"Yes, even if I'm not there, I'll make sure everything is settled in advance. This child seems to have touched my heart."
"I understand. This child is just unlucky to have parents like these."
And you, still so soft-hearted, that's a flaw.
"Okay, I'll change it, alright?"
"This statement is completely insincere. They never learn their lesson."
Zhang Hongmei just chuckled foolishly. This was just her personality. How could she change it?
"Alright, go do what you're supposed to do. You seem better now." Actually, the old woman was still seething with anger. How embarrassing! How could Liu Maocai and Wang Hongxi have raised such a shameless daughter? And the village's atmosphere has deteriorated; what has this half-grown girl been learning?
"I wanted to stay a little longer! Honestly, they're kicking me out." Zhang Hongmei grumbled as she got out of bed, put on her shoes, and left.
The old lady leaned against the pile of quilts, squinting her eyes, waiting for Wang Hongxi.
The old lady was so confident; it would be strange if Wang Hongxi didn't come.
When Zhang Hongmei returned home, Zhang Shouyi was boiling water. "Hongmei, go wash up first."
"Okay, I feel uncomfortable too." I shouldn't tell him that I was held up by a few girls, after all, it would be embarrassing for me.
She was startled when she entered the room. Wang Ying sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with her head down.
When Wang Ying saw Zhang Hongmei come in, she said, "Hongmei, I don't want to explain anymore. No matter what, it's my fault. I didn't find my place."
“Wang Ying, I won’t tell Grandpa about this when we get back, but I absolutely will not take you abroad. The reason will be that I don’t want anyone around me. Okay, it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you know where you went wrong and correct them.”
"But I know I was wrong, yet you won't give me another chance."
Zhang Hongmei ignored her, and even with that sentence, she still hadn't found her place.
I found my clothes, grabbed my toiletries, and went to the bathroom.
Zhang Hongmei wanted to go into her online space for a while this time. She was feeling really bad today and was a bit mentally exhausted.
Back at the old lady's house, more than ten minutes after Zhang Hongmei left, Wang Hongxi came over anxiously. She sat on a stool on the ground, head drooping, without saying a word.
"So you've come here to express your dissatisfaction?"
"No, mistress, I didn't mean it that way. I just didn't know how to say it?"
"What do you want to say? Let me hear it. Speak your grievances as well."
“Second wife, I have no complaints, but I feel that Hongmei and the others have gone a bit too far. This matter can be resolved privately. How will the child find a husband in the future if they make such a big fuss?”
"Are there any walls in the world that can remain completely sealed?"
Wang Hongxi was stunned by the question, then lowered her head in annoyance. However, the dissatisfaction in her heart had not dissipated.
“Aimin’s family, go and call over all the girls who usually get along with Wang Hongxi’s daughter. I’m going to swallow my pride today; this kind of unhealthy behavior cannot be allowed in our village.”
"Yes, Grandma, I'll go right now. There were a few other people who saw it, so I called them over too."
"Okay, go ahead."
Wang Hongxi is now a little regretful. She actually just listened to her youngest daughter and didn't know if what she said was true or false. Of course, subconsciously she still felt that her daughter wouldn't lie to her.
Ten minutes later, several teenage girls, all pale-faced, came in, followed by several women.
The old lady lay on the kang with her eyes closed. "Tell me what happened. I don't have time to waste here with you. If you don't want to talk, then get out."
The maids below trembled, but no one spoke. It was the woman behind who spoke up, "Second Madam, we saw from afar that Xiao Rui rushed over and hugged Hong Mei's boyfriend."
"Yes, we saw it too. As soon as she hugged him, Hongmei's boyfriend pushed her away. And that young man went over, took out something, and I heard Xiaorui scream and start crying."
"Yes, the three of us were together, and we saw all of this."
"Alright, you can go ahead and get busy." The old lady waved her hand, and the four of them left.
The remaining maids watched as the old lady opened her eyes and sat up. Yingzi was so frightened that she cried, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Aimin’s wife, have the heads of these families come and take the people away.”
"Okay." Hu Aifen said and left.
Now, the girls were all scared and started crying.
“Go stand in the courtyard outside. I’m not dead yet, so there’s no need for you to mourn me. Even if I die one day, there’s no need for you to cry for me. I despise your hearts.”
These were very strong words. The old lady's status and prestige in the village were earned through hard work and sweat, and every household instilled in their children the unshakeable position of the old lady. Therefore, even the youngest children respected the old lady very much.
The five girls stopped crying. Yingzi moved closer to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). "Grandma, it was Xiaorui who came to us. She said, 'Why does Zhang Hongmei have such a capable boyfriend? She's a jinx because she has no parents. She said her dad is the village chief and she's going to steal Zhang Hongmei's boyfriend away.'"
Upon hearing this, the remaining four girls chimed in, "Xiao Rui also said that the five of us should try to hold Zhang Hongmei back. Once things are settled, she will definitely be the most powerful and wealthy person."
She also said that her father would be envious of having such a son-in-law and would definitely help her.
“We initially disagreed, but she said that if we didn’t listen to her, she would make it impossible for us to stay in the village.”
Wang Hongxi's face was deathly pale; all her despicable thoughts were laid bare.
After the five of them finished speaking, they stood there nervously, knowing they would definitely get a beating when they got home, and that would be the least of their worries.
This time they arrived even faster. The five men entered the house with a puzzled look on their faces. When they saw their own girls there, their hearts skipped a beat. A few years ago, when these girls were still young, they had a falling out with the eldest daughter of the Liu family and lost face. What was it about this time?
"You guys are here? Take these girls back home. If there's anything, talk about it at home. Also, if you can't manage them, send them away. Don't ruin the reputation of Liujiatun."
None of the five people dared to speak, and they led their children out.
The old lady didn't say anything, she just stared straight at Wang Hongxi.
"Mistress, I..."
"You've got it. Don't say anything more. A person has to have a conscience. I used to think you were too carefree, but you've done a pretty good job these past few years, so I thought I was getting old and had misjudged you. Now it's finally been confirmed. It wasn't that I misjudged you. You're still as carefree and selfish as ever."
"You've won. You can go now. Think about some things yourself."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com