As a result, any slight movements in Lao Mo's House could not escape Mo Yan's ears. Inappropriate plans behind the scenes were thus adjusted, which ultimately achieved even better results than they had anticipated.
...
June was the hottest month of the year. The villagers, scorched by the sun all day, finished their day's toil, and after a simple dinner, small groups with little stools headed to the cool breeze under the ancient poplar tree to enjoy the evening cool.
When people gathered, there inevitably were various topics of conversation. The men mainly talked about the weather and crops, whereas the women were more enthusiastic about the neighborhood gossip. Sure enough, someone soon dropped a bombshell.
"Hey hey hey, have you heard? Mrs. Hong from the Mo Family is up to her witchcraft again! This time, the wicked thing she did is even worse than the last incident when she forced Wu's mother and daughter to leave!" a young daughter-in-law whispered with a conspiratorial air.
