Aunt Fu Gui, standing nearby, immediately pinched his ear: "What does other people's arguing have to do with you? Why are you making such a racket?"
Zhao Fu Gui reasonably replied: "Elder Sister-in-law Zhao is a widow. I'm just helping a widow say a few words, what's wrong with that?"
Aunt Fu Gui was so angry her heart ached. Her man was indeed pining for that Zhao family widow! Daring to help Elder Sister-in-law Zhao in broad daylight, who knew what other unspeakable things they might be doing in secret! She grabbed his ear and dragged him away.
With Zhao Fu Gui speaking up, others also chimed in with a few words.
"Zhang Wu Lai, why don't you call Li Zheng to arbitrate then?"
"Li Zheng is fair and just. If Elder Sister-in-law Zhao truly stole something from your family, Li Zheng will definitely side with you."
Zhang Wu Lai spat a mouthful of saliva, picked up his two buckets of water, and left.
Cheng Loan Loan let out a sigh of relief. Truthfully, just now she had been truly afraid that Zhang Wu Lai would smash a rock onto the back of her head.
She realized that she was truly still too weak. Apart from her quick wit, she had nothing else.
It seemed she had to buy something from the Shop for self-defense.
She looked at the people gathered around and spoke: "Many thanks to all the aunts and sisters-in-law who spoke up for me."
As she spoke, her back was straight, her eyes clear, and her face fair under the sunlight, not at all like a village woman.
Everyone felt surprised. Why did Elder Sister-in-law Zhao feel both the same and yet different from before?
It wasn't that such things had never happened before; Elder Sister-in-law Zhao would always slap her thigh, then sit on the ground wailing and calling out to heaven and earth. Yet today, without any crying, she had made Zhang Wu Lai furious. This was not Elder Sister-in-law Zhao's usual style of behavior.
Cheng Loan Loan led her two children home.
Along the way, Zhao Er Gou and Zhao San Niu dared not breathe loudly, afraid of being fiercely scolded by their mother.
Arriving at the doorstep of their home, the two of them took a breath. Smelling the rich aroma of meat and food, the two little rascals couldn't help but drool.
Cheng Loan Loan brought over a basin of water: "Wash your hands, then get ready to eat."
Zhao Er Gou was surprised: "Mother isn't punishing us?"
Cheng Loan Loan said indifferently: "You children aren't wrong, why should I punish you?"
Zhang Wu Lai was idle and looking for trouble; what did that have to do with her two sons? The main reason was still their poverty, causing such a commotion over just one rabbit and a bucket of water.
She came out of the kitchen holding an empty bowl, scooped a few pieces of braised pork, filling more than half the bowl, and handed it to Zhao Si Dan: "Take this to Grandma, and tell her it was 'stolen' from the Cheng family."
The original owner didn't treat the four children well; they all relied on the old madam secretly providing food. Otherwise, these four children would be even thinner.
She had risen from an orphan girl to become a businesswoman, so naturally, she understood the principles of dealing with people. Since she had decided to live a good life, she first needed to mend her relationship with the Zhao family.
In ancient times, the power of clans was very strong. More than half the population of Dahe Village was surnamed Zhao, and it was estimated that several households above were close relatives. If she had a good relationship with the Zhao family in this village, whatever she wanted to do would be much more convenient.
Zhao Si Dan grabbed the bowl and ran like mad to the Zhao family home.
It was currently noon. The Zhao family members were very orderly: the men were resting, the women were sewing and washing clothes, and the children were tidying up the wild vegetables they had dug up that morning in the courtyard.
"Grandma!" Zhao Si Dan burst through the door. "My mother told me to bring this."
A bowl of braised pork, with its captivating aroma. The children in the courtyard all looked up simultaneously, greedily inhaling a breath of the meat's scent in the air.