Zhou Lian smiled at Li Xiu. The villagers never shied away from gossiping about others, and she had gotten an earful on their way here. She just hadn't expected them to hold Li Xiu in such high regard.
Gently ruffling her hair, Li Xiu said softly, "That's only because I'm doing fairly well. If I couldn't even put food on the table, Bao'er, do you think they'd still have such a high opinion of me?"
"That's true. The tongue is a sharp sword; it's always been that way. 'Everyone gets talked about, and everyone talks about others.' You really see things clearly, Jin Chen," Zhou Lian remarked with a small, wistful smile.
A wry smile playing on his lips, Li Xiu looked at Zhou Lian and said teasingly, "Bao'er, I'm not sure I deserve such praise. I've been through all of life's storms, separations, and even death. If I couldn't even see through something as simple as this, I'm afraid you'd have every right to call me a blockhead!"
