Muniang originally wanted to make cornmeal cakes, but there was no oil left in the house, and some ingredients were missing, so she had to give up. Instead, she boiled a pot of thick rice porridge and reheated the fish soup left over from yesterday.
But such a breakfast, in Mrs. Lin's eyes, was already considered luxurious, and her heart was filled with countless emotions. Her daughter had indeed grown up and become ever more capable.
Erlang brought in a bowl of hot tea, "Mother, have some water."
Mrs. Lin did not actually like Erlang, this fool from who-knows-where nearly ruined her daughter's reputation, causing her daughter's happiness for the rest of her life to be tied to a fool, something nobody would want to see.
However, now her daughter had no choice but to live with him for the rest of her life. Apart from resigning herself to fate, she had no other option. After much hesitation, she still accepted the tea from Erlang with a somber face.
Muniang, holding Erlang's hand, sat by Mrs. Lin's bedside, "Mother, do you feel better today?"
Mrs. Lin's gaze softened, "Much better, I reckon I'll be able to get up tomorrow."
Muniang did not stop her this time, but rather agreed, "It's good to walk around more. Always staying in the room is not good for your health."
After making sure Mrs. Lin was comfortable, Muniang and Erlang prepared to go out. The food at home was only enough for one day. If she did not come up with a way to make money, everyone would only be left with the northwest wind to drink.
Muniang actually already had an idea in mind. Last time she went up the mountain, she found that the wild fruits were almost all taken, yet there were many hawthorn trees that remained unpicked, with many of the hawthorns fallen on the ground. Hawthorns are sour and astringent, not sweet and tasty like other wild fruits, so naturally nobody liked to eat them and no one would buy them even if she put them up for sale. Such useless things in Muniang's hands, however, could turn into treasures.
Not to mention how delightful candied haw is, let alone that hawthorn cake is a real delicacy!
Muniang carried a basket on her back and grasped several large hemp sacks, heading straight for the mountain with Erlang.
Passing by the large millstone in the village, many villagers were gathered there, grinding beans while gossiping to pass the time.
"The Qiao family's third daughter really wasted herself. Although her reputation was marred a bit because of her mother, she's clever and pretty. How did she end up marrying a fool?" sighed Li Cheng while pushing the millstone.
Unexpectedly, Madam Liu, who was waiting in line behind to use the millstone, overheard him and glared at Li Cheng, "What 'Qiao family's third daughter'? She and our family are unrelated. Can't you stop mentioning the Qiao family every time you bring her up?"
Madam Liu didn't have any animosity towards Mrs. Lin and Qiao Muniang. They used to live under the same roof without interfering with each other. But Old Mr. Qiao and Qiao Dazhi were determined not to have any relationship with the mother and daughter whatsoever. If these words reached his ears, he would surely throw a fit at home.
Li Cheng smiled awkwardly, knowing he had spoken out of turn, and shut his mouth.
Li Cheng's sister, Li Qinghe, quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "My brother always speaks without thinking, auntie, please don't take it to heart. He's just lamenting how pitiful Muniang's marriage is, that's all."
Li Qinghe was always diplomatic, much better at handling situations than her simple-minded brother. Her words did make Madam Liu feel better. She snorted lightly, deciding to let it go.
The crowd once again erupted into lively discussions about Muniang's marriage. Tupo Village was such a small place; it was hard to come across any particularly newsworthy events. Muniang's "tragic" marriage undoubtedly provided the villagers, idle and restless, with plenty of gossip. Most of it was filled with sighs of pity for how Muniang had married poorly and how her life was now certainly ruined.
Listening to these discussions, Muniang could only laugh. Who could predict the future, after all? Was her life ruined just because she married an idiot? Could a woman's entire life truly rely only on a man? She, Qiao Muniang, was determined to prove to these people what a miraculous comeback looked like! But considering these were ancient attitudes and the villagers mostly meant well without malice, she decided to ignore them and pretend she hadn't heard a thing, continuing on her way.
However, it was at this moment that Nanny Zhang opened her mouth: "Hmph, if there was a choice, who would want to marry an idiot? Maybe they were up to no good, doing indecent things early on. Who knows, there might even be a bastard child!"
The villagers, upon hearing the vulgar words from Nanny Zhang's mouth, immediately felt uneasy: "Nanny Zhang, can you not speak so unpleasantly? They are a decent couple; how can you twist it into something so ugly in your mouth!"
"Exactly, it was also you who spread the rumors about Muniang having an affair with a wild man, shaming the couple so much, and yet you saw no repercussions from Muniang. She suffered in silence because of her magnanimity, but not only are you ungrateful, you're getting more and more out of line now!"
"To be a person, one needs to be righteous. Nanny Zhang, with such a harmful tongue, you better watch out for retribution." Madam Liu couldn't tolerate her either, that gossipmonger, always exaggerating and spreading nonsense everywhere.
Nanny Zhang, listening to the villagers' reproaches, turned as red as a fiery flame and suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs: "What do you mean I'll face retribution?! How do you know Qiao Muniang wasn't married to that idiot long ago? Their home is remote and rarely visited, but that doesn't mean that no one knew when the marriage took place!"
Li Cheng, unable to bear it anymore, furrowed his brows and said: "Is marrying an idiot something to flaunt about? Why would anyone boast about that? Doctor Chen said before that Muniang herself was feeling upset; she didn't want the villagers to know about it to avoid being scorned. If you hadn't intruded, she wouldn't have revealed the truth."
"Right, Doctor Chen is the most respected person in our village. Whatever he says must be true." The villagers immediately chimed in.
Nanny Zhang let out a cold laugh: "Is that so? I've never been close with Qiao Muniang and her family. Do you know why I went all the way to their house that day?"
With this question, everyone fell silent and began to wonder. Nanny Zhang was not known for her generosity, and there was a considerable distance between her home and Qiao Muniang's. Why would she go to visit Qiao Muniang?
Nanny Zhang was pleased with everyone's reaction and arrogantly raised her head: "Her mother invited me personally, saying she wanted me to read her daughter's face and find her a good marital match!"
The crowd drew a sharp breath. Mrs. Lin was looking for a marriage match for her daughter! What then was the meaning of Muniang's early marriage to that idiot? There was only one answer – Qiao Muniang had a secret affair behind Mrs. Lin's back!
"You're talking nonsense! When did my mother-in-law ask for your help in arranging a marriage for my wife?" Erliang couldn't help but shout out.
All eyes immediately turned to Erliang and Muniang. With a slight frown, Muniang knew it – that Nanny Zhang was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
"Ha! Ashamed to admit your actions! What mother-in-law, what are you pretending for? If Muniang really was married to you, why would her mother need to ask me to find a good marriage match?"
But Erliang was surprisingly even more composed: "Indeed, my wife was married to me early on, so why would my mother-in-law need your help to arrange a match? Clearly, you're the one lying!"
His words instantly turned the tables, leaving Nanny Zhang momentarily speechless and frozen in place.