Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Specially infuriated by the inhabitants of Little Lin Village, Su Ming couldn’t help but berate them, “Your economy is in shambles, yet you show no ambition to improve. You take pride in farming, but what’s there to be proud of? You’re all fools, absolute fools! I manage you all, don’t I know your situation? You’re too stupid!” Unable to contain his anger, he continued to insult them, his rage reaching its peak.
In truth, many things were clear. The people of Chen Village, despite their numerous ill-conceived ideas, had more intelligent individuals. They didn’t need the village head to devise plans for them. They had managed to reap considerable benefits from the pig farm, albeit covertly. Although their development couldn’t compare to Daqing Village, it wasn’t too shabby either, far surpassing Little Lin Village.
The village committee had decided to start the training program in Little Lin Village simply because it was the most economically backward among the three villages. Little Lin Village was in dire need of guidance and development.
Upon hearing the village head’s words, many people began to panic. Had they misunderstood Gu Zi? Was Gu Zi genuinely trying to help them? If so, their actions had only made matters worse. It seemed as if they had suddenly come to a realization.
At this moment, a man stepped out from the crowd, guilt evident in his voice, “We might have made a mistake. I remember now, Zhu Ling is the cousin of Lin Laoyao’s wife. When Lin Jie hit Lin Lao’er, Gu Zi insisted on not reconciling and sent Lin Jie to jail. Zhu Ling must have been seeking revenge when she incited us against Gu Zi. We’ve been used.”
“Indeed, I remember now. Zhu Ling was lying all along. She claimed that Gu Zi was scheming to profit off us, but in reality, the training program is beneficial for us…” More and more people began to realize that they had been manipulated by Zhu Ling.
Everyone in Little Lin Village knew that Lin Laoyao’s wife’s family, although not numerous in the village, was famously united. Their interests were tightly intertwined. The other siblings, though not as malicious as Laoyao’s wife, were extremely supportive of their own.
They never criticized Laoyao’s wife’s wrongdoings, always presenting a united front. Over time, the villagers had subconsciously learned to tolerate this family. Now that they had been awakened, they understood the situation. However, when they looked around for Zhu Ling, she was nowhere to be found. Clearly, she had slipped away when she sensed the tide turning against her.
Su Ming roared in anger, “What are you looking for? You should be apologizing to Su Shen’s wife! You’re all as dumb as pigs, it’s unbelievable! Enough with the nonsense, go apologize now!”
As soon as the village head finished speaking, the crowd rushed forward to apologize. However, a few still refused to admit their mistakes, making excuses that they might have misunderstood Gu Zi.
This matter wasn’t proposed by Gu Zi, but she wasn’t teaching at the training program for free, was she? They were all fellow villagers, there was no need to be so calculative. There was no need for apologies.
“Village head, even if the training program is beneficial for us, Gu Zi, as the teacher, must be getting paid by the village, right? The village is spending money to hire her as a teacher, it’s only natural for her to guide us. There’s no need to make it seem like she’s making a huge sacrifice. We just misunderstood.”
“We just misunderstood!” Upon hearing this, Su Ming was so angry he could only laugh. Just as he was about to scold the man, Gu Zi’s mother, An Yun, suddenly stood up and said to the man, “You were the one who said our shop’s braised meat was selling well because we added something unspeakable, weren’t you? I remember correctly, it was you. Don’t panic, I just want to respond to you publicly.
“You need to be responsible for your words. The recipe for our shop’s braising sauce was painstakingly researched by my daughter Gu Zi and my daughter-in-law Li Hua. I can assure you, our braised meat tastes good not because we added any poppy flowers. Honestly, if it weren’t for the recent rumors, I wouldn’t even know such a thing existed.”
An Yun’s sudden interjection surprised everyone. Many people in Little Lin Village were even more taken aback. Ever since Gu Zi, her biological daughter, returned, Lao’er’s wife seemed to have changed a lot. She used to be the most agreeable person, but she lacked assertiveness. Now, she was different. Although she still spoke gently, she exuded a strong sense of confidence that made people want to believe her.
Gu Zi was also deeply moved. Since her arrival in this world, her biological mother had given her many surprises. She walked over to her mother, took her hand, and leaned into her.