Wang Dahe and others were in the front yard when they heard from Granny Guo that Zhao Fang had been robbed by Wang Shugen and pushed into the river. He was furious, rolled up his sleeves, rushed to the ancestral hall, and beat the man up.
It's a shame he sent Wang Shugen to work at the Lu family's house just two days ago; it seems he was already keeping an eye on them and deliberately staking out their location.
He foolishly believed that Wang Shugen had really changed for the better. How could he face the Lu family? It was all his fault for being careless.
This matter was bound to escalate. When Gouzi's mother heard that her husband had been beaten, she rushed to the ancestral hall but dared not go in.
In Wangjia Village, women are not allowed to enter the ancestral hall at will. She could only shout from outside, "Wang Dahe, why are you hitting my man?"
Wang Dahe stormed out, "Hmph, what's the difference between a robber and a bandit?"
Gouzi's mother started shouting, "What bandits? How can you say that? Wang Dahe, explain yourself! How can you slander someone like that? Is the village chief not going to do anything about it?"
Bandits can be beheaded.
Wang Li was rushing home from the Lu family's house. He hadn't expected Zhao Fang to be so badly injured. She needed eight stitches, and the sound of the needle piercing her flesh was chilling to the bone.
When he looked up, he saw the ancestral hall was in a commotion. Seeing the people there, he understood what was going on. "Dog's mother, go back and stop making trouble. Now is not the time for you to cause trouble. It's not certain whether the Lu family will let Wang Shugen go."
Gouzi's mother threw a tantrum, "That Zhao Fang seduced my husband, and the Lu family still won't let me go? That promiscuous woman deserves to be thrown into a pig cage."
Wang Dahe rushed out, "You're talking nonsense! I've heard about it before. Wang Shugen robbed Sister-in-law Lu and even injured her. If Sister-in-law Lu doesn't recover, Wang Shugen will be considered a murderer."
Dog's mother didn't believe it. "Is it because that woman was caught cheating that she's slandering my husband?"
"So, you're in cahoots with her! You work for the Lu family every day, haven't you been hooking up with her all along, that's why you're speaking up for that woman!"
"You're talking nonsense." Wang Dahe was both angry and anxious, but he couldn't think of anything to refute her. In the end, he could only say, "I just went to work. I rarely see her."
Dog's mother scolded, "Who knows if you went to work or not? In the Lu family's orchard, even if you were naked, no one would see you. If you slept together, we wouldn't know. If you say you didn't sleep together, then you didn't sleep together. You go to the Lu family's house to work every day. How can there be so much work to do every day? Who knows what you're doing?"
Wang Dahe flew into a rage and wanted to hit someone, while the people around him laughed, their lewdness evident everywhere.
Regardless of whether something is true or false, people will tend to think in that direction if someone guides them. Right now, the way she looks at Wang Dahe is full of ambiguity and jealousy.
Zhao Fang, that widow, was only thirty-four years old when she became a widow, but the imperial court stipulated that she had to observe two years of mourning before she could remarry, and those over the age of thirty-five were not allowed to marry through the government.
Zhao Fang was exactly thirty-six years old, and she was no longer subject to the government's control; whether or not she remarried was entirely up to her.
Such a charming widow caught the eye of the men in the village who had lost their wives, and even Wang Shugen, who was married, wanted to take advantage of her.
Wang Dahe went to work for the Lu family every day. Many people envied his high wages and his ability to get close to such a beautiful widow.
Wang Li quickly stopped them, saying, "What kind of behavior is this, fighting and fooling around like this? Why don't you go home right now?"
Qin Jinxiu watched from afar, and after hearing what Gouzi's mother said, she ran home.
She quickly turned back and stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall, calling out to Wang Li, "Uncle Li, my sister said that in order to avoid people thinking that working for the Lu family is improper, no one from the village should do any more work for the Lu family."
"What?"
The people who had gathered around the ancestral hall to watch the spectacle were now dumbfounded.
It would be great to work for the Lu family. The pay is high and it's not tiring. They even felt it was a waste that the orchard repairs they did a few days ago were completed in just two days.
There will be plenty of work to do in the future, such as pruning flower buds and picking fruit, all of which can earn money. If the people of Wangjia Village are not allowed to do these tasks now, isn't that just to benefit people from other villages?
Wang Ershui was furious and pointed at Gouzi's mother, "It's all because of your nonsense, you old hag! Now look what's happened, you don't want us to do any work."
Others chimed in with accusations, saying, "It's all her fault for spreading rumors. The Lu family only wants us to stay away from them to avoid suspicion. She has a foul mouth and a malicious heart."
The dog's mother was scolded and squatted on the ground, covering her head and not daring to say a word.
Wang Xilai ran up to Qin Jinxiu and said, "Oh dear, second daughter of the Qin family, go back and talk to your sister. We all believe in Dahe and your aunt. Dahe was just doing chores and had nothing to do with your aunt."
Qin Jinxiu snorted and turned to leave.
The ancestral hall was in complete chaos.
Wang Dahe was jolted awake, almost spitting blood. Did Qin Xiaozhou mean that he didn't need to work for the Lu family anymore?
Indeed, causing such a scene has tarnished Zhao Fang's reputation, so naturally they won't want him anymore.
He returned home dejectedly.
His mother waited anxiously at the door and rushed over, saying, "You child, what are you doing in the ancestral hall? Wang Shugen and his wife are both scoundrels. You can't sleep in the same bed with two different kinds of people. You've already been smeared with dirty water. I don't know if the Lu family will want you anymore."
Wang Dahe shook his head like a lost soul, "Mother, the Lu family won't ask me to work anymore. I'm sorry to the Lu family. I was deceived by Wang Shugen, that liar."
Wang Dahe's mother's eyes welled up with tears. The family had finally managed to have a little better life, and now it was all gone. "Mother is going to the Lu family, Mother is going to the Lu family to beg them."
"Mother, don't go. Sister-in-law Zhao has injured her head, and her family is busy right now."
Lu Yunfeng hurried home as the sun set. He had already heard what had happened from Zhao Yong on the way. As soon as he entered the house, he went to see Zhao Fang.
Zhao Fang is still unconscious.
Wang Lan finally found her pillar of support, and holding her eldest grandson's hand, she cried, "Grandson, is this how we mothers and children are bullied at home? That heartless Wang Shugen has ruined your mother like this."
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