Aunt Li Er from Lotus Flower Village was a notorious shrew, whose scolding could be heard from two miles away. After becoming a widow, she remained the least sympathetic widow in the village.
After raising her son He Zhenhu to adulthood, Aunt Li Er arranged for her niece Li Xiangyun to marry him. Villagers often remarked that the mother and daughter-in-law, both surnamed Li, were cut from the same cloth – both sharp-tongued and mean-spirited.
Despite having no quarrel with Liu Ming'an, Li Xiangyun simply couldn't stand his scholarly demeanor.
Most villagers were simple farmers, but this Liu Ming'an neither worked in the fields nor hurried to find a wife. Instead, he spent his days immersed in books and writing, making himself stand out. What was he trying to prove?
Ironically, many villagers liked him, including two people present: He Yiyi and Third Great Aunt.
Li Xiangyun's eyes darted to Liu Ming'an's washtub filled with clothes, and she immediately raised her voice in a sarcastic tone: "Oh my, oh my! I thought you were washing your own clothes, but it turns out you're washing clothes for that woman. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you, and you call yourself a scholar..."
The others glanced at Liu Ming'an's washtub, which indeed contained women's dresses. Aunt Li Er let out a snicker, her eyes gleaming with disdain.
Seeing Liu Ming'an being taunted by Li Xiangyun, Third Great Aunt quickly came to his defense: "Xiangyun, Ming'an has a kind heart. You should speak less."
He Yiyi, braving her mother's glare, also spoke up: "That's right, Brother Ming'an is kindhearted."
"Who doesn't know that our Liu Ming'an from Lotus Flower Village is such a good person?" Li Xiangyun, undeterred by Liu Ming'an's silence, became even more animated: "Ming'an, tell me, when that woman defecates, do you wipe her bottom for her too? Hahaha!"
"Oh my! Hahaha... wiping her bottom, indeed!" Aunt Li Er couldn't contain herself upon hearing her daughter-in-law's words. She burst into laughter, bending over as her laughter intensified.
The comment was extremely crude, but upon reflection, it wasn't far from the truth. Third Great Aunt, He Yiyi, and her mother were at a loss for words, secretly observing Liu Ming'an's reaction.
Liu Ming'an set down the clothes he was washing and straightened up. The smile that usually graced his face had completely vanished. His bright, dark eyes fixed directly on Li Xiangyun, making her inexplicably uneasy.
They heard Liu Ming'an speak calmly: "Sister-in-law Xiangyun, I haven't seen Brother Hu in a long time. Since your tongue is so long, can you use it like the White Envoy of the Underworld to lure your husband's soul back from the Red Apricot Tower?"
The laughter from the Li women abruptly ceased, and the other three were taken aback.
Liu Ming'an had always been known for his good temper, rarely engaging in conflicts. Even when he did, he would first attempt to reason politely. How had he suddenly become so vicious with his words?
In one sentence, he not only called Li Xiangyun a gossip but also hit her where it hurt. Li Xiangyun's expression changed, and she glared at him, hands on her hips, shouting angrily: "Liu Ming'an, what do you mean? You'd better explain yourself clearly!"
Observing her ready-to-brawl demeanor, Liu Ming'an's expression remained unchanged. He continued unhurriedly: "Be careful not to rot your mouth with too much gossip, and mind your karma. Even if Sister-in-law Xiangyun doesn't care about herself, she should at least think about her children..."
At this point, Liu Ming'an suddenly paused, then continued as if having a realization: "Oh, look at my memory. I forgot that Sister-in-law Xiangyun has been married for six years and still doesn't have any children."
Third Great Aunt, He Yiyi, and her mother were all shocked by Liu Ming'an's sharp words.
Li Xiangyun's husband, He Zhenhu, worked as a bouncer at a gambling house in town. He rarely came home, spending most of his earnings at the Red Apricot Tower, constantly fawning over prostitutes, buying them bracelets, hairpins, clothes, and pastries. Meanwhile, his wife Li Xiangyun could hardly see him, living as a grass widow at home.
This was one of Li Xiangyun's sore spots, which others dared not mention lest she fly into a rage. However, even more unbearable than her husband's womanizing was the mention of "children."
Li Xiangyun had married into Lotus Flower Village six years ago, and initially enjoyed over a year of marital bliss with He Zhenhu. The young couple lived harmoniously, with the husband working outside and the wife managing the household. Their life was satisfying; they only lacked a child.
Who would have thought that after one year, two years, three years, Li Xiangyun's belly showed no signs of life? The couple began to argue, and people often heard He Zhenhu cursing about "hens that don't lay eggs" and "sows that don't bear piglets," complaining to others that "the He family line will end with us." He Zhenhu started frequenting the Red Apricot Tower, and Li Xiangyun's tears and tantrums were to no avail. Eventually, He Zhenhu stopped coming home altogether, making it even less likely for Li Xiangyun to conceive.
Therefore, Third Great Aunt and the others initially thought that when Liu Ming'an confronted Li Xiangyun, it would be like a scholar meeting a soldier – he'd be unable to argue his point clearly and would surely lose. Who could have imagined that this scholar would, in just a few sentences, hit all of Li Xiangyun's pain points? They watched as Li Xiangyun's eyes reddened with anger.
"Liu Ming'an, you son of a bitch! I'm going to tear your dog mouth apart today and see if you dare spout nonsense again!" Li Xiangyun, provoked to a crimson face with bulging forehead veins, trembled all over. She picked up the washing mallet, looking as if she might devour someone, and made to charge at Liu Ming'an.
Aunt Li Er, who had been enjoying the spectacle, now grabbed her daughter-in-law, her face dark as she spoke: "Haven't you made enough of a scene? You're embarrassing yourself. Hurry up and gather your things to go home and cook."
Li Xiangyun was both her niece and daughter-in-law, so Aunt Li Er naturally sided with her. She didn't mind Li Xiangyun making a few jabs at Liu Ming'an, but when Liu Ming'an opened his mouth and aired their family's dirty laundry, with other outsiders present no less, it made them a laughingstock. Aunt Li Er couldn't save face.
Hearing her mother-in-law's reprimand, Li Xiangyun felt a surge of grievance, her eyes reddening. In a fit of pique, she threw the mallet into the washtub, picked up the wooden basin, and stormed off home without looking back.
Aunt Li Er's face was extremely unpleasant. She shot Liu Ming'an a vicious glare, then left without a word, carrying her own wooden basin.
This grudge was likely to persist. Third Great Aunt sighed inwardly and kindly advised, "Ming'an, you should be careful from now on. Those two women are very petty."
He Yiyi's mother chimed in: "Isn't that the truth? Last year, when He Qiang's wife gave birth to a big, healthy boy, we kindly sent her some red eggs to share in the good fortune of having descendants. But Li Xiangyun thought we were mocking her. She not only smashed the eggs but also cursed the child to die before turning three. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you, ugh!"
Third Great Aunt, recalling something else, looked worried: "And the year before last, Old Lady Zhang had a few words with her. Not two days later, a whole brood of newly hatched chicks was found dead in the middle of the night. And the peach tree on the slope, which used to bear many large, sweet peaches every year, had its bark stripped. Ah, this kind of person is not to be trifled with, not at all."
Hearing them speak this way, He Yiyi also began to worry about Liu Ming'an.
Liu Ming'an himself, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He quickly finished washing the clothes, wrung them out, and placed them in the basin. Standing up, he smiled and said, "Third Great Aunt, Aunt Lin Er, Yiyi, I've finished washing. I'll be heading back now."
Third Great Aunt watched Liu Ming'an's retreating figure and sighed once more.