Chapter 18: Ruining a reputation

Old Woman Liu didn't expect that the most docile second daughter-in-law would give them a cold shoulder today. She cursed angrily: "I want to see what kind of way you have. Look at how capable you are, you ignorant thing."

Liu Mu headed toward the few families Chuxue had visited yesterday. Not long after, the Liu family knew that Liu Mu was borrowing money from everyone.

Old Woman Liu slapped her thigh and cursed: "Has she gone mad?"

The eldest daughter-in-law, Ge Xiulan, became anxious: "Mother, we haven't divided the family yet. When the time comes, won't those people come looking for us?"

Hearing this, Old Woman Liu was even more furious: "The world has turned upside down, it has turned upside down."

At this time, the third daughter-in-law, Su Hongjuan, who was usually low-key, added fuel to the fire: "If she borrows so much money and the second brother's leg still doesn't heal, won't it be all for nothing? If he ends up like the youngest son of Old Uncle Wu at the head of the village, won't the family have to support him?"

Once the third daughter-in-law said this, Old Woman Liu became even more agitated. The youngest son of Old Uncle Wu at the head of the village had a leg that hurt whenever it was cloudy or rainy, and it easily festered when it was hot or when he was inflamed. The medicine money alone was unknown, dragging the family into extreme poverty.

Seeing her mother-in-law frowning and not speaking, the third daughter-in-law leaned closer and lowered her voice: "Mother, why not divide the second brother and the others out? That way the family won't be dragged down by them."

Ge Xiulan actually agreed with the third sister-in-law's words, but suddenly she thought of the important matter she had to attend to and slapped her thigh: "With such a big commotion, why haven't I seen that girl Chuxue?"

If the family were divided, Liu Chuxue's marriage would no longer be up to the family to decide. If she wanted to facilitate her nephew's good fortune, it had to be done before the division.

Now Old Woman Liu remembered too: "This dead girl, I told her to pass a message, and I don't know where she died."

Ge Xiulan pretended to be anxious and got up to walk toward the side room where Liu Chuxue lived: "Mother, this girl didn't even come back last night."

Old Woman Liu was already angry at the second branch, and now she was even more heated. Just as she was about to curse, she heard her eldest daughter-in-law say: "Mother, Chuxue hasn't come back all night, could something have happened to her?"

Old Woman Liu didn't catch the implication: "A girl is useless, she can't help at all and only adds trouble to the family. It would be better if a wolf carried her away."

She was already in a fit of anger, so her voice was not low. The villagers who were still chatting not far away heard it clearly.

Ge Xiulan saw that it was about enough: "Mother, let's mobilize the villagers to help look for her. Don't let something really happen, or the second brother might blame us."

The second daughter-in-law of the Li family next door was at odds with Ge Xiulan and poked her head out to stand up for justice: "Ge Xiulan, if something really happened to Chuxue, you can't blame anyone else. Yesterday morning, it was you who insisted she ask for leave to cross the mountain to deliver a letter to her eldest sister. I heard it clearly."

Hearing this, Ge Xiulan said defiantly: "Li Guizhi, what does my family's business have to do with an outsider like you?"

Li Guizhi looked at her with contempt across the wall: "I'm just saying a fair word, why are you in such a rush with me?"

Ge Xiulan didn't want to cause extra trouble, so she followed her words: "Yes, you are right, I was the one who let Chuxue take leave, but with such a big thing happening to the second branch, shouldn't she go notify her sister?"

She rolled her eyes at Li Guizhi next door and deliberately raised her voice: "Mother, I'm going to find the village head to organize people to go up the mountain to look for her. Don't let something really happen; if I did a bad thing with good intentions, I'm afraid I'll be drowned by the villagers' spit."

Without waiting for her mother-in-law to respond, she rushed out of the courtyard gate. ===== CHAPTER 19 =====