After seeing Li Mingxia off, Wang Xiangxiu happily hummed a tune in her room.
The flower of her love had not withered after all. She still had a chance to form a family with Brother Xinguo and live happily with him until they were old.
That vixen Shen Jiao could enjoy herself for now. Once Brother Xinguo discovered her true nature, he would certainly divorce her without hesitation.
However, just as Li Mingxia had said, Wang Xiangxiu could not be the one to expose Shen Jiao.
Otherwise, even if Brother Xinguo divorced Shen Jiao, the sight of Wang Xiangxiu might remind him of that unpleasant experience. That would not be good for their future happy marriage.
She glanced at the sky.
It was too late to do anything today, so tomorrow she would find the village loudmouth, Li Guaizi.
Li Guaizi had earned his nickname because there was something wrong with one of his legs, causing him to limp whenever he walked.
He could not perform heavy labour and was the only son in his family, so he had plenty of free time to wander around gossiping about one household after another.
It was precisely because a grown man like him constantly behaved like a long-tongued old woman that he remained unmarried despite being over thirty.
He was especially jealous of men who had managed to find wives.
That was also one of the reasons he loved spreading gossip. It was as though insulting other people made him feel better about himself.
Recently, he had been particularly jealous over Gu Xinguo divorcing and immediately remarrying.
Li Guaizi had never even touched a woman’s hair, yet Gu Xinguo married one wife after another.
How could he not be consumed with envy, jealousy, and resentment?
Gu Xinguo had been married for two days.
That night, Li Guaizi lay alone on the heated bed where he had slept for more than thirty years. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep because he kept imagining having a wife of his own.
The more he thought about wives, the more jealous he became of Gu Xinguo.
Therefore, when he overheard the words Wang Xiangxiu had deliberately allowed him to hear the following day, his entire body and mind felt refreshed.
So Gu Xinguo was not as impressive as he appeared.
Not only had he married second-hand goods, but his wife was also a vicious, cold-hearted woman.
Within half a day, practically everyone in Shuanma Village Brigade had heard that Gu Xinguo’s new wife was divorced and that she was a poisonous woman who had stood by and allowed someone to die.
People whispered and pointed.
How could Gu Xinmin fail to notice?
While weeding among the young wheat shoots, she moved closer to Wang Xiaoyu, a young wife from the Li family with whom she usually had a good relationship.
She intended to find out what everyone was talking about.
“Xinmin, I honestly don’t know how to tell you this.”
Wang Xiaoyu hesitated.
“But since you’ve asked, I can only say it. Just don’t become angry after hearing it.”
Wang Xiaoyu was close to Gu Xinmin and naturally knew how satisfied she was with her new sister-in-law.
That was why she had not known how to tell her about the rumours concerning Shen Jiao.
“Just tell me. People are practically spitting in my face with all their whispering, yet I don’t even know why. That makes me angrier than anything else.”
After Wang Xiaoyu repeated the rumours about Shen Jiao, the first thing Gu Xinmin thought about was not the fact that Shen Jiao had been divorced.
Instead, she wondered whether her younger brother had known before marrying her.
As for the accusation that Shen Jiao had refused to save someone, Gu Xinmin did not care about it at all.
More accurately, she did not believe it.
Shen Jiao might have one flaw or another, but judging by the way she treated Grandma, she was absolutely not a cruel-hearted person.
“Hmph. Some people truly have nothing better to do.”
“They have piles of problems in their own homes, yet they still find the time to interfere in other people’s affairs.”
“So what if my sister-in-law has been divorced? Who decided that a divorced woman can’t marry again?”
“My sister-in-law is beautiful, kind-hearted, and capable. Xinguo has also been divorced, so the two of them are well matched. Neither needs to look down on the other.”
Gu Xinmin did not speak quietly.
Everyone working nearby heard her, including Wang Xiangxiu, who had helped create the rumour.
Gu Xinmin’s words felt like knives stabbing directly into her heart.
What kind of bewitching potion had Shen Jiao fed Gu Xinmin to make her defend her so fiercely?
Brother Xinguo was Gu Xinmin’s own biological younger brother!
Although Gu Xinmin’s words openly defended Shen Jiao, she could not completely prevent a trace of resentment from forming in her heart.
If Shen Jiao had failed to reveal her divorce before marrying Gu Xinguo, would that not amount to deceiving him into marriage?
Remembering her younger brother’s troubled marital history, Gu Xinmin became distracted while weeding.
She nearly chopped down a wheat shoot instead of the weeds.
Only after Wang Xiaoyu warned her did she avoid making a mistake.
The moment work ended, Gu Xinmin did not wait for her husband or children.
She returned the brigade’s hoe and walked towards her maternal family home with her head lowered.
She needed to question her brother about Shen Jiao before deciding how she would treat her in the future.
“Grandma, are you feeling any better today?”
“Jiaojiao specially learned this massage technique from Doctor Zhang so you could feel more comfortable.”
“Brother Gu, this is only my duty as Grandma’s granddaughter-in-law. Grandma raised you to become such an excellent man. I’m doing this to thank her.”
“You two must have eaten honey today.”
Grandma smiled.
“Just listen to those sweet mouths, constantly saying things to make me happy.”
“But Jiaojiao’s massage truly is good. After you press me like this, my body feels much more relaxed. I even slept more soundly last night than usual.”
“As long as Grandma feels comfortable, then learning it wasn’t a waste.”
When Gu Xinmin entered the courtyard, she saw Grandma sitting in a wicker chair beneath the main room’s doorway, basking in the sunshine.
Shen Jiao stood behind her, massaging her shoulders, while Grandma enjoyed herself with her eyes half closed.
Gu Xinguo sat on a stool nearby, repairing some furniture.
It was a harmonious and happy scene.
Had Gu Xinmin not heard the rumours that day, she would only have felt relieved and pleased.
Now, however, her emotions were too complicated to describe.
“Sister, you’ve finished work. You must be tired after working all day.”
Shen Jiao turned towards Gu Xinguo.
“Brother Gu, I left some tea cooling in the kitchen. Please bring Sister a cup.”
This time, Gu Xinmin did not feel touched by Shen Jiao’s thoughtfulness.
Instead, she suspected that Shen Jiao was merely pretending.
Once a person developed resentment towards someone else, everything that person did began to appear calculated.
That was precisely the state Gu Xinmin and Shen Jiao were now in.
Fortunately, Gu Xinmin was restrained.
She did not release her negative emotions in front of everyone.
Instead, she called Gu Xinguo outside because she wanted to ask him privately about Shen Jiao.
“Xinguo, tell me the truth. Did you know Shen Jiao had been divorced?”
“I mean, did you know before marrying her?”
“Sister, you called me outside with such a cold expression that I thought something serious had happened.”
“Of course I knew Jiaojiao had been divorced. I was even present when she completed the divorce.”
So she had worried for nothing.
It turned out that her brother had known everything beforehand.
Since Shen Jiao had not deceived him into marriage, much of Gu Xinmin’s resentment immediately disappeared.
“Does Grandma know?”
“She knows. The first time Jiaojiao met Grandma, she told her everything.”
“I assumed Grandma would explain Jiaojiao’s circumstances to you, so I never mentioned it separately.”
So everyone in the family had known except her.
Gu Xinmin felt strangely sour.
Then she suddenly thought of something and looked directly into her younger brother’s eyes.
“Xinguo, you said you were present when Shen Jiao divorced.”
“Her divorce didn’t have anything to do with you, did it?”
She was not deliberately trying to imagine the worst of her own brother.
His words had simply sounded too ambiguous for her not to wonder.
Gu Xinguo was so exasperated that he laughed.
Did his sister believe he was the sort of man who destroyed someone else’s marriage?
He might not consider himself exceptionally virtuous, but he still possessed the most basic moral boundaries.
“Sister, what nonsense are you talking about?”
“Jiaojiao’s former husband was an educated youth. After he was accepted into university, he…”
Gu Xinguo found the remaining words difficult to say.
Was he supposed to tell his sister that Shen Jiao’s former husband had become involved with An Qing and planted an entire green meadow upon his head?
Even though they were biological siblings, he had no desire to discuss that humiliating past.
“Ah, an educated youth.”
Gu Xinmin sighed.
“No wonder he was willing to divorce Jiaojiao.”
Gu Xinmin no longer cared about Shen Jiao’s divorce.
More importantly, Shen Jiao’s own qualities were obvious.
There was no need to mention her beautiful face and figure.
Her tailoring skills were the important part.
Even the old tailor in their village could not compare with her. Her clothing was attractive, neat, and fashionable.
That skill alone was enough to support an entire family.
Gu Xinmin had never seen such a capable young wife anywhere in the surrounding villages.
She then told Gu Xinguo about the rumours circulating in the village.
Gu Xinguo angrily kicked a stone near his foot and sent it flying.
So that was why his sister had suddenly begun questioning him about Jiaojiao.
Someone was deliberately causing trouble.
He had better not discover who it was.
Otherwise, he would make them regret it.
“Ouch! Who threw that stone?”
“Come out here, you cursed thing whose children will be born without arseholes! Look what you’ve done to my head!”
Gu Xinguo and Gu Xinmin immediately followed the voice.
If they had made a mistake, they would accept responsibility rather than avoid it.
The stone Gu Xinguo had kicked seemed to have struck someone.
“Li Guaizi, where did the stone hit you? Let us see.”
Gu Xinmin walked forwards and saw Li Guaizi clutching his head while cursing loudly.
Listening to his filthy language, she rolled her eyes repeatedly.
No wonder he had reached such an age without finding a wife.
With a mouth like that, he would probably remain a bachelor even in his next life.
“You threw the stone!”
Li Guaizi pointed accusingly.
“Look, my head is bleeding! You’ve even ruined my appearance.”
“If this delays me from finding a wife, can you afford the consequences?”
“Ten yuan. Give me ten yuan, and I’ll pretend this never happened.”
He spoke as though he could find a wife if his appearance remained intact.
There was not even a wound on his head, much less blood.
He clearly intended to extort money.
“Li Guaizi, where exactly is this wound?”
“You don’t even have a scratch, yet you’re trying to extort us.”
“We wouldn’t be afraid even if this matter were reported to the police station.”
“Everyone, come and look!”
Li Guaizi began shouting loudly.
“Gu Xinguo is bullying people!”
“I can’t go on living! He injured me and won’t even allow me to seek justice!”
His yelling attracted many villagers who had just finished work.
When they gathered, they saw Li Guaizi clutching an uninjured head while demanding compensation from Gu Xinguo.
This was not the first time he had attempted to extort someone.
“Li Guaizi, if you continue making unreasonable scenes like this, you’ll never find a wife in this lifetime.”
The speaker was Gu Xinguo’s paternal cousin, Gu Xinjun, the grandson of Gu Xinguo’s eldest granduncle.
Although the relationship between their households had faded after Gu Xinguo’s grandfather died, members of the Gu clan still united whenever trouble arose.
“Gu Xinjun, this is between Gu Xinguo and me. Stay out of it!”
“You—”
Gu Xinjun glared at him.
“Li Guaizi, I don’t care how you usually behave, but you’re not allowed to bully a member of the Gu family.”
“Oh, the Gu family is bullying people!”
Li Guaizi cried.
“There aren’t many people surnamed Li, so you think you can mistreat us however you like!”
He sat on the ground, slapped his thighs, and began wailing.
Gu Xinjun felt exhausted merely looking at him.
When Li Guaizi began causing a scene, even the most unreasonable village women had to admit defeat.
“Brother Xinjun, I caused this matter, so I’ll deal with it.”
Gu Xinguo’s voice was firm.
“Since Li Guaizi claims I injured him, we’ll report it to the commune police station.”
“The officers can examine his injury, and I’ll pay whatever compensation they determine is appropriate.”
When Li Guaizi saw that Gu Xinguo genuinely intended to involve the police, he hurriedly climbed to his feet.
He muttered that it had all been a misunderstanding and quickly left without demanding any compensation.
In truth, the small stone had not struck his head at all.
It had hit his shoulder.
The mornings and evenings were still cold, so he was wearing a padded jacket. The stone had not even hurt.
He had only claimed that it struck his head because he wanted to extort money.
Unfortunately, he had encountered someone too difficult to intimidate and could only leave in embarrassment.
Once the spectators dispersed, Gu Xinmin asked what they should do about the rumours concerning Shen Jiao.
Someone was clearly plotting against the Gu family from behind the scenes.
“Jiaojiao’s hometown is far from here,” Gu Xinguo said.
“Her divorce only happened several days ago. There’s no way the news could naturally spread here so quickly.”
“We only need to ask whether any strangers have entered our village recently. Then we’ll probably know who is behind this.”
“Leave the inquiries to me.”
Gu Xinmin’s expression hardened.
“I want to see exactly who has decided to oppose our Gu family.”
Then she hesitated.
“By the way, is there any truth to the claim that Jiaojiao stood by and allowed someone to die?”
“I don’t believe it, but the rumour contains so many details that…”
“Sister, we can simply ask Shen Jiao.”
“The worst thing a family can do is constantly guess and suspect each other. Eventually, all the affection between them will be destroyed by those suspicions.”
When Gu Xinmin told Shen Jiao about the rumours, Shen Jiao immediately felt as though an enormous pot had fallen from the sky and landed directly on her head.
She was far too innocent.
Forget her current self—even the original Shen Jiao had never done such a thing.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to Shenjia Village Brigade to transfer your household registration,” Gu Xinguo said.
“While I’m there, I’ll investigate what actually happened.”
“We didn’t do this, so we can’t simply allow people to falsely accuse you.”
Shen Jiao had not expected the Gu family to trust her so completely.
Her eyes immediately grew warm.
So this was what family felt like.
They would defend you at the first possible moment.
This journey through time and this marriage had brought her enormous benefits.
That night, Shen Jiao thoroughly rewarded Gu Xinguo through practical action.
She nearly caused him to oversleep the following morning.
Women truly were dangerous temptresses.
No wonder foolish emperors in ancient times had refused to attend morning court.
He also wanted to remain immersed in the gentle paradise created by his wife.
Shen Jiao did not accompany Gu Xinguo to Shenjia Village to transfer her household registration.
He travelled there alone.
Grandma needed someone at home to care for her.
Moreover, Shenjia Village was practically another name for trouble as far as Shen Jiao was concerned.
If she could avoid returning, she had no desire to go.
As before, Gu Xinguo purchased cigarettes, alcohol, and gifts in Anyuan County before entering the village.
He had not come merely to transfer his wife’s household registration.
He also intended to discover who in Shenjia Village was targeting her.
Both he and Shen Jiao had initially considered Shen Chunshan and Du Lingxiang the most likely suspects.
However, the final answer was completely beyond their expectations.
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