The village remained peaceful for several days, as though Yan Er's earlier disturbance had never happened.
Xu Chunhua continued as usual—yelling at her children, occasionally standing at her doorway with hands on her hips, hurling veiled insults at passersby, or gossiping idly with a few sharp-tongued women.
Aside from the fact that the men of the household had been absent for days, Xu Chunhua's mood could be described as nothing short of delightful—light as a breeze beneath a clear moon.
She pushed open the creaking wooden door and glanced toward the neighboring house. Faintly, she could hear a woman's gentle voice reciting something softly.
Xu Chunhua snorted in contempt, adjusted her clothes, and set off—ready to see where she might squeeze out a little advantage.
On the way, she ran into a woman carrying a bundle of fresh wild vegetables. Xu Chunhua was surprised and hurried to stop her.
"Didn't your man scold you the other day for cooking these wild greens badly? How dare you make them again today? Aren't you afraid that old hag will egg him on to beat you again?"
The woman usually gathered with Xu Chunhua to complain loudly about her own mother-in-law. Being stopped and questioned like this made her expression awkward.
But then she lifted the greens—shepherd's purse and water celery—and her face brightened with excitement.
"Chunhua, who would've thought that the new woman in the village knows food so well? Turns out those pork cracklings we usually just swallow with salt—mix them with wild greens and cook them together, and they're delicious!"
Wangjia Village was backed by mountains and close to water. Food was never scarce—not rich, but not poor either. The villagers simply didn't know how to cook well. Wild vegetables that modern people would call organic delicacies were, to them, bland weeds no better than grass.
Xu Chunhua listened, watching the woman's expression. Her hand curled tightly inside her sleeve.
Shameless woman.
Just yesterday she had been gossiping with them about Jiang Huaiyu. Today, a few casual words were enough for her to switch sides.
Xu Chunhua pressed her lips together, contempt flashing in her eyes, her face turning sharp and mean.
The woman seemed to remember this too, but didn't care. She laughed awkwardly.
"I'll hurry back and try it. I still have to take lunch to my man in the fields!"
With that, she walked past Xu Chunhua and headed home.
Only after she'd gone far did Xu Chunhua spit on the ground.
"What trash!"
And this wasn't the only thing angering her.
Xu Chunhua had originally planned to snoop around someone's rabbit hutch to see if she could gain something. But the thought that even her usual circle might be won over by Jiang Huaiyu made her quicken her steps toward the stream instead.
Several women were washing clothes there, chatting loudly. Seeing them put her slightly at ease. She smoothed her disheveled hair, stepped forward with a smile, and was about to speak—
When she heard one woman say,
"Who would've thought that the new woman could be so capable? Crush tofu, mix it with chopped greens, fry it—absolutely delicious!"
"Exactly! And the best part is, she doesn't hoard her secrets. I always wondered—someone who looks like a fairy, how could she have been abandoned by her husband? Any family that couldn't keep her truly had no blessing!"
"That's exactly right…"
Listening from behind, Xu Chunhua felt flames roaring in her chest.
She knew these women were the easiest to win over—cursing one moment, calling each other sisters the next over the smallest favor.
But being suddenly excluded by everyone was something Xu Chunhua had never experienced.
No matter how disliked she had been before, there were always a few women who still associated with her.
"Hey, Chunhua, why are you just standing there?" One woman turned her head, spotted her, and jumped slightly at Xu Chunhua's expression, but still greeted her with a laugh.
Xu Chunhua's voice turned shrill.
"What business is it of yours where I stand? A bunch of long-tongued hags!"
She turned and stormed off.
The women left behind were stunned—then furious.
Everyone knew they gossiped, but didn't you do the same? What right did you have to act so high and mighty?
In an instant, the topic of how bizarre Xu Chunhua was spread among them.
At home, Jiang Huaiyu was reciting passages from the Thousand Character Classic she had recalled from memory, letting Tangbao listen. The little one didn't understand, but hearing his mother's gentle voice, he babbled softly now and then.
After playing with Tangbao for a while, Jiang Huaiyu heard the sound of pots and bowls crashing violently next door.
Her rosy lips curved slightly.
Looks like her morning effort hadn't been wasted.
To deal with a shrew who feared neither force nor reason, the most effective method was always to strike at the heart.
Especially in a village like this—Xu Chunhua might remain stubborn at first, but once she realized she had been excluded by everyone, unless she harbored no resentment toward Jiang Huaiyu, she would never be able to reintegrate into a group whose every topic praised Jiang Huaiyu.
In the afternoon, Jiang Huaiyu coaxed Tangbao to sleep. After he drifted off peacefully, she soon heard a door slam violently—bang!—full of pent-up anger.
This was the time when the first batch of flatbread came out of the oven at the shop at the end of the village. Adults and children alike loved it, and even people from nearby villages came to buy some.
Lazy as Xu Chunhua was, she was no exception.
Only she never bought it—she lingered nearby, chattering endlessly until the vendor, annoyed, tossed her a flatbread just to be rid of her.
Jiang Huaiyu headed toward the village end as well—but instead of going to the flatbread shop, she stopped at a house, knocked, bought a basket of eggs from the woman inside, and chatted pleasantly for a few moments.
Only when she caught sight, from the corner of her eye, of a dark pig-liver-colored skirt approaching in the distance did she smile and take her leave.
Carrying the eggs, Jiang Huaiyu walked home at an unhurried pace.
Xu Chunhua, clutching the flatbread meant for her youngest son, spotted her—and nearly lost control, wanting to rush forward and tear Jiang Huaiyu's hair out.
In just half a day, everywhere she went, she heard women praising Jiang Huaiyu.
Before, people had either treated Jiang Huaiyu indifferently—or, like herself, took pleasure in speculating about how immoral Jiang Huaiyu must be, or how miserable her past had been.
Back then, Jiang Huaiyu stayed home caring for her child, timid as a turtle—easy to bully.
So why had everything changed all at once?
Xu Chunhua was furious. Just as she was about to grab Jiang Huaiyu and humiliate her—
Walking ahead with eggs in one hand, Jiang Huaiyu's other hand swung naturally. As it brushed her waist, a jade pendant slipped loose and fell.
The village road was packed earth. The jade didn't shatter, nor did it make a sound.
Xu Chunhua's eyes went wide.
After Jiang Huaiyu took a few more steps, Xu Chunhua hurried over, crouched down, picked up the pendant, and stuffed it into her clothes without even checking what it was.
"Auntie, what are you doing here?"
Jiang Huaiyu suddenly turned back, asking curiously.
Xu Chunhua jumped. Seeing Jiang Huaiyu's calm expression, she realized she hadn't been seen. Recalling the warm, smooth feel of the jade, she forced a smile.
Thinking about this fool losing money without knowing it made her secretly giddy.
"Nothing… Auntie was just tired from walking and resting a bit!"
The road was quiet, wild grass swaying in the breeze.
Jiang Huaiyu hummed softly, paused for a few seconds, and looked at her quietly.
Xu Chunhua felt uncomfortable under her gaze, but when profit was involved, her temper became gentler than a dog's. She smiled brightly.
"Yu-niang, I really did wrong you before. I was blinded by greed when I trampled your chicks. In a few days there's a market—Auntie will compensate you with chickens, ducks, even geese!"
Her words matched her honest-looking face—but her expression was stiff, clearly insincere.
Jiang Huaiyu smiled.
"I've forgotten all about that. Auntie doesn't need to worry. If you have nothing else to say, I'll head back."
"No, no!" Xu Chunhua wanted nothing more than for her to leave so she could examine the jade.
Jiang Huaiyu nodded, seemingly unaware that her pendant was missing, and walked home slowly.
But with her back to Xu Chunhua, the faint smile on her face turned mocking.
Jiang Huaiyu believed she had given Xu Chunhua plenty of chances. From the very beginning, it had been Xu Chunhua's greed that drove her to provoke Jiang Huaiyu.
Even so, at that moment, Jiang Huaiyu had still offered her one last chance.
If Xu Chunhua had taken out the pendant and said she'd picked it up from the ground, Jiang Huaiyu would have believed that she still possessed a shred of goodness.
But she didn't.
Worse still, the anxiety in Xu Chunhua's eyes had clearly marked Jiang Huaiyu as an obstacle—something she wanted desperately to shove aside so she could hurry home and figure out how much the jade was worth.
Xu Chunhua had obediently walked into the trap—but Jiang Huaiyu felt no great satisfaction.
She only found Xu Chunhua pitiable.
A woman who refused to do proper work, living by petty theft and scheming—ignorant to the extreme.
"Right now, she must be thinking about how to sell that pendant," Jiang Huaiyu murmured as she watered the small plot of land she had reclaimed.
Looking at the empty chicken coop and the bare, greenless soil, she suddenly stopped feeling any pity at all.
You reap what you sow.
That alone would encompass everything Xu Chunhua was about to face.
Jiang Huaiyu rolled up her sleeves and drew a bucket of well water, her smile growing confident and resolute.
So what if this world was unfamiliar?
She would never allow anyone to bully her—much less let Tangbao be wronged.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Enduring humiliation in silence was never her way.
"All right—tonight I'll make steamed egg custard for Tangbao."
After loosening the soil, the thought of tender, fragrant egg custard made her mouth water. She hurried into the kitchen to get busy.
As for the eccentric next door—
Let her enjoy one last good night.