Nie, upon hearing her son's muffled sobs, could no longer bear it. She tidied her clothes and rushed over.
When she saw He Xiaoni, with her clothes disheveled, sitting on the edge of her son's heated bed, she was taken aback. From the looks of it, the girl must have arrived last night.
Did she still find her an eyesore, to the point of carrying her back to that room? This girl really didn't consider her an outsider.
Yesterday, He Xiaoni had used the town chief Meng's granddaughter as bait. It wasn't just her son who was overjoyed, even she was filled with excitement.
If this matter succeeded, not only would her son have a promising future, but she herself would also enjoy a life of ease.
Thinking about how she would soon be feasting and drinking well, she had been daydreaming for half the day.
However, later, after witnessing her son's ordeal, almost being beaten to death, Nie's unusual excitement finally subsided.
How could someone like the town chief Meng's granddaughter be something their family could aspire to?
She suddenly felt fortunate that things hadn't worked out yesterday. Otherwise, they, mother and son, would not have been able to withstand the wrath of the commander and his son.
The more she thought about it, the more fearful she became, especially now, seeing He Xiaoni's immodest demeanor. Her displeasure soared to its peak, and her words became particularly unpleasant.
"I say, Miss He, isn't it rather inappropriate for you to be in our Xiao Er's room in the morning, with your clothes in such a state?"
The moment He Xiaoni saw Nie, she remembered her predicament. Coupled with Nie's suddenly raised voice, she immediately deflated, losing all her previous aggression.
Nie, however, had no intention of letting her off the hook, her voice growing louder with each word.
"Miss He, if you actively seek to seduce my son like this, it is improper conduct. You deserve to be thrown into a pig cage and paraded through the streets with worn-out shoes!"
He Xiaoni: What is this old widow saying? Seduce her son? She should take a look in the mirror and see her own son's appearance. Is she dreaming?
Others in the communal courtyard, hearing the unfolding drama, crept closer to peek through the doors.
Sensing the movement, Nie kindly opened the door to the main hall. Those peeking nearly stumbled in, and they happened to see He Xiaoni sitting on the heated bed wearing only her inner garments.
Everyone present was taken aback. He Xiaoni was notorious in the area, bullying the common people with the backing of her uncle, the commander.
She had also been determined to marry Qi Xiaoqi, constantly frequenting the garrison.
How did she end up in the Wei family's room, on Wei Xiao Er's heated bed, today?
Good heavens, the information was overwhelming, and many couldn't quite process it.
However, everyone had a brain, and within moments, the whispers grew louder.
Eventually, they completely disregarded He Xiaoni's presence, and their words, tinged with innuendo, became increasingly explicit.
He Xiaoni could tolerate the pointing and whispering at first, but as they became more brazen and careless, spewing whatever came to mind, she couldn't stand it any longer, given her temperament.
She grabbed Wei Xiao Er's chamber pot and hurled it towards the doorway.
With a resounding crack, the ceramic pot shattered against the doorframe.
The crowd blocking the doorway was caught in the splash, and no one escaped.
With a whoosh, the people who had been blocking the door to watch the spectacle scattered in an instant.
There was no help for it; the pungent odor of urine was too overwhelming. Everyone ran to clean themselves, including the incessantly chattering Nie.
Finally, her ears found peace. He Xiaoni swiftly put on her clothes, kicked Wei Xiao Er fiercely, and then shamefacedly fled the Wei residence, leaving Wei Xiao Er alone in the room to wail.
The weather was fine today. When Qi He woke up, he practiced a round of boxing with a few friends on the open ground outside their door, then led them in a slow jog around the courtyard walls.
By now, the outer walls of the Meng family compound were planted with various fruit trees. Bathed in the spring breeze, the apricot and peach blossoms had already begun to bloom.
Fu Xinci woke up well past noon. Recalling how she had wrestled with a "dead dog" half the night...
After washing up and eating a light meal, she took Han Xue and Chun Yu out for a stroll.
However, as soon as they reached the street, they overheard the aunties and elder women of the town discussing things in hushed, scattered groups.
As the mastermind of last night's entire affair, Fu Xinci didn't need to ask to guess what they were gossiping about.
Han Xue, however, was paying close attention. Once she understood the full story, she gleefully chattered to her young lady.
"That person deserved it. Auntie Li said that many people saw her sitting on the Wei family's heated bed wearing only her inner garments."
Fu Xinci hadn't expected He Xiaoni to be so audacious, to remain and confront them after being discovered.
After pondering for a long time, she could only offer her three words: truly formidable.
At this moment, He Xiaoni was crying uncontrollably at home.
"Mother, what should I do?" After much thought, she was still unwilling to give up and wanted her mother to give her advice.
He Liu Shi was also at her wits' end. She hadn't expected to hear rumors about her daughter just from a morning stroll.
At first, she didn't believe it, thinking that others were jealous of Xiaoni and spreading rumors.
It wasn't until she rushed home frantically and saw her daughter sobbing to herself on the heated bed, muttering, "What should I do?" that she knew the rumors outside were true.
Realizing that her daughter's reputation was thoroughly ruined, she sat on the ground as if her parents had died, and wept along with her daughter.
"Oh my heavens, why is my life so bitter?"
He Liu Shi clapped her hands and wailed with such sincerity that anyone who heard them thought she was heartbroken over her daughter's ruined reputation and the impossibility of finding a good marriage.
After all, Nie had publicly declared that she did not want her son to marry a woman as indecent as He Xiaoni, fearing it would tarnish their family's reputation.
Those who heard this sneered inwardly, thinking: What reputation does your family even have? Even if it once existed, you long ago ruined it.
He Liu Shi covered her face with a handkerchief and cried. She was truly devastated, as her carefully planned "raccoon for prince" scheme would likely be impossible to implement now.
He Xiaoni finally stopped crying. She rubbed her swollen eyes and asked her parents for advice.
"Father, Mother, what should I do?"
"What else can you do? Why were you not sleeping in the middle of the night and ran to the Wei family's place?"
He Song was also angry. The family had been discussing things calmly, and who knew that everything would change so drastically in just one day.
He also understood the Wei family's situation: a shrewish widow and her good-for-nothing son.
Then he thought of that son's indescribable appearance, which was simply incomparable to Qi He's distinguished demeanor.
He Song was in a daze. He couldn't understand when his daughter had gotten involved with someone like that.
After he understood what had happened, he fiercely slapped He Xiaoni across the face.
"You are courting death!"
"Sob." He Xiaoni hadn't expected her father to be so rough; half her face felt numb from his slap.
"You still have the nerve to cry. Do you know that if something had truly happened to Fu Xinci, even giving all of our lives wouldn't be enough to compensate?"