Zhu Yunxiu saw this scene clearly from the side, but did not say anything to stop it.
After all, she had just overheard the young outsider speaking ill of her granddaughter. A young girl with such a harsh mouth deserved a lesson.
Zhao Fangcao was beaten so badly that his face was bruised and his hair was disheveled. He looked both pitiful and pathetic.
This was the first time Xu Qinghe had taken such direct action in public. In the past, she had always avoided direct confrontations because once such matters became known, it would not benefit her reputation.
However, today, Xu Qinghe seemed to completely disregard these consequences. He just wanted to teach Zhao Fangcao a lesson and didn't care about anything else.
In her eyes, Zhao Fangcao was like a thorn in her side. Although the family troubles and poor health were not Zhao Fangcao's fault, her attitude that the whole world owed her and should revolve around her was really unbearable.
Zhao Fangcao burst into tears, her eyes filled with resentment and confusion. She didn't understand how she had offended Xu Qinghe.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll complain to the village chief?"
She said this with gritted teeth, but then she remembered that the village chief had always protected the Xu family, and her heart became even more bitter.
Hearing this, Xu Qinghe sneered, "Don't even mention you're just going to the village chief. Even if you make a scene all the way to the county town, I'm not afraid! You've fabricated lies about my relationship with another gay man and ruined my reputation. I'm already showing the greatest tolerance towards you by not pursuing the matter!"
Zhao Fangcao cried even harder when she heard this. She didn't expect things to be so serious.
She was just angry at Xu Qinghe's attitude towards her. It was something that could be solved with just a few words, but he made her endure such humiliation.
Couldn't Xu Qinghe see that she was being tortured to the point of collapse?
"Stay away from me and don't ever set foot in my house again, or I'll beat you up every time I see you."
Although Xu Qinghe's words were rude, every word made sense and there was no room for compromise.
Afterwards, what Xu Qinghe regretted most was that he had been deceived by Zhao Fangcao's appearance and decided to help her carry her luggage without authorization.
Looking back now, I am filled with regret.
Zhao Fangcao covered her mouth and fled the scene crying. The villagers on the road looked at her strangely, and she did not give any explanation, but everyone could guess that she must have come from Xu's house and was taught a lesson by Xu Qinghe. As for the reason, everyone had their own guesses.
The selection of workers for the tofu workshop has not yet been finalized. The villagers are discussing it privately, but they dare not say much for fear of affecting their family's chances of election.
Xu Qinghe didn't care about it. After Zhao Fangcao left, she locked the gate tightly.
When she turned around, she happened to meet Zhu Yunxiu's eyes. She smiled awkwardly and wanted to slip away, but was stopped by the old lady.
Zhu Yunxiu slowly moved her feet, walked to Xu Qinghe with a cane, took her hand and looked at it carefully, fearing that she had hurt herself.
"The skin is all broken. Come, I'll apply some medicine on you. It will be healed tomorrow."
As she spoke, she pulled Xu Qinghe into the house.
Xu Qinghe didn't take this minor injury seriously at first, but seeing the old man's worried face, he obeyed.
Zhu Yunxiu applied medicine to her while advising her, "It's okay to be like this in front of me, but you should be more gentle in front of Yin Yunjie from now on, okay? Don't scare away such a good husband."
Xu Qinghe felt a mixture of emotions upon hearing this. Although she understood that her grandmother meant well, such words were difficult for a woman of this new era to accept.
She suppressed her inner discomfort and finally said, "Grandma, I am who I am. There's no need to change for anyone. Yin Yunjie already understood my personality before we got married. If he can accept it, that's best. If not, he must learn to be patient. After all, we are already married."
Zhu Yunxiu widened her eyes in surprise. She didn't expect her granddaughter to say such "shameless" words.
What does it mean to endure something that is unacceptable? What wife would dare to speak to the man in the family like this?
Alas, my granddaughter is still too young after all! In fact, Xu Qinghe meant that since Yin Yunjie had already understood and accepted her personality before marriage, it was too late to change it now.
But she had no intention of making any changes.
There is no point in arguing with Zhu Yunxiu about these things. The ideas of the older generation have long been deeply rooted, mixed with the dust of the old times, and explanations will often only add to the trouble.
So, Xu Qinghe chose to remain silent. As long as she and Yin Yunjie understood each other, that was enough.
After hearing this, Zhu Yunxiu realized the generation gap and stopped forcing her. She treated her wounds and let her go.
She knew that as long as the vacant houses in the village were repaired, the tofu shop business would begin. She needed to conserve her energy and supervise the progress of the project every day. As for the things between the young people, let them solve them themselves.
Zhao Fangcao returned to the educated youth site with scars all over his body. He usually had a bad reputation. At this moment, even if someone saw him, they would just watch the fun and few people would really care about him.
"No need for your hypocrisy! Wuwuwu..."
Zhao Fangcao's crying instead attracted a lot of laughter.
"You're responsible for the consequences of your own actions. I've already told you not to be so foolish. Crying now won't help!"
The indifference and ridicule of the people around her made Zhao Fangcao's situation even more miserable.
As the setting sun shone, the old educated youth gathered in groups of three or four under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, forming a circle, their eyes focused on the makeshift stage, but they were absent-minded, occasionally whispering and talking to each other.
Their attention was more drawn to a disturbance not far away - the dispute between Zhao Fangcao and Xu Qinghe, like an impending summer thunderstorm, filled the air with a depressing atmosphere.
Zhao Fangcao stood on the outskirts of the crowd, her figure looking particularly frail. There were traces of undried tears on her face, and her eyes were full of resentment and indignation.
Xu Qinghe, a young woman who has won the respect of villagers with her actions in recent years, is standing aside with an unquestionable attitude. Her eyes are firm, revealing a maturity and stability beyond her age.
The villagers are well aware that the new technologies and new ideas introduced by Xu Qinghe to the village have brought new vitality to this once isolated small village. Therefore, most people choose to remain silent about Zhao Fangcao's accusations, and even show some disdain.
Zhao Fangcao's voice was a little sharp due to excitement. Her words were like sharp blades, trying to cut through the indifference of the people around her, but they only brought more ridicule and alienation.
Her accusations, mixed with personal emotional outbursts, seemed pale and powerless.
Some of the old educated youth present shook their heads and sighed, while others looked helpless. They were well aware of Zhao Fangcao's character flaws. Although they were dissatisfied with her on a daily basis, they kept a certain distance to avoid unnecessary disputes.
Just when the atmosphere was tense, Xiang Qin's appearance was like a breeze, blowing away some of the tense atmosphere.
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