Huang Meili was still not satisfied. She raised her foot and stomped hard on the melon pulp on the ground. The sole of her shoe crushed the melon flesh into a mush, and the juice mixed with mud splashed onto Chuntao's trouser legs.
Her eyelids drooped, and her thin lips smacked together as she said, "Jieshi's wife, are you deliberately finding fault with me because you see our family living a good life?"
As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes suddenly widened, as if she had suddenly caught onto something. She twisted her hips and leaned closer to Chuntao, a cheap smile hanging on her face.
"Jieshi's body can't support the family. Are you envious because you see my man as strong as a bull?
I'm telling you, this is your fate! You have to accept it!"
These words were like a sharp knife, fiercely stabbing Chuntao's heart.
Her face turned pale, and she said stubbornly, "My family's business? It's not your place to gossip..."
When Zhou Xiaoying heard this, she poked her head out from behind Huang Meili, curling her lips and looking askance at Chuntao, her eyes full of disdain.
"Who told you to show off in front of my grandma? My grandma and my second uncle are so good to you.
When I asked for a white steamed bun, she said there were none, but my second uncle still bought nutritional supplements for you! He helped your family work and even asked someone to build a courtyard wall for you with adobe bricks.
You're more precious than us real relatives. Why? You're just a slutty fox who only knows how to coax men and coax old women!"
Zhou Xiaomei also stopped crying and echoed, "That's right! I even saw you and my second uncle in the east ditch..."
Halfway through her words, she quickly covered her mouth and shrank her neck back.
Wang Xiaohong was so angry that her eyes turned red. She pointed at the two of them and scolded, "You two dead girls, what nonsense are you talking about?
It's true that Uncle Zhijun and Granny are good to my sister-in-law, but my sister-in-law is also someone who knows right from wrong. My sister-in-law made all the cotton shoes for Granny's family.
You two are so young, yet you spend all day thinking about harming people. What are your hearts made of?"
Since Zhou Xiaomei let it slip, Zhou Xiaoying simply acted recklessly, stiffening her neck and shouting, "I didn't talk nonsense. I saw it with my own eyes.
She ran fast, otherwise she would have been caught and sent to the commune's joint defense team to be paraded through the streets!"
Listening to her words, all kinds of emotions surged up in Chuntao instantly. She was angry and ashamed.
That day, Liu Cuilan took a group of people to the ditch to catch them in the act of adultery. When they didn't catch them, they ran to the house to make a scene.
She originally thought it was Zhou Zhaodi and Zhou Ergan who were playing tricks, and never thought of Zhou Xiaoying and her sister.
Auntie Zhou treated her well, but could this be her fault? Just for this little matter, they actually stared at her everywhere, determined to ruin her reputation!
Huang Meili's face also twitched. She wasn't afraid of Chuntao, but she was afraid of Zhou Zhijun, the living King of Hell.
However, she didn't scold Zhou Xiaoying. Instead, she burst out laughing and reached out to pat Zhou Xiaomei's head. "You two, you just like to run around blindly. You always bump into things!"
When Wang Xiaohong heard this, she trembled with anger and shouted, "Huang Meili, you really deserve to be mother and daughters. You only know how to spread rumors and gossip all day long.
My sister-in-law is an innocent person, yet you insult her like this, and even drag Uncle Zhijun into it. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll tear your mouths apart! If Uncle Zhijun finds out, you won't have a good time either!"
The last time Huang Meili gossiped about Chuntao in the fields, Wang Xiaohong complained to Zhou Zhijun. Hearing her mention Zhou Zhijun, Huang Meili felt fearful in her heart and quickly changed the subject.
She turned to Chuntao and said, "Jieshi's wife, you're an adult. Why are you arguing with two little girls?
Besides, what evidence do you have that Xiaoying and the others picked this melon?"
Chuntao acted as if she hadn't heard her words, her eyes staring straight at the rotten melon on the ground.
Wang Xiaohong's eyes were red as she pointed at Huang Meili and shouted, "What evidence? Me, Hongxia, and Zhang Ming all saw it! We can all testify!"
Huang Meili's eyes widened. She first glared at Wang Xiaohong, then turned to look at Zhou Hongxia and Zhang Ming. "What did you two see? Let me see who dares to talk nonsense!"
Zhang Ming shrank back under her glare, tightly gripping the handle of his sickle, and muttered softly, "I was cutting grass by the river... I really saw Zhou Xiaomei drilling into the melon field..."
Zhou Hongxia was not to be trifled with. She originally disliked people like Huang Meili. She snorted coldly and said, "Who's talking nonsense? I saw it with my own eyes! They also picked the melons a few days ago!"
Huang Meili's cheeks puffed up like balloons from anger. She glared at Zhou Hongxia and shouted, "Hongxia, have you forgotten your surname? Why are you siding with outsiders? We're a family!"
A family? Using the excuse of being a family all day long to take advantage without end. She borrowed rice, noodles, grain, and oil from their family and never returned them.
"A family? I can't reach high enough to be with people like you!
The rotten melon is still on the ground! And you're still protecting them. If you keep spoiling them like this, they'll go to heaven sooner or later!"
"Zhou Hongxia, you're a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. Why don't you stay at home and learn how to sew shoe soles and clothes, instead of running to the fields to meddle?"
Huang Meili frowned and deliberately raised her voice. "They go to heaven, I think you're the one who wants to turn the world upside down! Teaming up with outsiders to bully your own family?
Making a mess of the family, aren't you afraid of outsiders laughing at you? You've completely embarrassed your parents!
With you being so fierce, if word gets out, you won't even be able to find a husband's family!"
"Even if I can't find a husband's family, it's none of your business!" Zhou Hongxia's lungs were about to explode from anger.
"Today we're talking about them ruining the crops. Don't try to change the subject with me!"
She originally asked Xiaobao to call Zhou Zhimin. Although Zhou Zhimin was slick, he at least cared about face.
Who knew Zhou Zhimin didn't come, but brought Huang Meili instead.
Since that was the case, they could only go to the village party secretary to reason. Otherwise, they would become even more rampant in the future.
She looked at Wang Xiaohong and said, "Xiaohong, go find the party secretary! Let the party secretary reason, shouldn't ruining crops be dealt with!"
"I'll go find the party secretary to reason right now!" Wang Xiaohong dropped the words, turned around, and walked towards the village.
"You dead girl, are you really trying to turn the world upside down?" Huang Meili panicked and chased after her.
She caught up with Wang Xiaohong in the fields on the slope and grabbed her arm.
"Stop right there! Going to the party secretary for everything, aren't you just causing trouble?" Huang Meili's tone softened significantly.
"They ruined my family's watermelons, I'm going to find the party secretary!" Wang Xiaohong forcefully shook off her hand.
"I must clarify this in front of the party secretary today, otherwise they'll do bad things again in the future!"
Seeing that she couldn't persuade her, Huang Meili glanced out of the corner of her eye at Chuntao following behind, a bad idea springing up in her mind, and her voice suddenly raised.
"Isn't it just two unripe melons? What's the big deal! Some people secretly having affairs behind people's backs, that's what's truly shameful!"
Her words were like a heavy hammer, fiercely smashing into Chuntao's heart. Her legs went weak, and her footsteps felt as weak as stepping on cotton.
Hearing this, Wang Xiaohong sneered and retorted, "Don't be unreasonable! Today I'm going to be stubborn, I must deal with these two melon thieves!"
Seeing Chuntao's face as pale as paper, Wang Xiaohong softened her tone. "Sister-in-law, don't get involved in this matter. Go back quickly. I'll go find the party secretary to reason, and I'll definitely get an explanation for you!"
People working in the surrounding fields straightened their backs and looked over when they heard the noise. A few simply carried their hoes and sickles and ran over.
More and more people gathered around, and the buzzing sound of whispering discussions filled the air.
"What's going on? Arguing until their faces are red and their necks are thick!"
"It must be Huang Meili bullying people again, right?"
Seeing the large crowd, Wang Xiaohong simply raised her voice and shouted, "Folks, come and judge this for yourselves! Our watermelons have barely grown to the size of a fist, and Zhou Xiaoying and her sister have already picked a whole bunch of them. This is the second time! It is hard enough for us ordinary folks to farm the land, how could they do such a thing? And when their mother showed up, not only did she fail to discipline them, but she even helped them cause a scene!"
Everyone turned to look at Huang Meili, murmuring among themselves, "That is just not right. The children might not know any better, but does the adult not know either?"
"That is just too wicked..."
Amidst the chaos, a heavy cough suddenly rang out.
The crowd instantly fell silent, parting to the sides.
