No one forced me, Aunt Zhao, what do you mean by that?" To be polite, Yu Xiaohong answered the question honestly.
"Since no one forced you to become an educated youth, why are you looking like you're about to cry? Anyone who didn't know better would think I was bullying you!" Wuyou's voice was loud. Originally, she didn't intend to teach Yu Xiaohong a lesson, but the other party just walked right into it and came looking for trouble.
"Oh, or maybe it wasn't me who bullied you, but Huang Siwen who bullied you and forced you to apologize on her behalf." Then Wuyou pretended to suddenly realize something, leaving the onlookers stunned.
"No, I just felt bad seeing Siwen sick, so I came to apologize to Aunt Zhao on her behalf." Yu Xiaohong blushed a little, feeling that her little secret had been exposed, and hurriedly explained.
"What business is it of yours if Huang Zhiqing did something wrong? Besides, I don't think Huang Zhiqing thinks he was wrong. Are you deliberately bullying us because we are a widow and orphan?" As she spoke, Wuyou's aura changed. Her eyes widened and she put her hands on her hips, revealing the temperament of a shrew.
The original owner was able to raise her son on her own, so she was naturally not a pushover.
Yu Xiaohong was almost in tears. She never imagined that in her rebirth, she couldn't even win an argument with a country woman. No matter what she said, she was somehow accused of bullying her and her orphan mother. The way others looked at her changed. She had tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead.
If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered with that mother and son.
"Mom, are you alright?" Zhao Hongjun rushed over when he heard the commotion and helped Wuyou up.
“Yu, go back and tell Huang that although we are orphans and widows, we are not easy to bully. Unless she apologizes in person, there is nothing we can do.” Hearing Zhao Hongjun’s rare firm words, Wuyou’s eyes flickered. This silly son still had some backbone; at least he wasn’t completely without principles.
“Yes, you city folks think you're so great? We're not easy to bully either. This is clearly Huang Zhiqing's problem, so why are you dragging us into it? If anyone should apologize, it should be Huang Zhiqing himself.” Other villagers chimed in. Although there were occasional frictions, they were all from the same village, and when faced with an outsider, they naturally shared a common hatred.
Yu Xiaohong was speechless at the scene, her face turning bright red. Finally, she stammered an apology and turned to leave. Although she had achieved her goal of smearing Huang Siwen, she herself hadn't gained anything in return.
She truly hadn't expected that an uneducated rural woman could be so eloquent. Wasn't that a testament to years of experience as a shrewish woman, honing her skills through years of verbal abuse?
As soon as the person left, the crowd gradually dispersed. Wuyou received a lot of comfort and sympathy from the villagers. Even the village head came up and said a few words, telling Wuyou not to worry.
In the afternoon, the mother and son went home together, closed the door tightly, and then ran to the small house on the west side. This house was usually used to store miscellaneous items and some farm tools, but thanks to the efforts of the mother and son yesterday, they managed to clear out a large space.
A square enclosure was built in the corner of the wall, in preparation for raising small animals in the future. On the other side, there was a large basin with a big fish weighing about two or three pounds blowing bubbles inside.
"Mom..." Zhao Hongjun deftly grabbed the big fish, his eyes full of eager anticipation as he looked at Wuyou, his expression practically as if he wanted to eat the fish right there and then.
For them, not being able to eat meat all year round is the norm. Yesterday's braised fish was probably the best fish he had ever eaten in his life. It was so delicious that he wanted to eat his tongue. It was unforgettable.
Wuyou's culinary skills, having been taught by the imperial chef, were naturally extraordinary. Moreover, the original owner's own culinary skills were not bad either. Zhao Hongjun only thought it was because she hadn't eaten meat for too long, but in fact, her culinary skills also played a part.
"Alright, go start the fire." Wuyou glanced at her silly son, who wasn't silly at all while eating. Zhao Hongjun happily agreed.
While the mother and son were happily cooking and enjoying their meal, things were in chaos again at the educated youth compound.
Huang Siwen was lucky; she managed to withstand a fever of 40°C and broke through the heat that evening, sweating profusely. She never liked farm work, and now she had found a good excuse to stay in the educated youth compound. The others were unhappy, but they didn't say anything.
It wasn't until noon that Huang Siwen learned about the incident from someone else, and he was furious. He immediately put down the pot and ladle in his hand, ignoring the food, and stormed up to Yu Xiaohong, grabbing her clothes and forcibly pulling her up.
"Yu Xiaohong, I considered you a friend, but you stabbed me in the back. Who told you to apologize for me? What gives you the right to apologize for me?" Huang Siwen's pretty face turned bright red, her beautiful eyes widened, and she stared intently at Yu Xiaohong.
She already looked down on the Zhao family's poor appearance and didn't think she was wrong. Yu Xiaohong's actions were tantamount to trampling on her own face. How could she not be angry?
"I...I just don't want Siwen's relationship with the Zhao family to deteriorate so badly. After all, we all have to live our lives in this village." Yu Xiaohong's face turned red with embarrassment, and she looked aggrieved. This was the explanation she had prepared beforehand.
"Who wants your fake kindness? That mother and son are disgusting. I don't want to apologize to them." Recalling how she was left speechless that day, Huang Siwen became even angrier and spoke without any mercy, venting all her anger on the other person.
"That's enough. Xiaohong meant well. Even if she made a mistake, Siwen shouldn't treat her like this." Li Gang, as the eldest brother, quickly stood up to stop it. There were already few educated youth, and if they didn't unite, things would probably be even more difficult. They were always arguing and making a fuss, and they couldn't even have a peaceful day.
"Hmph—" Huang Siwen crossed her arms, feeling indignant, but everyone knew Li Gang's status in the intelligence agency, so she couldn't argue with him.
"Why are we all staying in Qingshui Village? Why make things so tense? Apologizing won't hurt. I see you're full of energy, Huang, so you must be feeling better. In that case, don't rest in the educated youth compound. Come work with us tomorrow. Otherwise, we'll all go hungry!" Chen Guihua said sarcastically, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Huang Siwen's behavior was truly detestable.
Huang Siwen felt wronged and instinctively looked around for help, but the approving looks from those around her only hurt her more, and tears welled up in her eyes. Finally, she rushed out of the educated youth compound without a second thought, and Yu Xiaohong didn't even have a chance to stop her.
"Ugh, what's that smell?" Chen Guihua's nose twitched as she suddenly smelled a burnt odor. She screamed and rushed to the kitchen.
After this commotion, no one cared about Huang Siwen anymore. When the burnt porridge was served, the educated youth felt even more resentful towards Huang Siwen.
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