Wenxuan’s mother turned around and saw a Mo Wenxuan with an angry face. She stuttered, “No, it’s just that… your third aunt went to their house for New Year greetings and then asked about their opinions.”
Now that Mo Wenxuan had a definite answer, he was even more upset, “Mother, who gave you the authority to make decisions on my behalf? Who asked you to go and inquire, who asked you to hastily arrange my marriage? Have you ever asked for my opinion?”
Evidently surprised by her son’s outburst, Wenxuan’s mother didn’t dare to say a word.
Mo Wenxuan, irate, swiftly turned around.
At that moment, the village chief came upstairs and was surprised by Mo Wenxuan’s anger, “Wenxuan, who are you angry with during such a festive season?”
Mo Wenxuan threw back a line, “Go ask mother yourself, see what good she’s been up to!”
…
Upon returning to his room, the village head saw that his wife and third sister-in-law were upset and asked, “What did you do to make Wenxuan so angry?”
Wenxuan’s mother and his third sister-in-law remained upset, not daring to speak first.
With his patience wearing thin, the village chief snapped, “Speak!”
Out of fright, the third sister-in-law confessed everything.
After hearing her story, the village chief was even angrier than Mo Wenxuan, “Who let you go and ask? Who let you arrange Wenxuan’s marriage without any regard, did you even ask me for my opinion?”
Neither Wenxuan’s mother nor his third sister-in-law dared to utter a word.
After venting his anger, the village chief stormed out.
Left alone, Wenxuan’s mother and third sister-in-law remained silent for some time until Wenxuan’s mother recovered her composure and blamed her sister-in-law, “This is all your fault! Had you not persistently egged me on last night, I wouldn��t have let you do such a foolish thing. You keep talking about carrying on the lineage and wanting grandchildren… It’s like an emperor who isn’t in a hurry while the eunuch is desperate. Don’t persuade me to do such things in the future…”
The third sister-in-law felt wronged.
During this festive season, who had she offended?
…
Mo Wenxuan was furious.
However, what was he angry about?
His mother’s taking matters into her own hands? Or Nan Feng’s outright rejection?
He stepped out of his house door, soon bumping into Liu Chang and Tie Dan. They shouted excitedly at him, “Wenxuan, we’ve found two rat holes! Let’s quickly blast the rats out with firecrackers.”
But Mo Wenxuan vented his anger on Liu Chang and Tie Dan, “I’m not in the mood!”
Liu Chang and Tie Dan exchanged a look. What was wrong with Mo Wenxuan? Why was he showing a gloomy face during the festival?
“Wenxuan, who has upset you?” Liu Chang asked.
“Yes, tell us about it. We can take revenge for you,” Tie Dan chipped in, cocking his fist.
Mo Wenxuan sat on a stone under a tree and after a while, he said with a furrowed brow, “From now on, I never want to see that ugly woman Nan Feng again. If you see her, remind me. I must avoid her by all means.”
Liu Chang asked, “What did she do to you?”
Tie Dan also asked, “Did she say anything that upset you?”
Mo Wenxuan clenched his fists, “Don’t ask anymore, just listen to me.”
…
…
On the second day of the New Year.
Nan Feng had been cracking melon seeds all morning at home, extremely bored.
“Dad, I want to go hunting in the mountains,” Nan Feng said.
Nan Quanyou replied, “No, we can’t do any work before the fifth day of the new year. There’s an old saying in our village that if you work on the first day of the new year, you will be busy all year round.”
“Then can I go to the field to water the potato plants?” asked Nan Feng.
“I have already done it,” Nan Quanyou said.
“Dad, didn’t you say we can’t do any work in the first few days of the New Year? Then why can you go?” Nan Feng asked with a grin.
“I’ve been working hard for decades. I’m used to being busy, one more year doesn’t matter,” Nan Quanyou said, then looked at Nan Feng, “Why don’t you go find Aqiu and play with them, or go to the town and see if there are any events happening?”
Nan Feng then went out to find Aqiu.