Chapter 82: 82: Assess Your Own Weight
Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Assess Your Own Weight
Lin Chunju hurried to welcome the visitor inside.
Granny Zhou held the basket of eggs that Yue Xiaofang had delivered that morning. The Yue Family members saw it, and their expressions froze, realizing something.
“I wasn’t able to get things done, the items still need to be returned.”
Lin Chunju refused, “Keep it. The help is secondary; this is the child’s way of showing respect to you.”
Granny Zhou waved her hand dismissively and sat on the chair Yue Xiaofang had moved for her.
“Xiaofang, you’re a good girl, and you have a fine craft. Don’t listen to the crap those villagers say. It’s not your fault life is tough.”
Granny Zhou had lost her husband early and had no children of her own, so she naturally understood how vicious gossip could be.
It was already hard for a woman in this world, and some women went out of their way to harm those even more pitiful than themselves.
Granny Zhou despised these kinds of people the most.
Yet, she also felt helpless, unable to change anything.
He Zhenzhen might be detestable, but her words represented the thoughts of many in the village.
In their eyes, Yue Xiaofang was someone unlucky, and naturally, no one would want what she made.
Yue Xiaofang pursed her lips, “Thank you.”
Yet, in this village, aside from her family’s home, there really was nowhere else where she could belong.
Granny Zhou then changed the subject, “But your craftsmanship is wasted in the village. Have you ever thought about selling it in the city?”
“The city?”
The crowd gasped in surprise. To the villagers, the city was an incredible place.
Everything there, whether food or other goods, was much better than in the village.
When New Year’s came around, if a family got to bring back a piece of clothing from the city, they would be proud among their relatives.
But now Granny Zhou was suggesting that Yue Xiaofang sell her wares in the city, which seemed utterly preposterous.
Seeing everyone’s reactions, Granny Zhou couldn’t help but laugh, “What’s wrong? Aren’t city folks human too? Xiaofang’s skills are so good, everyone would like them.”
Lin Chunju looked thoughtful, but Yue Xiaofang kept her head down, feeling that the other was just trying to comfort her.
How could city people like her craftsmanship?
“I just mentioned it offhand. If you take it to heart you might give it a try, otherwise just consider it the ramblings of an old woman.”
Granny Zhou stood up, ready to go home.
The Yue Family escorted her to the door. Granny Zhou put her hands behind her back and shuffled off in the direction of her home.
Just as she reached the lane, she happened to run into the wife of Second Dog.
The wife of Second Dog exclaimed in surprise, “What are you doing here?”
Granny Zhou was in a way related to Second Dog’s family.
Of course, the wife of Second Dog fawned over her, mostly because of Granny Zhou’s influence in the village.
Granny Zhou noncommittally replied, “Just visiting the Yue Family.”
The wife of Second Dog immediately showed a look of disdain, “You should come to our house instead, why go to the Yue Family? That family brings bad luck. Recently, Xiaofang was just kicked out by her in-laws.”
Granny Zhou gave her a stern look, “Shut your mouth, or you’ll bring disaster with your words.”
The wife of Second Dog pursed her lips, seemingly wanting to argue but daring not to.
Granny Zhou said coldly, “Today I’ll teach you a lesson. Have you heard about the incident in Jinshan Village lately?”
The wife of Second Dog was taken aback, “What happened?”
In those times, information was scarce. Even for two neighboring villages, there wasn’t much known about each other.
But Granny Zhou had her own sources of information.
“The in-law family of Yue Xiaofang had an accident. Who knows if it was because of autumn’s dryness or something else, but their Fruit Orchard caught fire. Much of the orchard was destroyed, and they’d planned to pick the fruit to sell in the city in a few days. Now, a year’s work has gone to waste.”
Granny Zhou spoke dispassionately, but the wife of Second Dog broke out into a cold sweat.
“And that’s not all. During the fire, Ma Jinbao, Xiaofang’s former husband, went to the canal to fetch water and ended up tumbling in. They say he wasn’t lightly injured.
Everyone was in a panic trying to put out the fire, and by the time it was over, they found him; he’d been soaked in water for hours. They took him to a hospital in the city afterward, and he’s still there now.”
The wife of Second Dog’s mouth dropped open as she recalled many past events.
Granny Zhou snorted coldly.
“People should know their weight and understand who they can provoke and who they cannot.”
After dropping that remark, she leisurely walked away, leaving the wife of Second Dog standing there stupefied.
After a long while, the wife of Second Dog stiffly craned her neck, her gaze towards the Yue family house filled with awe.
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