Chapter Fifty-Five: This is still far from being a done deal.
The woman's eyes darted around, and she immediately put on a fake smile, eagerly saying, "Oh, Sister Chunxue, you've finally arrived!"
"Your Xiaoxiao, at such a young age, is already learning bad things, arguing with people at the village entrance, what kind of behavior is this..."
She also tried to distort the truth and shift the blame onto Zhong Xiaoxiao.
Zhang Chunxue's gaze was as cold as ice shards, piercing straight into the woman's face.
"I will teach my own child."
"As for you, instead of wasting your time stirring up trouble here, you should take care of your own family members first and stop meddling in other people's business."
The woman choked, her face turning pale and then red, unable to speak for a long time.
Zhang Chunxue stopped looking at her, turned her head, and said in a softer voice, deliberately raising her voice, "Xiaoxiao, let's go buy tofu. Secretary Song is coming to our house for dinner tonight."
These words stunned not only the woman but also several villagers who had been eavesdropping nearby.
Clerk Song?
Are we going to Zhang Chunxue's house for dinner?
The woman looked as if she had been struck by lightning; her eyes widened, and her mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg, and she couldn't close it for a long time.
She simply couldn't believe her ears!
Who is Clerk Song? He's young, promising, and has a bright future!
How could... how could we possibly eat at Zhang Chunxue's widow's house? Could it be that Zhong Xiaoxiao was right after all?
Zhong Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, her earlier panic and grievance vanished, replaced by surprise and excitement.
"Really, Mom? Teacher Song is coming to our house for dinner tonight?" Her voice rose eight octaves.
Zhang Chunxue smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes, let's go quickly, lest Secretary Song arrives without any good food."
She took Zhong Hongqing's little hand and patted Zhong Xiaoxiao's arm.
"Mom, let me help you with your things!" Zhong Xiaoxiao said immediately, her gloom from being scolded earlier completely gone.
"Okay," Zhang Chunxue replied.
Zhong Xiaoxiao cheered and immediately skipped and jumped to catch up with Zhang Chunxue. Even Zhong Hongqing could feel her joy and his short legs moved even faster.
Zhang Chunxue didn't even glance at the gossipy woman again, and led the children straight to the tofu shop at the west end of the village.
The woman watched helplessly as Zhang Chunxue led the children away, her face contorted with an expression as if she had swallowed a fly.
She stood there and spat.
"What are you showing off for! I don't believe you!"
Her eyes darted around, and the flame of resentment in her heart burned even brighter.
She absolutely had to find someone to talk to about this!
She turned and ran towards the homes of several gossipy women she knew in the village.
"Hey, have you heard? Zhang Chunxue's family is inviting Secretary Song to dinner tonight!" she shouted as soon as she entered the door.
"Really?" A plump woman who was eating sunflower seeds stopped when she heard this, her face full of disbelief.
"I bet it's fake!" Another woman with a pointed chin curled her lip. "Someone like Zhang Chunxue, would Secretary Song even be interested in her?"
The woman who had spoken earlier immediately found her group and slapped her thigh: "That's right! I just ran into that brat Zhong Xiaoxiao at the village entrance and we had a few words exchanged. I reckon Zhang Chunxue heard us talking and said those things on purpose to embellish her own image!"
"Exactly! Secretary Song is young and promising, with a bright future ahead of him, and he's not blind!"
"Zhang Chunxue is a widow; anyone who gets involved with her is doomed!"
"I think she's just desperate to marry into a wealthier family!"
Several gossipy women chattered amongst themselves, and the more they talked, the more convinced they became of their own guesses.
"She must have overheard Xiaoxiao arguing with you about Secretary Song, and she was so ashamed that she made it up to lie!"
"That's right, just wait and see, Clerk Song definitely won't be going tonight!"
They quickly reached a consensus, concluding that Zhang Chunxue was exaggerating in an attempt to save face.
On the other side, Zhong Xiaoxiao followed Zhang Chunxue, her little face still flushed with excitement.
Zhong Hongqing was led by Zhang Chunxue, and his short legs moved very quickly.
"Mom," Zhong Xiaoxiao leaned closer, her voice low and uncertain, "Teacher Song... he, he's really coming to our house for dinner tonight?"
Zhang Chunxue glanced at her sideways, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Why would I lie to a little brat like you?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up instantly, and she almost jumped for joy: "That's great! Mom, you're amazing!"
But before the excitement had subsided, she seemed to remember something, and the smile on her face froze as she secretly glanced at Zhang Chunxue's expression.
"Mom..." Her voice trailed off, tinged with a hint of trepidation, "You...you're not angry, are you?"
Zhang Chunxue paused, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Why would I be angry?"
She paused, then changed the subject, her eyes becoming somewhat probing: "But you, what were you arguing with that woman at the village entrance for no reason?"
Zhong Xiaoxiao's face flushed red instantly, and she lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, picking at her fingers.
"I...I was just playing with Hongqing at the village entrance...and then we ran into her. She...she started making fun of me..."
Zhang Chunxue listened expressionlessly, gesturing for her to continue.
Zhong Xiaoxiao swallowed, her voice even softer, tinged with grievance: "She said... she said it's been several days, why hasn't Secretary Song become your stepfather yet... I couldn't stand it, so I argued with her!"
"Stepfather?"
Zhang Chunxue suddenly stopped, her expression turned strange, and her eyes became complicated as she stared intently at Zhong Xiaoxiao.
Zhong Xiaoxiao felt uneasy under her gaze, her head drooped even lower, and her voice was barely audible.
"Mom...I..."
She knew she couldn't hide it anymore.
Her mother probably saw right through her little scheme a long time ago.
She bit her lip, finally mustering her courage, and whispered, "Mom, actually... actually, last time I went to Teacher Song for tutoring, after I came out... I ran into those people who always like to gossip..."
Zhong Xiaoxiao recounted what happened that day, her voice growing softer and softer until her head was almost buried in her chest, her heart pounding with anxiety as she waited for Zhang Chunxue to erupt.
After hearing this, Zhang Chunxue was both annoyed and amused.
“So,” she raised an eyebrow, looking at her daughter’s complex expression, a mixture of guilt and a little smugness, “you just went and yelled at those people at the village entrance that you wanted Secretary Song to be your stepfather?”
Zhong Xiaoxiao lowered her head even further, and you could see her reddened earlobes.
Zhang Chunxue extended her index finger and flicked Zhong Xiaoxiao's smooth forehead lightly.
"Ouch!" Zhong Xiaoxiao covered her forehead and cried out softly.
"You little brat, you've got some nerve!" Zhang Chunxue scolded. "This is nothing, and you dare to go around telling everyone about it. Aren't you afraid of embarrassing your mother?"
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