Chapter 6

"Nonsense!" Hehua glared and shouted, "Do you think my ears are just for venting? Today, if we don't clarify things, no one is allowed to leave! You don't want me to live a peaceful life, do you? None of you will have a good time! Tomorrow, I will go from house to house smashing pots and burning down houses! Let's see who will have a hard time in the end!"

You child, how could you be so hasty... it truly is a misunderstanding...

As soon as the lotus heard it, she knew they were talking about her, and she could not go out.

A few women awkwardly accompanied by smiles, while only Widow Chen stood aside, slightly turning her head and not looking directly at the lotus, yet her expression seemed to carry a hint of disdain

Lotus did not expect that the matter of her being entangled and harassed by Feng the Lame would suddenly spread throughout the village; she clearly remembered that there was not a single person around that day. However, it no longer mattered who spread the rumor first; what was important was that the story had completely transformed in the mouths of the villagers: it was said that she and Feng the Lame were caught in the act of committing adultery in the small woods behind the village by Changsheng. Although Changsheng was a fool, he knew that being a scoundrel was not a good thing, and he beat up Feng the Lame, nearly causing a fatal incident. However, it no longer mattered who spread the rumor first; what was important was that the story had completely transformed in the mouths of the villagers: it was said that she and Feng the Lame were caught in the act of committing adultery in the small woods behind the village by Changsheng. Although Changsheng was a fool, he knew that being a scoundrel was not a good thing, and he beat up Feng the Lame, nearly causing a fatal incident

Seeing that everyone was so low-key and accommodating, Hehua did not wish to continue the confrontation. However, the vulgar words just spoken by Widow Chen still left her seething with anger. She shot her a fierce glare, spat, and then turned to pick up her basket.

As more and more people gathered, finally a figure emerged from the crowd, it was Master Zhou, who had come in response to the commotion. While pulling apart the two individuals who were entangled, he advised, "What is this all about? We are from the same village, let us speak properly. Why resort to violence?"

The two women parted ways, yet both wore expressions of lingering anger as they glared at each other

Suddenly, someone interjected: "Alas, how is it a fabrication? No wind rises without waves... If she were innocent, how could there be such talk? Why is no one talking about you? No one is talking about me anymore. This shows that she indeed has something! Moreover... it's not like we haven't seen anyone here, right? Is it not his second aunt?"

Isn't it so...?

The lotus was startled and, not wanting to be the subject of ridicule, whispered softly, "Changsheng, let go of me, I can walk by myself"

Seeing the situation, everyone hurriedly signaled to Widow Chen, but she seemed to have made up her mind. She raised her chin and said: "Just say it, Li Hehua! You have the ability to flirt and sleep with someone, but you don't have the guts to admit it!"

Although it is said that a mother and daughter can talk about anything, discussing such matters so bluntly about the lotus flowers is still quite embarrassing. Especially since she is now married, but in essence, she is still a young lady. How could she not blush after saying such things? However, she cannot tell her mother the truth; instead, she suppresses her embarrassment and pretends to be relaxed, saying that she and Changsheng are doing quite well, urging her mother not to listen to the nonsense from others, insisting that Changsheng is perfectly fine and that nothing is wrong.

At this moment, he walked through the crowd as if no one were around, directly approaching Hehua, staring intently at her face, and pointed at the two trails of blood, exclaiming: "You are bleeding"

Several women were startled by the sudden and fierce shout from the lotus, causing them to shrink back in fear and lose their composure. One of them, reacting quickly, awkwardly said: "No, Lotus, I wasn't talking about you... you... misunderstood..."

Lotus saw Widow Chen and began to scheme against Master Zhou and Fourth Granny, feeling increasingly resentful. Just as she was about to rush forward to fight Widow Chen, she suddenly heard someone in the crowd shout: "Changsheng is here"

Changsheng paid no attention, instead quickening his pace, completely disregarding the astonished gazes of the crowd, and hurried home

As soon as he entered the village, he saw a group of people gathered together. Without even looking, he ran straight home, pushed the door open, and called out several times but did not hear Hehua respond. He then turned around and ran back. It was only when he returned that he was spotted by a villager, who shouted at him: "Changsheng! What are you running around for? Your wife is about to get into a deadly fight with Widow Chen!" Changsheng was taken aback for a moment, then followed the direction indicated by the man.

Rumors are always accompanied by gossips, with people embellishing the stories as they pass them along. It is said that someone has seen He Hua and the lame Feng hiding in the grove, engaging in intimate acts. There are also claims that Changsheng is a fool who knows nothing about matters between men and women, and some even say that he is incapable in that regard. In short, the gossip suggests that Changsheng cannot satisfy her, leading her to seek solace with the lame Feng. Eventually, the affair is exposed, and she is caught in bed with her lover by her husband. The lover receives a good beating, and she does not escape unscathed either, as her family is also in the village, making it difficult to confront the situation openly.

Everyone burst into laughter, while the lotus flower behind the wall was fuming. The woman speaking was indeed the widow Chen from the west of the village, who lived close to her maternal family. They had often seen each other coming and going, and she had called her "aunt" for many years, responding with a smile. Little did she expect that she would speak ill of her behind her back, and with such lewd and disgraceful words.

Lotus raised her hand and pointed at her, exclaiming: "Weren't you just able to speak? How come you're mute now? It's shameful that you still have the nerve to call me 'aunt'! Bah! It's disgusting!"

Lotus pressed her palm tightly, suppressing her desire to rush out and curse at others. She thought she should turn around and take another path, as these gossipy aunts loved to talk nonsense. Listening further would only bring her unnecessary trouble. However, hearing them speak ill of her behind her back made it difficult for her to take a step forward. Instead, she leaned slightly, wanting to find out exactly which few women were gossiping about her.

Several women immediately became timid, exchanging glances and speaking in a soft tone

Upon hearing this tone, everyone couldn't help but laugh and tease, saying: "Aunt, quickly tell us, what did you see? Did she really have an affair with that lame Feng in the small grove? Is it true or not?"

Seeing that everyone was surrounding the lotus flowers and smiling, Widow Chen felt very embarrassed and inevitably became angry. She snorted and muttered, "What is there to be proud of for a flirtatious little hussy?"

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent, and everyone turned their heads in unison to look. They saw a gap in the crowd, through which Changsheng, drenched in sweat and with a worried expression, walked over.

Everyone's face was flushed with embarrassment, and upon seeing the imposing presence of Hehua, their hearts inevitably trembled a bit. In this village, no one was unaware that Hehua's father was the most formidable figure to deal with. His eldest son, only sixteen, acted like a little tyrant, daring to throw punches and fight with even the strongest men. Every young boy in the village had been beaten by him at some point. The Li father and son were not to be trifled with. Hehua was the eldest daughter of the Li family, usually gentle and amiable, but after all, she was raised by the same father, and when she got angry, she truly resembled the fierce demeanor of the old Li family.

The lotus flower suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Widow Chen's hair, and with a loud slap, delivered two resounding blows to her head, shouting: "I let you insult me! I let you insult me!"

Indeed, indeed, I must have misheard, it is absolutely not about you... You are so wonderful, who could possibly say otherwise? If anyone were to say something about you, I would be the first to argue with them!

The lotus strives to calm itself, telling itself that others can say whatever they wish. It remains pure and unafraid of anything. However, things often unfold this way: when you are unaware, there is nothing; once you become aware, you can easily encounter it upon stepping outside. Yet, once you do encounter it, it is not as simple as saying you won't be angry and then not feeling anger.

A thin, sharp female voice replied: "Is there still any doubt? I saw it with my own eyes! It was Li Hehua and Feng Quezi, their pale bodies entwined tightly together, calling out to each other in a flirtatious manner, brother and sister, oh so intimately!"

Master Zhou said: "Regardless of the reason, just for the sake of my reputation, let it go, it would be better for everyone to just enjoy the spectacle?" Upon seeing the lotus flower's face scratched with two bloody lines, he added: "I will get you some medicine later, so that your young face does not end up with scars."

The women nearby were all dumbfounded, not daring to step forward to intervene, only screaming and shouting from the sidelines. It was noon, and one by one, men were returning home from the fields for lunch. Seeing the commotion, they all watched with great interest, yet not a single person stepped forward to dissuade the situation

He Hua could no longer contain herself, and in a few strides, she rushed out and forcefully smashed the basket in her hand onto the crowd. The people screamed and scattered in all directions, and those who were caught off guard cried out in pain. He Hua pointed directly at Widow Chen's nose and shouted, "You filthy liar! In broad daylight, you dare to spew blood and slander! May the King of Hell take your tongue and feed it to the dogs!"

A few women by the well were speaking animatedly, and someone interjected, "You should show a little decency in your words. She is already unfortunate to have married a fool, and now she has to endure this kind of ridicule. I don't think that girl, Hehua, is like that at all..."

Master Zhou suddenly flushed upon hearing this, displaying an expression of embarrassment and awkwardness

Since the last incident, Changsheng has been coming down the mountain every noon to greet Hehua. Just now, he waited for a long time at the agreed place but did not see anyone. He hurried to the small grove where he had saved Hehua that day, but after searching around, he found no trace of her. He rushed back, fearing that if he left, Hehua might have already passed by, so he ran back up the mountain to check, but naturally, she was not there either. Only then did he anxiously return to the village

The anger in Hehua's heart had not yet subsided when more fuel was added to the fire. She threw down the basket and pointed at Widow Chen, shouting, "Who are you scolding? Try saying it again!"

The Lotus Flower Lady left with peace of mind, but the Lotus Flower was so angry that she wanted to curse. She wished she could go out and drag those who spread rumors out, giving each of them a hard slap. However, she also knew that once the gossip started, no one could suppress it. The only solution was to wait until everyone got tired of hearing it. There was no need to get worked up and lose your temper; they were just waiting to see you jump around in anger, enjoying the spectacle from the sidelines. She also knew that once the gossip started, no one could suppress it. The only solution was to wait until everyone got tired of hearing it. There was no need to get worked up and lose your temper; they were just waiting to see you jump around in anger, enjoying the spectacle from the sidelines

As usual, Hehua was walking into the mountains with a basket to deliver lunch to Changsheng. Just as she reached a bend in the path, she suddenly heard someone ahead whispering her name. Hehua was taken aback, her foot that was about to step forward retracted. Then she heard a woman say, "Oh dear... all the face of the old Li family has been completely lost by her..."

Widow Chen remained silent for a moment, but the women nearby came over to pull at Hehua and offer their advice, saying: "Don't be angry, she really didn't say anything about you... Look at this perfectly good basket of dishes, what a waste! In a little while, call out to Changsheng, you two young ones come to your aunt's house for lunch, and your aunt will make you stuffed pancakes..."

Widow Chen, caught off guard, was struck twice, causing her head and face to ache terribly. She immediately retaliated, grabbing Lotus Flower's hair and wrestling with her. Although Lotus Flower was younger, she found herself at a disadvantage in this scuffle. While she only intended to slap Widow Chen's face, she was unprepared for Widow Chen's hair-pulling and face-scratching, and ended up taking several hard hits.

Zhou Fu, this remark of yours has somehow offended Widow Chen. She snorted and disdainfully said: "That old lady knows her medicine well enough, she doesn't need you to worry about it here. It's not like she's marrying your grandson. Even if you are eager to be a grandfather to her, you should consider whether she is willing or not."

Changsheng tilted his head and saw Master Zhou, nodded and uttered an "oh," then picked up the lotus flower, shouldered it, and walked away

He Hua did not expect Chang Sheng to come, and for a moment, she did not know how to respond. Seeing that Chang Sheng had arrived, Chen Guafu also stood by silently. It was Zhou Fuzi who reacted first and hurriedly said: "Indeed, Chang Sheng, He Hua is unwell; you should take her home to rest."

Lotus heard these words from her mother. When her mother spoke to her, her face was filled with worry. Although she scoffed at the rumors about her and Feng Quezi, she could not help but feel uneasy about the matter between her and Changsheng. She cautiously inquired whether Lotus and Changsheng were doing well, and eventually, she even got straight to the point, directly asking whether they had consummated their marriage and whether Changsheng was capable in that regard.

And then someone chimed in: "Isn't that right... haven't you noticed that her mother hasn't dared to go out these past few days? And she has a father, such an overbearing person. The day before yesterday, she had a quarrel with my husband. In the past, he would have rolled up his sleeves and started a fight, but this time, well, he didn't say a word and just left in a huff..." After this was said, a few women burst into laughter.