"Auntie," Hua Xiaomai took a deep breath and flashed a smile at Elder Jing, "I have absolutely nothing to do with Scholar Wen. If I really must say, it's only because his residence is close to the riverbank. When I make too much noodles or vegetables at my stall, I would give him some. Beyond that, there's nothing else. I don't know how these rumors got started..."
Elder Jing stared at her intently, obviously not convinced, and said with a sneer, "Oh, why bother denying it? That Scholar Wen, educated as he may be, is currently down on his luck, but he used to have quite a reputation here in our village! His parents passed away early, and your parents have also been gone for a few years now. Isn't this just perfect..."
