Chapter 32

The two of them panicked and hurriedly touched the hairpins on their heads. Today, entrusted by their husbands, they had come to persuade Qiao Mai, wearing clothes without patches and putting on hairpins, thinking they would have a beautiful stroll in town.

"It's nothing. These hairpins were our dowries from back then, brought from our maiden homes when we married into the Qiao family."

"Pah! Everyone in Lihua Village knows that your maiden homes were so poor they couldn't even put food on the table. When you came to the Qiao family, you had nothing. A few days ago, when the two old things from the Qiao family asked me for silver, they said they couldn't put food on the table. You don't even bother to find a place to lie. You have the nerve to wear them? That's silver from selling your sister-in-law. Did the dogs eat your conscience?"

Her voice was loud, and the passersby in town all stopped to watch.

Many people recognized Qiao Mai, "Young lady, who are these two?"

"The family I severed ties with—the two daughters-in-law of the Qiao family from Lihua Village. You all know them."

"Oh my, aren't they dressed quite well? And wearing silver hairpins, too. Does this look like they can't get by?"

"Everyone, look! Those two old things from the Qiao family in Lihua Village sold me once, and then sold me a second time. I'm already like this, and they still won't let me go."

"What's wrong? Did they see you doing a little business and start coveting you again?"

"Exactly! How shameless. Look at their heads—that's what they bought with the silver they got from selling me. Now they want to coax me home again. It's not because they want to calculate against me again because they see I can earn a little money for my master. Heavens, why is my life so bitter?"

Qiao Mai took a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped her red-rimmed eyes.

The two daughters-in-law of the Qiao family were flushed with shame. They wanted to defend themselves, but how could two mouths compare to so many?

"Young lady, I advise you, never go back to a family like that."

"I never intended to go back."

"Do you want us to help you invite the Town Chief to preside over justice?"

"You all just wait and see. It won't be too late for you to go if these two keep making a scene."

"Very well!"

Qiao Mai curled her lips and looked at the two daughters-in-law of the Qiao family. The two were frightened by those few words and hurriedly pulled the hairpins from their heads and put them into their bosoms.

"Mai, although the severance document was written, bones are broken but the tendons are still connected. We are family after all."

"Hmph, get lost with your 'family.' Where were you when I was being tormented? Where were you when I was kicked and lost my child? Where were you when I was homeless? You're not even as good as strangers."

"Mai, Father and Mother know they were wrong, which is why they sent us to make peace."

"You go back and tell them: in this lifetime, I will never acknowledge them again. I, Qiao Mai, have no father, no mother, and no relatives. Get lost!"

"You, you really don't know what's good for you."

"Are you getting lost or not?"

The two looked at the watermelon on the table and swallowed hard.

"Give us a melon, and we'll leave."

Qiao Mai roared at the onlookers, "Who will go invite the Town Chief? Someone is acting shamelessly at my stall, refusing to leave without getting something."

The onlookers burst into laughter, "Young lady, no need to shout. We'll help you get rid of these two shameless things."

So one threw a vegetable leaf at them, another threw a small stone, and the two covered their heads and scrambled away, disappearing from her stall in no time.

Having driven away the eyesores, Qiao Mai cupped her hands to everyone.

"Many thanks! Whoever buys a melon today, I'll give everyone a discount."

"How much of a discount?"

"A melon that was fifty wen a slice is now thirty wen, and a whole watermelon that was eight hundred wen is now five hundred wen. You won't find this deal anywhere else!"

"Haha, we can't afford it anyway. Let's go, let's go, we'll come back when we have money."

The people dispersed. Qiao Mai smiled and continued watching the melon stall. Unexpectedly, before long, those two women actually came back.

"Mai?"

"Get lost."

This time, Qiao Mai was completely enraged. She had seen shameless people, but never anyone so thick-skinned. She picked up the stick at her side and swung it at them.

The two couldn't dodge in time, and each took a stick to the buttocks—it really hurt like hell.

Qiao Mai glared at them, "If you come again, my stick won't have eyes."

"Mai, please, forgive us. Let us take a melon when we leave. Our father and mother have never eaten a piece of watermelon in their whole lives."

"If you want to eat melon, you can, but leave the hairpins on your heads."

"Dream on! How much is one of your watermelons worth?"

"If you don't know what severing ties means, we'll see each other at the government office. Your Qiao family has come to my stall to make trouble time and time again. Even a clay figurine has a temper. I'll say this upfront: this stall isn't mine. If I see you come again, I will definitely report you to the Town Chief. Get lost, quickly!!!"

She ended up roaring, and the two were so frightened by her that they ran toward the north.

The small vendors on the side all gave her a thumbs up.

"Young lady, you're really fierce."

"You have to be like this to deal with people like that."

Qiao Mai breathed a long sigh of relief. She discovered that after abusing the scum, it was especially stress-relieving; she definitely wouldn't get depressed this way.

Maybe she should abuse the scum more often in the future? It felt especially satisfying, and she even felt a little bit of liking for it.

Qiao Mai sat down, feeling puzzled by this feeling of hers, suspecting that after crossing over, her interests had changed and she was tending toward being a pervert.

As for those two women, they started crying as soon as they returned to the Qiao family in Lihua Village.

"Father, Mother, you don't know how fierce that girl is. No matter how nicely we spoke, she wouldn't listen. When we said more, she picked up a stick and hit us. She hit really hard; my body still hurts."

"She, she really did that?"

"Yes. If you don't believe me, you can ask the people in town. She also told me to send a message to you, saying she will never acknowledge us in this lifetime, and for you not to be delusional. She said that even if she weren't sold as a servant, she wouldn't have any more dealings with the Qiao family."

Father Qiao slammed the table, "This is truly rebellious. They say raising a daughter is a losing proposition, and now I've raised a white-eyed wolf. I'm going to find her."

"Her father, her father, don't be impulsive. That girl is still angry at us, which is why she's like this. Just give her some time, and when her anger subsides, I'll go with you."

"Hmph, it's all because of the good daughter you gave birth to."

Mother Qiao thought to herself: What does it matter that I gave birth to her? Didn't she still sell for a hundred jin of wheat and ten taels of silver for you?

Shopkeeper Lu was busy in the shop. After knowing about this, the people had long since dispersed, and she went to the side of the official road in a huff.

"Sister, did that shameless family come again?"

"Yes, this time they sent the two daughters-in-law."

"Are they eyeing your business?"

"It shouldn't be. Everyone around knows this is your business, and I'm just a servant in your house, following your orders to do business."

"Then why do they still come?"

"They're probably just thinking about my monthly wages, and that if they could do business here, they would definitely be able to take advantage. Not to mention small money, even things like this watermelon, such precious things—they must be aiming for this, right?"

"Pah! Truly shameless. In a normal family, if children work for others, they're afraid they won't do a good job and get fired. They, on the other hand, only think about taking advantage."

"They've always been like this. Back then, it wasn't that the family didn't have grain. Although I didn't look good, I ate little and worked a lot. Even so, they didn't treat me well. When they saw someone coming to propose marriage, as soon as they mentioned a hundred jin of wheat, they readily agreed, as if I were a plague god. I really don't know how their brains work."

"Not a plague god, but a god of wealth. I never imagined your maiden family could be so cold-blooded. Even if they sold you to be a maid, they shouldn't have been like this."

"No one wanted someone like me—not good-looking, thin, and small. Even human traffickers wouldn't abduct me."

"Haha, what are you saying? I think my sister is quite good. You didn't look good because you didn't eat well before. Look at you now—you're not ugly, you're so spirited, and you're so capable. This is the best candidate for a wife in a man's eyes."

(End of chapter)