Yun Hao was absolutely furious when Xu Wenwan tried to blame him instead.
’This woman. Go three days without beating her, and she’ll be up on the roof tearing off the tiles.’
Without a second thought, Yun Hao lunged forward, grabbed Xu Wenwan by the hair, and beat her.
Xu Wenwan’s face was already aching, and after the beating from Yun Hao, her whole body hurt even more.
The neighbors next door heard the commotion between them loud and clear. After all, the houses were close together and not very soundproof. Plenty of people started whispering behind their backs.
’This must be the second time Xu Wenwan’s been beaten!’
’The first time, it was supposedly for flirting with other men. This time, it’s for not doing her chores.’
’Then again, a lazy woman like Xu Wenwan is nothing but trouble to begin with. She’s pretty, sure, but you can tell just by looking at her eyes that she’s a flirt. She has the face of a troublemaker. Marry a woman like that, and you’ll bring unrest into your home!’
’They’ve only been married a few days, and she’s already been beaten twice.’
And just like that, by the next day, word of Xu Wenwan’s beating had spread throughout the entire Qingshan Team. No one said anything to the Xu Family’s faces, of course, but they gave them strange looks.
Leng Yuan and Gu Jiaojiao, living far from the village, knew nothing of this matter. On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, they began writing New Year’s couplets at their home.
Their own couplets were already finished. Leng Yuan had also crafted two beautiful lanterns out of red paper.
Once New Year’s Eve arrived, they would hang the two red lanterns by the door and light candles inside. They would surely look spectacular.
When Chen Xiaoli had delivered the New Year’s rice cakes, she had asked when they would be writing couplets. She spread the word after she left, so by the twenty-sixth, people were already arriving at their door.
Everyone brought their own red paper, asking Leng Yuan to write a pair of couplets for them. They had no specific requests, as long as the phrases were auspicious and celebratory.
Leng Yuan set up a table for writing couplets outside. He laid out his ink and calligraphy brush.
Worried he might get cold, Gu Jiaojiao temporarily moved the coal stove from Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang’s room outside for Leng Yuan.
People started arriving at the house around eight or nine o’clock.
They came in groups of three to five, sometimes just a couple of kids, and even in crowds of seven or eight.
In any case, that day, Gu Jiaojiao truly understood the meaning of a "never-ending stream" of visitors.
As people came for their couplets, some brought five eggs, some offered two blocks of tofu, others brought small snacks, and a few even gave twenty cents.
In short, the gifts were all over the place, and Gu Jiaojiao ended up with a bizarre assortment of things.
When Chen Xiaoli arrived, she didn’t bother queuing up. Instead, she went over to Gu Jiaojiao’s side to chat.
Just then, someone spoke up with a laugh. "Xiao Li, I heard Yun Hao and Xu Wenwan are writing couplets for people now, too. Why didn’t you go to your brother-in-law?"
Your own family would do it for free. Why come all the way to Leng Yuan’s to spend money?
Chen Xiaoli had no idea this was happening, but even if she had known, she wouldn’t have gone to Xu Wenwan.
"We’ve already cut ties. I wouldn’t dare try to curry favor with her now."
’She wasn’t about to go groveling to Xu Wenwan just to save twenty cents. Xu Wenwan had made it perfectly clear at her wedding that she wanted to cut all ties.’
’She, Chen Xiaoli, had her pride.’
Chen Xiaoli’s words sent a wave of shock through the surrounding crowd.
’Cut ties?’
’No wonder Xu Wenwan didn’t go home for the traditional three-day bridal visit. And Chen Xiaoli left the wedding banquet before even eating... They actually cut ties!’
"Xiao Li, that’s not right of you," someone chided. "No matter what, Xu Wenwan is your younger sister. How could you cut ties with her!"
"No matter what..."
Some people just can’t stand to see others happy and content. They always have to jump in at moments like this with some self-righteous, hypocritical advice.
Chen Xiaoli had no patience for this nonsense. "Aunt Chen," she retorted, "I heard your daughter-in-law took the kids and went back to her parents’ home, and she’s planning to divorce your son! And aren’t you the one encouraging him? If you ask me, she’s your daughter-in-law—how could you push your own son to get a divorce! No matter what, you’re all family."
When it came to a battle of words, she had never feared anyone.