From afar, Old Mrs. Chen saw a group of women gathered together discussing something. She immediately perked up, swung her arms, and walked over. From a distance, she clicked her tongue and exclaimed, "Oh my, they're all resting here!"
Although these people disliked Old Lady Chen, they dared not offend her easily. If her son were to pass the imperial examination with flying colors, they would surely make things difficult for them.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, one must still put on an act.
"Auntie's here, come and sit down quickly."
"Yes, why are you late today?"
Everyone greeted them.
"It was hot today, so I slept in a little longer and that's why I'm late," said Old Mrs. Chen, sitting down on a rock. "I haven't seen you all for a while now. What have you been up to lately?"
“We’re busy all day long, with nothing serious to do. We’re never free from the moment we open our eyes. We have to take care of the young and the old. Besides washing clothes and cooking, we’re always running around the stove. We finally get to night, but then we have to sleep with our husbands. You could say we’re never free all day long.”
As soon as the sixth brother's wife finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.
"Oh my, Sixth Brother's wife, you're exaggerating. It's like your husband doesn't let you sleep all night."
"Exactly, your sixth son is as skinny as a chick, probably only good at one, two, or three things. You have plenty of time to sleep at night!"
Hearing the teasing remark, the sixth son's wife couldn't help but chuckle, giving them a reproachful glare.
“You bunch of frivolous little brats, your heads are full of tricks. I was just using an analogy to say that we are all hardworking brains. Look at the old lady, she does nothing all day long and has a scholar son. Who in our Nanshan Village can compare to her?”
These words drew agreement from the crowd.
"Yes, yes, that's true. We're just a bunch of peasants, how can we compare to a scholar's wife?"
"That's right, Auntie has a good son. If Zhancai really passes the imperial examination, he'll be an official."
"How dare you mention the scholar's name directly? This is extremely disrespectful. Be careful, or you will be punished."
"Oops~~ I was being cheeky, I won't do it again next time."
"Auntie, when your son becomes successful in the future, don't forget about us poor villagers!"
Hearing these compliments, Old Mrs. Chen was so happy that her mouth almost stretched to her ears, and she couldn't help but start boasting again.
"Don't worry, no matter how high a position my son holds, he's still my son. In the future, if any of you need my help, I guarantee I'll handle things properly for you."
Everyone was thoroughly annoyed by her rambling nonsense. "Keep bragging! Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?"
They felt uncomfortable inside, but they all agreed verbally.
"Oh dear, we should thank you in advance, Auntie."
"Auntie, shouldn't your Zhancai be back by now?"
"Yes, if you two succeed this time, you'll be able to enjoy your retirement!"
Hearing this, Old Mrs. Chen felt as happy as if she had been smeared with honey, and she couldn't stop smiling. "They should be back soon. My husband and I have suffered most of our lives, and it's time for us to enjoy a few days of peace and quiet."
Just then, Chen Qingqing and Madam Sun walked over from a distance.
The sixth brother's wife immediately stood up and greeted them warmly, "Qing girl, Zhanliang's sister-in-law, what brings you two here to stroll around the village entrance today?"
Madam Sun smiled and nodded, "My eldest brother and Da Bao went to Ningjing to discuss business. They wrote a few days ago saying they would be back today, so Qingya and I came out to meet them."
"With Brother Zhanshan with you, you can rest assured!"
"Don't worry, how can I not? It's just that this child has never left me since he was little, and he's been gone for more than two months. I really miss him."
"A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles, so it's only natural that she's concerned." After saying that, Lao Liu's wife looked at Chen Qingqing and changed the subject with a smile. "Oh my, girls really do change a lot as they grow up. Qingqing is becoming more and more beautiful. She's so lovely to look at."
"That's right, Qing'er, you're seventeen or eighteen this year, right? How about I introduce you to a husband?" Da Longzi's wife chimed in with a smile. "My nephew is twenty years old this year, handsome and talented. He's currently learning carpentry in town and will soon be finished with his apprenticeship. If you're interested, I can help you set him up, what do you say?"
Before Chen Qingqing could speak, Lao Liu's wife glared at Da Longzi's wife, saying, "Come on, even if your nephew were a master craftsman, he wouldn't be a good match for Qing'er."
“Why is she not good enough for him? My nephew has a bright future ahead of him. If Qingya can marry my nephew, she’ll definitely not suffer.”
"Alright, stop playing matchmaker. As long as Qingya is willing, she won't suffer no matter who she marries." The sixth son's wife said, pursing her lips. "You praise your nephew so highly, but I think you have no good conscience. Seeing that Qingya is lucky, you're pushing her into your family's fire pit."
Da Longzi's wife was furious and glared at him, "What nonsense are you spouting? How did my family become a living hell?"
"How can it not be a pit of fire? Everyone knows that your brother has five sons, none of whom are married. If Qing'er marries into that family, how can she possibly have a good life?"
“You…” Da Longzi’s wife rolled her eyes in anger.
Seeing the two arguing so heatedly, Chen Qingqing quickly smiled and stopped them, "Alright, aunties, please stop talking. I want to stay home and stay with my parents for a few more years. I don't want to get married yet. Thank you for your concern."
Madam Sun also spoke up, "Qing'er is still young. Even when she reaches the age to get married, it's not your place to worry about her."
"Yes, yes, I just said it offhand." Da Longzi's wife lowered her head and said nothing more.
Old Mrs. Chen was furious that no one paid any attention to her. These sycophants, sucking up to anyone who flattered her, were just sycophants.
He fawned over that brat because her family had two rich kids.
When my son returns home after passing the imperial examination, I'll show you all who the most powerful person in Nanshan Village really is...
As they were chatting, a horse-drawn carriage drove up on the official road in the distance.
The sixth son's wife, with her sharp eyes, pointed and said, "Look, isn't that Da Bao sitting in the front of the carriage?"
"That's right, Da Bao and the others are back." Mrs. Sun was so happy that she couldn't help but go up to them.
The carriage slowly came to a stop. Da Bao had already seen Sun Shi, and before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, he jumped off.
"Mother, I'm back. How have you been these days?"
"Good, good, everything is fine." Madam Sun stepped forward and grasped Da Bao's hand, looking him up and down. "You're finally back. You look like you've lost a lot of weight."
"No way, it looks the same as before!" After Da Bao finished speaking, he saw Chen Qingqing not far away and hurriedly greeted her with a smile, "Sister Qingqing, I'm back."
"How was the journey? Was it smooth sailing?"
"It's going very well, very well indeed. It won't be long before people from Ningjing come to order the sugar." Seeing the crowd gathered at the village entrance, Da Bao laughed, "Sister Qingqing, I'll tell you the details in a bit."
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