Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Chapter 507: Shameless

Chapter 520: Chapter 507: Shameless

“She went on to say that since she had already refused to take the items, it was highly inappropriate for me to keep insisting. She said that if word about our dispute were to get out, it would be unbearable for her. She threatened that if I dared say another word about it to anyone, she would spread rumors that I pursued her.”

“Her words scared me into silence. Luckily someone else came out at that moment, and Mrs. Liu left hastily. When I got back, people kept asking what Mrs. Liu and I were doing in the courtyard. I didn’t know whether to tell them the truth or not, so I ended up saying that my stomach was unwell, and I had to go back earlier.”

“I thought that would be the end of it. But today she came again, she mentioned a bunch of stuff around and around again. After listening to her, I realized what she was trying to say; that our family life has improved a bit, and we had some money to spare. Meanwhile, her family is struggling as she and her son have to worry about their next meal. She’s asking us to be charitable and give her family some money.”

“There’s no way that I would agree to that, she can talk about being unable to afford their meals all she wants, but I’ve heard that Mrs. Liu’s family has enough to eat meat from time to time. They’re too lazy to work; it’s not that they don’t have the ability. Our lives have just gotten a bit more comfortable recently, and our children are slowly growing up. There are many places where we need to spend money, why should we give charity to her?”

“As soon as I said this, Mrs. Liu immediately got angry. She criticized our family for being stingy and threatened that if we didn’t give her any money, then she would spread rumors about us, making it impossible for me to live. When I heard this, I was even more furious.”

“I criticized Mrs. Liu harshly, telling her that I’ve always lived a good life and I’m not afraid of her baseless accusations. Seeing that I wasn’t budging, Mrs. Liu left cursing.”

“Even though she left, I could tell by her attitude that she was angry because we didn’t give her any money. When she goes back, who knows what rumors she’ll spread. I’m not afraid of what others might say about me. I’ve done nothing wrong, so I’m not scared that they might criticize me. I just mentioned it to you here, in case you might start to overthink if a rumor inadvertently slips out…”

The more Zhuang Yonghe spoke, the more uncomfortable he looked. Scratching his ear uncomfortably, he said with a shameful expression, “Actually, it’s all my fault. If I had spoken out when we were giving the betrothal gift, she would not dare to do anything now.”

Mrs. He was taken aback.

She hadn’t imagined the situation was like this.

It was not Zhuang Yonghe who had been fooling around, instead, it was Mrs. Liu who was stirring up trouble.

Given the gravity and regret on Zhuang Yonghe’s face, it was clear that he was telling the truth.

Thank God, after listening to Zhuang Qingning, she had decided to listen to what Zhuang Yonghe had to say instead of secretly asking around or confronting Mrs. Liu. Otherwise, she might have fallen into Mrs. Liu’s trap.

This Mrs. Liu…

“You can’t really be blamed for this. No one could have coped with the shocking scene she created that day.” Mrs. He muttered with a frown.

No wonder Mrs. Liu always bragged about her affairs with various men.

At first, it was perplexing. Although the widow’s front door was a hotbed for scandal, people were bound to gossip about it. But why was she insistent on throwing her reputation to the wind?

It appeared she was using these rumors to threaten others into giving her benefits!

Those with thinner skin would probably just relent and hand over what little money or food they could afford.

If she encountered shameless individuals, they’d probably take advantage of the situation, making Mrs. Liu even more pleased. Using them as a stable source of income, she’d have no more worries about her livelihood.

The rumors she had heard in the village were probably created by Mrs. Liu herself. That way, in case Zhuang Yonghe revealed her theft, she could claim that it was a result of him taking advantage of her and, as a consequence, he was trying to tarnish her reputation.

Once that rumor had spread enough, she simply came to extort us.

How could there be such a person?

She is utterly shameless!

“I had been drinking and was a little confused at the time. Plus, it was a good day as we were giving the betrothal gifts for my nephew. Had it ended up in a fight because of this, it wouldn’t look good, so I didn’t expose her.” explained Zhuang Yonghe, frowning. “But I did scold her harshly this time, so I guess she won’t dare to say anything more from now on.”

“That’s easier said than done…” Mrs. He frowned, interjecting.

She was well-aware of Mrs. Liu’s character.

A shameless woman, she had no qualms about ruining her own reputation for money.

Having bumped into a hard rock like Zhuang Yonghe this time, who knew what she might resort to?

“That should be fine, there’re always people who like to spread rumors. Let’s just embrace the attitude that the upright need not fear a crooked shadow. Let others talk. It’s not like their gossiping can cause us to lose any flesh, nor hinder our life. As time goes by, this matter will blow over.”

Zhuang Yonghe said, “Mrs. Liu dares to behave this way, mostly because she thinks that I lack the courage to confront her, and that you would make a fuss if you knew, and we would be terrified of the gossip. But she didn’t think we’re in unity as husband and wife. Her plan didn’t work out, and she ended up feeling awkward. I don’t think she will do anything.”

“The more you fuss about such people, the more ecstatic and satisfied they become. Better to ignore it completely and let the grasshopper jump until it tires, then it won’t jump any more.”

Mrs. He blinked.

It’s easy to say but when stepping outside to face people’s gossip, it would undoubtedly feel uncomfortable. And if she were to refute, others would mock her for defending her husband whom she could not control.

That feeling was indeed… very suffocating!

Mrs. He decided to discuss it with her sister-in-law.

Mrs. He is gentle and soft-spoken, but her sister-in-law, who she’s very close to, is feisty. In the past, when their field was taken by someone, her sister-in-law immediately picked up a hoe and got into a fight. If it weren’t for the family holding her back, she might have smashed everything in that person’s kitchen, including the stove and the water tank.

After this incident, her sister-in-law’s reputation spread across the village. No one in the village, including Mrs. Liu, dared to provoke her.

If she couldn’t handle it, she was sure her sister-in-law would know what to do.

“Let’s leave all this for now. You’ve been working all morning, and I should make lunch. After eating, I’ll also send some to Mingliang and the rest.” Said Mrs. He, standing up, rolling up her sleeves and preparing to walk into the kitchen.

“We have some meat at home to make a stew for lunch. It will be hot and delicious.” suggested Zhuang Yonghe.