Chapter 176 Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?
"Is she divorced? I heard it from people at the factory."
"Divorce? Ha, with that seductive face, she's probably having an affair, that's why she left so decisively. A woman like that, her heart has long been wild."
"Even if you have money, you shouldn't pay attention to her! This kind of person is cold-hearted to the core, doesn't care about feelings, and doesn't remember the kindness of family."
"you do not say!"
A man wearing blue overalls with oil stains on his trouser legs sneered.
"I heard she was disliked in the village, sharp-tongued and selfish. Now look at her, she's transformed into a boss and opened a shop. Where did she get her money? She must have gotten involved in some shady dealings, otherwise how could she have become rich so quickly?"
A middle-aged woman standing nearby immediately chimed in.
“My home is right next to Liuchang Village, I’ve heard of her before. Not only did she get divorced, but she also left the child with her ex-husband and ran off to wander around, not even returning to the village for the holidays. A woman like that has a heart of iron, frozen solid, you can’t warm it up!”
“Look at her shop, she rented two at once, she’s so extravagant. My husband has worked in a factory his whole life, but in the end, he only has a few hard-earned coins left, and he has to think twice before buying a bicycle. She’s a woman, she doesn’t work in a factory or the fields, where did she get the money? She must have done something bad, who knows what kind of shady business she’s been doing.”
A man spoke in a low voice.
"I've heard about it. Her divorce wasn't a simple matter of parting ways. She was very close to the commune leaders, often talking to them alone in the office. People outside were spreading all sorts of rumors, saying they were flirting and having a passionate affair. Otherwise, how could someone from a rural background like her have gotten a divorce so easily? Now that I see, she's definitely not someone to be trifled with; she's got a very tough hand."
Beside her stood an elderly woman with gray hair, leaning on a jujube wood cane that had been worn smooth and shiny.
"Haven't you seen the woman next to her? I heard she was kicked out by her own family, her reputation is already ruined. She's morally corrupt, always dressed in flashy clothes, she's obviously no good. Humph, only someone like her would associate with someone like Zhou Shufen, birds of a feather flock together!"
Zhou Shufen wasn't buying it.
She walked over in a few steps, pulled over a wooden bench, and sat down with a "thump".
Seeing this, Yang Yunmu quickly brought a steaming cup of tea from inside the house and handed it to her.
Zhou Shufen slowly took it and blew on it.
A wisp of steam swirled in front of her eyes.
She took a small sip, the aroma of tea filling the air, her expression serene.
"You must have gotten these words out of Zhou Haiwei's mouth, right? I knew he was gossiping outside. Let me tell you, when he got married, I was his mother-in-law. The bed was new, the wardrobe was new, there was a four-piece bedding set, and the bride price was exactly the same. Everything was done according to the rules."
"And what happened? Before his wife even entered the family, he took advantage of the situation, demanding my ancestral gold bracelet and threatening not to marry me if I didn't give it to him! What a fine way to say 'not marry me'! When we divorced, he turned around and complained that I was from the countryside, saying his father was a cadre and marrying me would bring shame to his family. Can you believe what he said? Did he have no conscience?"
The entire room fell silent.
"You don't even give your daughter-in-law a gold bracelet, do you even deserve to be a mother-in-law?"
A woman in a blue cloth shirt finally couldn't help but speak up.
Zhou Shufen gave a cold laugh, and her voice suddenly became louder.
"If you had a gold bracelet, would you give it to a daughter-in-law who hasn't even married into the family yet? Or would you be so eager to shove your family heirloom into her hands so she can come in and call you 'Mom' as soon as possible?"
"You don't know because you don't have one! You yourselves are dirt poor, yet you're here worrying about other people's gold bracelets? Worry about your own dinner!"
The crowd burst into laughter.
“I divorced him because he was messing around outside, not coming home until the middle of the night, and fooling around until dawn! Later, it was found that he had contracted venereal disease! Do you know what that disease is? It's shameful, it rots in your bones! He worked in the commune for twenty years, sheltered from the wind and rain, but he didn't bring home a single penny!”
“I raised six children in my family! I sewed clothes, sold vegetables, and collected recyclables. I stayed up all night until my eyes were bloodshot, and I never complained! This kind of man eats my food, wears my clothes, and still smugly calls me a burden? Don’t you always say that we should be magnanimous and tolerant? Fine, try living like this! Let’s see how long you can last!”
"Me, good-looking? Ask Zhou Haiwei. What did I look like before? Disheveled, my hair was a mess like a bird's nest, and I wore the same patched-up clothes for twenty years! The soles of my shoes were worn through, and I didn't even feel ashamed with my toes sticking out! Good-looking now? Yes, I'm good-looking now! Because I dumped that vampire family!"
“I no longer have to wash his ripped pants, no longer have to take care of his bedridden old mother, no longer have to watch him squander his salary on gambling! I have money now, I can dress up, I dare to spend money, so I should be the one being criticized behind my back? And another thing.”
She suddenly grabbed the skincare product bottle from the table; the bottle was crystal clear and had a red label on it.
She casually handed it to a middle-aged woman who was watching.
"This works really well, I'm not exaggerating. After using it for half a month, the wrinkles on my face have faded. You should all try it, I'm not afraid to let you use it!"
"You say I don't fit in? Let me ask you, Aunt Zhou runs a clothing store, cutting fabric and sewing from dawn till dusk, busy all year round; Lingling sets up her breakfast stall before dawn, never taking a day off despite the wind and sun; Qingshan manages the department store counter, working diligently for decades. Aren't they all earning their living with their own hands? Aren't they human beings?"
She rolled her eyes, curled her lip, and looked utterly disdainful.
"Think about it yourselves. Think about it carefully. Do you know what you're doing? Don't pretend you don't."
“I’m putting my words out there today, clearly and explicitly. I don’t want them; they dumped me first. When we separated the family property, they agreed to give me a monthly pension, but what happened? In less than three months, they disappeared without a trace. They didn’t answer the phone, didn’t even visit my door, and didn’t even send a holiday greeting.”
“Now that life is unbearable, the pots and pans are broken, and we can’t even afford firewood, rice, oil, and salt, we remember that we still have a mother. We come to you with tears streaming down our faces and beg for help. Tell me, is this kind of person, who turns their back on us first and then asks for help when they are in trouble, trustworthy in what they say and do? Is there anything credible about them?”
"And then there are those guys, all of them lazy and good-for-nothing. I've been doing everything at home by myself. For over thirty years, I haven't had a full night's sleep, nor have I ever worn a new piece of clothing. But they're so carefree, enjoying their leisure time, sitting under the shade of trees eating sunflower seeds and bragging, and then complaining that I'm too nosy and that I'm nagging!"
Several people who were originally standing on the periphery watching the commotion.
Hearing this, he gradually lost his composure.
Finally, without a word, the group lowered their heads and quietly slipped away.
"The girl beside me, Yun Mu, is a good child."
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