Reporters, sensing the potential for wealth, rushed to interview her: "Mr. Chi, are you a fan of Qi You?"
"A fan?" Chi Yuexi twirled her wedding ring on her ring finger. "She's my wife."
Interested ladies, go and bookmark this!
Lastly, to thank everyone for their blessings, I'll be giving away 100 JJBs to everyone who leaves a comment on this chapter, until tomorrow's update.
Chapter 84 Rumors
Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen.
As the saying goes, "Three women make a drama."
Su Yunzhi and her two sisters-in-law were busy at work while chatting casually. As they talked, they inevitably turned to the main character of the day, Shen Wuqiu.
Her second sister-in-law, Wu Xiulan, was alright. After marrying into the Su family, although she didn't have to suffer from her mother-in-law's temper, she had a formidable older sister-in-law above her. In addition, she was not one to cause trouble by nature, so she always listened but never spoke.
However, her sister-in-law is someone who can't stop talking for a moment. Wherever she goes, regardless of whether she understands or not, she has to chime in. In short, there's no peace and quiet wherever she is.
To be honest, Su Yunzhi disliked her sister-in-law from the bottom of her heart. Firstly, before she got married, she had been tormented by her sister-in-law quite a bit; secondly, her personality was somewhat similar to her sister-in-law's—both were strong-willed and liked to argue with each other verbally. As the saying goes, like repels like, so it was inevitable that they would have some confrontational feelings.
Therefore, after getting married, no matter what earth-shattering gossip she heard or what grievances she suffered, she didn't like to tell her family. She preferred to talk about it with the few women in the village she got along well with.
However, out of consideration for their kinship, even though she disliked Duan Xiao'e, her sister-in-law, she would still occasionally exchange a few words with her.
As for Duan Xiao'e, she is short-sighted, ambitious, and very self-righteous. Even when gossiping behind people's backs, she likes to put on a condescending, lecturing tone.
For example, right now, seeing that no one else was in the kitchen, he said to Su Yunzhi, "You also know about Wu Qiu's affair, right?"
Su Yunzhi was tasting the braised pig's trotters when she heard this, and put down the spoon she was about to put to her mouth. "What is it?"
Duan Xiao'e glanced outside, then said with a raised eyebrow, "That house in Xishan must have cost at least this much, right?" As she spoke, she gestured with her hand to indicate the number two.
Su Yunzhi particularly disliked her appearance and deliberately said, "It's more than that. Wuqiu isn't as shrewd as you, sister-in-law. Whether it's cement or steel bars, she only picks the best. Besides, when it comes to wages, she never lets her own family lift a finger if she can get someone to do the work."
"It's true that young girls these days don't know how to manage a household," Duan Xiao'e said, feeling a pang of heartache at the thought of all the money that had been spent. She added cautiously, "I heard this house belongs to her alone. You definitely didn't touch the savings to help her. She's just a young woman, and she's only been working for a short time. Where would she get so much money?"
Su Yunzhi knew what she wanted to say, so she deliberately ignored her, pretending to be busy. She put down the spoon, poked the pig's trotter with her chopsticks, and when it wasn't tender enough, she put the lid of the casserole back on.
Duan Xiao'e, oblivious to the situation, assumed the other person didn't understand her meaning. Unable to hold back her words, she glanced outside again, saw no one approaching, and gossiped, "These days, girls are all so materialistic and money-grubbing. Pretty girls have it so easy to make money..."
Su Yunzhi slammed the chopsticks in her hand heavily on the table. "Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that?"
"Hey, why are you so angry?" Duan Xiao'e said dismissively. "She's not your biological daughter, and besides, these aren't my words, but what everyone's been saying. They're saying that Wuqiu might be hooking up with some rich old man outside."
It's true that she's not her biological daughter.
Over the years, at the most hateful times, I truly wished that this adopted daughter had none of the good things.
She wouldn't call herself a perfect stepmother, but she didn't consider herself a wicked one either. While she might enjoy making snide remarks and gossiping when she didn't like someone, she had her limits and knew the importance of a girl's innocence. Besides, now that their relationship had grown much closer, she couldn't stand such comments anymore.
"That's utter nonsense!" Su Yunzhi glared at her. "Tell me, where did you hear all this from?"
"Why are you yelling at me?" Duan Xiao'e retorted defiantly. She was a burly woman, so she was never afraid of arguing with anyone. In her words, "I'm wider than you when I'm sitting, and taller than you when I'm standing. You dare to touch me?"
"Wuqiu has treated you all quite well, hasn't she?" Su Yunzhi was even angrier at her attitude. If this person wasn't her own sister-in-law, she would have kicked her out. Plus, there were so many outsiders around. She closed the kitchen door. "They can't stand to see Wuqiu doing well, can't you?"
Duan Xiao'e rolled her eyes. Even Wu Xiulan, who had been standing by as a background figure, couldn't stand it anymore and quickly came over to pull her away, "Sister-in-law, say less. People are just making things up out of thin air, and you're listening to them..."
Su Yunzhi was in a bad mood and snapped at her, "What do you mean by 'making a fuss over nothing'? Where did the wind and shadow come from? Our Wuqiu Sect is upright, so where is there any wind or shadow?"
Duan Xiao'e pressed closer, trying to argue: "What are you pretending to be so important about? I've never seen you so considerate before. Looks like you've gotten rich and are getting some benefits from it, huh? I've also heard that rich people only like sons. Look at all that effort you've put in, what's the point of having four at once? They're all daughters anyway..."
Su Yunzhi was so angry she was about to explode. She didn't care about anything else and slapped her across the face. "Duan Xiao'e, let me tell you, I've been putting up with you for a long time."
"..." Duan Xiao'e was a little stunned by the slap, then looked at Su Yunzhi with disbelief, "Su Yunzhi, how dare you hit me?"
"Sister-in-law, little sister, what are you doing..." Wu Xiulan held Duan Xiao'e's waist tightly.
Wu Xiulan looked petite, but she had worked in the fields for many years and was quite strong. Duan Xiao'e couldn't break free at all and stomped her feet in anger: "You, Wu Xiulan, are you planning to team up with her to get me?"
Although the door was closed, no one was trying to keep quiet, so the noise was naturally louder.
Everyone in the hall was gathered together without chatting or laughing, and no one noticed, but Daiying heard it. She calmly handed the freshly prepared milk to Zhao Jiujiu and was about to go to the kitchen when she saw her good-for-nothing daughter storming towards the kitchen. She paused for a moment and then didn't go over.
Gu Lingyu, who was scolded by her partner to "get out," originally wanted to go to the kitchen to find Su Yunzhi and remind her to prepare less lactation-promoting food for her partner in the future postpartum meals.
Little did she know, she overheard such offensive remarks in the hallway.
Gu Lingyu, who had inherited none of her mother's elegance, kicked open the kitchen door. Looking at the three people inside, their expressions tense, she forced a smile, her expression cold and distant.
Is there anything I can help you with?
The saying goes, "Don't wash your dirty linen in public," and coupled with the jealousy and vanity hidden in a woman's heart, Su Yunzhi was angry, but she didn't want to expose her sister-in-law's true colors in front of her beloved future daughter-in-law. She was just about to make up a few words to brush it off.
To everyone's surprise, Duan Xiao'e had absolutely no sense of propriety. In her rage, she completely regarded this place as her own territory and blurted out, "What business is it of a little brat like you to interfere in our sister-in-law's affairs?"
Gu Lingyu lowered her eyes, walked in, closed the door, and then looked at her: "It's none of my business to interfere in your affairs as sisters-in-law, and of course, I don't want to. But you've come to meddle in my family's business."
As soon as she finished speaking, a gust of wind swept past, and Duan Xiao'e suddenly knelt down, her face filled with terror as she looked at her: "You..."
Gu Lingyu looked down at her and said, "Qiuqiu gave birth to a child of the Gu family. We are overjoyed. Who gave you the right to interfere?"
She did not deliberately suppress her divine power.
Faced with her absolute power, Duan Xiao'e cowered: "I only heard about it; I didn't know before that she was born to your Gu family..."
"Foolish humans are beyond redemption," Gu Lingyu said with a sigh. A sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart. This was the power of rumors. Even if her family possessed supreme divine power, they could not provide the most comprehensive care for her most precious person.
“Lingyu…” Su Yunzhi, who had never seen her like this before, felt inexplicably frightened. “My sister-in-law just loves to gossip about these things. I’ve already talked to her about it, so don’t take it to heart…”
Gu Lingyu ignored her and looked at Duan Xiao'e: "Where did you hear that from?"
Despite her timidity, Duan Xiao'e remained defiant: "There are plenty of people talking outside, but in your Jingrong Village, who knows how many people are gossiping behind your back."
Gu Lingyu glanced at her, then turned and left the kitchen.
As soon as she left, Duan Xiao'e came back to life and immediately stood up, supporting herself with Wu Xiulan's hand. "Hmph, as expected, rich kids are all ill-mannered, so arrogant..."
Su Yunzhi finally understood her sister-in-law completely. "From now on, our two families should stop having any contact."
Duan Xiao'e started putting on airs as her sister-in-law again, "Su Yunzhi, what do you mean by that? You have rich relatives now, so you don't want us poor relatives anymore? If it weren't for me, your sister-in-law, taking care of you back then, would you, Su Yunzhi, have the good life you have today?"
It would have been better if these things hadn't been mentioned; the mere thought of them only fueled Su Yunzhi's anger. But at this moment, she felt utterly powerless against her unreasonable sister-in-law. Taking a deep breath, she decided she couldn't be bothered to argue with her anymore.
"Yes, I'm a snob. Wuqiu is rich now, and I'm going to cling to her coattails. Are you satisfied now?"
Duan Xiao'e snorted and said to Wu Xiulan, "Look, this is our good sister."
Wu Xiulan glanced at her, then at Su Yunzhi, trying to smooth things over: "Sister-in-law, little sister, we're all family. Little arguments are inevitable. They'll pass. Everyone's in a bad mood right now, so don't say anything..."
"Second sister-in-law, don't worry, our two families will remain the same as before." Su Yunzhi interrupted her, "What eldest sister-in-law just said was really hurtful."
Duan Xiao'e immediately grabbed Wu Xiulan's hand, "Alright, if no one welcomes us, then let's leave. Do they really think we can't live without her?"
Wu Xiulan stood still, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Why don't you go home first, sister-in-law? There are so many people at my younger sister's house today, she definitely can't manage alone. I'll help her..."
Duan Xiao'e immediately glared at her and said coldly, "Wu Xiulan, are you saying you're on her side?"
Wu Xiulan did not speak.
Duan Xiao'e pinched her arm and then walked away angrily.
Wu Xiulan was a little embarrassed and said, "Little sister, that's just how your sister-in-law is. She'll be fine once she calms down. Don't take it to heart."
Su Yunzhi waved her hand wearily, without saying anything.
In the main hall outside, Gu Lingyu held back her anger and didn't lose it in front of everyone.
Daiying, with her eyes and ears open, noticed that Sanmao looked annoyed and deliberately gave her something to do. She handed her the baby and said, "You can breastfeed the baby. I'll go and take their clothes out to air them."
Gu Lingyu didn't say anything, and silently took the child.
Sanmao seemed to sense her mother's mood and didn't dare to be too disobedient, drinking milk more obediently than usual.
While she didn't vent her anger in front of everyone, Duan Xiao'e stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door shut as if on purpose, and deliberately glancing towards Shen's father.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she said loudly, "If your Shen family doesn't welcome me, then I'll leave..."
Once she spoke, it was impossible for Mr. Shen not to notice. "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"
Duan Xiao'e glanced into the kitchen. "Ask your wife."
Her voice was already high-pitched, and now she deliberately raised it to emphasize her words, making it even higher and more penetrating. Su Yunzhi heard it too.
She overestimated her sister-in-law, who spoke ill of someone else's daughter behind her back and now dares to accuse her of being the one to make the false accusation.
Su Yunzhi originally wanted to save her some face, which would also save face for herself, but who knew that her good sister-in-law would be so shameless.
Ignoring Wu Xiulan's attempts to pull her away, Su Yunzhi rushed out: "Perfect, in front of everyone, I'll have a go at it with you all."
As she spoke, she glanced at Zhao Jiujiu and said, "Aunt Wuqiu, lunch for Wuqiu is ready. Could you take it up to her first? We can eat later, okay?"
Zhao Jiujiu frowned. "What's going on here?"
Su Yunzhi didn't respond to her words, but instead looked at Shen's father: "Old Le, in all these years of marriage, you haven't treated me badly, nor have you ever treated my two brothers from my maternal family badly. Whether they have been of any help to you or not, I don't know, since I've never interfered with your work in the fields and mountains."
But I have to tell you this today: I'm not going to have any further contact with you, sister-in-law. From now on, don't worry about the work in the fields for my sake. Let Wuqiu decide who is suitable to do it.
As for why we no longer keep in touch, that's none of your business; it's just that we, as sisters-in-law, don't get along.
Secondly, in front of everyone, I'd like to say this first: the four daughters of Wu Qiusheng are not the illegitimate children of some rich old man. Although the children have no father, their identities are all legitimate. Here, this is their grandmother, and this is their grandfather.
From now on, if I ever hear anyone gossiping about Wuqiu behind their backs again, I'll tear their mouths apart.
Su Yunzhi's long speech was delivered in one breath, which impressed everyone—they didn't expect her stepmother to be so protective of her daughter, Shen Wuqiu.
As soon as she finished speaking, Daiying stepped forward. "In that case, it seems I need to give everyone a proper introduction. Wuqiu is not only the daughter of the Shen family, but also the daughter-in-law of the Gu family. Her children are all legitimate descendants of the Gu family. Oh, by the way, you are right about one thing: our family may not be very capable, but we are certainly quite wealthy."
Upon hearing Su Yunzhi's words, Mr. Shen's expression turned quite unpleasant: "Who told you all this?"
Su Yunzhi glanced at everyone sitting in the hall and said without mincing words, "I heard that people in our village are talking about it behind our backs."
This made everyone present somewhat embarrassed, and one by one they expressed their opinions:
"We haven't heard about any of this..."
"Sigh, there are always some people in the village who have nothing better to do than gossip and spread rumors."
"It's just that... Wuqiu has been outstanding since he was a child..."
...
Duan Xiao'e stirred up such an unpleasant situation, and left in a sorry state, causing trouble for the people who came to offer their congratulations. None of them dared to stay any longer, and they all said goodbye and left together.