Chapter 15 Idle Gossip

But her Second Brother Xu's reputation as a village slacker made marrying the beautiful Sister Qiu Ye seem as likely as a sow climbing a tree.

Impossible!

Mr. Xu also felt his son was daydreaming, "Second Brother, Qiu Ye works at the supply and marketing co-op in town, how could she fancy you?

And let's not even mention Qiu Ye, her parents are hoping she'll marry into a leader's family in the county, our family can't match up."

Second Brother Xu knew this would be the result, so he bit into his coarse grain flatbread and said nothing more.

Mrs. Xu, however, was somewhat tempted. Qiu Ye's working at the supply and marketing co-op was true, but her parents were also from the countryside.

If her son could really marry a girl working at the co-op, then they would have a connection when buying things in the future.

"What do you all mean? I think our Second Brother is quite good, he's a perfect match for Qiu Ye.

Second Brother, tell mom the truth, do you still keep in touch with Qiu Ye? Weren't you two close when you were kids?"

Second Brother Xu hadn't expected Mrs. Xu to support him, and his eyes instantly filled with tears, "Mom, do you think I'm worthy of Qiu Ye?"

Mrs. Xu proudly raised her head, "Why wouldn't you be? You're at least a junior high graduate, we look fine, your dad is the village leader, and your youngest brother has a job at the transportation company.

Our family is at least one of the top in terms of conditions, and look at how beautiful your younger sister is, why couldn't we be a match for Qiu Ye?"

Second Brother Xu, upon hearing his mother's words, felt even less confident. This wasn't praise for him; it was an indirect compliment for his father, his younger brother, and his little sister.

"Mom, stop it, I'm not as good-looking as my little sister, I don't have a job like my younger brother, and I'm not as capable as dad, how could I possibly deserve Qiu Ye? Don't make fun of me."

Mrs. Xu, seeing his spinelessness, became irritated, "Why couldn't you be? Weren't you and that girl Qiu Ye great playmates before?

Why don't you keep in touch now? Does she have a suitor? If not, your father and I will find a matchmaker for you."

Second Brother Xu was startled by Mrs. Xu's words, and he quickly shook his head in refusal. If his parents really went to Qiu Ye's family, he would have no chance at all.

"We won't go, so you will?" Mrs. Xu asked.

Second Brother Xu instantly chickened out, but fearing his parents would mess things up, he still mustered the courage to nod in agreement.

After breakfast, Mr. Xu took the whole family out to work. There wasn't much to do today, so Mrs. Xu stayed at home instead of going out to work.

Mrs. Xu began to clear the table and wash the dishes, and Xu Ying saw this and followed to help in the kitchen.

Mrs. Xu wouldn't hear of her darling daughter doing such chores and immediately pushed Xu Ying out, "You go rest in the room, and if you're not busy, go read a book. I can handle this work."

Xu Ying had no other option but to walk over to the chicken coop, and, making sure no one was watching, she put three eggs into the nest.

Thinking of the family's grain storage kept in Mrs. Xu's room, she ran to the kitchen and grabbed Mrs. Xu's arm, "Mom, didn't you still have some crisps in your room?

I'm craving one, could you give me the keys so I can go get one?"

"It's still in the usual place, the key is in the iron box under my bed, go get it yourself."

Hearing this, Xu Ying joyfully entered the main house, rummaged under Mrs. Xu's bed to find the iron box.

With the key in hand, Xu Ying swiftly ran to the large grain storage chest, quickly opened it, and saw three bags inside.

Two large bags contained millet and corn kernels, and a smaller bag held about five jin of white flour.

Fortunately, Xu Ying, in her previous life, wasn't picky and accepted almost anything she found. Her space had both millet and corn kernels, and this time the new gift pack included corn residue.

After topping up the white flour and corn kernels, Xu Ying rapidly closed the chest.

Then she ran to Mrs. Xu's cupboard where things were kept, opened it, took one crisp out, and put the key back in its original place.

"Mom, I'll take Shitou and Hu Zi up the back mountain to stroll around, see if we can pick up any wild chicken eggs." Xu Ying, holding the crisp, swaggered to the kitchen doorway.

Mrs. Xu was as happy as if she had eaten the crispy cakes herself when she saw her daughter devouring them: "Fine, if you want to go, you can, but you mustn't go into the deep woods, understand?"

Xu Ying obediently promised she wouldn't go.

Only then did Mrs. Xu call for Shitou: "Shitou, go up the mountain to collect pigweed; I'll feed the chickens here. Keep an eye on your little aunt on the mountain and don't let her get into trouble."

Shitou, who had just picked up the chicken basin, put it down: "Granny, I'll definitely take good care of little aunt and won't let her go to the deep woods."

Mrs. Xu nodded, satisfied.

Xu Ying looked at her mother and felt somewhat helpless; she was already eighteen years old, an adult—why did her mother still treat her like a child?

After grabbing a carrying basket and a sickle from the backyard, Shitou said, "Little aunt, let's set off."

With Hu Zi on a leash, the three of them hummed a tune and set out.

Xujia Village lay near the mountains, and there was a big river running through the village. As Xu Ying passed by the river, her thoughts became a bit hazy.

Her falling into the river had something to do with Dong Wenzhong and Chen Yanran.

She had liked Dong Wenzhong before and would follow him wherever he went.

That day, she saw Dong Wenzhong and Chen Yanran by a large tree next to the river, whispering something, and out of curiosity, she wanted to run over and eavesdrop.

But she was so focused on eavesdropping that she forgot to watch her step. Stepping on a rock, she slipped and tumbled into the river.

"Little aunt, let's go," Shitou said as he saw his little aunt spacing out and tugged at her.

Xu Ying came back to her senses, shifted her eyes, and headed towards the back mountain.

Today, there wasn't much work in the fields, and fewer people worked, so many of the women were sitting around gossiping and chatting in the village.

Xu Ying, leading Hu Zi, had planned to walk past quickly, but before she could, the village gossipmonger Zhang Dacao spotted her:

"Xu Ying, where are you off to? Surely you're not going to Dong Zhiqing again?"

Zhang Dacao mockingly watched Xu Ying, just waiting for the girl to embarrass Xu Jian Country.

Xu Ying glanced at Zhang Dacao; she was probably going to disappoint her. Smiling at all the matrons and dames gathered at the gossip spot, she said, "Aunt Cao, what are you talking about; why would I go to Dong Zhiqing for no reason? Oh, by the way, I think I just saw Xiang Dong heading towards Zhiqing's place. He wouldn't be going to work for Chen Yanran again, would he? Ah, I genuinely feel so sorry for Aunt Cao. Here you have carefully raised Brother Xiang Dong, and yet he always turns his elbow outwards, alas!" Xu Ying finished, looking at her with a face full of sympathy.

Upon hearing her son had gone to Zhiqing's place, Zhang Dacao instantly became infuriated, thinking that her foolish son was treating her as an utter pushover, such bad karma.

"Aunt Cao, where are you off to?" Xu Ying watched her hurry off, calling out with schadenfreude.

Zhang Dacao was seething with anger; she was going to find her good-for-nothing, doltish son.

With that move, Xu Ying had beaten Zhang Dacao in this round.

Just as she was about to leave, the wife of Xu Ying's great-uncle approached her and hastened her away from the gossip central, "Yingying, tell your aunt what on earth you did to Dong Zhiqing yesterday. Did you two have a fight, or do you no longer like him?"

Everyone in the village knew that Xu Ying liked Dong Zhiqing; it was no secret at all.

The third branch of the Xu family was very clear on the matter. Wang Lanhua had never thought highly of Dong Zhiqing, considering him to be utterly useless, unable to shoulder a burden or lend a hand. Her niece was beautiful and well-favored at home, a cherished one. If she were to live with Dong Zhiqing, they would struggle in life.

Now while Yingying was unmarried, her cousin doted on her a bit, but what about later when Yingying gets married? Her in-laws certainly wouldn't indulge her.

And in the future, as her cousin grew old, on whom could Yingying rely for help?