Liu An gazed at Su Xiaofeng's beaming smile, his eyes fixated on her even more intently, saliva nearly dripping from his mouth.
After swallowing his saliva, the thought of marrying Su Xiaofeng intensified, "Xiaofeng, have you agreed? If you have, we could go inside and discuss the wedding date. Let's get married quickly while your belly isn't showing yet, so we can avoid the villagers' gossip. Don't you think?"
In this era, having children out of wedlock was considered a very serious matter. Knowing this, Liu An dared to come over, and he also understood that aside from marrying him, Su Xiaofeng had no other choice.
Listening to Liu An's words, Su Xiaofeng felt as if she were hearing a joke, and she burst into laughter again, whispering softly, "Brother, you're right. Isn't it just like chasing butterflies?"
Dressed in gaudy colors, one could tell he was up to no good.
Su Peng raised his eyebrows proudly, as if telling everyone, "See, I told you so, chasing butterflies is exactly that."
He even made a silly face at Liu An, making himself look utterly foolish.
The crowd's expression changed, and they glanced subconsciously at Su Xiaofeng, secretly thinking, "Could it be that Su Xiaofeng's brain got damaged too, speaking in favor of a fool today?"
"Fengfeng," Liu An's tone was unusually gentle, "just let me and my dad come in and talk about the wedding. We both want this, and now that there is a child, getting married is definite. Or are you saying that you want to marry a fool and spend your life with one?"
Liu An glanced at Su Peng, who was tall and big but had the intellect of a child. With disdain in his eyes, he scoffed, "What's the use of being so tall and strong when you're foolish? Even if you manage to marry a bride, would you know where her door is?"
"Liu An, did you somehow fail to hear? Xiaofeng said that the child isn't yours. What's the point of pleading here, making a fool of yourself?" Hu Xiulan, always ready for a bigger spectacle, reminded Liu An of what Su Xiaofeng had said about the baby not being his.
"Fengfeng spoke in anger," Liu An chuckled, "She's mad at me for not visiting her in almost two months. Fengfeng, don't be angry anymore. We shouldn't expose ourselves to ridicule, right?"
If Su Xiaofeng were sensible, she would know what to do next. If she embarrassed him, he would turn her household upside down, a proverbial slap in the face.
Su Xiaofeng looked coldly at Liu An, thinking about how to teach him a lesson.
Her expression turning fierce, Su Xiaofeng walked over to the broom and casually picked it up, "Speaking of what happened two months ago… It seems we indeed have a score to settle."
Liu An watched Su Xiaofeng's action of grabbing the broom, frowning with a bad feeling welling up inside him.
No sooner had Su Xiaofeng finished speaking than she raised the broom to strike him on the head.
Liu An couldn't avoid it in time and took a blunt hit, grinning in pain, then hearing her cold voice, "Liu An, why were you on the mid-slope that day?"
This was Lihua Village, and Su Xiaofeng's house was full of people; Liu An dared not retaliate.
Liu An had never expected that Su Xiaofeng, when striking, would be so agile, hitting him so hard that he could only protect his head, unable to fight back, "Su Xiaofeng, have you forgotten what happened on the mid-slope that day, and what you said to me? You said you didn't want to marry a fool, asked me to take you away, to leave this place. Have you forgotten all that?"
Su Xiaofeng squinted her eyes.
The broom in her hand fell swiftly, "Dare to talk nonsense."
"Ouch, ouch."
"How can you hit someone like this? I certainly can't have this kind of daughter-in-law," Liu Datou, carrying pork, stepped forward, "Stop, stop, I won't marry you; no marriage."
Su Xiaofeng paid him no attention, continuously targeting the most painful spots on Liu An's body, striking so hard that Liu An cried out, "I'll speak, I'll speak, stop hitting, I'll tell everything."
Su Xiaofeng arched her eyebrows as she looked at him.
Liu An instantly leapt up, intending to strangle Su Xiaofeng. Damn it, just because it was Lihua Village, he, Liu An, was supposed to hold back?
Su Xiaofeng sneered coldly, and the broom in her hands mercilessly struck down again.
"Ah." A scream like that of a slaughtering pig.
"Speak up," Su Xiaofeng sneered.
"I'll talk, I'll talk." Liu An clasped his head with both hands, continuously begging for mercy, "It was me who had Su Xiaotao take you to the mid-hill slope. I wanted to sleep with you, and I promised to introduce Su Xiaotao to Dr. Cheng after succeeding, which is why she agreed to help."
Hu Xiulan's face changed upon hearing Liu An's words, "Liu An, you scoundrel, what nonsense are you spouting? What does your affair with Su Xiaofeng have to do with my Xiaotao?"
It was utterly ridiculous, Hu Xiulan was about to explode with anger.
Liu An didn't hear what Hu Xiulan said, "Who knew you wouldn't play along? Before I could succeed, you rolled down the hillside. I also fell hard, and only in the past few days did I feel a bit better. I was thinking of finding you again, but to my surprise..." To his surprise, it had been two months since he had seen Su Xiaofeng, who was now pregnant, and he didn't know whose child it was.
Everyone's focus was on the fact that Liu An hadn't succeeded, and they were even more puzzled about whose child could be in Xiaofeng's belly.
"Good for you, Liu An, I am going to report this to the brigade, then to the public security. You attempted to take advantage of my daughter, I am going to have you arrested," Su Lao Guai heard this and couldn't contain his raging fury. He picked up a hoe from the corner, ready to fight Liu An to the death.
Upon hearing this, Liu An's neck shrank.
If charged, it wouldn't be light; he would have to spend several years in prison.
"Nonsense." Liu Da Tou naturally couldn't let his son go to prison: "Your own daughter messed around with who knows whom, and you blame my son? My son is not going to be your scapegoat. Let's go, we are not marrying into this family."
"Su Xiaofeng, just now you were the one who said it, the child in your belly isn't mine. Don't even think of pinning it on me in the future." Liu An was also somewhat afraid. The incident from two months ago might have been unseen by these villagers, but what happened today was witnessed by many.
"Liu An, today you tried to bully my son, I saw it with my own eyes. If you dare come again, I'll report to the public security and have them arrest you," Su Lao Guai clearly also saw this point, standing at the doorway and angrily declared.
"You think we're keen to marry into your family," Liu Da Tou scoffed coldly: "Don't even know whose bastard it is, messing around and corrupting morals."
"Right, I don't even want to get married anymore. Su Xiaofeng, you've missed the boat. After today, even if you kneel before me and beg, I won't give you another look. Go live with a fool for the rest of your life."
Not admitting the child was his, if it wasn't his, then it must be some fool's, what nonsense.
"Get out." Su Xiaofeng lifted her broom, with a faint sign of it striking down again.
Liu An only felt a tingling on his scalp. This woman Su Xiaofeng, when she got fierce, truly recognized no kin, he spat in her direction: "You'll regret this."
Liu Da Tou and his son left the village somewhat in disgrace.
"Xiaofeng, if the child in your belly isn't Liu An's, then who exactly is it?" Hu Xiulan casually pulled out a handful of watermelon seeds from her pocket, began to crack them open, while asking about what she most wanted to know.
At the sound of Hu Xiulan's voice, the villagers' intense interest was hooked again, all eyes fixed on Su Xiaofeng.
Mocking, disdainful, indifferent, excited to watch, sympathetic, the reactions varied.