"Knock knock knock~"
As the sound of gongs and drums signaling the end of school rang out, the children in both classrooms hurriedly tidied up their belongings on the tables, clutching their textbooks to their arms like precious treasures.
Some were children from other villages, while others were from this village.
This afternoon is the time for the ancestral worship ceremony at the Kaiyuan Ancestral Hall in Wujia Village, not a place for children from other villages to go.
Therefore, Master Lu announced that the children in this village could have a half-day off and did not need to come in the afternoon. The children from other villages could have lunch in the canteen, rest for an hour, and then continue their classes!
The results have been released recently, and news of the successful candidates has been circulating for some time.
In other villages, there are almost no scholars, so the elders in every household tell the children who can come to school to cherish this opportunity for enlightenment. If they really become successful, they will sell everything they own to support them to go to the town academy!
As for Wujia Village, two scholars passed the imperial examination this time, and both of them are very young, with a bright future ahead of them!
Ever since the county magistrate sent his congratulatory gift, gentry from all around have been sending their servants to deliver their own gifts, and it seems like the flow will continue in droves!
Let alone the village chief and clan elders of Wujia Village wanting to open an ancestral hall, any other village would have done so long ago!
While in the school, Qingyao and Xiaoxue could clearly feel the envy and jealousy of others.
Fortunately, the children of Wujia Village are united, and Brother Yin is there to protect them...
Qingyao and Xiaoxue were walking home side by side when their little white dog came to greet them halfway home.
"Woof woof woof~"
Little White is so happy today! Its owner rewarded it with a huge bone, bigger than its head!
"Xiaobai? Why did you go out?"
Qingyao squatted down, both surprised and delighted.
She kneaded and rubbed Xiaobai for a while before letting go of it.
"Woof woof woof~"
As if in response to its little master, Xiaobai wagged its tail and ran towards the shady trees ahead.
Xiaoxue gestured for Qingyao to get up, and they went together to see what was going on.
As they approached, bypassing the quilts drying in the sun by the roadside, the two women saw two women pulling each other's hair, pushing and shoving each other while shouting insults.
"Zhou, you think you can extort me? Don't even think about it!"
Despite her advanced age, the elderly woman with gray hair was surprisingly strong. She grabbed a younger woman's hair bun and pulled it off quickly...
The woman, whose scalp was being pulled painfully, wanted to fight back, but was held back by something and didn't dare to retaliate directly. Instead, she pushed and shoved the other person while cursing:
"Old hag Zhao, you old geezer, I never intended to extort you! You're the one trying to scam me!"
"Alright, stop fighting~"
The women watching tried to break up the fight, but fearing they might get hurt, they remained standing still.
Jiang Yue was also among them, but she didn't try to break up the fight. Instead, she frowned and was walking her dog!
How did these people end up in the fighting circle?
who is she?
Where is she?
Where's Xiaobai?
"Woof woof woof~"
As if hearing the mistress's inner cry, Xiao Bai happily squeezed in, its mouth tugging at the hem of the mistress's skirt, seemingly trying to tell her to stop watching the commotion and hurry out to meet her little master so they could go home for dinner!
"Mr. Jiang, don't leave! You have to settle this case for us! Who is lying, staging this, and trying to extort money from us?!"
The older woman noticed that the person of the highest status was about to leave, and quickly called out to him, not wanting him to leave!
"Sister Jiang, please help me judge this!"
The young woman, her hair disheveled and looking utterly miserable, gazed pitifully at Jiang, her eyes filled with hope...
Before Jiang Yue could escape, she was pushed out by the crowd. Well, now she can't slip away even if she wants to!
"Cough cough~"
Clearing her throat, Jiang Yue gestured for the two to separate and talk properly.
Perhaps it was because she was the mother of a scholar, and also because she was the director of a pharmaceutical factory, that her aura unconsciously inspired awe in other ordinary women.
Soon, the two fighters separated and were each surrounded by two groups of women who offered them words of comfort and concern.
"Since everyone wants me to help settle this matter, then I'll say a few more words."
Jiang Yue also saw her daughter and Xiaoxue, and gestured for them to step back and wait a moment before leaving.
Everyone fell silent, holding their breath, wanting to hear what Jiang had to say.
"We're all neighbors from the same village, we see each other all the time, and we're all in the same boat."
I am just an ordinary woman, how could I possibly have the case-solving skills of a county magistrate?
However, I want to tell you a story. If you can listen to it, you'll be able to make your own decision.
Jiang Yue told a story adapted from a modern one. The gist of the story is that an old woman, after washing clothes, was walking home when she suddenly bumped into a woman, causing her to fall flat on her back and faint.
Unfortunately, the woman wasn't paying attention and stepped on the old woman's washing mallet, falling to the ground and twisting her ankle.
At this point, the old woman's family believed that the woman had deliberately knocked her down, causing her to faint.
The woman's family believed that the old woman was blind and didn't watch where she was going, causing the woman to fall and get injured.
The old woman and the young woman, who had just woken up, each had their own version of events, and neither could convince the other.
The two men's families got into a fight, and not only were they both seriously injured, but they also became mortal enemies!
In this situation, who is to blame?
Yes, so who's to blame?
The women present, young and old, were completely baffled upon hearing this.
Was it the old woman's fault?
Was it because she was old and her eyesight was failing that she bumped into the young woman, which led to both of them getting injured?
Was it the young woman's fault?
She was walking along her path when an elderly man bumped into her, leading to a series of events.
The scales in everyone's hearts are constantly shifting.
Ultimately, it reached a state of equilibrium!
They're both wrong!
If the old woman had been able to see the road more clearly, or had been more careful, she might not have bumped into the young woman!
If the young woman had been careful where she stepped after being hit, would she have stepped on the stick?
Human nature is contradictory; no, it should be said that this matter itself is contradictory!
There is no absolute right or wrong, only compromise and a brighter future awaits!
Jiang Yue glanced meaningfully at Zhou Shi and Zhao Pozi, who were still lost in thought, and left with a remark:
"Forgive others when you can, and resolve conflicts rather than create them."
He then walked over, took his daughter's hand, and gracefully left.
The two, who had been exuding murderous intent, lowered their heads in shame and apologized in unison.
"I'm so sorry, Zhou. I saw you pushing my quilt aside when you were hanging out to dry, and I got really angry, so I..."
"No, no, no, I'm the one who should apologize, Aunt Zhao. I shouldn't have pushed your quilt into the corner for convenience, and when you found out, I got angry and argued with you."
"Go ahead and sunbathe, I've been sunbathing all morning, you can sunbathe in the afternoon."
"Thank you, Auntie. Then tomorrow I'll sun-dry it in the morning, and you can sun-dry it for the afternoon."
As she spoke, Zhou tidied up her messy hair.
Granny Zhao understood the warning Jiang was trying to give the two women from the story Jiang had just told. So she squatted down, found a broken wooden hairpin, thought for a moment, and then pulled a similar one from her own hair and handed it over.
Harmony brings wealth. We are all neighbors and fellow villagers. Unless you really want to become sworn enemies, there is no need to make things ugly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com