Fan Zehao merely glanced at her and said stiffly, "You don't smell as good as my wife, so I'm not carrying you."
Hearing this, Wang Xiaoni was so angry her nose almost twitched sideways. She immediately got up, blocked Fan Zehao's path, and tugged at his sleeve. "I specifically perfumed my skirt today. Smell it, it's definitely better than your wife's..." Ah!"
Before she could finish, she was unceremoniously thrown out by the strong man. He wiped his hands on his clothes in disgust, "Whose cesspool is this? It stinks so bad."
Wang Xiaoni got up from the ground, dripping wet, her voluptuous figure fully revealed. She pointed at him angrily, "Fan Zehao, I'm your second aunt's niece. If you treat me like this, aren't you afraid your aunt will beat you."
The person called ignored her, carrying the pheasant by its head and walking away without looking back.
What was his second aunt to him?
He had long since forgotten about that person.
Returning home, he saw Uncle Fan Biao was also there. He smiled at him and began to pull off his clothes.
Seeing this, Fan Biao couldn't help but frown, "Why are you taking off your clothes as soon as you get home? Are you injured in the back?"
"No, I ran into that crazy woman Wang Xiaoni on the way back. She touched my clothes, and I found them dirty!"
Fan Biao and Zhao Jiaqi exchanged glances. The clan elder had just sent a message, and Fan Zhang was already making a move!
How fast!
Fan Biao thought to himself.
However, seeing Fan Zehao like this, he was relieved. It seemed Fan Zhang wouldn't cause any trouble.
Smiling at Zhao Jiaqi, he said, "My nephew is just stubborn. You can rest assured now."
"I've always been at ease about him."
After Zhao Jiaqi sent Fan Biao off, she turned around and saw him tossing the dirty clothes outside the yard, saying, "I don't want them anymore." She withdrew her gaze in disgust and returned to the courtyard to process the caught chickens.
This was the first time she realized her husband had a洁癖 (cleptomania, or obsessive cleanliness).
In the evening, after washing up.
Lying on the bed plank, Fan Zehao stared at the ceiling and said wistfully, "That woman today was Wang Xiaoni, Wang Zhenzhu's niece. I knew she hadn't twisted her ankle and was waiting for me on purpose."
"Are you so sure Wang Xiaoni was waiting for you?" Zhao Jiaqi asked him curiously, tilting her head.
"Wang Zhenzhu's house is in the neighboring village. The two villages are connected by a main road, and there's no need to take the mountain path. Who would go up the mountain on a rainy day for no reason? Even if they did, they wouldn't wear new clothes. Besides, I ran into Wang Zhenzhu when I went up the mountain."
His words were clear and logical.
Zhao Jiaqi looked at him carefully, now unsure if he was truly smart, truly foolish, or occasionally smart and occasionally foolish.
While she was pondering, a weight suddenly fell upon her. A pair of passionate eyes gazed at the person beneath him, his nostrils breathing hot air, and he murmured, "Wife..."
Surprised, Zhao Jiaqi felt a warm touch on her lips. Not long after, the worn bed plank began to creak rhythmically. After a while, there was a "crack," and the bed plank broke, sending them both tumbling down, interrupting certain intimate moments.
As soon as dawn broke, Fan Zehao, with a cold face, vented his frustration at the pile of discarded planks in the yard. Wang Zhaodi tugged at his sleeve, "What's wrong with my younger brother!"
He looked as if he had gone mad, completely abnormal.
Her face flushed slightly, and she explained, "The bed broke last night and he fell. He's just venting now, don't mind him."
Wang Zhaodi, not understanding, genuinely believed Fan Zehao was venting and shook her head, "Even if he smashes that broken bed plank into dust, it won't feel any pain. Why bother? With this time, couldn't you ask your brother to make a better bed?"
Her words were unintentional, but they struck a chord with him.
Having been solely focused on continuing the previous night's pleasure, Fan Zehao looked up and asked her, "Sister-in-law, where is my brother?"
"He's watering the cows. He'll be here soon..."
Wang Zhaodi turned around, and there was no one behind her. Looking at the courtyard gate, she saw only a blur of his retreating figure.
After three days of continuous cloudiness, the weather finally cleared.
By this time, the bed had been repaired. Fan Zehao, with a determined heart, took out money and bought two mattresses. One for them, and one for his mother.
After sleeping separately for three days, he could finally embrace his wife again.
That night, the bed curtains swayed until well past midnight. Even the moon outside the window couldn't help but hide behind the clouds, too shy to show its face.
Soreness and fatigue were Zhao Jiaqi's feelings the next day.
Every part of her body felt wrong, and her legs were still trembling slightly.
She playfully chided the person who looked triumphant, "What are you grinning at? Go to work!"
Their little life was going smoothly, and they had earned more than ten taels of silver. However, gradually, Zhao Jiaqi noticed that whenever they went out together, the gossiping women by the big locust tree at the village entrance would point and whisper about them.
Zhao Jiaqi asked Wang Zhaodi, "Sister-in-law, do you feel something is wrong?"
"Yes, they're probably jealous of us making money and talking about us! Ignore them, they're a bunch of gossips!"
Zhao Jiaqi nodded slightly. As she lowered her gaze, she swept across the chattering crowd, feeling a sense of unease.
Perhaps they were still discussing her inability to bear children.
Just as they were packing up, Fan Biao rushed towards them, panting, and grabbed Fan Zehao, shouting, "Quick, your mother is dying! Hurry home and see her!"
Dying?
Zhao Jiaqi was stunned. Seeing Fan Zehao run home like a madman, she quickly called out to Fan Guangping, "Brother, hurry to Jiren Tang and find Doctor Qi. Tell him the braised meat seller needs him to make a house call, quickly."
"Okay, I... I'll go right now!" Fan Guangping hastily got into the ox cart and left.
Wang Zhaodi supported Zhao Jiaqi, and they ran back quickly with Fan Biao. On the way, Fan Biao recounted Zhang Cuihua's situation.
"Today, your mother-in-law went to the village to collect vegetables, and Bai Damei said a lot of nasty things to her, both overtly and covertly. She couldn't take it and jumped into the river."
Fan Biao's explanation was muddled, and Zhao Jiaqi couldn't understand. She asked him, "Uncle, what nasty things could drive my mother-in-law to death?"
"It's the rumor going around the village that Fan He and your mother-in-law are having an affair. This has been rumored for years, it's nothing new. But today, Bai Damei brought it up face-to-face, and then..."
Fan He?
Fan Guangping's father!
"Nonsense! My father and Aunt Zhang are innocent. Besides, I've already asked a matchmaker to propose to Aunt Zhang. What kind of affair is this? When I get back, I'll tear Bai Damei's mouth to shreds."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhaodi was furious. She had strongly persuaded her aunt-in-law to let her father-in-law stay and help with the work.
If her aunt-in-law died because of this, she would be a sinner!
Thinking of a death in the family, Wang Zhaodi immediately abandoned them and ran home frantically.
Halfway there, Fan Guangping's whip whistled, and Qi Xuan, who was on the cart, almost vomited his undigested dinner from the jolting.
Seeing Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Biao, he slightly slowed the cart. They got on the ox cart. The old ox seemed to sense something was wrong at home, and without Fan Guangping needing to whip it, its four hooves began to trot.
As soon as they entered the village, Wang Zhaodi was seen wrestling with a woman under the big locust tree. Zhao Jiaqi only glanced briefly before heading straight for home.
Before she even reached the door, she ran into the village chief. Seeing Zhao Jiaqi, he quickly said, "Hurry and find a doctor. Your mother-in-law..."