The incident between the village party secretary’s family and the village chief’s family concluded with Wang Xiaohua being thoroughly beaten and the village chief’s family apologizing.
From that day on, the real reason behind Jiang Xiaowan calling off her wedding to Luo Yecheng became widely known.
Though there were still murmurs about Jiang Xiaowan, the focus of the gossip shifted to Luo Yecheng, Wang Xiaohua, and Lin Xiaocao. The village chief’s family couldn’t leave their house without being scrutinized, which only added to their frustration. Every time they returned home, they took their anger out on Wang Xiaohua.
Yet Wang Xiaohua, seemingly immune to shame, persisted in her delusion of marrying Luo Yecheng. She openly defied her family, throwing the household into constant turmoil.
Meanwhile, the other key player in the drama, Lin Xiaocao, wasn’t having a peaceful time either.
Lin Xiaocao was the second daughter of Lin Lao’er. In their family hierarchy, Lin Xiaocao didn’t hold much attention. Old lady Lin was partial to her eldest son’s family and heavily favored the boys. To her, granddaughters were little more than unpaid labor.
Despite being overlooked, Lin Xiaocao lived better than Heidan. She was a classic bully: bossing around weaker family members like Heidan and forcing her chores onto less favored siblings while ingratiating herself with the more powerful members of the family.
Fearing that she might end up like her elder sister—married off to an old bachelor in exchange for a hefty dowry—Lin Xiaocao began plotting her future early.
Luo Yecheng became her target, partly because he was from the city and partly because he filled her head with sweet lies. To her, marrying Luo Yecheng was a ticket to becoming “half a city person.” City folk, she believed, were richer and better off than rural villagers.
When Luo Yecheng flattered her and made her feel special, she couldn’t resist. She even took perverse pride in secretly meeting him, imagining that he favored her over Jiang Xiaowan. To her, Jiang Xiaowan’s only advantage was being the village secretary’s daughter.
But when the scandal broke, Lin Xiaocao panicked. At first, she breathed a sigh of relief when her name wasn’t immediately dragged into the gossip. But after Jiang Xiaowan’s family stormed the village chief’s house, Lin Xiaocao’s involvement was fully exposed.
The first to hear this was Heidan’s aunt, Deng Chunhua. She’d been at the scene of the village chief’s debacle, but now the drama had come to her own doorstep. Instead of being distressed, Deng Chunhua was gleeful—this was ammunition she could use against Lin Lao’er’s family during their ongoing feud.
Leaving her work in the fields, she rushed home to spread the news, unknowingly catching Song Wei’s attention.
“Something’s up,” Song Wei muttered. She turned to the group of elderly women she’d been chatting with.
“I just saw Heidan’s aunt rush off. Looks like something’s brewing at old lady Lin’s place.”
The seasoned gossip enthusiasts didn’t need more details. “Let’s go! Old lady Lin house is going to be lively!”
Song Wei turned to Heidan. “Want to come see?”
Heidan nodded resolutely. “I’ll go wherever you go, sister!”
The group left the village chief’s house, ready for a change of venue.
“Wait, it’s not over here yet,” someone protested.
“There’s nothing else to see here! Old lady Lin’s place is about to explode—we can’t miss that!”
The crowd eagerly moved toward old lady Lin’s house, dragging along Gao Le and the newly arrived Zhao Su.
“Gao Zhiqing, Zhao Zhiqing, got more sunflower seeds?” one of the elderly women asked sweetly.
These two male educated youths might be lazy at work, but they were generous with snacks.
“We do,” Gao Le replied with a grin.
As the women’s eyes lit up with delight, Song Wei followed with Heidan in tow.
By the time Deng Chunhua reached home, the first wave of spectators had already arrived. The group made their way to the neighbor’s house, whose vantage point offered the best view of old lady Lin’s courtyard.
Knocking on the door, they were greeted by a young girl.
“Niuniu, is your granny home? We’d love to chat with her.”
“She’s feeding the chickens,” the girl replied, toddling off to call her grandmother.
Moments later, the spry old woman appeared, curious about the sudden visit.
“What brings you all here?”
“You haven’t heard? Old lady Lin’s place is about to get loud,” one woman began excitedly. “You should’ve been at the village chief’s house earlier. Wang Xiaohua—”
With animated gestures and dramatic reenactments, the women relayed everything that had transpired, turning the courtyard into an impromptu stage. Their storytelling was so vivid that Song Wei laughed until her stomach hurt.
Just as the laughter died down, shouting erupted from old lady Lin’s house.
“Quick, upstairs!” the neighbor urged. Her two-story wooden house offered the perfect vantage point.
The upstairs space, usually reserved for storing corn and miscellaneous items, was cramped, requiring everyone to crouch as they moved.
For most, it wasn’t a big deal, but Gao Le and Zhao Su—both over six feet tall—struggled to maneuver.
“Why’d you two rush up here if you can’t fit? You’re blocking us short folks!” one elderly woman scolded.
“Sorry, sorry!” Gao Le apologized hastily, fumbling with a bag of sunflower seeds.
“Here, take more seeds, just don’t rush us!” Zhao Su added, handing out snacks to mollify the group.
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