Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qin Silong couldnât sleep well that night, his mind burdened with thoughts that kept him awake. Consequently, he rose early in the morning.
After breakfast, they set off for Wang Village.
Upon arriving, Qin Silong found Su Ping and his siblings already busy digging yams in the mountains. To his surprise, even Su Qing had joined them, and his wounds had fully healed.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhenzhen remained alone at home, which was what they had discussed previously. Qin Silong knew he couldnât let the hot-tempered man accompany them; it would only complicate matters. He also decided that Su Qing, Su Ning, and Su Cheng should not go along as they would only be a hindrance. They would have to wait until everyone was in the mountains before they could address the situation and craft a plausible story.
After some time, Qin Zhenzhen and Fourth Brother hurriedly made their way to Wang Village.
As they reached the village, a chatty woman from the neighborhood warmly greeted Qin Zhenzhen and inquired, âSu Binâs wife, are you going back to your motherâs home with your brother?â
Qin Zhenzhen shook her head. âNo, Iâm not going to my motherâs home. I have some business to attend to in Wang Village.â
The gossiping womanâs curiosity piqued even more at the mention of Wang
Village. âAre you going to Su Lanâs house in Wang Village?â
As neighbors, they all knew about the marital arrangements of every family, and this chatty woman was no exception. She clearly remembered that Su Lan had married into the Wang Family, and her husband had become a Cultivated Talent, continuing his studies in the prefecture. Rumors had it that Su Lan worked diligently at home, embroidering at night and saving all the money she earned for her husband.
Su Lan continued to smile, still dreaming about becoming the wife of an officer.
Qin Zhenzhen confirmed, âYes, Fourth Brother and I are going to Su Binâs elder sisterâs home in Wang Village.â
The gossiping ladies couldnât resist the allure of gossip. One of them asked,
âYouâre going with your Fourth Brother? Did something happen?â
This was precisely the response Qin Zhenzhen had hoped for. She began fabricating a story, âYes, something happened, and we need to go and check on it. â
The gossiping ladies were eager for more details, so one of them probed, âWhat happened? Can you tell me whatâs making you so anxious? Maybe I can help with some ideas.â n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Qin Zhenzhen gladly obliged and started sharing the story, âLast night, Fourth Brother overheard that Su Binâs brother-in-law had returned home, and they had a heated argument. Things escalated, and the brother-in-law even hit Su Binâs sister.â
The gossiping woman was taken aback, âWhat? Are you saying youâre standing up for Su Lan?â
Qin Zhenzhen nodded firmly, âYes, thatâs true.â
âIâm not sure how serious the situation is, and all the brothers are in the mountains, so it will take time to get them back. Thatâs why I want to go there first and assess the situation.â
âBut my Fourth Brother is worried that I, being a woman, might be vulnerable, so he wants to accompany me for protection.â
âIn any case, weâre on our way there now.â
âPlease, keep this information to yourself; we donât want it spreading accidentally.â
The gossiping woman assured her, âDonât worry, Su Binâs wife, I understand! I wonât say a word!â
As Qin Zhenzhen and Qin Silong walked away, the gossiping woman quickly found another woman to share the story with, and soon enough, the news spread throughout the village.
âSu Bin is lucky to have such a capable wife!â
âThatâs right. She used her dowries to benefit the Su Family and helped the entire village make money.â
âNow, when she heard about her elder sister being mistreated by her brother-in-law, she rushed to help immediately..â