"Wen Qing!" Another shout rang out outside Aunt Xiao's tailor shop: "You come out here!"
Everyone in the store turned to look at Wen Qing.
"Wen Qing, who called you?" Aunt Xiao asked in confusion.
Wen Qing frowned: "I'll go out and take a look."
"I'll go too."
Wen Qing was the first to cross the threshold, followed by Aunt Xiao.
Zhang Xiuying and Lao He exchanged glances, unsure whether to leave or stay, so they stood by the door and observed the situation outside.
Ten tailors craned their necks.
"Wen Qing!" Ji Ningzhi stood outside the door, looking aggressive, with Liang Wenhua and Zhang Fangfang standing on either side of her.
"What is it?" Wen Qing asked calmly.
"Hand over my brother!" Ji Ningzhi said matter-of-factly.
"Ningzhi, talk this out. Don't shout in the street. People are watching us," Zhang Fangfang whispered.
“I’m not afraid to watch, it’s her who’s embarrassed!” Ji Ningzhi pointed at Wen Qing.
Wen Qing raised an eyebrow at Zhang Fangfang, then glanced at Liang Wenhua before landing on Ji Ningzhi's face: "Who's the one who's embarrassing themselves?"
"You! It's you!"
"It's better for me to embarrass myself in my own home than for you to embarrass yourself in someone else's," Wen Qing said calmly.
Ji Ningzhi was immediately speechless: "What did you say?"
Wen Qing: "Don't you understand? Then I'll say it again, you've embarrassed yourself in front of others."
Ji Ningzhi immediately thought of the embarrassing moment when the test papers were handed out on Monday, and she angrily lunged at Wen Qing.
Aunt Xiao stepped closer to Wen Qing, and Zhang Fangfang put her arm around Ji Ningzhi and said, "Ningzhi, don't be angry. You've forgotten that we came here to see Yanjun today. Don't make a scene."
Stop messing around.
Wen Qing sneered inwardly. Zhang Fangfang wished Liang Wenhua and Ji Ningzhi would make a huge scene.
"Wen Qing, tell me, where is Yan Jun?" Liang Wenhua maintained her "elegant" demeanor in front of outsiders.
Wen Qing glanced at her sideways. She used to be afraid of her, but now she was calm and clearly stated, "I don't know."
"You're talking nonsense! You're the one who hid my brother!" Ji Ningzhi shouted, accusing him.
"Where's the evidence?" Wen Qing asked.
“Evidence, the evidence is…” Ji Ningzhi was speechless and couldn’t say anything.
“Wen Qing, don’t be so stubborn. Everyone knows how you feel about Yan Jun,” Liang Wenhua added calmly.
“Yes,” Ji Ningzhi agreed.
Aunt Xiao was unhappy. How could this woman, who looked so clean and knowledgeable, speak so rudely?
“That’s right, Wen Qing. Although you and Yan Jun are together, you two are not officially recognized or in a relationship. It’s not appropriate for you to be together like this. At least both sets of parents need to agree,” Zhang Fangfang said.
As soon as Zhang Fangfang finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
If at the beginning everyone was just watching the spectacle, and somewhat confused, then Zhang Fangfang's words at this moment undoubtedly gave everyone a comprehensive overview of the plot. That is, Wen Qing likes a guy named Yan Jun, and the two got together despite her father's disapproval; it was clearly Wen Qing who initiated it. Now, Wen Qing is hiding Yan Jun away, or rather, encouraging him not to come home, and now Yan Jun's parents have come knocking on their door.
Many of the passersby were from the county town. A few of them gathered together and asked around, and they found out that the man's name was Ji Yanjun and the woman's name was Wen Qing. People who were just passing by stopped to watch. If there was something to see, why not?
Even the ten tailors in Aunt Xiao's tailor shop understood the situation outside the door because of Zhang Fangfang's words.
Aunt Xiao couldn't take it anymore and angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Wen Qing goes to Nanzhou No. 1 Middle School from Monday to Friday. How could she have time to see that Yan Jun!"
"Who's talking nonsense? Who's talking nonsense?" Ji Ningzhi persisted, pointing at Wen Qing and asking, "Ask her, if you don't believe me, ask her if she likes my brother, if she's thinking of marrying into our family?"
Aunt Xiao looked at Wen Qing.
Wen Qing remained silent, her face expressionless.
Aunt Xiao had never been able to guess what Wen Qing was thinking, and she was even less able to guess now. Wen Qing was not someone who would let others bully her without fighting back, so why wasn't she refuting them now, letting Ji Ningzhi spout nonsense?
Seeing that Wen Qing didn't respond, Ji Ningzhi became even more aggressive: "Do you dare say you didn't often wait for my brother's car at the four-way intersection ahead? Do you dare say you didn't invite my brother to go to the movies?"
Ji Ningzhi's repeated questioning seemed to seek approval from passersby. She frequently glanced around, trying to garner their agreement. After all, despite Wen Qing's many flaws, she was undeniably beautiful—slender, tall, and with delicate features. Nine and a half out of ten people would agree she was pretty. Ji Yanjun was also tall and handsome, and the two of them walking together were quite eye-catching. Moreover, Wen Qing had waited for Ji Yanjun at the four-way intersection many times.
People in this era are generally idle and love to join in the fun. They also have a "the more the merrier" mentality. As soon as Ji Ningzhi looked at someone for a witness, someone immediately said that they had seen it. They even saw Ji Yanjun and Wen Qing going out to eat together. It was the state-run restaurant in the county town. Only rich people go out to eat.
Zhang Fangfang lowered her head slightly and smiled upon hearing this.
Ji Ningzhi stared fiercely at Wen Qing.
Liang Wenhua's gaze grew even colder.
Wen Qing remained calm. Although the accusations from passersby reached her ears, she showed no expression except for her initial frown, and did not respond.
This surprised Liang Wenhua and Ji Ningzhi.
Even Zhang Fangfang couldn't figure out what Wen Qing was thinking at that moment.
The surroundings became quiet.
"Wen Qing." Aunt Xiao tugged at Wen Qing's sleeve. "Wen Qing, it's alright. We're not afraid of them! There are more of us, and Bao Hong will be back soon. We can out-argue them if they want."
Wen Qing then smiled and said, "What's all the arguing about? Arguing is exhausting. I won't argue, I admit it."
Aunt Xiao was taken aback.
Wen Qing's voice was neither loud nor soft, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet surroundings.
They've admitted it?
They've admitted it?
Passersby began to whisper among themselves.
"So you're admitting it?"
"So, she hid Ji Yanjun?"
"This girl still doesn't know how to be discreet."
"that is."
"..."
Ji Ningzhi immediately felt smug, thinking she had won and that she had successfully embarrassed Wen Qing.
Liang Wenhua was taken aback; this didn't seem like Wen Qing.
Zhang Fangfang was also stunned. Why did Wen Qing admit it? This wasn't the usual Wen Qing. What was she up to? Zhang Fangfang sensed that Wen Qing had a backup plan.
As expected, Wen Qing asked, "Given what you've said, has Ji Ningzhi considered that I was previously engaged to your brother Ji Yanjun?"
Ji Ningzhi: "You..."
Before Ji Ningzhi could speak, Wen Qing raised her voice and said, "Uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, does any of you remember the car accident that happened two years ago on the cement road in the central section of the county town?"
Liang Wenhua and Ji Ningzhi looked bewildered, wondering why Wen Qing brought this up. Zhang Fangfang, however, had a bad feeling, but she couldn't figure out what Wen Qing was up to.
"I remember, of course I remember." By this time, some passersby had already chimed in. In this day and age, there are few cars, let alone car accidents. Therefore, even if people only heard about the accident two years ago at home, many busybodies would rush to see it now.
"I remember, I was riding my bicycle by at that time."
"I went there specifically to see it."
"I heard there was a lot of blood loss."
"Someone died!"
Wen Qing, recalling a question from someone on the middle road, chimed in: "That's right, someone died. The person who died was my second uncle."
The passersby were in an uproar.
Even Aunt Xiao was shocked. She had heard about the car accident, but she didn't expect it to be indirectly related to Wen Qing.
The interest of passersby completely overshadowed the initiative of Liang Wenhua, Ji Ningzhi, and Zhang Fangfang. The three tried to speak several times, but no one was listening; everyone was only listening to Wen Qing.
Wen Qing looked at a young couple standing together in the crowd, both of them looking embarrassed. Wen Qing smiled and asked, "Excuse me, have you just gotten engaged?"
Everyone looked at the couple on the roadside with a puzzled expression.
The woman blushed instantly.
The man blushed slightly and said, "Yes, we're engaged, so I'm here to buy clothes and furniture."
Wen Qing smiled and said, "That's wonderful. I wish you a long and happy life together."
"Thank you, thank you," the man replied, his skin a little thicker.
No one present knew why Wen Qing had suddenly interrupted this scene.
Only Zhang Fangfang vaguely sensed something was wrong. She wanted to argue something, or instruct Ji Ningzhi on something, but she had no idea what Wen Qing was thinking. She secretly sensed that Wen Qing was digging a pit, preparing for her, Liang Wenhua, and Ji Ningzhi to jump into it. She dared not make any rash moves, staring at Wen Qing with vicious eyes, a stark contrast to her usual gentle and proper demeanor.
Wen Qing continued, "Our customs are all the same here, right? After the engagement, the newlyweds go to the city to buy fabric to make clothes and furniture, right?"
Passersby didn't understand what Wen Qing was trying to do, but a few people still answered yes.
"So what if it is? You and my brother aren't engaged. My family never even proposed to your family. It's all been your wishful thinking!" Ji Ningzhi couldn't stand Wen Qing's roundabout way of speaking. She guessed Wen Qing's intention: Wen Qing must be saying that she and Ji Yanjun were engaged, so it didn't matter if they went shopping, ate out, or watched movies together. Ji Ningzhi resolutely refused to let her have her way and directly denied it: "You're shameless! You're just clinging to my family!"
Ji Ningzhi felt that she was on the side of justice, so her language was extremely harsh and her attitude was extremely tough.
Even the most fickle passersby sided with her, thinking that Wen Qing was shameless for waiting for men at the crossroads and going on dates with them.
Aunt Xiao was a little annoyed after hearing this. Ji Ningzhi, an unmarried girl, was speaking so harshly. Aunt Xiao turned to look at Wen Qing with concern. Wen Qing was neither angry nor upset, but had a faint smile on her lips.
Aunt Xiao was even more puzzled.
Wen Qing stared straight at Ji Ningzhi and asked, "Why would I cling to your house?"
Ji Ningzhi: "You know the answer in your heart."
Wen Qing laughed: "What right do I, a country bumpkin, have to meddle with the Ji family, the wealthy family in the county town?"
"It's all because of your dead second uncle. If it weren't for him saving my brother, my brother would have agreed to marry you to repay his debt!"
"So your brother agreed."
Ji Ningzhi widened her eyes and made her stance clear: "So what? My parents won't agree!"
Wen Qing and Ji Ningzhi clashed fiercely, with Wen Qing pressing her with every word. Ji Ningzhi refused to back down, and Zhang Fangfang tried several times to tug at Ji Ningzhi's clothes, but to no avail. At this point, she became even more agitated because Wen Qing was shouting, "My second uncle saved your brother with his life, and now he wants your brother to marry me? Am I ugly? Am I blind? Am I lame? I'm only sixteen, I have a house, land, and grain. How have I wronged him? How have I disgraced your Ji family? You're so ungrateful!"
"Pah!" Ji Ningzhi flung aside Zhang Fangfang and Liang Wenhua's attempts to pull her away, rushed up to Wen Qing, pointed at Wen Qing's nose, and cursed: "Propose marriage to your family? Dream on! Look at your family's character, a bunch of poor rural people, uneducated and uncivilized, wanting to marry into our city? Dream on!"
Ji Ningzhi cursed with great gusto, but after she finished, Wen Qing didn't seem angry. Instead, she saw a faint, triumphant smile on Wen Qing's lips. Ji Ningzhi was startled and quickly turned around, only to see passersby pointing and whispering about her, Liang Wenhua, and Zhang Fangfang.
Ji Ningzhi instantly realized that Wen Qing had deliberately led her to say these things, intentionally using her to reveal the truth and then coaxing her into saying the things she often used, thus offending everyone on the street. Whether from the countryside or the city, everyone looked down on her for her poor character. Especially since Wen Qing's second uncle had saved Ji Yanjun's life, and instead of repaying the kindness, Ji Yanjun's family was now picking a fight with Wen Qing—wasn't this repaying kindness with enmity?
Most importantly, all of this wasn't told by Wen Qing, but by the Ji family. How could this not astonish onlookers?
"Oh dear, this family! Uncle Wenqing sacrificed his life for your family, and it wouldn't be too much for you to take care of his niece for the rest of your life. But what happened? Now that you're alive, you don't want to propose marriage. Fine, don't propose marriage then, but you still come looking for trouble."
"ungrateful!"
"Exactly, you guys don't know, there was so much blood at the scene of the car accident, I was so scared I cried. The Ji family is really despicable."
"You coward! What's wrong with being from the countryside? If you're so capable, why don't you stop eating the grain grown by those people?"
"that is!"
"These three women are shameless!"
"Just because your family has a little money doesn't mean you can bully people. Bah!"
"..."
The sharp-eyed crowd immediately turned their anger towards Liang Wenhua, Zhang Fangfang, and Ji Ningzhi.
Liang Wenhua has maintained an "elegant" demeanor, so she hasn't shown her shrewish side, but now she's finding it hard to bear.
Zhang Fangfang's face turned pale; this was the first time so many people had pointed at her and cursed at her.
Ji Ningzhi's face flushed red, unable to hold back any longer, and she lunged at Wen Qing: "You shameless bastard, you did it on purpose, you deliberately made me say it..."
Aunt Xiao reacted before Wen Qing could react, pulling Wen Qing aside.
Ji Ningzhi missed her target and instead crashed straight into the wall of Aunt Xiao's tailor shop with a loud bang.
"Ning Zhi!"
"Ning Zhi!"
Liang Wenhua and Zhang Fangfang pounced at the same time.
Ji Ningzhi slumped against the wall, her hands covering her head.
"It's bleeding! It's bleeding!" Zhang Fangfang suddenly shouted.
Liang Wenhua was startled, her face changed, and she could no longer maintain her "elegant" demeanor. She suddenly stood up, walked up to Wen Qing, and raised her hand to slap him: "Wen Qing, you deserve to die..."
Before the slap could land, Wen Qing grabbed Liang Wenhua's hand, her eyes icy as she stared at her: "Auntie, from the moment I woke up again, I only thought of staying away from you. I've never provoked you in the slightest. You've provoked me time and time again. Did you think I was really afraid of you? Liang—Wen—Hua—"
Liang Wenhua
Liang Wenhua was taken aback, not expecting Wen Qing to call her by her name directly: "You actually called me by my name."
Wen Qing gripped Liang Wenhua's wrist tightly, glancing disdainfully at Ji Ningzhi and Zhang Fangfang by the wall. Her eyes were like ice knives, startling Ji Ningzhi into stopping her crying, and sending a chill down Zhang Fangfang's spine.
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