"Poor ghost?"
As the word was spoken, a burst of boos erupted from the crowd.
To these "respectable people of the town," a poor ghost was truly pathetic.
Although they were all from Yuehai Village, the moment they settled in the county town, they felt compelled to shed that identity.
In their eyes, being able to settle in the county town elevated them above the poor country folk.
"Didn't they say Yu Xiang married a small boss? How did she become a poor ghost?"
A woman asked with feigned concern.
Among all the women present, she was arguably the most beautiful. Combined with makeup, her current appearance reached a rating of six out of ten.
Her dazzling, glittering attire made her an eye-catching presence in this county town.
She had deliberately dressed up for the gathering today, hoping to attract attention. Qin Yu Xiang's arrival earlier had almost stolen her thunder.
But now, everything had changed because of the word "poor ghost."
"Xiao Gang must have seen wrongly, right? With Yu Xiang's looks, there's no way she'd end up with a poor ghost," the woman continued.
"Xiao Gang said it himself. He also said that man took Yu Xiang to a snack shop, ordered only a drink, and nothing to eat."
"Xiao Gang offered to give them a ride here, and that man even got jealous, refusing to let Yu Xiang get in the car with him. He insisted they walk, and Yu Xiang, being so docile, actually followed that man on foot."
"Xiao Gang just said that they should wait for them a while, after all, they are from the same hometown."
Another woman added fuel to the fire.
Upon hearing this, the expressions on everyone's faces varied.
Most of the women wore looks of triumph. Although Qin Yu Xiang grew up in the same village as them, she wasn't popular. This was because Qin Yu Xiang was too beautiful and academically gifted, favored by teachers, which often made them envious.
A man suddenly slammed the table and shouted.
"Damn it! What kind of man is he? To save face, he actually made Yu Xiang walk! In this sweltering heat, she could get heatstroke!"
"Yu Xiang is also foolish, to willingly follow such a man?" another man echoed.
"You know Yu Xiang's personality, don't you? I think she's probably accustomed to being submissive!" yet another chimed in.
In an instant, a tacit understanding formed among them: Qin Yu Xiang was too foolish, and Lin Xiao Tian was a useless man.
"Hmph! When this man arrives, I'll teach him a good lesson!" the man who had slammed the table earlier raised his voice again.
"Cheng Li, don't be rash. They're husband and wife, after all. If you act out, how will Yu Xiang save face? Besides, if you teach him a lesson, who knows how he'll retaliate against Yu Xiang when they get back." someone nearby tried to dissuade him.
"Then they won't go back!" Cheng Li slammed the table again. "If she follows me, I'll surely treat Yu Xiang well!"
"Oh... our Brother Li is truly loyal and righteous. Do you know, when Yu Xiang was getting married, it's said that Brother Li specifically rushed back from the county town to stop the wedding, but unfortunately, he failed."
"Cheng Li is a true man. If Yu Xiang comes later, we must persuade her well, we can't let Yu Xiang miss out on the right person."
A group of classmates began to tease Cheng Li.
Facing everyone's encouragement, a blush spread across Cheng Li's dark face.
Everyone was joining in the merriment, but in a corner, a scene of stark contrast unfolded.
"Cheng Fei Fei, what's wrong? Why aren't you talking?" the seductive woman said to her.
"I have nothing to say!" Cheng Fei Fei shot her a glare.
The seductive woman's expression immediately soured.
"What? You're unhappy because we're talking about Yu Xiang?"
"Whether I'm happy or not has nothing to do with you!" Cheng Fei Fei replied unpleasantly. "Cheng Yu, if you have nothing else to say, can you shut up for a while? It's annoying to listen to!"
"Heh heh, I'll say what I want, and it's none of your business! I'll talk about Qin Yu Xiang, that stupid woman deserves to suffer her whole life." the seductive woman, Cheng Yu, retorted relentlessly.
Cheng Fei Fei and Qin Yu Xiang were good friends. After Qin Yu Xiang's parents passed away, Qin Yu Xiang had lived with her almost entirely. Cheng Fei Fei was a few years older than Qin Yu Xiang, and their relationship was akin to sisters.
Later, Cheng Fei Fei got married first and then rarely returned home. She even missed Qin Yu Xiang's wedding, for which Cheng Fei Fei always felt guilty. They had promised to be bridesmaids for each other, but she had broken her promise in the end.
Cheng Fei Fei had few relatives; her mother had also passed away a few years ago. In this world, Qin Yu Xiang was her closest person.
Hearing Cheng Yu belittle Qin Yu Xiang like this now, she was extremely angry.
"Yu Xiang lives her life honestly, which is much better than some people selling themselves!" Cheng Fei Fei said, looking Cheng Yu up and down.
Cheng Fei Fei's words immediately drew everyone's attention.
Although Qin Yu Xiang was a topic of conversation, she hadn't arrived yet. But Cheng Yu was right in front of them, a ready-made spectacle, perfectly ripe.
Cheng Yu was also angered by Cheng Fei Fei's words.
"Cheng Fei Fei, what do you mean? Who are you calling a sell-out? Speak clearly, everyone is listening!"
"I didn't say you, why are you so agitated?"
"You... you're indirectly saying it about me, don't think I don't know?"
"I didn't say you! With so many people here, why do you think I'm talking about you? Could it be... you've done it before?"
"You... Cheng Fei Fei, you bitch!"
But before she could finish speaking, a slap flew across.
Slap!
Under the astonished gaze of the crowd, Cheng Fei Fei actually slapped Cheng Yu in public.
Cheng Yu, clutching her red face, stood stunned for a few seconds.
"Cheng Fei Fei! I'll fight you to the death!"
When Cheng Yu finally reacted and tried to lunge at Cheng Fei Fei, others were already holding her back.
"Fei Fei, what are you doing? You're all classmates, talk it out, why resort to violence? You're a teacher, how will you teach people in the future!" Cheng Li began to criticize.
Seeing Cheng Li, Cheng Fei Fei's mood worsened.
"Cheng Li, you're quite sensible, aren't you!" Cheng Fei Fei stared straight at him.
Cheng Li was a rough man and very image-conscious. Hearing Cheng Fei Fei praise him, he became a little smug.
"Fei Fei, I just hope everyone doesn't break harmony!" Cheng Li chuckled.
As he chuckled, he took the opportunity to scan Cheng Fei Fei's appearance.
Cheng Li was still a bachelor. He worked as a security guard in a county town company. His salary wasn't high, and he looked simple and honest, but he had high standards and wasn't interested in ordinary women.
He liked intellectuals like Cheng Fei Fei, or beauties like Qin Yu Xiang. Among the people present, only Cheng Fei Fei and Cheng Yu appealed to him.
Now, hearing Cheng Fei Fei praise him, Cheng Li thought she was interested in him.
But the next moment, he realized he was wrong.
"Cheng Li, do you want to take Yu Xiang away?"
Cheng Li nodded.
"Are you worthy?" Cheng Fei Fei looked at him.