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墨書 Inktalez
The news that Ruyi was going to become a concubine for the Young Master of the Gao Family quickly spread throughout Xiaqiao Village. There were all sorts of opinions; some thought it was shameful for her to be a concubine, while others believed that as long as she was well-fed and well-dressed, being a concubine could be quite good. There were also those who felt that since Ruyi had been jilted, finding a good family would not be easy, so it might be better for her to become a concubine.
In short, there were both positive and negative comments about the situation, and everyone discussed it endlessly until it eventually fell upon Xiao Lihua.
"Xiao, Ruyi is about to enter the Gao Family's door. How do you feel about it?" Sister Zhu asked with a smile as she blocked Xiao Lihua on the road. "You have to admit that Ruyi is quite impressive; she's beautiful, skilled, and has a good temperament. No wonder Young Master Gao has taken a liking to her. Unlike some people, who wouldn't even be wanted if they were delivered to someone's door. Don't you think so?"
Zhang Shuitao chimed in with a laugh, "Come on, how do you expect her to respond? If she says she's unhappy, Ruyi won't let her off easily. If she says she's happy, who would believe her?"
The people nearby found themselves in an awkward position, unsure whether to laugh or not, wishing they had left earlier.
Zhang Lianxiang interjected, "Why do you care whether Li Hua is happy or not? Does she need to tell you how she feels? You should focus on your own children instead of worrying about others. If you have time to gossip, you might as well go home and properly educate your kids so they don't end up being troublemakers in the village. Then we'll see if you're still happy."
Upon hearing about their sons, Zhang Shuitao and Sister Zhu immediately frowned.
"My son is doing just fine; how could he possibly turn into a troublemaker? Stop talking nonsense!"
"Exactly! My son doesn't need any discipline. If you have that much free time, take care of your own child!"
Zhang Lianxiang glared at them and said, "You spend all your time talking about others; I thought you didn't care about your own families anymore. You should hurry back and check on your sons; running around all day will lead them to trouble sooner or later. Li Hua, let's go and ignore these two ungrateful ones. They should really experience the consequences of their actions."
Those who had been silent nearby felt compelled to speak up for Xiao Lihua when Zhang Lianxiang mentioned the bridge incident. Although they were somewhat wary of Zhang Shuitao and Sister Zhu, they decided to support Xiao Lihua.
Zhang Shuitao and Sister Zhu were at a loss for words; now Xiao Lihua's reputation was much better than before. Their mockery no longer stirred up public outrage like it used to, and sometimes they even heard others rebutting them, which was quite frustrating.
Once they had walked far enough away, Zhang Lianxiang remarked, "Ruyi's actions this time have really implicated you all. She doesn't seem like a foolish girl; why would she do something like this? If she wanted to find someone, she should have chosen an unmarried man instead of becoming a concubine for Young Master Gao. I wonder if she's doing this on purpose to get back at you."
Unaware of Zhao Linting's situation, Zhang Lianxiang thought Ruyi's actions were both foolish and inappropriate.
Xiao Lihua replied calmly, "That's her own choice; I've made it clear to her that I won't help her with anything in the future. The Gao Family wronged me back then; I have nothing more to say to them."
Xiao Lihua always insists that the Gao Family wronged her after being kicked out. Sometimes, talking about such matters too much can make them come true.
Zhang Lianxiang didn't want to upset Xiao Lihua any further and started discussing other topics.
Xiao Lihua had gone to Zhang Lianxiang's house to retrieve something, and just as she was leaving, she ran into Shackles, who said their grandmother wanted her to come over.
Xiao Lihua wondered what the Wang Clan was up to this time but decided to go anyway. After all, if the Wang Clan brought up any unreasonable demands later, she could just refuse.
Upon arriving at the Old House, Xiao Lihua could tell something was wrong from the atmosphere in the Hall. It seemed related to the Second Branch because both Xie Youtai and Zi Clan looked displeased. Standing next to Zi Clan was a young boy, Zi Wu, the son of the Second Branch. His name sounded strong, but he was actually a clever child who usually stayed with his maternal grandparents since Zi Clan's father was literate and could teach him.
When Zi Wu saw Xiao Lihua enter, he called out "Aunt Si" politely. Xiao Lihua liked this little nephew and thought about how children reflect their parents' upbringing. The First Wife's son, Ziwen, was full of ideas at such a young age and appeared wise even without speaking, clearly taking after his parents. In contrast, Shackles was quite the opposite—greedy and lazy.
"Sister Four, you're here! Why don't you tell us if you encouraged Second Brother and Second Sister to move out? They are determined to leave now when things were fine before."
The Li Family spoke to Xiao Lihua out of jealousy for her good life, wanting to take advantage of her situation. Since they had severed ties with her and couldn't benefit from her anymore, they felt compelled to jab at her whenever they saw her.
Before Xiao Lihua could respond, Zi Clan interjected, "This has nothing to do with Sister Four; we want to move because this home cannot accommodate us. Is it wrong for us to leave?"
Xiao Lihua asked Zi Clan what had happened. She thought that since Zi Clan was usually patient, if she was unwilling to endure anymore, it must be due to something particularly upsetting or hurtful.
Zi Wu chimed in from the side: "Aunt Si, Grandma said for Brother Ziwen and me to go learn from Grandfather Zi. My grandfather is unwilling, so Grandma told me to come back and said that since Brother Ziwen can't learn there, I shouldn't expect to either."
Xiao Lihua was speechless. What kind of situation was this? Zi Wu going to learn from Grandfather Zi made sense because he was the old man's biological grandson. What about Ziwen? If Grandfather didn't agree, that was his prerogative; it wasn't fair that just because Ziwen couldn't go, neither could Zi Wu. Wasn't this going to hinder Zi Wu's education? No wonder Xie Youtai and Zi Clan were both angry—Zi Wu was clever, and according to Zi Clan, if he studied with his father for another year, he would be able to attend school in the county town and might even pass the imperial examination in the future. That was a source of pride for Zi Clan.
Now the Wang Clan disregarded the education of their second grandson for the sake of their eldest grandson; it was no wonder the Second Branch wanted to separate.
"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, what do you think? Ziwen, do you want Zi Wu not to be able to study because of you?" Xiao Lihua asked her brother and sister-in-law.
Xie Youkang replied, "This is Mother's idea. Besides, Ziwen is smart; he will definitely learn well. As long as Grandfather Zi teaches him, he will surely like him."
The Fang Family also said, "One is also teaching, two are also teaching. They are brothers, and learning together can be even better."
Ziwen stood behind his parents and said, "I listen to my grandparents."
Xiao Lihua thought that this family was quite united.
The Wang Clan said, "What's the big deal? Not accepting such a good child like Ziwen is a slap in our face! Since that's the case, let's not learn at all."
Xie Shengcai said from the side, "With Tai Daughter-in-law, we will provide food for the children and send gifts for the holidays. You should persuade your father again."
Zi Clan shook her head; she absolutely would not cause trouble for her father. She knew Ziwen's temperament best and did not want him to be involved with her son.
"Father, we must move."
Zi Clan said decisively. She had actually wanted to move for a long time, but the Old Couple said to wait until Ruyi got married before moving. However, Ruyi was going to be a concubine instead, and she felt embarrassed about it. Now that this incident had occurred, she would be infuriated if they didn't move.
Xie Youtai also supported moving.
Xie Shengcai helplessly advised them, while the Wang Clan angrily cursed them as ungrateful. The First Wife was silent out of anger, but Xie Youhe and others tried to persuade them a bit, as they felt that if Xie Youtai moved out, it would leave just them behind, making cooking too exhausting.
While they were arguing, Ruyi came out and spoke a single sentence that silenced everyone.
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