The villagers were stunned when Xue Niang went out for the first time after her marriage.
They thought a fairy had descended upon their village!
No wonder Xiao Shan hadn't left his house for three days. He wouldn't get tired of staying indoors for three years!
How could marriage remove the frightening dark marks on his face? Did Xiao Shan have this ability too?
Xiao Shan bought five fen of land, and Xue Niang went with him to their own field to plant radishes and cabbage. They got some seeds from Wang Xiulan and went to the field together.
"Good heavens, Xiao Shan is too lucky. Where did he buy his wife? I'll go buy one tomorrow."
"You said he was ugly before, but now you know Xiao Shan has good taste. You, even if she were placed in front of you, you wouldn't buy her."
"This is too miraculous. Could it be what that Taoist priest said, that she shed her snake skin?"
"Shut your mouth! Be careful Xiao Shan hears you and beats you to death!"
...
While the villagers were in shock and gathered to discuss, a series of tragic screams erupted from Xu Dafu's house.
"What's going on?"
"Let's go see."
Upon arriving at Xu Dafu's doorstep, they heard the crying from inside: "Father, Father, save me! I don't want to go back, I'll be beaten to death if I go back!"
The villagers exchanged glances.
"Doesn't that sound like Da Niu?" Wang Shuzhen said.
Then, they heard Xu Dafu's scolding: "Hurry back! Once married, you're no longer part of the Xu family. Don't embarrass yourself here!"
Xu Liushi wailed, "Your father, why don't we find the village chief to seek an explanation from Changliu Village? This is too much bullying!"
Xu Dafu: "Shut up! Ignorant woman! Since ancient times, a wife follows her husband, whether he's a chicken or a dog. What's the use of finding the village chief? It'll only invite ridicule!"
Xu Da Niu: "Mother, Mother, help me! Didn't you want me to marry that man with children? I'll marry him, I'll marry him! Hurry and save me!"
Xu Liushi: "......"
The villagers outside the door: "......"
Liu Changsheng's wife: "Has Da Niu lost her mind?"
At this moment, seeing that Xu Da Niu wasn't leaving, Xu Dafu picked up a stick and walked towards her. Xu Er Niu, holding her younger brother, trembled in fear behind the door. Xu Liushi wanted to step forward to stop him but dared not, only weeping and saying, "You troublemaker, it's your own fault for not listening. What can your mother do now!"
"Father, don't hit me, don't hit me!"
"Get out! Hurry and get out!" Xu Dafu pulled open the door and pointed outside, driving her away.
Unexpectedly, as the door opened, a row of curious villagers stood there, all craning their necks, almost running in to see what was happening.
The face-conscious Xu Dafu was furious, and Xu Liushi stopped crying.
Everyone saw Xu Da Niu standing in the yard. Her already dark face was even darker, as if she hadn't washed for days. She was skin and bones, her eyes bulging and frightening, and there was blood at the corner of her mouth.
Most importantly, her clothes were torn beyond recognition, revealing her arms and legs. It was evident that there wasn't a good spot on her body, all bruised and battered.
Wang Shuzhen gasped, "Heavens, what happened to Da Niu?"
Xu Dafu, having lost face, became even angrier with Xu Da Niu. He grabbed her and started dragging her out.
"Father, Father, I'm not leaving! He'll beat me to death, he'll beat me to death!" Xu Da Niu clung to the doorframe, crying.
Did this mean her husband beat her?
Oh, wasn't it said that Da Niu married a good man? Why was it different from what her father said?
"If you don't leave, I'll beat you to death right now."
Xu Dafu fiercely struck Xu Da Niu's body with the stick, causing her to cry out miserably.
As the commotion grew, more and more villagers gathered, soon attracting the village chief.
After understanding the situation, the village chief could only express his helplessness. This was a family matter, and he couldn't do anything unless Xu Dafu himself supported his daughter, but judging by the situation, that seemed unlikely.
Seeing no hope, Xu Da Niu stared at Xu Dafu and Xu Liushi with hatred and shouted, "If it weren't for you, would I be in this state? I could have married Xiao Shan back then! You thought he was poor and sent him away with half a bag of coarse rice! You ruined my marriage! You don't deserve to be parents!"
The villagers whispered amongst themselves. Some knew that Xu Da Niu had been saved by Xiao Shan, but nothing had come of it later. They also knew that the two families had no intention of marrying. Now that Xu Da Niu was married, bringing this up again, wasn't she afraid of her husband's family getting angry?
The village chief sighed. What was going on? Xiao Shan was dragged into this again. This family was truly troublesome.
Xiao Shan and Xue Niang returned after finishing their planting. They had intended to go around, but they happened to hear this sentence.
Xue Niang was unhappy. How could she still be thinking of Xiao Shan after being married?
Xiao Shan was certainly even more upset. He strode forward and said coldly, "What do you mean 'originally going to marry me'? Take a look in the mirror! Would I be blind enough to fancy you? I wouldn't want you even if you were given away for free!"
These words were so venomous. Xu Da Niu was like a duck with its neck choked. Some villagers let out snickers.
That's right! Xiao Niangzi was as beautiful as a celestial fairy. Xiao Shan must have been foolish to fancy this dark girl.
Xue Niang stood beside Xiao Shan. The two of them stood out from the crowd. Xu Da Niu's eyes widened in disbelief.
She, she was Xue Niang?
Where were the dirt on her face?
"Xu Da Niu, I'm telling you clearly, I saved people out of kindness. As for the rules of saving people in Bozi Village, I didn't know them before. If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered with such trouble! Mind your own mouth from now on!"
After warning her again, Xiao Shan took Xue Niang's hand and walked around the crowd towards home.
"Xue Niang! Save me! I know I was wrong!" Xu Da Niu knelt on the ground with a thud and cried out to Xue Niang, "I helped you before too. You were almost strangled to death by Aunt Cui Lan. It was me who saved you, don't you remember?"
"But it was also you who led me into the Ghost Forest and almost killed me. We're even!" Xue Niang turned back and said coldly.
The Ghost Forest!
Xiao Niangzi had actually been to the Ghost Forest? How did she get out?
The villagers' expressions were somewhat horrified. That was a ghost forest that ate people!
"I didn't! You went in yourself! You went in with Xiu Cai ge!"
Xu Da Niu, seeing Xiao Shan's murderous gaze, panicked and started speaking incoherently.
Xue Niang frowned. She had no idea that Liu Donghuai had entered the Ghost Forest. Xiao Shan hadn't told her. She thought Xu Da Niu was deliberately slandering her, which made her even more disgusted.
But the village chief knew about this matter. Thinking of it, he understood. It turned out that Xiao Shan had actually gone to find his wife that day.
"Xu Da Niu, don't talk nonsense!" Liu Donghuai pushed through the crowd, followed by Su Yurou.
At this moment, his fair face was filled with anger: "That day, you deliberately pointed the way, causing Xiao Niangzi to stray into the Ghost Forest. I happened to see it while gathering herbs and didn't have time to stop her. I could only tear my clothes and twist them into a rope, tying it to a pine tree, trying to pull her back. Who knew that once inside the Ghost Forest, I lost my way. Fortunately, Hunter Xiao rescued her in time, so she didn't die in the forest. As a result, the rope I tied outside disappeared. You took it, didn't you! Do you know this is premeditated murder!"
Liu Donghuai took a breath and continued, "You say you saved Xiao Niangzi, why don't you mention that Xiao Niangzi saved you? That day you jumped into the river, who threw their clothes and pulled you ashore? Yet you repaid kindness with enmity, truly malicious!"
Hearing Liu Donghuai's words, the village chief breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Donghuai was a good person.