Bai Yulian sat down upon hearing this, looking at her with sparkling eyes: "Youyou, what on earth happened yesterday? The whole village is buzzing with rumors that you were fooling around with another man. I simply don't believe it, considering how devoted you've always been to Dalang."
Tang Youyou looked at the speaker. The woman had high cheekbones, upturned eyebrows, and very rough skin; she was a cousin from the Bai clan of the same generation.
Feigning a sigh, Tang Youyou wiped away a nonexistent tear: "Sister Bai, you'd better not ask. Otherwise, my father-in-law and mother-in-law will skin me alive."
Hearing this, the group's appetite for gossip grew even stronger. Someone even pulled a handful of melon seeds from their pocket and began cracking them open.
"Sister Tang, don't be afraid. This village isn't run by the old Bai family alone, is it? If you have any grievances, just speak out."
"That's right. In the past, you never came out to socialize, so everyone thought you had a cold personality. But we women cannot afford to suffer in silence; you mustn't stay cooped up like a mute gourd anymore."
At these words, the others snapped to their senses. Indeed, Tang Youyou never stepped out of her courtyard—how could she possibly have had an affair? Besides, with her timid personality, she probably had the heart of a thief but lacked the guts.
Tang Youyou stammered for a long time before finally slapping her thigh: "What you sisters say is entirely true! I refuse to bear this false accusation. I have kept myself chaste for Dalang for a full five years..."
"My Huzi is already married now, and life holds more and more promise. Why would I ever lower myself to do such a despicable thing..."
The women alternated between sighing mournfully, expressing intense indignation, and fiercely cursing Mother Wang and Old Man Bai. It was quite a lively scene.
Lin Huahua turned her head just in time to catch this spectacle. She first frowned slightly, then broke into a smile.
Her mother-in-law had never been willing to socialize in the past, but in truth, she must have been suffering terribly inside. Perhaps this was for the best; voicing her grievances might make her feel a little better.
Farewells were being exchanged nearby.
"Sister, later on I'll have my Tiejun bring some soybeans over to you. Just say the word if you need anything!"
"I can spare some bran for you from our house as well..."
Tang Youyou thanked them one by one, leaving Lin Huahua completely stunned.
"You child, have you lost your mind?"
Lin Huahua was so filled with admiration she couldn't find the words: "Mother, what on earth did you say to them? Someone as stingy as Tiejun's mother is actually going to send food to our family? This is simply unbelievable."
Tang Youyou chuckled: "You silly child, there's no such thing as a free lunch."
She left unsaid the reality that everyone was struggling to fill their stomachs nowadays, so how could anyone give her food for no reason?
Looking at the basket full of rushes, she felt a profound sense of physical and mental ease.
"Huahua, go check on the children up ahead. I'm going to walk around nearby."
Without a shred of suspicion, Lin Huahua turned and trotted away.
Tang Youyou looked around. She had no idea when Widow Zhao had slipped away, but there was not a soul in sight.
Placing her hand on the bamboo basket, she muttered inwardly in her mind: Let's make a deal—can you leave me some copper coins? Otherwise, if I starve to death, you won't get your silver back for this System Mall.
[Eight pounds of rushes, one hundred and twenty wen. Do you wish to sell?]
She was too exhausted to even complain. Fine, what's the use of reasoning with a skinflint?
[Yes]
The rushes vanished, and twenty copper coins landed in her palm.
Tang Youyou almost shrieked out loud.
[Still owe the System Mall 9,882 wen!]
"Alright, alright, my good System, you actually have some human decency."
[Do you wish to deposit them?]
She shook her head. She had brought a small cloth pouch out with her specifically to hold copper coins; a ten percent transaction fee was simply too exorbitant to bear.
Puttings all the copper coins into her pocket and weighing them in her hand, she felt a surge of joy.
She hurried off to look around and see if there were any other valuable herbs nearby.
[Ding! Plantago discovered, three wen per pound!]
[Ding! Water dropwort discovered, ten wen per pound!]
[Ding! Watercress discovered, ten wen per pound!]
Tang Youyou felt like she was about to strike it rich; she felt completely light-headed.
As the children approached, they found Tang Youyou humming an unfamiliar little tune while plucking water dropwort.
"Mother, you can't eat these greens; they're poisonous!" Bai Ruoyi hurriedly tried to stop her.
Tang Youyou raised an eyebrow. Why couldn't they be eaten? A single plate of this water dropwort at a farmhouse restaurant cost thirty or forty yuan, and it would vanish in just a few bites.
"You child, the salt your mother has eaten is more than the rice you've eaten! If your mother says we can eat it, we can eat it! All right, run along back home first!"
She needed to harvest them in secret, lest the plants suddenly vanish and get discovered.
Bai Ruoyi's lips moved as if to speak, but he sighed and ultimately refrained from arguing.
"Ah! My rushes! Which shameless wretch stole them?" Lin Huahua shrieked at the sight of the empty bamboo basket.
"Even rushes get stolen? Good heavens, people have no shame left at all." Bai Ruoshan wore an expression of pure indignation.
Tang Youyou's face turned as dark as the bottom of a wok.
Realizing what had happened, Lin Huahua forced a laugh and brushed it off: "Well, at least the thief was somewhat decent—they left the bamboo basket behind. Those rushes weren't worth anything anyway, so it doesn't matter. Mother, please don't be angry."
Tang Youyou: "..."
She waved her hand: "All of you go on back. I'll be back shortly!"
The children were somewhat worried, especially since she still had a wound on her head, so Bai Ruoer stayed behind.
"Mother, I'll go up ahead and cut some more rushes. Eldest Sister-in-law said we can weave straw sandals to sell."
Tang Youyou didn't object; it suited her intentions perfectly.
Her fingers flew, and in no time she had finished plucking all the water dropwort, along with a large batch of watercress. She kept a small portion for herself and sold off the rest.
[Still owe the System Mall 9,752 wen!]
She looked at the six copper coins in her hand and tucked them into her small cloth pouch.
Finding a large tree, she leaned against its trunk to catch some shade. The cicadas buzzed endlessly, leaving Tang Youyou feeling rather irritable.
"It's just too hot. This won't do; I have to figure out something. If things keep going like this, my body won't hold out, and I'll kick the bucket before I even manage to fill my stomach."
Bai Ruoer came running over anxiously, carrying a bamboo basket.
"Mother, look! I cut a whole basketful."
Tang Youyou's eyes lit up as she looked at the basket, as if she were staring at a chest of gold.
"Is there a lot more over there?"
Not understanding what was on her mind, Bai Ruoer shook her head: "I cut it all; there's none left!"
She muttered to herself inwardly: If I follow this river and search along the banks, I'm bound to find plenty more. After all, those rushes weren't worth much, and nobody eats water dropwort. Watercress was eaten by some, but that didn't matter—if she wanted to make money, she naturally had to target the valuable things first.
"Let's go. I'm tired, let's head home."
Just as the two of them reached the house, they vaguely heard the sound of crying. Tang Youyou's heart skipped a beat—could that Mother Wang have come looking for trouble again?
Wonderful! I hadn't gone looking for you, yet you dared to show up at my doorstep. Just in time, since I still need silver to pay off my debt—I'll just beat her up first and shake her down for some cash.
Dropping the bamboo basket, she flew into the courtyard with lightning speed.
"You damned old hag, haven't you taken enough beatings? It seems you just don't know how to remember a lesson..."
Taking in the scene before her, she froze instantly. Oh crap, it wasn't Mother Wang.
Greeting her eyes was an elderly woman with swollen, tear-reddened eyes, an old man with graying hair, and a sturdy-looking man in his thirties standing beside them.
Seeing her standing there in a daze, the elderly woman rushed forward, grabbed her in a tight embrace, and burst into loud wails.
"You wretched girl! Such a huge thing happened, and you didn't even come to tell us? Are you truly determined to cut ties with your maternal family? Sob, sob, sob..."