Chapter 796 - 410: Gossip Eventually Leads to Disaster

Chapter 796: Chapter 410: Gossip Eventually Leads to Disaster

Juhua was still telling Pu Pao, "We’ll make the cured meat and Little Cabbage soup later. Otherwise, if the Little Cabbages soak in the hot soup for too long, they’ll turn yellow and won’t look fresh and tender. Cut the lean cured meat first. Once the workers return, we’ll boil the water, toss the meat and Little Cabbages into the pot, let it boil for a bit, and serve it right away. This way, the Little Cabbages will stay a vibrant green, and the broth will be perfectly clear..."

Pu Pao listened carefully, nodding constantly, when her brother Heipi ran in, panting. "Young Madam, Grandma Zhang and Liu’er’s mother got into a fight! Little Scholar Zhao’s mother is involved too. They’re fighting fiercely, and there’s even blood!"

Hearing this, Juhua got a headache. She wondered, "Why is she clashing with that shrew again? Didn’t I advise He to just ignore her?"

Pu Pao hurriedly said, "Young Madam, you should go take a look. The rice is already cooked. I’ll just add a handful of straw to let it simmer for a bit, and it’ll be done. Brother, follow the Young Madam and make sure no one bullies her."

Hearing this, Juhua wanted to laugh, but she wasn’t in the mood. Taking off her apron and walking out, she asked Heipi, "Where did they start fighting? Over what?" Without waiting for his answer, she turned to Grandma Liu. "Grandma Liu, I need to head out for a bit."

Grandma Liu quickly replied, "Go ahead. Heipi, stay close to the Young Madam. Don’t let the crowd knock her over." Heipi hastily agreed.

The two rushed out of the courtyard and sprinted down the village road. As he jogged and panted, Heipi explained the cause to Juhua. Some of it he had witnessed himself, while the rest he had pieced together from what others were saying.

It turned out that when work ended at noon, the villagers who had been weeding, planting beans, and watering the fields returned one after another, carrying their hoes and baskets. Entering the village, they inevitably ran into each other. Those who loved to gossip and those who loved to listen stopped in their tracks to discuss the arrest of the three Scholars, sighing and lamenting over the news.

Nowadays, there was an abundance of peach trees, willow trees, and wild chrysanthemums in both the old and new sections of Qingnan Village. People tended to follow trends; if someone planted them, others did too. Since it was the middle of spring, the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

The gossips would casually find a willow or peach tree to sit beneath, endlessly chatting about everyone else’s business. From weddings and funerals to having children, they had infinite things to talk about. Paired with a gentle breeze brushing against their faces, it was extremely relaxing. If they waited a few more days, they could just reach up and pluck a large, bright red peach, rub off the fuzz on their pants, and eat as they chatted, making it even more enjoyable.

It was under these circumstances that the villagers set down their tools and gathered in groups beneath the large tree beside Li Changliang’s house to discuss the arrest of the three Scholars. This spot used to be the sausage workshop. The trees here were originally transplanted from elsewhere by Qingmu and the others. By now, they were lush with leaves and extremely thick and sturdy.

Why choose this spot? Because Granny Hua had been the first one there, preparing vegetables under the willow tree. She loved to talk, so naturally, she attracted a growing crowd.

Some didn’t believe the rumors, saying they had asked Zhang Dashuan that morning and found no truth to it. Others added new details, claiming they had heard a carriage entering the village in the middle of the night. They insisted it must have been the Zheng Family’s carriage; if nothing was wrong, why would they go out and only return at midnight? Still, others said they saw Shi Tou’s mother heading to the fields that morning with red, swollen eyes. A heated debate broke out, and the crowd grew even larger.

Liu’er’s mother had been weeding the fields near the mountain today. When she returned and saw so many people gathered under the tree chatting, she was thrilled and immediately joined in.

So, when Shi Tou’s mother returned from the fields carrying a small cloth bag—she had been planting Huangdou—and with her youngest son Zhao Feng on her back, she passed by and overheard the shrew telling the crowd, "...They don’t have the blessing for it. They aren’t cut out to be officials, so no amount of tossing about will do any good! After passing the Scholar exams, those two in-law families strutted around like a bunch of fools, looking down on everyone else. Now they’re just like grasshoppers in late autumn—they’ve hopped their last hop. If you ask me, they probably did something shady outside. Otherwise, why would they get arrested out of the blue? This is far too humiliating. My Tie Zhu was just walking down the main road, minding his own business, when someone came up and asked if he was from Qingnan Village. Then they asked if the three Scholars from our village had committed some crime and been hauled off. Tell me, isn’t our village unlucky? Our reputation is completely ruined... OUCH—"

She was speaking with great enthusiasm when she was abruptly interrupted, letting out a miserable howl.

It turned out that when Shi Tou’s mother saw the crowd discussing yesterday’s events, she hadn’t originally intended to pay them any mind. After all, they had only heard rumors and didn’t know the full story. It was human nature to gossip; even she had been so shocked by the news yesterday that her world had spun.

However, after standing on the outskirts of the crowd and listening for a while, Liu’er’s mother’s gloating tone enraged her. The woman was actually thrilled that their sons had been arrested! She even slandered Shi Tou and the others, claiming they had committed crimes outside. While she knew full well that this woman’s words were directed at the Zhang family—after all, the Zhang family and the Zheng Family were in-laws—this foolish shrew’s rant had managed to drag all three Scholars into it.