563 Gossip
“So you have decided to help me?” Qiao Yu asked eagerly.
“When did I say I want to help you? Aren’t you just here to tell me about this? How can I help you? When you get married, I’ll definitely send you a big gift,” Qiao Mei said to Qiao Yu.
Qiao Yu’s mood went through highs and lows like she was on a roller coaster.
“Qiao Mei! How can you treat me like this!” Qiao Yu shouted in exasperation.
Her shouting attracted the attention of people passing by, who all stopped to watch.
Qiao Mei did not know what Qiao Yu meant. Qiao Yu’s tone and emotions made it seem as if she was a man who had abandoned Qiao Yu or done something outrageous.
“How did I treat you?” Qiao Mei asked.
“You! You! You!” Qiao Yu pointed at Qiao Mei and kept repeating the same word. She herself could not say how Qiao Mei had let her down.
All she could remember were incidents when Qiao Mei was good to her. There was none of Qiao Mei hurting her.
Instead, she had always been the one scheming against and making use of Qiao Mei.
“Me? Have I let you down in any way? If you can’t spell it out, then go back quickly. Don’t let others spread the news about you coming to me for help. Otherwise, Second Grandpa will come and find trouble with me later,” Qiao Mei said.
More and more people had gathered around. That day, many people saw the Guo family’s matchmaker going over to propose marriage and she had specifically asked for a daughter from Qiao Zhuang’s family. She had said any girl was fine as long as the girl was young.
“Could it be that the Guo family wants Qiao Yu?”
“It seems so. How can Qiao Yu have the cheek to come and look for Qiao Mei? Back when Qiao Mei was at her house, Qiao Mei almost starved to death. Now, she still has the cheek to ask Qiao Mei for help.”
“One must put the saddle on the right horse. What’s she doing looking for Qiao Mei?”
Auntie Dong finally came along. Although she did not know what had happened, she would definitely subjectively side with people she liked.
“Say, Qiao Yu! What does it have to do with Qiao Mei whether you get married or not? You’re her aunt, and since when does your niece have any say on your business? Just go home! Otherwise, if your father finds out that you’re not at home, he’ll beat you up again! There are so many families who can’t sleep with all your screaming going on!” Auntie Dong said mockingly.
What she said made the people around her laugh loudly. Auntie Dong was still as sarcastic as ever.
Qiao Yu ran home with a red face, feeling ashamed. After that, the people standing around soon dispersed.
Auntie Dong went forward and said, “Qiao Mei, the next time you see her, just chase her off with a big stick! Why waste your breath on her? Don’t you find it tiring!”
“Auntie Dong, as if I have any choice. Sigh. It looks like they might come to my house tomorrow to cause trouble,” Qiao Mei said worriedly.
Auntie Dong placed her hands on her hips and shouted in the direction where Qiao Yu had left, “Don’t worry! As long as I’m around, no one can bully you! I’ll see who dares to do that!”
Although Qiao Zhuang was the famous village tyrant, Auntie Dong was not someone to be bullied too. She was the “loudspeaker” of the village.
If any family had any secret, it would definitely not be able to escape her ears. Then, once she heard it, the entire village would know about it. There was never any exception.
Everyone liked to gather together and gossip, especially with people like Auntie Dong, who knew a lot of things.
It appeared that by tomorrow, there would be many versions of the story of Qiao Yu’s upcoming marriage circulating around.
“Auntie Dong, do you want to come in?” Qiao Mei said politely.
Auntie Dong smiled and declined. As she walked away, she said, “I’m going home to clean up the house! I only came here because I heard that something happened to you! I’m going off!”
“Auntie, don’t forget to come over tomorrow to grow bean sprouts! I’ll be waiting at home!” Qiao Mei shouted.
“Fine, fine, fine!” Auntie Dong left happily.
Qiao Mei sat down slowly in the courtyard while holding on to her stomach. During the next two days, she would get Xia Zhe to make a swing when he was free. It was a little tiring for her to sit on such a small stool.
With the swing, she could still entertain herself.
“Mei Mei, why don’t you stay at my place with Xia Zhe tonight, or ask Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao to come over and accompany your grandfather. What if Qiao Zhuang comes to find trouble with you in the morning?” Li Gui said worriedly.
Qiao Mei thought that she would deal with whatever came her way when it happened. She did not take Qiao Zhuang’s family seriously at all.
“I can’t wait for them to come and look for me! Mom, rest early. We still have to grow bean sprouts tomorrow,” Qiao Mei said. The two of them tidied up the courtyard and returned to their own homes to rest.
