Shi daniang started shouting right away before Cheng Xiao Xiao could get a wordin.
Cheng Xiao Xiao didn’t know how torespond upon hearing her words. She had no idea what she meant by that butbefore she could talk, another village woman started shouting at her, “Yeah,Xiao Xiao, exactly what Shi da niangsaid. Are you looking down on us? Yeah, our February Flower is a bit on theyoung side, but she’s very good at doing ch.o.r.es. Like this vegetable pickingyou are doing right now, she’d learned to do that long time ago. Why did yousend her out? Are you trying to tell us something? What has our family ever didto you? You take all the other maidens but not our February Flower!”
“Xiao Xiao, auntyHuang said what was on my mind too. Go ahead and say it, what is wrong with mylittle Ling. She’s an obedient kid! Why didn’t you take her? If you have anyconcerns you can just tell us. But you can’t just send them back home!”
“Yeah, yeah, XiaoXiao, that’s exactly what we wanted to say. You better explain yourself to us.We have been counting on you to feed little Spring Flower!”
Talking one after another,all their meaning more or less the same. Cheng Xiao Xiao felt a bit helpless.She figured the kids went home and couldn’t really express clearly what hadtranspired, which had caused these village women to come to their house.
Cheng Xiao Xiao walkedover from the vegetable field to where the woman were. With an apologeticsmile, she said, “Shi da niang, Shui da niang, aunty Huang, there must havebeen some misunderstanding!”
“Whatmisunderstanding? Xiao Xiao, our girls clear stated that you’ve sent them back!Xiao Xiao, are you still holding grudges toward An Hung niang? Let me tell you something, it was because of you that madeit such a ha.s.sle for our villages to leave the village. You better be feedingour girls. Otherwise, I am going to go talk to the patriarch!” said An Hung niang rudely, as though the Cheng’s wereoverdue on money that they owe her!
Her words haddispleased Cheng Xiao Xiao. Surely it had been more of a ha.s.sle for them toleave a village, but that’s not the reason why they were responsible to feedtheir entire family!
Shi da niang, standing nearby, realized thatAn Hung niang, had taken it a bit toofar so she tugged at her elbow. An Hung niangstopped talking and turned away, still looking displeased nonetheless.
Cheng Xiao Xiaoignored An Hung niang and said to theother village women, “Da niang,aunty, Xiao Xiao never said she wouldn’t take them. I merely clarified withthem that once they stepped foot into the Cheng’s, they have to listen to usfrom that point forward. They will need to obey to all our orders, even if thatmeans not obeying to orders from their family!”
“WHAT?!” shrieked AnHung niang Pointing at Cheng XiaoXiao in disbelief, she shouted, “What do you mean by that, huh? Did you thinkwe were selling you our daughters? What does that even mean they can onlylisten to the Cheng’s in the future and not us? Cheng Xiao Xiao, don’t youthink you are going too far? Let me get this straight, we are not selling ourdaughters to you! We just want you to raise them and it’s okay if they have tohelp out with some household ch.o.r.es on the side, but we will be marrying themoff in the future. They are not spending the rest of their lives as your servants!You got that?!”
Morons! We weremorons!
Even though she hadalready figured as much, she was still unhappy hearing these words.
Surely these areissues that could be resolved in the future. But if that’s everybody’s plan,then there was no reason to set any sort of rules. They just come by everydayto be fed, help out with whatever ch.o.r.es. Raised them for a few years and theycould be married off!
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