Grandma Chen's words left Su Yun'er momentarily stunned.
I don't understand why Old Mrs. Chen suddenly got so angry.
"Didn't Mother say that I'm working too hard all by myself?" Su Yun'er asked, puzzled, but the moment she finished speaking, she seemed to have sensed the root of the problem.
"I know you're a woman, always out in public, working hard for the family, but you should at least consider your reputation. Widows attract gossip! You're always here with a bunch of men, all day long..."
For a moment, Old Mrs. Chen couldn't think of anything to say; she was at a loss for words.
"Does Mother think that I, a widow, am not behaving like a proper wife?" Su Yun'er asked coldly.
She originally thought that Old Mrs. Chen had seen how hard she had worked these past few days and knew the reason for her hard work. Moreover, Old Mrs. Chen usually felt sorry for her and often took the initiative to do this and that to help Su Yun'er share the burden. But she never expected that Old Mrs. Chen would say such things today.
Thinking back to what happened with Lan Chunfang, it seems that someone in the village was gossiping and smearing him behind his back.
"Mother, are people in the village gossiping?" Su Yun'er asked coldly.
Seeing Su Yun'er like this, Old Mrs. Chen didn't know what to say for a moment.
Over the years, Old Mrs. Chen had seen Su Yun'er in many different ways. From her cautiousness when she first married into the family, to their mutual support during her pregnancy, to her coldness, ruthlessness, and foolishness after the child was born, she had never seen her so angry and distant.
But thinking about the hurtful things the villagers said, Old Mrs. Chen was also very angry.
"Since you know people will gossip, why don't you avoid them? You work hard, you're tired, you need to earn money, but you should also abide by the rules and keep your distance from these men..."
As Old Mrs. Chen spoke, she grew angrier and her voice gradually rose. Su Yun'er was so angry that she had a headache. She shouted loudly, interrupting Old Mrs. Chen's rambling.
"mother!"
"Are you confused, or are the villagers confused too? If I want to make money, am I supposed to just sit at home instead of going out and running around? Or do you think what I'm doing now is superfluous, and that I should still be thinking about the Su family like before? Do you think I'm not morally corrupt?" Su Yun'er's hands trembled with anger.
Old Mrs. Chen is an old woman living in the feudal mindset of ancient times. She doesn't expect her to have the same ideas as modern people from her previous life, but what she said today chilled her to the bone.
"I originally thought that you had seen and understood everything I had done these past few days, Mother. I never imagined that you would think of me like this..." Su Yun'er's eyes filled with tears.
When Old Mrs. Chen saw Su Yun'er crying, her heart trembled and she panicked a little.
A few days ago, someone spoke ill of Su Yun'er in front of her, saying that Su Yun'er was running out every day under the guise of doing business, but actually because she was lonely at home without a man.
At first, Old Mrs. Chen didn't believe it, but she couldn't resist the constant nagging from people in front of her.
That's why she said she wanted to set up a stall with Su Yun'er. On the one hand, she could help Su Yun'er, and on the other hand, she could see if Su Yun'er was really out looking for a man, as the villagers said.
"Little Tree's mother, I..." Old Mrs. Chen had lost her anger from before, and her previously confused mind had suddenly become clear, but she was speechless and did not know how to speak.
“Mother, do you know that the most hurtful words are not said by outsiders, but by family members?”
“I’m trying every possible way to make money. Am I only going to do business with women? Like you said, women have to avoid suspicion, so many of them stay at home and don’t go out. If I only do business with women, how much money can I make?”
"You were chatting and laughing with those men, and just now, you and that man were talking so close together. It's hard not to think things are going to get complicated."
"As a businessman, am I supposed to smile at customers instead of cursing them out? Listen to what you're saying! I was just talking to Wan Youfu because He Liu needed my help. I was just trying to find a way for her! Why not talk about it privately? Do you want to make it public?"
The more she talked, the angrier she became. Fearing she wouldn't be able to control her anger, Su Yun'er turned her head away angrily and ignored Old Lady Chen.
Now she doesn't want to see Old Mrs. Chen, nor does she want to hear Old Mrs. Chen speak.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned to the village in silence. To get home, they had to pass through a small square with an ancestral hall. On weekdays, many villagers would sunbathe there, chatting while working.
When they saw the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returning from afar, the villagers who knew them greeted them politely.
After the last incident involving the distribution of pork, the villagers' attitudes towards Su Yun'er changed significantly.
But then a discordant voice rang out.
"Oh, Widow Chen, how many men did you do business with today?" Lan Chunfang held a shoe insole in one hand and a needle in the other, her smile sharp and sarcastic.
That's disgusting.
If someone didn't know that Su Yun'er sold tofu pudding, they might mistake her for someone involved in prostitution upon hearing this.
The person next to Lan Chunfang nudged her with their elbow: "Watch your mouth, what did Shanhe's wife do to you?"
"How am I being immoral? I'm just concerned about her business." Lan Chunfang rolled her eyes, as if she thought the man was being nosy.
"I didn't know Aunt Lan cared so much about my family's affairs." Su Yun'er put the carrying pole on the ground and walked towards Lan Chunfang.
Seeing this, the people around all shut up and waited to watch the show.
"It's about caring for the younger generation. Widow Chen, your business is doing quite well. How many men patronized you today?" Lan Chunfang said with a wicked smile, her face full of pride.
“I wouldn’t dare accept your concern, Lan Chunfang. Although I’m younger than you, you’re not qualified to be my senior; at best, you’re just a familiar face on the street. I sell tofu pudding at the dock, and I earn clean money. I couldn’t manage it all by myself before, so I never mentioned it to the villagers. Today, I’ll tell them all properly.” Su Yun’er’s last few sentences were addressed to everyone present.
"Do you all remember the soybeans I traded meat for a while? I made those soybeans into tofu pudding, and I've been selling it at the docks these days. I'm not bragging, but my cooking skills are pretty good, so the tofu pudding business is doing quite well. Look, two big buckets of tofu pudding are selling out every day."
"As for some people, they are envious of other people's lives and can't stand seeing others do well, so they gossip behind people's backs, talk badly about others, and sow discord within families. In the words of the old folks, these people are heartless; they see everything as dirty. There's also a saying: some people are unhappy with their own lives, so they can't stand seeing others do well either."
As Su Yun'er spoke, she appeared to be addressing everyone, but her gaze kept glancing sideways at Lan Chunfang.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
