“Hey! Why are you walking so fast?” That woman might have been plump, but she walked quite fast. After all, she had to walk through the streets and alleys all day to introduce people to each other. She had quite a quick pace.
“Teacher Li, it’s been a long time. Are you free to go shopping today? Is this Xiaoxiao? Wow, such a big girl now. Is she dating anyone? Do you want me to introduce you to a few men?” The fat lady saw Lu Xiaoxiao and subconsciously thought about the few men she had in her hands. She wondered which of them were suitable to be the Lu family’s son-in-law.
“There’s no need. My brother-in-law said that he would personally choose the man for Xiaoxiao. He won’t be at ease with anyone else choosing for her. Even his elder brother, Hai Tian, won’t have a say in it.” Mrs Lu’s smile was forced. “Besides, Xiaoxiao isn’t old. It’s not a bad thing for women to get married a little later these days.”
“What’s not a bad thing? If they were to get married later, all the good men would have gotten married already.” The fat lady had a bright smile on her face. However, her smile faded slightly when she looked at Jiang Yao again. “Is this Xingzhi’s wife from the countryside? It’s not that I’m criticizing you, but didn’t I tell you back then that people from the countryside are quite ignorant? The Lu family has such high social standing, so if you get a daughter-in-law from the countryside, it might bring shame to your family.”
“That’s funny; which family doesn’t have a farmer for three generations or more?” Lu Xiaoxiao sneered. “My grandfather is also a farmer!”
The fat woman’s face immediately darkened. “The past is in the past, and now is the present. We have to look toward the future. One might have been a farmer in the past, but is it still the same now? Don’t you know how to look forward to good things? A country bumpkin is not as sensible as folks in the city. Didn’t you all hear the nonsense that your daughter-in-law spouted in front of Chen Lanying just now?”
“What nonsense did I say?” Jiang Yao was already unhappy when the fat old woman used the word ‘country bumpkin’ to describe her.
She did not feel inferior because she was from the countryside. However, she knew that the fat woman did not respect her. She had spoken ill of her in front of her. Did she think that she was deaf and did not hear her unkind words?
“Well, just now, you said something about a paternity test in front of Chen Lanying. You said that the child was sick. If that was not nonsense, then what is? What paternity test? I’ve never heard of it. You’re just an ordinary folk, not a police officer. How do you know how the police investigate cases? You even said that the police used a test that was imported from abroad. Are you trying to be funny? Also, the mother held her son in her arms. Even though he was crying, you don’t have to curse him with sickness. People like you are narrow-minded and have a foul mouth!”
“Say that again?” When Mrs Lu heard that, she did not wait for Jiang Yao to speak before she shouted at that woman. “My daughter-in-law is a student at a prominent medical university. If she says that there’s a test, then there must be a test! She has been in school for half a year. If she says that there is something wrong with the child, then there must be some evidence to support that. As a mother, I know my daughter-in-law’s personality and character very well. There is no need for an outsider like you to say such things in front of me to poison our relationship.”
Mrs Lu was a teacher, so she knew how to be scary when she was angry. Her round eyes would widen, her waist straightened, the corners of her lips pressed down, and her face looked mad in a fury.
“Hey, Fat Woman, who are you calling petty and smelly?” Lu Xiaoxiao was even more furious. She pulled Jiang Yao behind her before she turned toward her. “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ll tear this fat woman’s mouth apart and avenge you!”