Xie Sui hadn't expected Zhao Xuefei to bring this up in front of Lin Wanwan. Fury surged through him. "Zhao Xuefei, do you want to die?"
Zhao Xuefei glared at him provocatively. "It's the truth, Xie Sui. Have you forgotten how you used to chase after my tail? Now you want to be a good husband. Don't you think you're hypocritical?"
"You..."
Xie Sui narrowed his eyes, his fists clenched. He wasn't someone who wouldn't hit a woman.
Lin Wanwan tugged at his arm, calming him. "Let me handle this. When women fight, men stay out of it!"
Xie Sui: "..."
Was this his gentle and demure wife?
She seemed like a different person.
Lin Wanwan stepped in front of Xie Sui, a look of disdain on her face. "Zhao Xuefei, looking at you, do you feel proud?"
"My Xie Sui was muddled before, blinded by a dog outside, and did foolish things. But he's woken up now. A prodigal son returning is worth more than gold!"
"If you were a decent girl, I might have been jealous and dealt with you and my man properly. But don't forget, while you were stringing my Xie Sui along, how many other people were you involved with?"
"Have you forgotten all those men who came to your house demanding an explanation?"
"All the money Xie Sui had was from my hands, what could it amount to? Even if you fed it all to your dogs as dog biscuits, it wouldn't be enough. Who knows how many people's dog biscuits your dogs ate!"
Xie Sui secretly thought, "This is brilliant. My wife's mouth can really scold!"
The gossiping aunties also looked down on Zhao Xuefei's loose behavior. She was shameless enough to admit it publicly, completely shattering their understanding of the world.
In the mid-eighties, rural areas were still quite conservative. Divorce was a major event, and a woman's reputation was extremely important. It wasn't like later times where people didn't judge immorality as long as you could make money.
Thus, Zhao Xuefei's shameless words angered more than half the village. If everyone followed her example, and all the girls in the village became bad, their reputation would suffer, and who would dare marry a girl from their village?
"Zhao Xuefei, are you even human? You're jealous of their happy marriage and have the nerve to talk about your own disgraceful affairs. Look at you, like a seductive vixen, shaming the entire village!"
Zhao Xuefei was furious. When did Lin Wanwan get such a sharp tongue?
She had been careless.
"What's it to you? Go home. Aren't you too hot? I want to talk, and you can't control me. Even the police can't control me, I'm happy to!"
Oh, this shameless little bitch!
The aunties were burning with anger at her words. Xie Sui said, "You're happy, and the police can't control you, but your morals are damaged. You've fallen, and you're dragging down the village's reputation.
"Go back ten years, and your behavior would be considered indecent, corrupting social morals. You'd be a public enemy, cursed by everyone."
"Xie Sui is right! Curse her! Ten years ago, they would have shaved half your head and half your face. Let's see how you'd hook men then!"
"Pah, shameless! From now on, the girls in the village will avoid her, lest they be corrupted by her."
"Exactly! People like her should be driven out of the village! She's ruining the village's reputation!"
Zhao Xuefei's family quickly shielded her. Zhao Xuefei couldn't fight back against so many villagers alone. She could only shut her door tightly and sulk in the courtyard.
"Crash!"
Someone started it, and they began throwing dog feces, bricks, and dirt clods at the Zhao family's door. Whatever they found, they threw. The entrance to the Zhao family's house instantly became a garbage dump.
The Zhao family didn't dare to come out. Zhao Xuefei had now incurred the wrath of the entire village.
Lin Wanwan, looking proud as if she had won a battle, took the two children home.
Xie Sui followed cautiously, constantly observing her expression. Was she angry or not?
Back home, his father, Xie Dahe, his mother, Zhao Xiue, his grandmother, and his uncle's family were all waiting for him. Even his eldest sister's family was there. Xie Sui's heart swelled. His family was all here. It was wonderful!
How many nights in his past life had he wished for the company of his family? His parents had died too early, and his sisters had all broken ties with him. He was truly alone.
Drinking and singing with friends, staying out at dance halls late into the night, it was lively, but after the revelry, all that awaited him was endless loneliness and a cold home.
Now his family was all here, not one missing. Xie Sui's chest was overflowing with happiness.
"Dad, Mom, Grandma, we're back. Thank you for your hard work these past few days."
Lin Wanwan politely thanked them. Xie Dahe and his wife were not eloquent. They simply nodded. "It's our duty. It's good that you're back."
Grandma Xie fussed over Xie Sui, examining him from head to toe. "My grandson is a man destined for great things. He's different after this trip. Look at his spirit, no less than that of high officials."
His uncle's wife, Wang Qiuju, said sourly, "Yes, Xiao Sui is promising. Your eldest grandson is also good. He'll be a high official eating from the government's table in the future!"
Grandma Xie, having finally welcomed her most cherished grandson, didn't bicker with her. "Yes, they're all promising. Our Old Xie family's ancestral graves must be emitting auspicious smoke for our grandsons to be so promising. Come inside and rest, you must be tired?"
"It's fine, I just missed Grandma!"
Grandma Xie's face crinkled into a smile. "Grandma missed you too. This child, always so sweet-tongued since he was little."
Uncle's wife rolled her eyes. If he wasn't sweet-tongued, would you have given him the best food and drink?
The family went inside. The courtyard was packed. Eldest sister Xie Lan had prepared a lot of food. Today, everyone would have a reunion dinner.
"Big sister, thank you for your hard work. Second sister will be back soon, let her help you with the cooking." Su Dan Xiao Shuo Wang
Lin Wanwan rolled up her sleeves to help. "Am I just for decoration? Can't I help Big sister cook?"
Xie Sui: "..."
"Wife, I'm just worried about you. You must be exhausted from the long journey, take more rest."
Lin Wanwan's face darkened. "It's not hard work. It's easier than working in the fields before. Don't forget, when you and Zhao Xuefei were being intimate, I was doing all the farm work alone. Who cared about me then?"
Xie Lan's eyes flickered. Had they argued?
"What's happened with Zhao Xuefei again?"
Aunt Wang from next door stood on the wall and waved to Xie Lan. The Xie family didn't know about the argument between Xie Sui and the Zhao family yet.
After Aunt Wang spoke, Xie Lan cursed angrily, "How can Zhao Xuefei be so shameless? Xiao Sui, you really shouldn't have. It's only right for Wanwan to be angry. You were too foolish before."
Aunt Wang said, "It's that Zhao Xuefei, her methods are too cunning. How many young men did she flirt with before? When a girl beckons with a finger, how many young men can resist?
"Go and persuade Wanwan, don't be angry. It's not worth it. Live your lives well from now on. The past is the past. Xiao Sui has changed for the better now and can earn money. Marriages go through bumps and scrapes like this."
"I know, I'll persuade Wanwan. Auntie, would you like to join us for dinner?"
Aunt Wang waved her hand. "No, I've already made my food. You go ahead and get busy."
Xie Lan told her family what happened, and Grandma Xie was the first to explode. She stood up to get a cleaver, terrifying the Xie family. "What are you getting a knife for?"