The Female Cannon Fodder With Boundless Merits-Chapter 1262 - 1266: The Promise (14)

"What... what is it..." Mrs. Zhang evasively avoided her nephew’s gaze.

Zhang Yang’s cousin looked at his aunt fixedly, let out a meaningful chuckle, and said, "Aunt, we treat you like family, but you think we’re fools..."

Before Mrs. Zhang could offer more explanation, the burly man apologized and said, "I just remembered I have some work to do in the fields, so I’ll be heading back first."

With someone leading the way, the others who were already anxious quickly found various excuses to slip away.

Family ties are one thing, but when it comes to these unexplainable strange matters, people naturally become cowardly.

Especially because Mrs. Zhang had initially concealed things, now they had an even more justified reason not to help.

A joke, one might not even look after oneself, so how could they not care for themselves?

After scattering, the previous imposing manner of Mrs. Zhang now seemed rather pathetic.

Left standing there were only the old couple of the Zhang family in the Su Family courtyard, surrounded by villagers from Chen Village.

Shivering....

Mrs. Zhang, putting on a brave front, shouted, "What are you looking at...."

"Could it be that Su Xiaomei really went to find your Zhang Yang, is this a ghostly love story unfolding?" a mischief-maker in the crowd shouted with a smile.

The old couple from the Zhang family shuddered and immediately felt an eerie chill in the Su Family’s courtyard.

Especially when the Chen Villagers, who were also superstitious, all scattered in fright, making even the slightest movement in the desolate courtyard jump out at Mrs. Zhang.

"Let’s go, let’s go home quickly." Mrs. Zhang’s eyes dared not wander, clutching her clothes tightly, quickly walking outside as if chased by an evil ghost.

Such mysterious rumors spread quickly in the entertainment-less countryside.

In just a short while, various embellished versions circulated among the villagers.

Chen Rong, holding her little brother in one hand and turning the spatula with difficulty in the other, faintly heard her mother chatting excitedly at the door with others while eating melon seeds.

The village women are like that, turning even the smallest matters into vivid tales.

Holding the child with one hand was too tiring; soon, she became sore and weak. Her body involuntarily sank, forcing her to softly discuss with her brother, "Little brother, can you play by yourself for a while? Sister will serve the food."

Chen Rong tentatively set her brother on the ground, but the child’s feet had barely touched the ground when he opened his mouth wide and began to wail.

Startled, Chen Rong quickly picked up the child, holding him in her arms again.

Outside, hearing her beloved son’s cries, Mrs. Chen immediately threw away a few melon seed shells from her hand, furrowing her eyebrows as she rushed over to her daughter.

From a distance, Mrs. Chen’s loud voice carried without hesitation, "For heaven’s sake, you’re supposed to watch the child, and you let him cry. What are you even doing... You look honest and straightforward, but inside you’re sly and rotten...."

Chen Rong wanted to defend herself but blushed upon seeing Mrs. Xu walk in after her mother.

Her chest heaved with anger, unable to contain it.

What’s wrong with her mother? It’s one thing to insult her at home, but doing so in front of others like this? Does she want her daughter to lose face entirely?

Mrs. Xu’s blunt gaze wandered over Chen Rong’s chest, clicking her tongue.

Who would have thought, Chen Rong, this skinny girl, actually has something worth seeing.

At once, Mrs. Xu became interested, interrupting the string of Mrs. Chen’s scolding.

"Earlier, we were talking about Zhang Yang and Su Xiaomei..."

Chen Rong’s face, which had turned red with anger, instantly went pale. Her hands began to tremble as she tried to keep calm, asking, "Did the Su Family trouble Zhang Yang again?"

Reflecting on that impulsive decision still surprises her on how audacious she had been.

Now that Second Brother Su might suspect her, fear and worry overwhelmed her.

"No, I heard the whole Su Family moved, silently...."

Hearing this, Chen Rong’s shoulders relaxed, "Ah, they’ve moved away, huh..."

If they moved, they might not return to cause trouble for her, right?

But Chen Rong barely had time to rejoice before Mrs. Xu continued speaking.

With a wary expression, she leaned in, even lowering her voice, "I guess the Su Family noticed something strange, which is why they hurriedly left."

"...So Su Xiaomei was unwilling and came back... Zhang Yang, that rascal, tsk tsk tsk...."

"What...." Chen Rong was utterly shocked, her features twisted with horror, she flung away the spatula in her right hand, and in fear, she tossed her brother aside.

"Wah wah wah..." The little boy cried out in pain from landing on his bottom, this time genuinely shedding tears unlike before.

Her son being hurt was intolerable. Mrs. Chen, like an enraged lioness, charged at Chen Rong, swiftly landing two searing slaps.

Chen Rong couldn’t feel the pain, tightly gripping Mrs. Xu’s arm, her gaze fierce.

"What did you just say, say it again."

Mrs. Xu giggled, "Young girl, worried about your man, huh?"

Mrs. Chen paused, instantly realizing what Mrs. Xu was implying.

There’s so much gossip in the village about her family now; these past days, she and her husband didn’t dare visit neighbors, fearing to hear unpleasant things.

All caused by this wretched girl.

Mrs. Chen steeled herself, "Mrs. Xu, about what you mentioned the last time, Old Bie... I’ll agree...."

As for what Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Xu discussed, Chen Rong was already in a daze, unable to hear anything.

Her mind was entirely consumed with the phrase Mrs. Xu said: Su Li is back.....

Impossible, Su Li was dead, how could he return, unless....

Suddenly, Chen Rong remembered that eerie, cold feeling of being watched by the lake that night.

--------

Chen Rong suddenly fell ill, unable even to get out of bed.

Just like that, the village’s rumors weirdly vanished, anything related to the Su Family became a village taboo.

Everyone tacitly agreed to remain silent.

Yet, the Su Family, regarded as taboo by the villagers, thrived in the city.

Here, there were no village neighbors, no acquaintances, making the attitude toward new residents welcoming and generous.

Especially the Su Family’s younger daughter, who was exceptionally charming.

When she strolled through the alley, young men who looked the part, all stood by pretending to bump into her by chance.

Who could run into someone five or six times in ten minutes....