Someone sneered.
"Run? Where could she run in the middle of the night? Tian Hongmei, stop worrying so much. If you can't wait, you can go back first. Da Zhuangs Mother said we can collect it as long as we have the slip."
The slip was something Qin Sang had Tian Wenmo write. Few in the village knew how to write, and even fewer had white paper; simply writing a 'one' served as a natural anti-counterfeit measure.
Tian Hongmei said crossly:
"Ha, no one else can get water or grain, but Widow Tian just happens to be able to.
Even the Village Chief doesn't know Steward Huang, yet she does.
That Steward Huang even went through so much trouble to send water and grain. Could it be that Widow Tian and Steward Huang have already hooked up? Otherwise, why..."
Before Tian Hongmei could finish, Tian Dazhuang roared:
"Don't slander my Mother!"
"Every time my Mother goes to the Town, she brings someone along. The villagers can all testify to that. If you keep talking nonsense, watch out or I'll beat you!"
Relying on her status as Tian Dazhuang's elder, Tian Hongmei said fearlessly:
"How am I slandering her? Otherwise, why would she go alone and not even take you, her own son?"
"Maybe your Mother has already run off with Steward Huang, leaving you burdens behind..."
Tian Dazhuang was honest and simple, not knowing how to argue at all. It was Tian Sangui who was quick-tongued:
"When has my Mother ever broken her word when exchanging herbs with the villagers? When she goes to the Town to sell mosquito coils, she always asks villagers to accompany her.
You say my Mother is tricking you, but the cloth, insoles, mugwort, and charcoal she brought out—aren't they all worth money?
Furthermore, my Mother is open and upright. Even if she wanted to find someone else, she wouldn't hide it, and she certainly wouldn't bother tricking you into working for half a day.
As her sons, we've already been raised by her. My Mother has fulfilled her duty. Even if my Mother leaves, we can support the household ourselves.
But you, Aunt Tian, using your mouth to stir up trouble and slander your Cousin-in-law—what are your intentions?"
Tian Sangui's words made the villagers nod in agreement.
"That's right. Da Zhuangs Mother always helps us out. Sometimes when our herbs aren't even three catties, she counts them as three."
"Exactly. If she really wanted to trick us, why would she trick us into working? And she even brought out so much cloth."
"Da Zhuang and San Gui can support the family now. Da Zhuangs Mother raised them well."
Seeing that no one supported her, Tian Hongmei snorted coldly:
"Then why don't you have her bring out the grain? It's almost midnight."
Eldest Brothers Wife stepped forward:
"The night road is difficult to travel, so naturally, the speed is slow."
Tian Sijin also took a step forward:
"It takes time to move rice, grain, and water."
Tian Erfu followed, saying:
"If you can't wait, there's still some at home that we can exchange for you first."
Third Brothers Wife stepped forward, her belly protruding, and said:
"But you don't need to come back to work tomorrow. We'll treat today's grain and water as if we were feeding a dog."
Tian Wenmo shouted loudly:
"That's right, your whole family doesn't need to come tomorrow. We'd rather feed Da Huang than give anything to your family."
As she spoke, Si Jin was about to go back inside to weigh the grain when the sound of wheels reached them. She stopped, and everyone turned to look. From the direction of the sound, a dog was the first to dash out.
"It's Da Huang! Mother is back!" Tian Wenmo squatted down happily and caught Da Huang in his arms.
Everyone stared into the darkness. A blurry black shadow gradually became clear. Who else could it be but Qin Sang?
When the mule cart stopped and everyone saw the sacks of grain piled high on the flatbed, along with the water sloshing in the buckets hanging by ropes, they all caught their breath.
"This must be at least two thousand catties."
"She really bought water! How much money did this cost?"
"The water is so clear; this definitely isn't river water."
Qin Sang ignored everyone's astonishment. Her gaze shifted from the mule cart to Tian Hongmei, who was dodging her eyes behind the crowd. Qin Sang dropped the reins, jumped off the mule cart, and walked toward Tian Hongmei.
The crowd automatically parted to form a small path. In a few steps, Qin Sang was standing in front of Tian Hongmei.
"Were you the one talking nonsense just now?"
Da Huang also sensed Qin Sang's bad mood. He leaped from Tian Wenmo's arms, ran in front of Qin Sang, and barked at Tian Hongmei:
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Facing the oppressive pressure from both the person and the dog, Tian Hongmei really wanted to run, but to save face, she stiffened her neck and replied:
"Who's talking nonsense? Can't I just have a little gossip?"
Before she could finish, Qin Sang raised her hand and delivered a slap. With a crisp 'smack', Tian Hongmei's face was sent to one side.
"Saying I'm having an affair? Saying I'm abandoning my children to elope? You're a woman too; don't you know how damaging such words are to a woman?
I've spent all my family's wealth to buy grain and water, risking danger to find a way for the whole village to survive. Is that for you to slander like this?"
"Woof! Woof!"
Qin Sang raised her voice. Blood trickled from the corner of Tian Hongmei's mouth. Everyone knew Qin Sang was truly enraged and began to criticize her:
"Just like her two younger brothers, she's no good."
"With a filthy heart, she sees everyone else as filthy."
"If you ask me, she should be kicked out of our village just like her two older brothers."
Tian Hongmei grew anxious and started shouting at the person who spoke:
"What? People aren't allowed to talk? My mouth is on my own body; who can control what I say? If you don't want to listen, then get lost! I didn't..."
Before Tian Hongmei could finish her shouting, another heavy slap landed on the other side of her face. This time, it wasn't Qin Sang who struck her, but her husband. Zhong Pingan cursed:
"Can you just shut up, you plague-bringing woman? The whole family is going to be dragged down to death by you! If you say one more word, I... if you say one more word, I'll divorce you!"
Zhong Pingan had always been an honest and simple man, never having a say in front of Tian Hongmei. This first outburst made everyone in the village see him in a new light.
No wonder they say you shouldn't provoke an honest man; that slap left Tian Hongmei completely dazed.
Hearing about the divorce, Tian Hongmei felt a bit scared. Her two younger brothers had already been kicked out of the village and were currently staying at their father-in-law's house. If she were divorced, she wouldn't even have a place to live.
"Zhong Pingan, I bore your children, and you actually say you're going to divorce me?"
Tian Hongmei began to wail. Before Zhong Pingan could speak, her two children stepped forward:
"Mother, please just be quiet. Our family could have exchanged a day's work for dozens of catties of grain and several catties of water. Look at us now... do you really want to watch us starve and die of thirst?"
Seeing the cold expressions on the faces of her own children standing before her, Tian Hongmei forgot to cry and felt a chill run through her entire body.
"You are my own flesh and blood! I raised you with such hardship, and now, for a bite of food and a sip of water, you don't even want your Mother anymore?"
The two children of the Zhong Family looked at Tian Hongmei's frantic state and took a step back.
"We didn't say we don't want you. Mother, you just need to shut your mouth."
Tian Hongmei didn't dare to question them further and slumped to the ground, weeping and sobbing...
Qin Sang felt not even a shred of pity. It was just like the Original Body she had transmigrated into; if Qin Sang hadn't come, she likely would have ended up deserted by everyone just like this.
Zhong Pingan hesitantly stood before Qin Sang.
"Da Zhuangs Mother, I apologize to you on behalf of my wife. Could you give our family another chance for the sake of us being from the same village and the same clan?
I guarantee she will never speak nonsense again.
If she dares to talk nonsense again, you won't even have to act; I'll divorce her and drive her out of the village myself. Is that alright?"