Xiao Yishan frowned, âHow did this rumor get out?â
âIsnât it because of your wife? Sheâs been asking people recently whoâs more handsome out of Chuan and your Fourth Brother,â Ding Er shook his head. âIâve never seen a little wife so bold. Although women do love good-looking men, comparing oneâs own husband like this is just going too far! The villagers probably thought that since Su Qingyue only talked about Chuan and your Fourth Brother and completely ignored you, many people would think your wife despised you. After all, those two in your house are better looking than you.â
âThatâs the case.â Xiao Yishan slightly relaxed. âIt was just a bet between my third brother and my wife.â
âWhat kind of bet?â Ding Er asked.
Xiao Yishan didnât feel it was appropriate to mention that if his third brother lost, his wife would make him streak, âNothing serious, just a joke.â n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Zhou Fuquan, seeing Second Brother Xiao being so unconcerned, pulled him aside and whispered, âSecond Brother Xiao, itâs not my place to say anything about your household matters. And I donât believe Su Qingyue is that kind of person. Howeverâ¦â
âHowever, what?â
âAs you know, my wife, Cuihua, is on good terms with your wife,â Zhou Fuquan said softly. âI heard from Cuihua that because the villagers were saying your wife disliked you, when she ran into your wife while washing clothes by the river, she told your wife about it. She even asked your wife if it was true that she looked down on youâ¦â
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yishanâs nerves started to tense up, âWhat did my wife say?â
Zhou Fuquan shook his head, âSecond Brother Xiao, it seems that your wife really does look down on youâ¦â
Xiao Yishanâs heart sank heavily, feeling as if he had been struck by a blunt object.-
Ding Er noticed their secretive behavior and said, âWhat are you two whispering about? Keeping secrets from all of us, huh? Hey Dashan, didnât your family preorder a lot of ferns and wild bayberries? Why havenât the wealthy households in town come to pick them up?â
Zhou Fuquan was more concerned about that, âCould it be that your family was deceived? Youâve taken in so many ferns and bayberries, what if they end up being stuck in your hands?â
Xiao Yishan seemed not to hear them as he carried a full bucket of water and limped home with his crutch.
âFuquan, look at Dashan, he seems to have lost his soulâ¦â Ding Er stared at his receding figure. âMaybe the Xiao Family really took in too many useless ferns, and others have actually backed outâ¦â
âYeah.â Fuquan worried, âThere are so many, worth dozens of taels of silver. If we had known earlier, we would have advised them not to take them. It would be better to use that money to buy some landâ¦â
âExactly,â Ding Er shook his head. âBuying some land is much more reliable than helping others gather these odds and ends.â
Wang Qigu, who was off to the side, couldnât help but make sarcastic remarks with delight, âThe Xiao Family deserves to be poor, unlike those born to be rich and noble. Once they took in so many ferns, everyone knew that they had squandered the money theyâd earned. Look, just yesterday, the wife of the Xiao Family was telling people that she wouldnât be taking in ferns and bayberries anymore. Itâs clear that the Xiao Family has hit rock bottom and has no money to take in any more!â
Wang Crippled, who happened to pass by, couldnât stand it any longer. He didnât want to get involved in other peopleâs affairs, but lately, the wife of the Xiao Family had paid him quite a bit for carriage rides. âAunt Qi, why do you need to spread such nonsense?â
âHow am I spreading nonsense?â Wang Qi stood up from under the willow tree and put her hands on her hips, âWang Crippled, you old thing, youâre also surnamed Wang, how could you speak up for the Xiao Family?â
âI just canât stand you slandering people like this.â
âIâm slandering people?â Aunt Qi sneered, âI think youâre just eating from someone elseâs work! The wife of the Xiao Family often hires carriages, which benefits you a lot!â