Chapter 795 - 409: Rumors Running Wild

Chapter 795: Chapter 409: Rumors Running Wild

Sure enough, after walking through a dense thicket of mixed trees and shrubs for a while, the space ahead opened up. It wasn’t completely barren; rather, the trees here were so tall that the underbrush couldn’t thrive. The ground beneath the canopy was covered merely in thatch grass and scattered, low shrubs. Occasionally, a few mushrooms could be seen.

When they arrived at the wooden cabin where the wood ear mushrooms were grown, Huai Zi hesitated. "Take a look around here first. Wait until Heipi and the others come up, and we can go down the mountain together. Otherwise, I won’t be able to look after you when I’m carrying the logs later."

Juhua was bending over to pick mushrooms and had just spotted a wild gardenia plant bearing green flower buds. Hearing his words, she realized her coming along was truly just causing trouble. Not only could she not help, but she also needed looking after. Her playful mood quickly faded.

Once Heipi brought the Wu Family’s two sons up the mountain, Huai Zi carried logs with them. Since Heipi was young and couldn’t carry the heavy wood, he followed Juhua. They dug up the gardenia plant, put it in her bamboo basket, and snapped off wild bamboo shoots all the way down the mountain. Before they even reached the foot of the hill, they could hear the babies crying and fussing in the courtyard.

Juhua smiled bitterly. She thought to herself that they were indeed her ball and chain. She hadn’t even been gone for a two-hour period before they started wailing. From then on, she obediently stayed home to cook and look after the children, never daring to sneak out for a break again.

The imperial court, the Prime Minister, and the Imperial College—these were all too distant from the lives of farmers. Had it not been for Zhang Yang, even Juhua wouldn’t have paid any attention to them.

A farmer’s world was very small. Farming, raising livestock, getting married, and having children made up their entire lives. Six years ago, Mr. Zhou’s arrival introduced a new element to Qingnan Village: the education of their children. Consequently, everyone gained a new source of hope. When Zhang Yang, Little Shitou, and Liu Sixun turned this hope into reality, the villagers’ feelings were complicated. Some were envious, others jealous, but for the majority, it sparked newfound motivation and expectations.

Suddenly, word spread that the three Scholars had been arrested, and the village completely exploded in an uproar.

The news had been circulating wildly since yesterday afternoon. However, the Zhang family, the Zhao family, and the Liu Family were too gripped by panic and fear, frantically trying to uncover the truth, to pay any mind to the village rumors. Overnight, the gossip grew fiercer. Whether in the fields, beneath the old trees in the village, or beside the stone washing slabs by the river—anywhere people gathered, this was the sole topic of conversation.

Those on good terms with the three families couldn’t sit still. Meizi, for instance, finished her breakfast, tidied up, and washed the clothes. Glancing at the sky, she saw it wasn’t yet time to prepare the midday meal, so she picked up her youngest son, took her eldest son by the hand, and went looking for Juhua to ask if Zhang Yang had really been arrested.

There was no one else in Zhang’s courtyard except Grandma Liu, who was sitting under the plum tree watching over a few toddlers. When asked, she said the Young Madam was in the back garden. Meizi instructed Li Jingwen to stay in the front yard and play with Banli and the others, then headed to the back to find Juhua.

Juhua was in the back garden with Pu Pao, watering the newly planted eggplant seedlings. Seeing Meizi arrive, she pulled up some amaranth and Little Cabbage seedlings. With Pu Pao carrying the Lanzi, they returned to the front yard together.

"There’s no such thing. Those people twisted the story," Juhua explained to Meizi. "We haven’t received any reliable news yet, and we don’t know where Yangzi and the others went, so it’s hard for us to say anything publicly. Otherwise, if we guess wrong, it’ll be hard to walk back our words. But they definitely weren’t arrested. These people are spreading rumors completely out of thin air, just talking nonsense. Yesterday, Huai Zi went to the market with my brother and Sanshun to ask around. The people there didn’t mean that at all; they just said that Yangzi and the other two were taken away, and there were many carriages, too."

Pu Pao brought out a few small stools and placed them under the plum tree. They sat down, sorting the vegetables as they chatted, while the toddlers laughed and shouted nearby.

Meizi didn’t understand all the details either, but seeing Juhua’s certainty and complete lack of panic, she immediately believed her. She curled her lip and said, "They’re spreading it with such enthusiasm, not caring about anyone’s well-being. Not once did they say, ’I don’t know if it’s true, let’s go ask later.’ They described it so vividly, you’d think they saw it with their own eyes. Are they really hoping others get arrested that badly? My mother didn’t believe it when she heard, so she told me to come and ask you. It wouldn’t have been appropriate for her to come over herself, lest she cause a scene and make it look like the rumors were true. If your family needs any help running errands, just tell me. Changming has already finished planting the Shanyu, so he isn’t too busy in the fields right now."

Juhua thanked her, saying that people could say whatever they pleased with their own mouths. All they had to do was ignore it; otherwise, listening to it would just make them angry for no reason.

Grandma Liu reached out and patted underneath each toddler’s bottom one by one. She then picked Banli up, laid him sideways across her lap, and helped change his diaper. Hearing Juhua’s words, she shot her an appreciative look and said, "Besides working and eating, farmers have idle minds and love to gossip. The listeners shouldn’t take it seriously. If you take everything to heart, who knows how much unnecessary grief you’ll suffer." Juhua and Meizi both laughed upon hearing this.

After joking around for a while, Meizi said, "As long as everything is fine. I need to head home to wash vegetables and cook. Li Jingwen, let’s go back."

Li Jingwen was busy teasing Banli and little Jing’er, a bit reluctant to leave. His mother coaxed, "Go home and help me watch your younger brother so I can cook. If I don’t hurry, there won’t be any food when your father gets back. Be a good boy. This afternoon, I’ll have your father take you to the field ridges. Once the work is done, you can pick up snails in the ditches, and I’ll cook them for you tonight."

Hearing this, the little boy hurriedly ran over and took Meizi’s hand, not forgetting to turn back and shout to little Jing’er and Banli, "I’m going back to look after my brother. I’ll come play with you tomorrow!"

Seeing him leave, Banli and little Jing’er cried out, "AHH AHH!" They vigorously waved the small toy pigs in their hands, which they had just been playing with.

Juhua looked at the three-year-old Li Jingwen and asked Meizi out of concern, "You’re taking care of two children all by yourself on top of doing the housework. Can you manage it all?"

Meizi replied dismissively, "Why wouldn’t I be able to? When I go to the vegetable garden, I just tie him to my back. When I’m washing clothes or cooking, I put Jingwu in the small wooden cart in the middle of the yard or kitchen and have Jingwen watch him. They’re right in front of my eyes anyway, so nothing will happen." Saying this, she turned and left.

Grandma Liu watched her retreating figure and asked Juhua curiously, "Where is her mother-in-law? Doesn’t Li Jingwen usually stay with his grandmother?" Granny Hua had brought Li Jingwen to play in Zhang’s courtyard before, which was why she asked.

Grandma Liu never went out, and the Zhang family rarely gossiped about outsiders. Even if they did, it was just He and Juhua talking privately. Because of this, Grandma Liu had no idea that Granny Hua and Li Laoda had moved in with their youngest son.

When Pu Pao heard her grandmother ask, she snuck a peek at Juhua but didn’t dare make a sound. The Young Madam forbade her from spreading gossip, even though she had known about it for a long time. Li Changliang’s household was noisy with arguments every day. Sometimes, when she delivered things to the wasteland, she could hear them from the road. With so many villagers watching the spectacle and gossiping, it was hard not to know once you stepped outside.

It wasn’t that Juhua couldn’t tell Grandma Liu; she simply hadn’t bothered to bring it up. She said, "Jingwen’s grandmother went to live with her youngest son. It’s all just domestic trivialities that outsiders can’t make sense of anyway. Although it’s a bit more tiring for Meizi to handle the chores and the kids alone, at least she gets some peace and freedom." Grandma Liu asked no more questions.

When midday arrived, Juhua and Pu Pao were busy washing vegetables and cooking. Juhua was guiding her on how to prep and stir-fry the dishes and how to manage the fire. Right in the middle of their work, little Heipi sprinted into the yard and shouted toward the kitchen, "Young Madam, a fight broke out! Grandma Zhang is fighting with someone!"

Grandma Liu was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Heipi, what’s going on? Who is the Lady fighting with?"