Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 28: A Different Story Behind Dealing with the Ruffian

"You, you... you little slut, I’ll beat you to death, you tramp!" Everybody in the village knows that her two sons not being able to find wives is the Jiang Family’s sore spot. Jiang was furious. She took off her shoe and flung it at Feng Xuxu. Feng Liu’s wife and Feng Zheng’s wife snapped back to reality and quickly held Jiang back, "Sister-in-law Jiang, how can you lower yourself to a child’s level? The child doesn’t know any better; don’t stoop to her level." Feng Liu’s wife tugged at Jiang’s arm, "Yeah, Sister-in-law Jiang, cool down. You’re all grown up, why lose your temper over a child? Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughing stock if word gets out?" Feng Zheng’s wife grabbed Jiang’s other arm, trying to calm her.

Jiang was easily mollified by sweet talk, quickly getting ahead of herself. Putting on her shoes and rolling her eyes with a sneer, she said, "Feng Xuxu, for the sake of you being a child, I won’t hold this against you. Bow and apologize to me, and we’ll call it even."

Ha! Feng Xuxu secretly sneered several times while keeping an indifferent expression, "What a joke. I didn’t say anything wrong. Everyone knows your sons can’t get wives. You slandered me and my mother just because my dad didn’t marry you. That’s hardly a secret. Did I say anything that wasn’t true? Psh, you want me to bow to you? You’re not afraid to shorten your own life. I only bow to the dead."

"You..." Jiang pointed at Feng Xuxu, too angry to complete her sentence, with her eyes bulging. She lifted her foot, intending to kick Feng Xuxu.

"Xuxu, don’t just stand there like a fool, run!" Feng Liu’s wife yelled worriedly at Feng Xuxu, seeing Jiang acting like a madwoman.

Just as Jiang’s leg was about to connect with Feng Xuxu’s belly, Xuxu moved, skillfully dodging the kick. She then lifted her foot and struck Jiang’s other leg on the calf.

Jiang didn’t land her kick and hadn’t retracted her leg when another pain shot through her calf, causing her to kneel down. By the time she came back to her senses, Feng Xuxu had already grabbed her hair, her eyes ice cold, looking at her like she was staring at a dead person. Light words floated out of Xuxu’s mouth, "Jiang, I don’t care about what you’ve done before, but from now on, if I hear another word of slander about my mother or me from you, watch out. I’ll make sure you never speak again and never see tomorrow’s sun. If you don’t believe me, you can try. Rest assured, I’ll take good care of your two sons." With a few chuckles, Feng Xuxu let go of Jiang’s hair, then dusted off her hands, looking at Jiang with full mockery in her eyes.

Jiang felt as though she had just crawled out of hell, trembling all over, cold and breathless with fear. She stammered at Feng Xuxu, "I won’t ever do it again. I won’t call you a jinx or curse your mother again, really. You have to believe me. It’s not that I wanted to call you a jinx; it was your aunt who told me to. She said if everyone in the village thinks you’re a jinx, then she would find a wife for my son." Jiang knelt and clutched Feng Xuxu’s sleeve, crying a river, fearing retribution from Xuxu later on.

Feng Xuxu helped Jiang up, "Get up. I haven’t done anything to you. As for the jinx business, I already guessed as much. Besides, you’re old enough now. If this continues, your sons will have an even harder time finding wives." Xuxu spoke with a softened heart, admonishing Jiang.

"Ah, I know, I know my own problem. It’s just this damn mouth of mine... Rest assured, I’ll never speak ill of you again. No, no, I mean I won’t speak ill of anyone ever again." Jiang promised earnestly. Truth be told, without anyone urging her, anyone who saw her would rather walk around than talk to her.

Feng Liu’s wife, Feng Zheng’s wife, and a few other women who had been watching were stupefied. Hearing Jiang’s words, they came to their senses and clicked their tongues in disapproval. The aunt-in-law had been ruining her niece’s reputation; they all criticized Feng Santian’s wife for her unscrupulous actions. Jiang felt awkward, rubbing the corner of her clothes, and glanced at Feng Xuxu with hesitation before mumbling, "Xuxu, I’ll be heading back then. If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll be there whenever you call."

"Auntie Jiang, you said it yourself. If I need anything, I will come to you." Feng Xuxu shed her stern air and cheerfully said to Jiang, as if she were a completely different person than she had been moments before.

"Ah, don’t worry. I’ll definitely be there," Jiang waved to Feng Xuxu and trudged away dejectedly.

"Xuxu, don’t take it to heart with Jiang. She wasn’t like this before, quite a kind and caring person. It all started after she married Feng Yangfu. At first, their life was harmonious, but then her mother-in-law heard some gossip and took it out on her severely. It wasn’t long before she changed. She is actually not a bad person," one of the onlooking women spoke up in defense of Jiang.

"Oh, Auntie Liu, when did you get here?" Feng Liu’s wife approached the somewhat gray-haired elder with assistance, surprised to see her. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Feng Liu’s wife was actually Auntie Liu’s biological niece, and it was the aunt who had introduced her to her husband, Feng Xiquan. Seeing her aunt filled her with warmth as she greeted her.

"I just got here, saw Jiang crying like that, and couldn’t bear it. Once she was such a good daughter-in-law. Sigh." Auntie Liu lived next door to the Jiang Family and naturally knew them well.

Dong, dong, dong. While they were talking, several bell tolls sounded from the village’s ancestral hall. "Eh, what’s going on? Let’s hurry over and take a look." The crowd that had gathered to watch dispersed and rushed toward the ancestral hall.