Today was truly a dramatic day for the villagers of Lake West Village.
The well-behaved second daughter of Jiang Darong's family was suddenly transformed into "little crazy girl" by a stimulus, picking up a wooden stick to beat her aunt until her head burst open, and even more surprisingly, also managed to hit Zhang Dabao, a man of considerable size, until he screamed and hurriedly scrambled to leave the thatched-roofed hut in the edge of the village.
Grandma Jiang wouldn't let things go so easily; she lay down in the mud, ready to roar.
But an even stranger scene unfolded.
Qian Zhenzhu, who had followed behind Grandma Jiang, shouting and flaunting his power, returned to the old house with a face smeared with dried blood, urging the old woman to go back.
It was amazing.
Truly amazing.
Before long, the crowd dispersed, their eyes filled with the glow of gossip, ready to gather and chat about the Jiang family in detail.
Mrs. Zheng didn't expect that her actions were far less effective than Lu Jingzhi's.
When she arrived with her three children in tow, she only saw a mess on the ground.
She slapped her thigh, "Oh, we're late!"
Lu Jingzhi came out of the house, "Mrs. Zheng? You came just in time, my basket..."
"How is it? I told you not to come back! Are you hurt? Oh my god, there's blood here!" Mrs. Zheng looked left and right as she held Lu Jingzhi's hand.
Lu Jingzhi thought to herself, that's the weapon I used to commit the crime.
Hearing the commotion, she thought someone else was coming to fight, and when she saw it was Mrs. Zheng, she put down the stick in her hand, laughing, "I'm fine, my sister and mom are fine too. Thanks for caring, Aunt."
"As long as you're all right, that's good."
Lu Jingzhi's basket and the wild chickens were brought over, and she stuffed one of the wild chickens into the hands of the three Zheng boys: "For Mrs. Zheng."
The three tried to refuse, but they didn't have the gift of gab like Mrs. Zheng, and with a glance from the young girl, they obediently accepted the chicken.
On the other side, Jiang Tanyue was frowning and quietly sighing, "…The house is fine… What Grandma and Aunt couldn't take, they left behind… It's just a pity… Aunt Kong's niece is getting married and commissioned my mom to embroider her wedding dress… We were paid in rice and noodles since we couldn't make ends meet at home… Too bad… The fabric was of good quality… Now it's covered in mud… My sister went to pick wild vegetables and came back looking like a mud monkey… I don't know if she's hurt… She must have been scared by all those people… I'm worried about her falling and getting a concussion…"
Lu Jingzhi carried the basket into the house, busy emptying the contents inside.
Jiang Tanyue's voice might have been a bit weak, as her words reached Lu Jingzhi's ears in a disjointed manner.
Mrs. Zheng's help with the basket had come at a price, and returning it also came at a cost, so she was planning to send more stuff back.
Lu Jingzhi knew she wasn't as socially adept as her sister who could weave little essays with her mouth and instantly whitewash their family while putting the blame on Grandma Jiang, but she remembered a lesson she'd been taught—reciprocity.
In the basket, there was a layer of wilted wild vegetables on top, and the important stuff was at the bottom.
Catching the frustrated Mrs. Zheng who was about to join the gossiping women, Lu Jingzhi handed her two handfuls of mushrooms, "I searched carefully; they're not poisonous. Stewed mushrooms and wild chicken make a delicious meal."
With that, Lu Jingzhi involuntarily slurped.
Mrs. Zheng's eyes were filled with even more affection.
Jiang Darong's family was nothing like the rest of the Jiang family and was well worth befriending.
Without any more fuss, Mrs. Zheng hurriedly left with the goods, and before leaving, pointed at her three boys and told the Jiang sisters, "If you need anything, go find your Aunt Zheng and the other Zheng brothers – don't be shy. Aunt's leaving now."