It seemed that with Xiao Shan gone, the troublesome spirits had come to the house.
Xue Niang ate a little something and then sat in the courtyard to wash clothes and bedding.
After sitting for a while, her back felt sore again. She stood up, stretched, and rubbed it. Her legs were also sore. She remembered that a few days ago, she had agreed to learn shoemaking from Sister Xiu Lan, but she hadn't visited since that day.
Perhaps she felt too embarrassed. She had left in quite a hurry that day.
Alas, it was all Xiao Shan's fault.
"Brother Xiao, are you home?"
Just as Xue Niang was thinking of Wang Xiu Lan, she heard Wang Xiu Lan's voice. She responded, wiped her hands, and quickly opened the door. "Sister Xiu Lan."
"Oh, Xue Niang, is Brother Xiao home? Something has happened with Yu Tou!"
"What happened? He's not home, tell me."
Xue Niang had always treated Yu Tou like a younger brother. Hearing that something had happened to him, she became a little anxious.
"Oh dear, well, Yu Tou got into an argument with Shopkeeper Chen. Chen Dong insisted that Yu Tou stole money from his house and is holding onto him! Yu Tou has money on him but won't say where he got it. I was thinking, perhaps Brother Xiao gave it to him."
"Yu Tou is definitely being framed. He wouldn't steal money."
Yu Tou used to steal small things, but they were always food, never money. He had said so himself. That money must be the one tael of silver she had given him.
"But Yu Tou did enter his house and was caught by him!"
Wang Xiu Lan had hoped Xiao Shan would step forward to verify, which would at least intimidate Chen Dong. But he wasn't home, and Xue Niang, a frail woman, could do nothing.
"I'll go with you to see."
"Well, perhaps we should wait for Brother Xiao to return..." Wang Xiu Lan hesitated. Chen Dong was a tall and strong man, not to be trifled with. She was afraid something might happen, and Brother Xiao would blame her.
Xue Niang had already locked the door. "He won't be back until the afternoon! Let's hurry!"
"Then, alright!"
When the two arrived at Chen Dong's house, the village chief was already inquiring about the situation. Yu Tou's face was swollen, and he seemed to have been beaten elsewhere. He was squatting on the ground, tightly clutching a money bag, his eyes fierce like a small leopard.
"Yu Tou!"
Xue Niang ran forward to touch his face, but he dodged her head and growled irritably, "What are you doing here? Go back quickly, it's none of your business!"
Chen Dong's eyes flashed with astonishment.
They all said Xiao Shan's woman had become beautiful, but this was too much. How could there be such a beautiful woman?
Even when Pei Lan was at her most beautiful after getting married, she wasn't one-tenth as stunning as this woman.
Her face was so white it seemed to glow, her eyes sparkled like stars, and her figure! Her chest was a chest, her hips were hips, and her slender waist could be grasped with one hand.
Xiao Shan was truly blessed.
Su Pei Lan stood aside, her eyes also filled with disbelief. She had heard the villagers gossiping, comparing her to this woman. At the time, she had disdained it. Even though she wasn't as fresh and tender as before, and her hands were rougher, she was still a wife married through proper channels. Comparing her to a bought woman was an insult. Moreover, that woman was an ugly monster. No matter how tender her skin or good her figure, it was useless.
But after seeing Xiao Shan's attitude towards that woman by the river, she had begun to feel uneasy. Later, she intentionally or unintentionally mentioned Xiao Shan's fearsomeness to Chen Dong. As expected, Chen Dong told her to find a way to get Xiao Shan's seed. She felt a secret joy at the prospect. If she got Xiao Shan's seed, Chen Dong would be happy, and her life would improve. Moreover, once might not be enough; perhaps twice, thrice. Then she would have plenty of opportunities to make Xiao Shan have her in his heart.
In the future, she would have another man to protect her, such a powerful man. Even if Chen Dong treated her badly, he would have to reconsider.
But she never expected that such a thing would happen! She was... by a scoundrel in the village.
She had been in a bad mood these days. Although that scoundrel hadn't appeared again, she was still afraid.
But at this moment, Xiao Shan was actually holding a wedding with this bought woman. She was his legitimate wife, and she had become so beautiful, captivating the eyes of all the men in the village.
Even Chen Dong was no exception.
Xue Niang looked coldly at Chen Dong. "Did you hit him?"
"What if I hit him? He stole my family's money, and I didn't turn him over to the authorities! Such a young age, stealing and doing bad things! Madam Xiao should stay away from him. Touching a man like that, does your man know?"
"Chen Dong! What nonsense are you spouting!" the village chief berated sternly.
"You damn Chen Dong, stop talking nonsense! I didn't steal your money!" Yu Tou jumped up, hobbling as if to charge, but Wang Xiu Lan held him back.
"You spineless coward! You think I don't know what you were doing just now? What kind of man hits a woman!?"
"Say that again!" Chen Dong's face twisted horribly. If Xiao Si'er hadn't grabbed him, he would probably have kicked Yu Tou.
"All of you, shut up!" the village chief roared. "Yu Tou, you say that money wasn't stolen, where did it come from? Did Xiao Shan give it to you?"
Everyone knew Yu Tou was helping Xiao Shan build a house, but he had too much money on him, buying two sets of clothes and still having so much left. This was unreasonable.
"I gave it to him!" Xue Niang said coldly. "One tael of silver."
"One tael of silver? Xiao family, think carefully before you speak!" the village chief frowned.
Chen Dong sneered. "Oh, does Xiao Shan know? His woman is using his earned money to support a young master!"
"Chen Dong, you son of a bitch, if you talk nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth off!"
"Yu Tou! Shut up!" Xue Niang reprimanded. "I told you not to talk nonsense."
"Sister Xue..."
"The money was given by me, but it's Yu Tou's own money. He found a pearl in a large river clam he dug from the river. Xiao Shan took it to the city to sell. If you don't believe me, you can ask at Cui Fang Pavilion, or have the county magistrate send people to inquire. As for your family's money..." Xue Niang glanced disdainfully at Chen Dong's attire. "Don't blame me for looking down on you, but could your family afford so much money?"
"You—" Chen Dong stared at her grimly, the muscles in his face visibly twitching.
"You can't prove it's yours, but I can prove that money was given to Yu Tou by me. Xiao Shan has a habit of marking any money he receives. You say it's yours, so does your money have a mark?"
"A mark, of course it does!" Chen Dong gritted his teeth. "My money has scratches on it."
Scratches were on all money. Chen Dong was clearly trying to get out of it.
"So all money from the bank has scratches, and it's all yours? I think we should report it to the authorities and let the county magistrate decide, what do you say, village chief?"
The village chief thought to himself: The yamen is your family's business, you have the final say.
At this moment, Chen Dong's wife stepped forward and said, "All my family's money is kept by my mother-in-law. Mother-in-law likes to tie it up with red string, about a hundred coins per string."