Chapter 520: Chapter 507: Shameless
âShe went on to say that since she had already refused to take the items, it was highly inappropriate for me to keep insisting. She said that if word about our dispute were to get out, it would be unbearable for her. She threatened that if I dared say another word about it to anyone, she would spread rumors that I pursued her.â
âHer words scared me into silence. Luckily someone else came out at that moment, and Mrs. Liu left hastily. When I got back, people kept asking what Mrs. Liu and I were doing in the courtyard. I didnât know whether to tell them the truth or not, so I ended up saying that my stomach was unwell, and I had to go back earlier.â
âI thought that would be the end of it. But today she came again, she mentioned a bunch of stuff around and around again. After listening to her, I realized what she was trying to say; that our family life has improved a bit, and we had some money to spare. Meanwhile, her family is struggling as she and her son have to worry about their next meal. Sheâs asking us to be charitable and give her family some money.â
âThereâs no way that I would agree to that, she can talk about being unable to afford their meals all she wants, but Iâve heard that Mrs. Liuâs family has enough to eat meat from time to time. Theyâre too lazy to work; itâs not that they donât have the ability. Our lives have just gotten a bit more comfortable recently, and our children are slowly growing up. There are many places where we need to spend money, why should we give charity to her?â
âAs soon as I said this, Mrs. Liu immediately got angry. She criticized our family for being stingy and threatened that if we didnât give her any money, then she would spread rumors about us, making it impossible for me to live. When I heard this, I was even more furious.â
âI criticized Mrs. Liu harshly, telling her that Iâve always lived a good life and Iâm not afraid of her baseless accusations. Seeing that I wasnât budging, Mrs. Liu left cursing.â
âEven though she left, I could tell by her attitude that she was angry because we didnât give her any money. When she goes back, who knows what rumors sheâll spread. Iâm not afraid of what others might say about me. Iâve done nothing wrong, so Iâm not scared that they might criticize me. I just mentioned it to you here, in case you might start to overthink if a rumor inadvertently slips outâŠâ
The more Zhuang Yonghe spoke, the more uncomfortable he looked. Scratching his ear uncomfortably, he said with a shameful expression, âActually, itâs all my fault. If I had spoken out when we were giving the betrothal gift, she would not dare to do anything now.â
Mrs. He was taken aback.
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She hadnât imagined the situation was like this.
It was not Zhuang Yonghe who had been fooling around, instead, it was Mrs. Liu who was stirring up trouble.
Given the gravity and regret on Zhuang Yongheâs face, it was clear that he was telling the truth.
Thank God, after listening to Zhuang Qingning, she had decided to listen to what Zhuang Yonghe had to say instead of secretly asking around or confronting Mrs. Liu. Otherwise, she might have fallen into Mrs. Liuâs trap.
This Mrs. LiuâŠ
âYou canât really be blamed for this. No one could have coped with the shocking scene she created that day.â Mrs. He muttered with a frown.
No wonder Mrs. Liu always bragged about her affairs with various men.
At first, it was perplexing. Although the widowâs front door was a hotbed for scandal, people were bound to gossip about it. But why was she insistent on throwing her reputation to the wind?
It appeared she was using these rumors to threaten others into giving her benefits!
Those with thinner skin would probably just relent and hand over what little money or food they could afford.
If she encountered shameless individuals, theyâd probably take advantage of the situation, making Mrs. Liu even more pleased. Using them as a stable source of income, sheâd have no more worries about her livelihood.
The rumors she had heard in the village were probably created by Mrs. Liu herself. That way, in case Zhuang Yonghe revealed her theft, she could claim that it was a result of him taking advantage of her and, as a consequence, he was trying to tarnish her reputation.
Once that rumor had spread enough, she simply came to extort us.
How could there be such a person?
She is utterly shameless!
âI had been drinking and was a little confused at the time. Plus, it was a good day as we were giving the betrothal gifts for my nephew. Had it ended up in a fight because of this, it wouldnât look good, so I didnât expose her.â explained Zhuang Yonghe, frowning. âBut I did scold her harshly this time, so I guess she wonât dare to say anything more from now on.â
âThatâs easier said than doneâŠâ Mrs. He frowned, interjecting.
She was well-aware of Mrs. Liuâs character.
A shameless woman, she had no qualms about ruining her own reputation for money.
Having bumped into a hard rock like Zhuang Yonghe this time, who knew what she might resort to?
âThat should be fine, thereâre always people who like to spread rumors. Letâs just embrace the attitude that the upright need not fear a crooked shadow. Let others talk. Itâs not like their gossiping can cause us to lose any flesh, nor hinder our life. As time goes by, this matter will blow over.â
Zhuang Yonghe said, âMrs. Liu dares to behave this way, mostly because she thinks that I lack the courage to confront her, and that you would make a fuss if you knew, and we would be terrified of the gossip. But she didnât think weâre in unity as husband and wife. Her plan didnât work out, and she ended up feeling awkward. I donât think she will do anything.â
âThe more you fuss about such people, the more ecstatic and satisfied they become. Better to ignore it completely and let the grasshopper jump until it tires, then it wonât jump any more.â
Mrs. He blinked.
Itâs easy to say but when stepping outside to face peopleâs gossip, it would undoubtedly feel uncomfortable. And if she were to refute, others would mock her for defending her husband whom she could not control.
That feeling was indeed⊠very suffocating!
Mrs. He decided to discuss it with her sister-in-law.
Mrs. He is gentle and soft-spoken, but her sister-in-law, who sheâs very close to, is feisty. In the past, when their field was taken by someone, her sister-in-law immediately picked up a hoe and got into a fight. If it werenât for the family holding her back, she might have smashed everything in that personâs kitchen, including the stove and the water tank.
After this incident, her sister-in-lawâs reputation spread across the village. No one in the village, including Mrs. Liu, dared to provoke her.
If she couldnât handle it, she was sure her sister-in-law would know what to do.
âLetâs leave all this for now. Youâve been working all morning, and I should make lunch. After eating, Iâll also send some to Mingliang and the rest.â Said Mrs. He, standing up, rolling up her sleeves and preparing to walk into the kitchen.
âWe have some meat at home to make a stew for lunch. It will be hot and delicious.â suggested Zhuang Yonghe.
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