"There is no logic to a new bride entering her in-laws' house without them preparing anything!"
Another woman echoed the sentiment, her eyes shimmering with sympathy and pity for Su Yu.
Some even directed their anger towards the unseen father-in-law, "That's right, how can Jiang Xunzhong be so spineless? Allowing a woman to strut around the house like a tyrant, driving to death her parents-in-law, sending away her son, and he himself stays silent."
As soon as these words came out, a wave of contempt and disappointment towards Jiang Xunzhong's weakness and incompetence permeated the crowd.
Listening to everyone's discussions, Su Yu pondered inwardly; their critiques about Lady Zhao's malice and her father-in-law's feebleness were incredibly pointed.
The kindhearted Sister Xie stood up, striking her chest in assurance to Su Yu, "Girl, you can count on us. We'll make sure the village chief brings you justice. We absolutely can't allow you to suffer such injustice!"
Another woman, with a gentle face, came forward, taking Su Yu's rough hands from labor into hers, worry filling her eyes, "Miss, the mountains are dangerous, please be very careful! If you run into any trouble, remember to call for help from the village."
Facing the concerns and admonitions of the villagers, Su Yu's eyes brimmed slightly with warmth. She squeezed out a radiant smile, gratefully saying, "Thank you, all my aunts, I understand. I need to hurry up to the mountains now, but I'll invite you all to my house for a visit another day!"
Having finished speaking, she waved her hand and took determined steps towards the winding path that led into the forest.
Her silhouette, under the gaze of the morning sun, appeared frail yet tenacious. Despite feeling somewhat at a loss due to these family matters, she knew that only through relying on her own hands could she provide for her family.
Unfamiliar with the mountain paths and anxious for her hungry Ziling and Xixi at home, Su Yu quickened her pace. After roughly half an hour of twists and turns, she finally entered a lush area with abundant plant life.
Here, greenery was rife, and numerous medicinal herbs were in plain sight. She recognized plants like creeping Jenny, dandelions, Canadian fleabane, and motherwort, common herbs that she deftly gathered, not forgetting to pick up dry branches and leaves along the way just in case she stumbled upon a wild rabbit or pheasant, to create a roasted feast that could improve her family's life.
However, the depths of the woodland were serene and silent, save for the occasional squirrel or bird overhead, she found nothing else.
Though Su Yu felt a pang of disappointment, she did not become discouraged and continued to search through the woods.
Just as she was about to give up hunting and focus exclusively on gathering herbs, fortune seemed to subtly befall her.
On a hillside, she joyously found a patch of ripe wild sweet potatoes, their plump and round forms hidden beneath the lush vines, shining like treasures.
This discovery undoubtedly resolved her immediate worries; with these sweet potatoes, she wouldn't have to fear going hungry for some time.
Looking up at the sun high in the sky, she estimated it was past midday, her stomach growling with hunger.
Though she had failed to capture any game, the day's harvest was still quite bountiful.
Su Yu patted her basket with satisfaction and decided to head down the mountain temporarily, planning to return deeper into the woods with full preparation after getting back home.
After all, life was hard, but as long as there was hope in her heart, even the roughest paths could be walked with ease.
Carrying her overflowing basket, Su Yu entered the familiar threshold of the Jiang Family, only to be frozen on the spot by the scene before her, a wave of astonishment sweeping over her, almost causing her to lose her composure, her jaw nearly dropping. The usually tranquil courtyard of the Jiang Family was now as noisy as a marketplace, with a large crowd gathered around, faces frowning, whispering, or indignant, creating a tumultuous storm of public opinion.
At the center of this storm stood Lady Zhao like a lone hero.
Facing the torrent of accusations and questions from the crowd, she showed no fear, engaging in a fierce battle of words, defending herself vigorously.
Noticing Su Yu's return, the boiling sea of people paused for a moment, all eyes focusing on her in unison, with scrutiny, curiosity, and even anticipation.
Su Yu made her way through the flood of gazes, her eyes quickly searching for her husband, Jiang Ziling, silently asking the question hanging in the air, "What's going on here?"
At this moment, Sister Xie, who had been so warm and chatty earlier in the day, seemed to be the director of this farce. Catching sight of the wild vegetables in Su Yu's hand, she seized the opportunity, pointing firmly at her and loudly said to the village chief, "Look, I didn't lie, she's still clutching the wild vegetables from the mountain in her hand. That mountain is no easy place, quite dangerous indeed!"
Before her words even finished echoing, Sister Xie hastened forward, skillfully snatching the herbs from Su Yu's hand and lifting them high, displaying them to everyone like evidence of a crime, "Folks, you tell me, should anyone be eating this?"
Amidst a chorus of "can't eat it" and "too dangerous," Su Yu found clarity, finally understanding the source of this sudden dispute.
Originally, she had only wanted to use the opportunity of gathering wild vegetables to spread rumors about Lady Zhao mistreating them, to give Lady Zhao a taste of being the target of public censure. Little did she know that Sister Xie would stand so firmly on her side, truly, sincerely defending her against the storm.
Gratitude welled up in Su Yu's heart, and she hurried forward to calm down the agitated Sister Xie, "Auntie, please calm down, don't let the anger affect your health."
However, Sister Xie's anger was not soothed by Su Yu's comforting and instead became more impassioned, "What do I have to be angry about? Lady Zhao has been lording it over our village for more than a day or two. Everyone is aware of her little schemes against Ziling, just because he's not her biological child, so she targets him everywhere. Ziling has grown up under our watch, such a good child, who, in order to provide for his family, braved the risks of hunting on the mountain and ended up injuring his leg, which left him disabled. Now that he's finally married you, a good daughter-in-law, she again plots in every possible way to make your lives unbearable. Where's the justice in that? Girl, don't be afraid, we're here for you!"
With that, she patted Su Yu's hand forcefully, as if her strength was telling her: With me here, you have support.
Su Yu felt a mixture of emotions, moved by Sister Xie's righteous support and angered by Lady Zhao's heartless actions, as well as a sense of helplessness and wry amusement at her own situation. All these emotions intermingled, leaving her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Seeing this, Lady Zhao turned a livid shade, pointed at Xie Qifen furiously and declared sharply, "Xie Qifen, you're a busybody, poking your nose into others' affairs! She digs her wild vegetables, what is it to you? And then you bring such a crowd to make trouble at my house, you're just looking for trouble!"
Her words were filled with extreme dissatisfaction with Xie Qifen for meddling in family matters.
Upon hearing this, Xie Qifen not only didn't back down but straightened her back and with a piercing gaze, retorted, "Hmph, Old Lady Zhao, the whole village knows you've had Ziling living separately for many years now, providing only a shabby room and nothing else. If it were simply a matter of each minding their own business, that might be the end of it. But all these years, every dirty and tiring job has been left to him to do for you, and yet you've not given him his share of the grain. Is there any reason in that?"