Chapter 980: What the Hell

The men of the Wang family were so angry they all rolled up their sleeves.

"How dare you talk like that?"

"Don't think you're something special just because you have a bit of money — there's no need to insult people like that."

"I've had it with you for a long time. Just because you've got a big reputation, you don't plan to take responsibility…"

The men of the Ye family also stepped forward, shoving and pushing.

This old Wang family — who knows if it's an inherited arrogance, or just because their own family has more men, they're used to throwing their weight around and looking down on everyone.

And it's true — in these times, a household with more men speaks with more authority, has the upper hand, and when it comes to a fight, the momentum is stronger, regardless of whether you have money.

The village committee, who had originally been watching and listening, quickly squeezed into the middle to break it up, to stop the two sides from coming to blows.

"Talk is fine, but don't lay hands on anyone. Everyone sit down and talk it through properly — aren't we here to discuss this?"

"Talk it through properly, talk it through properly — only then can the matter be resolved…"

Ye Yaodong, without the slightest courtesy, continued to mock them. "Huh? Don't go making things up, don't go slapping labels on me. What responsibility should I take? Why should I take responsibility? It was my family's dog that slept with her, not me. Don't pin it on me. When you beat a dog, you have to look at its owner — but no one ever said the owner has to take responsibility for what the dog sleeps with."

"Suzuki jibai… stop going on about 'your family's dog, your family's dog' — sooner or later I'll have all your dogs tied up and stewed…"

"Woof woof woof~"

A dog inside the house barked wildly, and the rest of the dogs outside that hadn't squeezed in yet all joined in the wild barking. Then the crowd watching outside felt things squeezing around their feet.

Before Ye Yaodong could even curse, a pile of dogs had already gathered at his feet, barking wildly, scaring the other side into hurriedly stepping back two paces. What had been a standoff as sharp as needlepoint against wheat awn had now pulled apart a little.

"Since you don't plan to take responsibility, we'll go to the border defense station and report you later." Wang Wang Lizhen's mother stood with her hands on her hips, glaring furiously as she threw down a harsh threat.

"Don't cry 'stop thief' when you're the thief yourself. I'll go to the border defense station later too and report you — say your family's Miss… no, widow! Yes! Widow! Slept with my family's dog. Tell me, if we both end up confronting each other at the border defense station, won't that be quite a scene?" Ye Yaodong spoke as he imagined it — the picture was already forming in his mind.

A widow so starved she has to sleep with a dog!

Just look — wouldn't this news be even more explosive than playing the rogue? It would surely spread across the whole town in less than half a day.

Never mind whether it's true or false — since ancient times, any tale of romantic scandal has always been relished, and it spreads far faster than any other gossip.

You show no mercy, I show no righteousness. Whose methods are no fairer than whose — it all comes down to who backs down first.

Although if it really blew up like this, it would be bad for that woman — she'd spend half her life being talked about — but since they were already thinking of using the hooliganism charge to pressure Ye Ye Yaosheng, or else report him and have him shot, then whatever pushback she got was only what she deserved.

"Holy crap, a widow so starved she has to sleep with a dog — that's big news…" one of his drinking buddies in the crowd also shouted loudly, playing along.

"For real? A human-dog battle?"

"What human-dog battle? What are they saying in there?"

"Weren't they talking about a hooliganism charge? How did it turn into a human-dog battle? For real?"

Originally the people outside couldn't hear clearly what was being said inside, and he hadn't spoken that loudly just now — but now everyone outside was buzzing about some human-dog battle.

"You're talking nonsense!"

Wang Wang Lizhen was mortified beyond words. She had originally been huddled in a corner, waiting for her family to back her up — but now she couldn't stay hidden any longer.

If she didn't clear things up, by tomorrow everyone would think she really had a human-dog battle.

In a village, some words, more often than not, change flavor as they're passed around.

For example, I say I'm shy and easy to fool, and it gets passed around as me running scams in northern Myanmar; I say the highway's a bit jammed, and it becomes me gambling outside every day; I say I'm delivering takeout outside, and it becomes me selling myself outside.

The grand documentary "Legend of the Village-Entrance Aunties."

No exaggeration — this is exactly what the village aunties can cook up.

Good words may not spread fast, but yellow gossip definitely spreads like a rocket.

"I think you're the ones talking nonsense. You say Brother Brother Asheng slept with you — where did he sleep with you? When did he sleep with you? There should be a time and a place, right?"

"It was the night before last. I came looking for him to talk, to ask him about the widow from the next village…"

"So it was at his house?"

"No, it was outside…"

"Oh, so it was outdoor combat?"

The crowd erupted, and everyone started buzzing again.

"What? There was outdoor combat too?"

"After the human-dog battle, there's outdoor combat too?"

"Huh, outdoor combat? Human or dog?"

"Damn, this explosive? This wild?"

"For real?"

The crowd outside all started squeezing forward. With such explosive news, who could bear to stand outside? They were dying to squeeze in and prick up their ears.

Yellow gossip is the most popular.

Wang Wang Lizhen, hearing the discussion outside growing louder and louder, flushed red to her ears, unable to take it. "No, don't talk nonsense!"

Wang Wang Laowu also immediately said, "Just because you won't admit it doesn't mean you can say things like that — it's degrading."

"No matter how much money you have, you can't have officials protecting each other. If you won't take responsibility, then we'll go to the border defense station and have a talk," Wang Wang Lizhen's mother said, hands on hips, pointing at Ye Ye Yaosheng's nose. "I don't believe that after you've played the rogue, you won't be caught. If you won't marry her, then just wait to be shot."

Ye Ye Yaosheng also said firmly, "Catch a thief with the goods, catch an adulterer with the pair. If it's something I never did and you insist I did, of course you have to produce evidence — time and place, of course you have to make it clear. Dongzi's question wasn't wrong either. Since it wasn't at home, then it was outside — where outside? Of course you have to make that clear too."

"She just denied it — said it wasn't outside, and earlier she said it wasn't at home," Ye Yaodong said, hands on hips. "She can't even get her story straight. The front doesn't match the mouth — she's just talking nonsense."

Ye Ye Erbo's wife also found her backbone. "You can't even give a time or a place — it's obvious you're trying to pin this on us. Fellow villagers, judge for yourselves — is there such a shameless woman? Using her own chastity to frame someone else, opening her mouth and closing her mouth wanting my son to be shot. We're all from the same village — what grudge, what grievance?"

"Just because you have more people in your family, you bully us. How can empty words be trusted? I could also say she's so desperate for a man she's gone crazy and rolled around with a dog."

"You're talking nonsense, spouting filth. If you won't admit it, we'll go to the border defense station and let the big-cap hats arrest him."

Wang Wang Lizhen also said viciously, "We offered you a daughter-in-law for free and you don't want her — you'd rather be arrested and shot. Then just wait to be shot."

"Go ahead then! Who's afraid of who? I'll bring all my dogs along while I'm at it, and say you slept with my dogs — you'll have to pay me for my dogs' lost chastity, two hundred yuan. When the time comes, let's see who becomes the laughingstock."

Ye Mu also said irritably, "If this goes to the border defense station and gets out, you'll be known as the one who slept with a dog. Once it blows up, don't even ask whether Brother Asheng gets shot or not — you'll never get married in your life. Spittle could drown you. See whether you can still step out of your front door after that."

"Your Wang family will have to raise a daughter for the rest of her life. When my lord walks out the door, she'll be pointed at and mocked everywhere. Do you think your days will be easy after that?"

"You won't even raise it for a few months, let alone raise it for a lifetime. When the time comes, the only options are to slit your throat and hang yourself or jump into the sea. Better to quit while you can, and everyone can still treat it as a farce. Find a village a bit farther away and she can still get married off."

Wang Wang Lizhen was persuaded by what was said, and her heart wavered.

If she really went to the garrison station, she was probably done for. With a reputation like a dog's on her back, her family wouldn't keep her, and no one would marry her either—she really would have no choice but to die.

She glared fiercely at Ye Yaodong. If he hadn't jumped out to stir things up, the others tangled in this mess couldn't have sorted it out clearly, and they were already talking about reconciliation, telling Ye Ye Yaosheng to just make do and live with it.

"What are you glaring at? What my mother said is the truth. If this really blows up, I don't know if Brother Brother Asheng will be executed, but your reputation will definitely be ruined. Really, f*cked a dog—real-life version of f*cked a dog. Turns out that phrase wasn't just talk after all…"

"Shut your mouth…"

"I can shut my mouth, but can you make everyone shut their mouths? Think it over carefully."

Wang Wang Laowu's eyes bulged like bronze bells, and he said unwillingly, "Even if our reputation is bad, at least we're still alive. He can just wait to be executed. The crime of hooliganism is no joke—what evidence does that need? If we say you committed hooliganism, then you committed hooliganism."

"Then I can also accuse you of theft, and have the village committee accuse you directly. A few months ago, when the Goddess Mazu Temple hadn't been finished yet, you and Wang Lin Jianqiang went to steal sand. That night, many people saw it with their own eyes."

Ye Yaodong stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking utterly composed.

The leverage was still in hand—each one could be dealt with the same way.

If they baselessly accused Brother Brother Asheng of hooliganism, then he'd say Wang Wang Lizhen slept with his family's dog. Who was afraid of whom? Let's see whose bad reputation spread faster.

If they wanted Brother Brother Asheng to be executed, their theft would also land them in jail.

Don't think stealing sand is a small matter—that's collective property. Now theft is still punished severely, with minor offenses escalated to major ones, and sentenced heavily all the same.

Counting it up this way, his family lost three—upped the stakes.

Both sides getting hurt would make anyone think twice.

Wang Wang Laowu was caught off guard, his face immediately changing. Lacking confidence, he shouted, "You're talking nonsense!"

Wang Lin Jianqiang also angrily said, "Nonsense! You're spouting filth—who'd believe you slapping labels on people out of thin air?"

"People like you have no reverence for Goddess Mazu at all. Goddess Mazu won't bless you. There were plenty of people who saw it back then—it's not me talking out of thin air."

Ye Ye Yaosheng also glared angrily at them. "That's right. That night you stole sand from the Goddess Mazu Temple, we all saw it. I was the one who held everyone back, told them not to fuss about it—if anyone's going to the garrison station, we all go together. Who's afraid of whom? I didn't do what you're accusing me of, but you did do what you're denying."

The louder he spoke, the more the onlookers at the door only caught half of it.

"What? Ye Ye Yaosheng didn't do it, but the father and son did. You mean Ye Ye Yaosheng didn't commit hooliganism, but the father and daughter did?"

"Holy crap, really? They're family…"

"No way—father and daughter, brother and sister? Weren't they just talking about a dog earlier? How can the Wang family be this disgusting? They'd even do something like this."

"Really? Did I hear wrong?"

"No, Ye Ye Yaosheng said he didn't do it, but the father and son did. Isn't that about the hooliganism thing? That's right, isn't it?"

"Oh my god, there's something like this in our village?"

"Ugh, that's really disgusting—a family doing something like this."

The grand documentary "Legend of the Village Entrance Aunties," real-life version!

Even Ye Yaodong felt embarrassed on their behalf after hearing it.

"No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense…"

"No, we did steal… not messing around… not… not…" They just couldn't bring themselves to say that word.

"Ah! They admitted it. Look, they admitted to theft. So should we just send them to the garrison station?" Ye Ye Erbo chimed in happily.

"No, we were just saying, we didn't mess around…"

"Ye Ye Yaosheng is saying we stole, not that we messed around."

The masses aren't going to listen to whatever you say. Everyone just picks whichever topic is juicier.

By now the chatter outside drowned out the voices inside. The Wang family was thrown into confusion. Their explanations were automatically ignored by the villagers at the door—everyone only heard what they wanted to hear.

"I'll beat you mouthy bastards to death, talking nonsense!"

Young and hot-blooded, they rolled up their sleeves ready to fight.

The Ye brothers weren't about to back down either, cursing and shoving as they went. The old men on the village committee couldn't hold them back for a moment. It was the villagers outside watching the show who rushed in to help separate the two sides before things could be temporarily restrained.

"Stop fighting, stop fighting, talk it out properly… everyone sit down and discuss it slowly…"

"Talk it out, talk it out…"

Also, the room was small, no room to maneuver. With so many people squeezed in, one charge and everyone got pushed into their own corners.

Even a few dogs got stepped on, yelping nonstop.

But while the people were being pulled apart, the dogs kept lunging and biting at the Wang family. Later, all you could hear was the Wang family's cries of pain.

"We're all from the same village, sit down and talk it out. What does this look like? All day long it's just fight, fight, fight…"

"Whatever the misunderstanding is, once it's out in the open, it'll be fine…"

"Since Ye Ye Yaosheng didn't do it, maybe it's just a misunderstanding. Did you guys remember wrong?"

"We're all from the same village, we see each other whenever we look up. Everyone stay peaceful—once the misunderstanding is cleared up, it'll be fine."

After being pulled apart, the Wang family cursed a few more times. The few of them exchanged glances and figured that if this really went to the garrison station, their own family wouldn't come out unscathed either. A ruined reputation would be one thing, but if stealing sand really landed them in jail, weighing the pros and cons, Wang Wang Laowu shouted.

"If you're not going to marry her, then you still have to compensate us for our losses. Pay two hundred yuan, and I won't hold it against you."

"Two hundred yuan again! Two hundred yuan—he could pay someone to beat up your whole family ten times over. Are you sure you still want to frame him?"

"How is that framing? He did commit hooliganism. Since he's already engaged, we won't make him take responsibility. Compensate us for the loss and we'll let this go."

"Then I think we should still go to the garrison station and sort this out. Everyone bring everything out into the open, let the men with the big caps see who should be arrested."

Ye Ye Erbo's wife, not thinking straight, also spoke up. "If it's going to cost two hundred yuan whether we marry her or not, we might as well just marry her off and get a person out of it."

Ye Yaodong's mother glared at her in annoyance. "If you can't talk properly, shut your mouth and don't speak. You still want in-laws like this? I wouldn't take them even if they paid me two hundred yuan. Better to do what Dongzi said—spend two hundred yuan to make their family so chaotic they can't even leave the house, beat them up ten times."

"You dare?"

"No money, and I didn't do it—why would I pay? What you did, go talk about it at the garrison station." Ye Ye Yaosheng continued to hold his ground.

"Don't push your luck."

"I really don't want that kind of luck. Getting stuck with in-laws like you means no peace in the next life either."

Ye Ye Yaosheng had already had enough of his own parents being unreliable; he didn't want to marry a wife who was a troublemaker for the household. Besides, he was already betrothed. He thought the new wife being discussed now was quite good and had no desire to go back to old grass.

"Since Ye Ye Yaosheng doesn't want to marry, and he insists he didn't do it, and you have no evidence, I say let's just drop it. Everyone take a step back. Otherwise, your theft of collective property won't end well either. Making a scene benefits no one."

"Yes, one moment it's dogs, the next it's father-daughter or brother-sister. If this gets out, your family's reputation will suffer."

"You are threatening us. Everyone has sided with him."

Wang Wang Lizhen's mother, unwilling to let the cooked duck fly away, was somewhat relentless. "Who doesn't know Ye Yaodong has become powerful now? Even your village cadres have to kiss his stinking feet? Their whole family is rising to power along with him."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Your family is in the wrong, yet you have the nerve to slander others with your reputation? We are just discussing the matter at hand. You have no evidence, but they have evidence of your theft."

"You Wang family should weigh your options. If you go to the border defense, you'll likely end up in prison anyway. People can't be easily swayed. You have no proof, just moving your lips, speaking without any plan, saying one thing then another. Do you think the police would believe you?"

"You should also weigh your own reputation... you still have to live as humans..."

"Look closely at the current situation. You have no grounds, so stop being unreasonable. Let's go, let's go."

"We want to mediate, but only if the other party is willing to reconcile. They simply don't want to marry your daughter. Can a forced melon be sweet? Why hang yourself on one tree? Before the reputation spreads wildly, let's just treat it as a joke and let it pass."

"Let this matter end here. It was just a misunderstanding, a farce. Let it go. We won't report your theft of collective property. You shouldn't keep pestering them, constantly demanding two hundred here and two hundred there. Honest people shouldn't be bullied like this."

The village committee members, speaking one after another, pulled Wang Wang Laowu and the other Wang men outside while talking.

The Women's Federation members also talked while pulling the Wang women out.

"Let this matter end here. Just treat it as a misunderstanding. Men and women marrying are separate matters. Just find Wang Wang Lizhen a good family again, right? When Brother Asheng's engagement was broken before, he paid two hundred yuan, didn't he? That's enough for a good betrothal gift to find her a good family again."

"It's long gone. Don't know which damn thief stole it."

"Then you lost it yourselves. Who can you blame?"

"Yes, they have been extremely kind. Didn't you arrange a marriage for Wang Wang Lizhen before? If it fell through, find another. If she can bear children, who wouldn't want her? Why insist on Ye Ye Yaosheng? He is honest, but not stupid. You keep demanding two hundred here and two hundred there, treating him like a fool."

"Oh, let this matter drop. They are already betrothed. Just find another good family for her. Let the village matchmakers or all the aunts and uncles help keep an eye out."

"If you want to marry, are you afraid you can't find a husband? If you stay here any longer, you won't get anything good, and you don't know what your reputation will turn into. Go back quickly, stop making a scene. Let this matter end."

Everyone pulled and persuaded, essentially giving the Wang Wang Laowu family a way to save face. They knew that if it got truly ugly, they wouldn't get anything good either. In the end, the ones suffering might be their own family. Cursing and complaining, they followed suit and went out.

The crowd, murmuring among themselves, slowly made way for them to leave.

Today's commotion was just a bit of a headache for Ye Ye Yaosheng, but the Wang Wang Laowu family became a joke again. With the New Year approaching, they added another topic of conversation to the village.

Wang Wang Lizhen's reputation became even worse.

Rumors continued to spread that she had falsely accused someone of lewd behavior, wanting to pin herself on Ye Ye Yaosheng, and it was heard that she couldn't bear loneliness and had mixed with a dog...

It was over. Even more explosive was that some rumors were spreading about father-daughter and brother-sister things. Although this only circulated in a small circle, it was enough for the Wang family to have a hard time. Even walking outside, they felt people pointing and whispering.

After the Wang family members were led out, Ye Ye Yaosheng also breathed a sigh of relief.

"What is all this? I didn't even know I was so popular."

"It's all your mother's fault for arranging such a good marriage for you! Fortunately, you stubbornly denied it and didn't plan to go back to old grass. Otherwise, with these people messing around, muddying the waters, and you blindly agreeing, your second half of life wouldn't be peaceful." Ye's mother pouted.

Ye Ye Erbo's wife rebutted unwillingly, "How was I supposed to know they were so difficult? So disgusting?"

Ye Ye Erbo glared at her with full annoyance. "Enough, enough. They've been persuaded to leave. Let this matter end for now. Just hurry up and marry Brother Asheng's new wife into the house."

"When I arranged a wife for Brother Asheng before, you all complained about everything. You disliked that she was a widow with only two daughters, thinking she couldn't bear sons in the future. If she had two sons, could you raise sons for her?"

"Raising daughters is fine. When they grow up, just send them off to marry. If they have a conscience, they might occasionally buy pig trotters for you to eat. If they don't, it doesn't matter."

"If it were two sons, would you be happy? So don't always say she can't bear sons. As long as she can bear sons after marrying in, that's fine."

"When I told you, you were unhappy, complaining about everything. Fortunately, Brother Asheng didn't dislike her. The widow is sensible. All you need to do is make her a new set of clothes. She'll make new quilts and things herself; she doesn't want yours. She doesn't even want a betrothal gift from you."

"Now compare and see how good the new wife is, right?"

Ye's mother scolded them fiercely. If it weren't for the fact that Ye Ye Yaosheng looked decent and was her own nephew, and Ye's father had always told her to help find someone to live a good life with, saying his parents didn't look right, she wouldn't have bothered.

If life didn't go well, why would she be blamed?

However, when she came a few days ago, she had stated clearly beforehand: she arranged the person, that was true, but life is lived by oneself. If there are quarrels and noise, or anything happens later, it has nothing to do with her. He saw her and was willing, after all.

Ye Ye Erbo's wife wanted to say something in defiance but swallowed it back, saying nothing at all.

Ye Ye Yaosheng hurriedly thanked them profusely. "The new wife Third Aunt mentioned is quite good. We've spent a few days together and are both very satisfied. I will live a good life."

"Enough. Life is made by the people living it. You must be willing yourself. Just stay away from their family from now on. I heard your new wife is very fierce after being widowed. That's good too; otherwise, a widow's life is hard and she's easily bullied."

"Mm-hmm."

"If there's nothing else, we'll leave first."

"Then we'll leave first too..."

The people in the room went out one after another.

Ye Yaodong didn't speak anymore and followed behind his parents to go out.

The dog at his feet also followed on both sides.

Lin Lin Xiuqing couldn't help but say, "Isn't Da Da Heizi female?"

"Yes, she is female. What's wrong?"

"Then why did you lie?"

"They are stupid. I just pointed randomly and said it casually. They didn't even use their brains to think. People like that deserve to be fought tooth for tooth, tooth for tooth."

"Now your reputation is bad, mixed with a dog... The whole village heard it. You really know how to talk nonsense."

"They talked nonsense first, so of course I can talk nonsense too."

"I was just thinking, isn't Da Da Heizi female?" Ye's mother also interjected.

"If Xiao Da Heizi were male, that would be good. If they really want to see, lift Xiao Da Heizi up and show them."

"Damn dogs" actually had an origin.

"You are good at arguing. A few words and you controlled them. Where would honest people get such nonsense? Those with clumsy mouths can't argue back."

"I'm starving to death. They made a scene this early in the morning. Their family is strange, insisting on hanging on Brother Asheng Ge's tree."

"Isn't it because his conditions are good now, he is willing to work and earn money, has no children or wife, is clean and pure, and key is he looks easy to handle? Otherwise, last month they talked about one, but she disliked that he brought a son."

"Mother, he should thank you for eight lifetimes for finding him a good wife, and he doesn't have to raise someone else's son."

Mother Ye didn't think much of it. "Don't say it so early. Who knows if she'll be a good wife? I only heard about it and asked around. I haven't actually lived with the family. If things don't work out, just don't blame me."

"If you dare blame me, I'll just curse you back. Which matchmaker helps with daily life? Our family has already been quite good to him."

"Mm."

Ye Fu changed the subject and asked him, "Don't you need to send another batch of that fish sauce to the city?"

"I'll call your father-in-law in a bit to check. Later I'll have those little brothers make a run. It just so happens that no fishing boats are going out next, and we don't really need to do much drying, so sending them out to deliver goods works out perfectly…"

"You should go along and keep an eye on it. You're idle at home anyway."

"We'll see. You can't stand me being idle for a single moment. Did you dry all those small squid and fish we brought back yesterday?"

"Those aunties went over to work first thing this morning. They should all be hung up to dry by now."

"Go take a look. The small squid meat is pretty thin, so it'll dry in just a day or two. Later, once they're dried, send them all to the city together."

"Look into it yourself. Time it right."

Ye Yaodong was also thinking that he should replenish their stock before the new year, since who knows when they'd start work again after the new year.