Chapter Twenty-One: Dare Not Let the Village Chief's Wife Carry It

When she reappeared before the Zhang family, Bai Mianmian looked just as disheveled and unattractive as the day before.

Before she left her room, she once again had Zhang Huilan help her fix her hair and fetch water. During their meal, she alternated between asking for water and complaining that the porridge was too thin and not enough. She practically bossed the young girl around to the extreme, suppressing her completely.

Whenever the brothers spoke up or tried to stand, the old village chief would stop them.

"Grandfather, I want to go to town with you."

"What do you want to do there?"

"I…"

"I’m telling you, I won’t give you the chance. Don’t think you can leave my sight."

The chubby little girl spoke up, and Bai Mianmian retorted sharply. As if afraid she might run off, she even reached out to grab her wrist.

The young girl, having been targeted from last night until this morning, could no longer bear it.

Originally, she had planned to go up the mountain with everyone, but now she had only one thought: stay as far away from Bai Mianmian as possible.

Unfortunately, now it was her task to follow Bai Mianmian’s footsteps!

"Village chief grandfather, you all go ahead. Fuwa definitely has to accompany me up the mountain."

"Dad?" Zhang the eldest, Zhang Sheng, looked aggrieved.

The old village chief approached, putting his arm around his granddaughter’s shoulder and patting her reassuringly.

"Grandpa will be back soon."

"Hey! Village chief grandfather really is formidable."

The old village chief looked at her, his lips murmuring something but ultimately silent.

"You and your son go. I’ll watch over things. Everything will be fine," Zhang grandmother urged them to leave.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, she also comprehended why her granddaughter and husband were bearing it all silently.

Of course, her disgust and resentment toward the scoundrel Bai Mianmian soared to new heights.

So many people had been set free by her, and while no one blamed their own family, they blamed hers.

They assumed her family was soft-hearted and wouldn’t bully a lone young girl.

"Don’t drag people around; it’s hard to walk. Just follow behind Fubao. Our family is big; she won’t get away," she said, turning to Bai Mianmian.

Pouting as if displeased, she let go and muttered, "Saying good people—looking at her, she’s just like those others. Seeing me all alone, she thinks I’m easy to bully."

"We’re leaving too," Zhang grandmother said without bothering to argue, calling everyone to leave the house.

For the common folk, thoughts of how to eat well or dress nicely were mere fantasies.

Their daily concerns were how to eat enough and dress warmly.

Therefore, storing grain for summer and autumn and leisurely chopping wood were equally important.

Yesterday, all the Chen family’s rice paddies were sown, and the diligent households had planted their rice seeds as well. Today, many families arranged to go up the mountain.

"Hey~ whose child is this?" Fuwa’s grandmother, Mrs. Xiao, noticed the odd presence among the eldest sister’s group.

Zhang grandmother’s expression was subtle: "This is Erya, from my maternal side. She came looking to play with Fubao."

"Eldest sister," she pulled Zhang grandmother aside.

Only after the crowd had moved away did she speak quietly.

"Honestly, I don’t know what to say about your maternal relatives, but this girl looks unsavory. Better to keep her away from Fubao."

"Mm."

"Eldest sister, do you think I’m meddling too much?"

"No, it’s just that I haven’t been sleeping well these past days, so I’m a bit out of sorts!"

"You really don’t know your own child’s temperament and still have to watch over him," Zhang grandmother said bitterly.

A few days ago, her granddaughter’s disappearance had terrified her, and then the matter of the treasure gourd had weighed heavily on her mind.

She hadn’t slept well for days. If it weren’t for drinking that water soaked with the treasure gourd, right now she wouldn’t even have the strength to leave the house, let alone go up the mountain.

"I’m not scared. It’s just that there’s an outsider, and I can’t relax without keeping an eye."

"…Let Fubao come with me later."

"…That girl is clingy and loves to stick to Fubao!"

"What’s wrong with your relatives on your mother’s side?"

Mentioning her maternal family made Zhang grandmother even more upset.

What troubled her more was that the child ahead had even fought with Bai Mianmian.

The Zhang family was just a bit sturdier than the Bai family. If it came to blows, she wouldn’t lose.

But she couldn’t intervene.

When Zhang Jiang grabbed her, she twisted aside and fell rolling directly into the wheat field.

"You bullies! Zhang Huilan, your whole family is heartless and cruel!"

"Say that again?" Zhang Jiang, frowning fiercely, stepped forward.

Bai Mianmian couldn’t fight back but could avoid getting hit.

She dodged punches and evaded slaps.

Finally, she managed to let her collar be grabbed, letting the other person lift her by the collar.

"Bullying to death! The Zhang family is going to kill someone!"

"Zhang Jiang, stop right now!" Zhang grandmother shouted loudly.

She almost stumbled as she rushed over.

Bai Mianmian was clever in choosing the place; this ridge was particularly narrow.

She usually walked through the wheat fields.

"Mother!"

"Grandmother!"

The son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter wore anxious expressions.

Zhang grandmother’s face grew even uglier.

"Don’t go into the field. Let go of her right now."

"Grandmother! She’s too much. She even wants my sister to carry her," Zhang Jiang refused to relent.

Even though the other was a girl, he insisted on giving her a lesson.

No one who bullied his sister would be spared.

Zhang grandmother was furious, her trembling fingers raised.

"Let go now."

"Jiang’er."

Mrs. Jiang stepped forward and pulled her son aside.

She sensed something was wrong.

The grandmother’s mood was very poor.

"Mother, it’s my fault. I didn’t watch Jiang’er properly."

"You all—" Zhang grandmother was at a loss for words to express her feelings.

She understood what her family was thinking.

Since Zhang Jiang had acted, they all wanted him to teach the other girl a lesson, so she’d be afraid and not bully their granddaughter again.

But this girl was no pushover. If pushed too hard, she might reveal that hidden matter... If people found out their family was harboring a villain, it would be hard to explain.

Zhang grandmother also sympathized with Bai Mianmian and thought the government’s approach was wrong.

But she was even more disgusted and wary of the other’s deliberate threats.

"Jiang’er, apologize."

"Grandmother, she is the one bullying!" Zhang Jiang stiffened his neck.

Zhang grandmother felt drained.

"But I won’t make you apologize," Bai Mianmian spoke up timely. "Who am I? I am even—"

"Sorry, Erya," she said hurriedly, bowing deeply.

The family’s eyes went wide in disbelief.

"It’s my son Jiang’er’s fault. You’re tired, old lady, so let me carry you."

"Mother!"

"Grandmother!"

The family spoke in unison again.

Bai Mianmian wanted someone to carry her?

She was purely looking for trouble.

Her gaze swept over the Zhang family members, then looked beyond at the Zhang clan.

In a fit of anger, she turned on her heel and climbed the ridge.

"I wouldn’t dare trouble the village chief’s wife. If I asked you to carry me, your whole family would tear me apart."

"I’ll carry you," Zhang Huilan said despondently.

She hadn’t expected her grandmother to be driven to bow.

Had she known this earlier, she wouldn’t have said no, even if it meant exhaustion.

"I wouldn’t dare," Bai Mianmian gave her a sidelong glance and quickened her pace.

Behind her, Zhang Qiang’s brothers voiced their heavy doubts, and Zhang grandmother gave a vague explanation.

"Hey."

Zhang Huilan suddenly caught up with her.

"Let’s talk this over."

"There’s nothing to discuss with you. Your whole family is heartless. No discussion."

"Don’t say that about my family. My family doesn’t have the bad habit of dragging others down."

"Are you saying I can’t survive without dragging your family into your cruelty?"

"I didn’t say that."

"But that’s exactly what you mean."