After breakfast the next day, Zhou Hongxia indeed came over to call Chuntao to the fair. "Sister-in-law Chuntao, there's a fair in town. My grandma told me to call you to go together!
They have everything at the fair, and the prices are cheap. If you see something suitable, buy a little!"
Chuntao was feeding the piglets and looked up at her. "I'm not going. The piglets just had surgery and can't be left alone. I have to stay home and watch them."
Wang Xiaohong heard the voices and came out from the house. She grabbed the pig slop scoop from Chuntao's hand.
"Sister-in-law, go ahead. I'm here at home. I can watch the melons in the field too, don't worry!"
Zhou Xiaobao also came running over, pulling at Chuntao's clothes and shouting, "Sister-in-law Chuntao, come with us. I want you to pick a sugar figurine for me, I want the Monkey King!"
Inside the house, Wang Jieshi heard the commotion and muttered, "Go ahead. The work won't be finished in a day!"
"Exactly. You're busy inside and out every day, you should go out and get some fresh air."
Wang Xiaohong said as she untied the coarse cloth apron from Chuntao and tied it on herself.
Zhou Hongxia pulled Chuntao along. "With Xiaohong at home, you don't have to worry!"
Zhou Zhicai was busy at home and had left before dawn.
Zhou Hongxia pulled Chuntao into Zhou Zhijun's gate. Aunt Zhou had already tidied up and was waiting in the house.
"Tao, you're here!"
She came out of the house and took Chuntao's hand. "Us farmers have endless work all year round. Don't push yourself too hard! Go out and take a walk, relax a bit!"
This endless bitter life was like a tightly woven net, wrapping her up so tightly she couldn't breathe.
What would going out for a walk do? But Aunt Zhou meant well, so she could only nod and agree.
Zhou Hongxia tied a chair to the bicycle frame, put Zhou Xiaobao on the back seat, and pushed the bike toward the main road.
Aunt Zhou and Chuntao followed behind. Aunt Zhou held a cloth bag in her hand.
"Hongxia, you ride ahead and wait for us at the bicycle parking area," Aunt Zhou instructed.
Zhou Hongxia replied "Alright," pedaled, and hopped on the bike. The chain rattled as she rushed forward.
On the threshing floor east of the village, Huang Meili was squatting on a stone roller, gossiping with a few women.
Seeing Zhou Hongxia, her face darkened instantly, her heart feeling like a wad of wet cotton, suffocating her.
Passing by Huang Meili and the others, Zhou Hongxia only greeted the other women, not even glancing at Huang Meili.
Huang Meili glared at her fiercely but didn't dare make a sound.
After Zhou Hongxia went far away, she spat on the ground and cursed in a low voice, "That damn girl, no respect for her elders! Arrogant to no end, she's not an easy one!"
Aunt Zhou and Chuntao walked along the path in the east ditch, ignoring the people on the threshing floor.
Chuntao knew Huang Meili was jealous of Aunt Zhou treating her well. Seeing them going to the fair together again, she must be gritting her teeth in hatred.
Sure enough, Huang Meili stared at their backs, her face pulled longer than a donkey's.
"Meili, your mother-in-law is really good to Jieshi's wife. She thinks of her whenever there's something good. Taking her to the fair again, treating her like a real daughter."
A woman leaned in, her tone a bit provocative, her eyes glancing at Chuntao's back.
Another chimed in, "Such a godmother is more caring than a real mother-in-law. Where can you find that nowadays? It's rare."
"Isn't it? Li Chuntao is usually quiet, how did she coax your mother-in-law into being so happy?"
"Meili, as the real daughter-in-law, you should learn from her, see how she treats your mother-in-law."
Aunt Zhou treated Chuntao like a real daughter but didn't even look at her, the actual daughter-in-law. These words pierced Huang Meili's heart like needles.
"I can't learn that!" Her face turned red. "Li Chuntao is just a vixen, only good at acting pitiful and coaxing people, making the whole family forget their own names!"
"It's right for the old lady to be good to her goddaughter, but she shouldn't blur the lines!"
This hit Huang Meili's sore spot. What she hated most was Zhou Zhijun's family treating Chuntao too well, leaving them aside.
"They always remember Li Chuntao when improving their meals, and the second brother often buys her nutritional supplements. The money is all spent on an outsider..."
As they were talking animatedly, Zhou Zhijun walked over carrying a hoe.
Last time, he caught a few women gossiping behind his back, got furious on the spot, and threatened, "If anyone dares to gossip again, I'll set her straw stack on fire."
Seeing him now, no one dared to speak up, all shutting their mouths.
A woman slowly stood up, squeezing out a smile. "Brother Zhijun, are you going to hoe the field?
My field has grown a lot of weeds too, I should hurry up and go." Saying that, she hurriedly left.
The other women also slipped away like their feet were oiled, leaving Huang Meili alone in the blink of an eye.
Huang Meili was talking happily just now, but seeing Zhou Zhijun, she felt scared.
She lowered her head and wanted to leave, but was stopped by Zhou Zhijun. "Zhimin's wife!"
Huang Meili stiffened, slowly turned around, and forced a smile. "Second brother, what is it?"
Zhou Zhijun didn't beat around the bush, just looked at her, his tone stiff. "From now on, gossip less behind people's backs. Take care of your own business, don't always stare at others."
Huang Meili's face turned red and white, but she didn't dare refute.
Zhou Zhijun didn't look at her again, turning around and heading towards the east ditch. Huang Meili watched his back, feeling angry and hateful.
Last night, Zhou Zhijun couldn't hold back. After coming out of Chuntao's kitchen, he went to Zhou Zhimin's house and severely criticized Zhou Zhimin in front of Huang Meili.
"Zhimin, how do you educate your kids as a father? I don't even know what to say!" He knocked his pipe bowl against the threshold, the loud "bang bang bang" sound frightening.
"Chuntao's life is hard enough. As a godbrother, it's one thing not to help, but you absolutely shouldn't do harmful things!
Spreading rumors, bringing people to catch adulterers, isn't this intentionally ruining someone's reputation?
With Wang Jieshi's condition, the whole family relies on one woman. How hard is it to grow something? The newly set unripe melons were ruined...
You are a farmer too. If it were you, wouldn't your heart ache?"
Zhou Zhijun seemingly scolded Zhou Zhimin for not educating the two girls well, but actually, it was meant for Huang Meili to hear.
The two girls doing such things couldn't be unrelated to her. She usually said things she shouldn't in front of them, making the girls resent Chuntao.
Zhou Zhimin also felt wronged. He had no idea what the two girls did, but as their father, he couldn't escape responsibility.
He could only apologize repeatedly. "Second brother, it's my fault for not educating them well. Don't worry, I will definitely discipline them properly in the future!"
Zhou Xiaoying and her sister hid in the inner room, not daring to come out. Huang Meili also got up and hid in the room, but she heard everything outside.
Zhou Zhimin shouted towards the girls' room, "You two damn girls, come out! Tell your second uncle that you'll be honest from now on and never dare do it again!"
The two dawdled and refused to come out, so Zhou Zhimin went in and dragged them out.
"I... I'm just mad!" Zhou Xiaoying said stubbornly, her neck stiff, before she burst into tears.
Zhou Xiaomei leaned against the wall, trembling all over, not even daring to raise her head.
"What are you mad about?" Zhou Zhijun's icy gaze swept over Zhou Xiaoying, his voice laced with anger.
"Grandma treats Li Chuntao so well... She's just a goddaughter, but Grandma treats her better than us, her own flesh-and-blood granddaughters. I just can't stomach it! If it weren't for her, Grandma would definitely be good to me..." Zhou Xiaoying whimpered. Her voice was quiet, but it dripped with bitter jealousy.
Smash! Zhou Zhijun slammed his tobacco pipe fiercely onto the ground, snapping it into two pieces.
"Zhou Xiaoying, who gave you the right to call her by her full name, Li Chuntao? Show some respect!"
