Chapter 28
Rumors (1/2)
Early in the morning, after finishing breakfast, Da Hu carried his farming tools and prepared to go to the fields.
As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, Minrui noticed a few people not far away, huddled together discussing something, occasionally glancing in his direction. The moment he looked their way, they hurriedly ducked into the corner of a wall.
Da Hu squinted slightly, searching his memory for their identities. He remembered that a few days ago, when he was repairing the house, they had come to watch the commotion. They should be villagers from the Su family village. With that thought, he relaxed, closed the courtyard gate, and turned to leave.
As he got closer to his own fields, Da Hu’s expression grew increasingly grim and suspicious. This was no illusion—these people were definitely talking about him! The question was, what reason did he have for them to discuss?
Meanwhile, on the other side, Lianyi had finished tidying up the dishes and soaked a handful of beans in a basin, preparing to stir-fry some pork with green beans that evening. She drew a basin of water, moistened a rag, and began dusting and cleaning the room.
Suddenly, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and someone rushed in.
Lianyi raised an eyebrow. Even with her notorious reputation, someone still dared to intrude into her house? Could it be her third brother, Su Bai?
“Lianyi, Lianyi, something bad has happened!” the person exclaimed in panic—it was Wu Shi.
Lianyi dropped the rag and hurried out of the room. “Sister-in-law Sun, didn’t you go to the fields today?” At this time, Sister-in-law Sun should have been working in the fields.
Wu Shi, wearing coarse patched clothes, looked anxious and only relaxed slightly when she saw Lianyi. “Lianyi, something serious has happened. Rumor has it all over the town now… you have a lover in the county, and… and… are… committing adultery.” Wu Shi, a traditional woman, could not even bear to think about the words “committing adultery.”
Lianyi was momentarily stunned. “Oh, I understand, it’s no big deal.” Could it be that she really had a lover in the county? Impossible. She liked the second young master of the Li family so much that she wouldn’t even touch men in her household—how could she possibly have a lover?
Wu Shi was shocked and grabbed Lianyi’s hand. “Sister, are you crazy? This is unchastity!”
In ancient times, the crime of “unchastity” could cost a woman her life.
Seeing Wu Shi’s dry, anxious face flush red and pale repeatedly, Lianyi felt deeply touched. The fact that someone had come to notify her personally showed they truly cared; otherwise, the first move would not have been to warn her, but to distance themselves.
Thinking this, Lianyi’s smile became even gentler. She held Wu Shi’s hand and led her into her room. “Sister-in-law Sun, do you think I’m the kind of person who behaves recklessly?”
“Of course not, Lianyi is a good girl,” Wu Shi said firmly.
Lianyi let go of her hand, opened her wardrobe, and began picking out two dark, sober-colored outfits from the piles of clothes. She held them up to Wu Shi, measuring a few times. “This one would be too big on Sister-in-law Sun. I’ll alter it later. The dark gray one is for Aunt Sun. I can cut some fabric from these two to see if I can make patchwork pants for Jin’er. After all, the colors are dark, and boys can wear them too.” She measured while talking to herself, completely absorbed in her task.
Wu Shi was so anxious she nearly cried. “Sister, a woman’s reputation lasts a lifetime. If Da Hu believes this and divorces you, people will want you, and wherever you go in the streets… they’ll gossip behind your back.”
Lianyi finished measuring, folded the two pieces neatly, and said, “Sister-in-law Sun, don’t worry. I’ve been gossiped about before; there’s nothing to fear.” She handed the folded clothes to Wu Shi. “Go on, take care of the fields. Once you’re done, you can alter the clothes.”
With that, she gently pushed the still-talking Wu Shi out.
Wu Shi left reluctantly, and Lianyi’s house finally returned to quiet.
Lianyi, acting as if nothing had happened, returned to her cleaning, took up the rag again, and shortly after, another visitor arrived—it was Zhao Shi.
