Chapter 827 - 823: Holding Back

"Ma’am, you’re holding out on me!"

Gu Jiaojiao stared at the woman in front of her, who was desperately trying to hide a girl behind her back. Her smile was friendly, yet it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

The woman was so terrified that the hairs on her arms stood on end. "Jiao—Jiaojiao, please don’t be like this. I... I know I was wrong."

Seeing that the woman was on the verge of tears, Gu Jiaojiao finally turned her gaze elsewhere. "I heard Aunt Wu had five children in seven years. Surely, this daughter of hers is just as capable of bearing sons. Let me have a look. Let’s see what she looks like."

Aunt Wu was left completely speechless.

"No, no, that’s just... that’s just people flattering me," Aunt Wu stammered. "Actually, I can’t bear children at all. I really can’t."

Matchmaking was normally a joyous occasion, but trying to set a man up with a new wife right in front of his actual wife was awkward no matter how one looked at it. Especially when it came to a young woman like Gu Jiaojiao. She might look young, delicate, and weak, but she was utterly ruthless!

Just look at those gossipy, shameless old women—Gu Jiaojiao had dealt with them so thoroughly that they didn’t dare utter a single bad word anymore. All the malicious rumors about her in the village had completely vanished.

If Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t been taken away by the authorities—an incident so shocking that it temporarily loosened tongues—the villagers would never have dared to gossip about her again. Even when they did talk, it was only behind her back. Now, face-to-face with the person in question, none of them dared to breathe a word. If this ruthless girl set her sights on them, they would be doomed.

Seeing everyone lower their heads in silence, Gu Jiaojiao’s smile instantly vanished. "Speak up! Why is everyone so quiet now?

"You all had plenty to say just a moment ago. Trying to find a new wife for my husband—you’re all quite capable, aren’t you!"

The crowd shuddered, instantly filled with immense regret. The young girls standing beside them all turned pale. They had only ever seen Gu Jiaojiao from a distance and had never experienced her presence up close. Now that they had, they realized she was not someone to be trifled with.

Gu Jiaojiao looked delicate and precious, but when her small face darkened, she exuded a natural, intimidating aura that struck fear into their hearts, making them involuntarily hold their breath in anxiety.

The atmosphere became terrifyingly quiet. Even the few officials standing to the side subconsciously lightened their breathing. When they finally snapped out of it, they realized that a group of grown men had actually been intimidated by a young girl. They didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, though they were also genuinely unnerved. The kind of commanding presence Gu Jiaojiao possessed could only have been cultivated by a family with a deep, powerful background.

Chen Beiguo was also feeling a bit daunted. He took a step forward and tugged at Leng Yuan’s sleeve, gesturing with his eyes for him to step in and stop her.

Leng Yuan, however, was completely relaxed. His expression was soft as he watched his little wife flying into a rage at the front of the car. He felt incredibly sweet inside. Meeting the Team Leader’s hinting gaze, he simply turned his head away, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing.

He thought, "You must be joking. My wife is clearly jealous right now, and I couldn’t be happier. There’s no way I’m going to intervene and undermine her."

Chen Beiguo was furious. He cursed inwardly, "This bastard only knows how to show off. Can’t he see the officials are here? He’s completely disrespecting me."

But then Chen Beiguo reconsidered. He thought, "I don’t seem to have much face with Leng Yuan anyway. Forget it, I’ll step up myself!"

He walked over to the Village Head, but just as he was about to speak, the Village Head immediately turned his face away. The Village Head thought there was no way he was getting involved. He was too old, and his heart wasn’t strong enough to handle such a shock. It was better to leave it to the young people; they needed the opportunity to step up.

Chen Beiguo let out a cold laugh, speechless. He turned to the Deputy County Head, but the official also looked away. The Deputy County Head reasoned to himself that this was the Qingshan Team—the Team Leader’s territory. As a visiting guest, it wasn’t his place to interfere in such matters.

Great. No one was going to do anything. But Chen Beiguo couldn’t just stand by and watch. Were they really just going to waste time standing around here forever?

Chen Beiguo shuffled forward and cleared his throat. In the dead silence of the village entrance, the sound was exceptionally loud. It was so loud that he actually startled himself.

Once he recovered, he let out a dry laugh. "Gu—Gu Zhiqing, you... you see, this whole thing is just a misunderstanding. How... how about we head into the village to settle this?"