Su Xiaofeng met those eyes with a calm gaze.
As a hardworking youth who came from a rural area, she was all too familiar with these looks.
In modern terms, these people were all just onlookers who enjoyed watching the drama unfold, not personally involved and hanging aloof, with only a few genuinely concerned about her.
Hearing what Hu Xiulan had said, Su Xiaofeng hooked up the corner of her mouth and chuckled, "Auntie, why don't we start with why your Taozi tricked me into waiting for her on the hillside, only for Liu An to show up instead?"
Hu Xiulan's face changed, and she spat out a retort: "Su Xiaofeng, you have no self-respect, why involve my Taozi? You believe the nonsense spouted by a scoundrel? Ridiculous."
"Everyone just heard it, Liu An himself said it, could he be wrong?" Su Xiaofeng sneered.
"Right, why would Liu An bring up your Taozi for no reason? If she hadn't done anything, Liu An wouldn't have mentioned her." He Ximei seized the opportunity to take a jab at Hu Xiulan and certainly wouldn't let it go.
"Xiulan, why not call Taozi over and ask her? If it really was her doing, it was indeed wrong." Some villagers echoed.
"Nonsense," Hu Xiulan cursed: "My Taozi and Xiaofeng are the best of friends, she would never do such a thing. Even if Taozi did something in this, it must have been Xiaofeng's intention, what does it have to do with my Taozi?"
At this point, Hu Xiulan glared aggressively at Su Xiaofeng: "Su Xiaofeng, dare you tell everyone who the father of the child in your belly is? If you don't say, this is just promiscuity, and we can completely drive you out of the village." What's the use of keeping an indecent woman in the village?
"Yes, Xiaofeng, you are still young, you must think carefully before you answer this question," Zhang Jiuying advised.
"Xiaofeng, has someone else bullied you? If so, tell everyone, and we will stand up for you," Seventh Uncle said.
"No matter who bullied you, being pregnant is the truth, tell us who it is."
"Who else could it be? Probably like her mother, she saw a rich man and wanted to latch on, aiming to become a wealthy wife with a big belly, just like her mother," Hu Xiulan scoffed.
Su Xiaofeng tried to stay calm, reminding herself this was the 1990s, where an unmarried woman's pregnancy was not yet acceptable, so she had to be careful with her next move.
A misstep wouldn't lead to being drowned in a pond like in ancient times, but at the very least, she'd be disowned by her family. In the worst case, she'd be driven out of the village.
As a newcomer, being driven out of the village would make it a problem to even survive, let alone care for the unborn child, so for the time being, she needed to stay in this family.
"Xiaofeng, if you really can't bring yourself to say it, just go back to your room. I'll drive them away. These people are just too idle, meddling in others' business all day long," He Ximei whispered to Su Xiaofeng.
Unless the man who got Xiaofeng pregnant came forward, her pregnancy would always be the focus of the villagers' attention.
Of course, He Ximei didn't want Xiaofeng's affair to stir too much trouble, as she still hoped to play matchmaker between Xiaofeng and the Li Family's younger brother in the future.
As for He Ximei's intentions, Su Xiaofeng didn't want to know for the time being. She glanced indifferently at Hu Xiulan, who met her gaze with contempt: "What, you want to hit me or something? Su Xiaofeng, I've said nothing wrong, you're just like your mother."
"Hu Xiulan, are you being interesting or not?" He Ximei's loud voice rang out again: "Everyone should go back. Xiaofeng is still hurt, and she probably isn't thinking clearly. Let me and her dad figure this out properly, and when the time comes, we will definitely invite you all for a celebratory drink."
"Yes, Xiaofeng lost a lot of blood today; her mind is a bit unclear, and she probably can't remember things clearly. Everyone rest assured, if Xiaofeng really has been promiscuous, you don't have to do anything. I'll drive her out myself. Please go back," Old Man Su, who also cared about his face, couldn't stand it after today's incident.
"Right, let them deal with their family issues first; we should head back," Uncle Seven agreed, acknowledging that in the end, it was the family's private affair.
"There really needs to be a good discussion," Hu Xiulan swayed her hips as she walked back, "Such a big matter can't be settled without a proper discussion."
Fortunately, most of the villagers were understanding and didn't press the issue, dispersing slowly one after another.
Once the villagers had left, Old He called Su Xiaofeng back home and pointed to the painting of Guan Gong in the center of the living room screen, bellowing, "Kneel."
Su Xiaofeng glanced at another screen behind the dining table, in the middle of which hung a picture of Guan Gong.
"Old He," He Ximei gave Su's father a sidelong glance, "Speak properly to Xiaofeng."
"There's no way to speak properly about this matter." Old He had put on a calm front in public, but once at home, his face turned ashen with rage and he shouted again, "Kneel."
Su Xiaofeng looked at Guan Gong and slowly knelt down.
Su's father gripped the bamboo whip in his hand, "Su Xiaofeng, I didn't take it to heart when you used to go looking for your mother, saying she should take you to the Lin Family and all that, but I never expected you'd end up like her. To leave this home, you did such shameful things. I'll beat you to death today."
As for the mother mentioned by Su's father, Xiaofeng didn't feel anything; based on the original host's memories, when Xiaofeng was three years old, Luo Yuzhu went to the county to work and never returned.
It was later heard that Luo Yuzhu, finding Su's father's family too poor, hooked up with a wealthy man whose wife had just died, married him, and from then on, she never took a single step back into this home. Regarding her daughter Xiaofeng, she wouldn't even mention her to outsiders, acting as if she never had such a daughter at all.
The original host had sought out Luo Yuzhu several times, and each time she either got brushed off with some money or was told never to find her at the Lin Family again.
In a word, she was a mother who discarded her own daughter for the sake of wealth and status.
Thinking of this, Su Xiaofeng said indifferently, "I have no intention of leaving this home."
The original host might have considered it, but she hadn't had the chance to think about it since arriving.
Su's father raised the whip in his hand, but upon hearing Xiaofeng's words, he slammed it on the dining table and snorted coldly, "I'm only asking you one thing, whose bastard is the child?"
"Xiaofeng, this is no trivial matter; you must think it through," He Ximei looked at Su Xiaofeng with complex eyes, thinking that if Xiaofeng agreed to marry the Li Family's younger brother, all the problems would be solved.
Kneeling in the center, Su Xiaofeng held her back straight and didn't answer Old He's question but instead said directly, "Dad, I want to protect you and this home for the rest of my life."
She didn't care whose child it was at all. It was best if the child was hers alone; that way, no one would be able to take the child away from her.
Upon hearing Su Xiaofeng's words, He Ximei looked at her incredulously, "Is what you're saying really true?"
Protecting this home for the rest of her life meant not getting married.
But that just wouldn't do.