Chapter 808: The Weeping Girl
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Upon hearing the vulgar language, Gu Zi furrowed her brows deeply. However, considering her plan, she suppressed her disgust and stepped forward to ask, “How can you be so sure it’s this house, just because you heard a dog barking?”
The middle-aged woman turned her head, revealing a flattering smile. Her large gold tooth next to her front teeth was exposed, a bit of green stuck to it, evoking a sense of revulsion.
“Madam, you may not know, but we are all honest and hardworking families here, except for this one. This family is poor and unwilling to live a modest life. They are always thinking of crooked ways to make money, naturally resorting to petty thefts. Especially their daughter, Zhang Yao, that little harlot, she thinks she’s something special.”
“We felt sorry for her, a woman alone with an elderly mother to care for and not much education. We thought of letting my son marry her, to make her life a bit easier. But she looked down on our family. I loathe her! Does this little harlot think she’s so beautiful that she can dream all day of climbing up the social ladder, of becoming someone’s mistress?”
Gu Zi couldn’t bear to listen any longer and interrupted coldly, “Your mouth really stinks. If you continue , I won’t do business with you.”
Seeing Gu Zi’s anger, the middle-aged woman finally restrained herself. She thought about these ladies from official families, who were very particular and had too much free time. But she slapped herself, “Oh my, I’m such a coarse person, I’ve offended the madam. It’s just that woman who’s made me angry. Zhang Yao, open the door, don’t hide inside, I know you’re home!”
The door was kicked again, causing a loud “bang” noise. A few seconds later, the door opened from the inside. A young girl with a beautiful face, petite but well-proportioned, lifted her head. Seeing the people in front of her, she forcibly hid the fear in her eyes and summoned up some courage to say to the middle-aged woman, “Aunt Cui, don’t bully me too much. I will never marry your son. I won’t marry anyone!”
Aunt Cui had always wanted to force Zhang Yao to submit, to make her obediently marry her thrice-divorced, middle-aged son. Like the other neighbors, she had repeatedly oppressed Zhang Yao. But to her surprise, Zhang Yao remained defiant.
Now, Aunt Cui was even more determined. To get that gold bracelet, she had to frame Zhang Yao for stealing the dog. By doing this, she would gain two benefits. Only a fool wouldn’t do it. Seeing how the officer’s wife loved her dog, she knew Zhang Yao was in for a tough time. If her son couldn’t have Zhang Yao, then no one else could. She would rather see Zhang Yao ruined.
Aunt Cui was spinning tales again, “You think my son is so smitten with you. The one who sought you out today is this lady of rank. You’ve stolen her beloved dog, and we can’t just let it slide. I must say, just because you’re poor doesn’t mean you should be short of ambition. To think you’d stoop so low as to steal a dog from Jifu New Village, making these distinguished people look down on us, the residents of the Tube Building.”
Zhang Yao was no stranger to these baseless accusations, but she still couldn’t face them with a calm heart. She glanced at Aunt Cui, then at the elegant and noble lady of rank. She didn’t have time to ponder why the lady seemed familiar. In an instant, a wave of grievances welled up in her heart, and she began to cry.
“You’re being too much, Aunt Cui. What dog? I’ve never stolen a dog. How can you accuse me ? Madam, I didn’t steal your dog, I really didn’t. Aunt Cui and the others see me as helpless, with my only mother always bedridden, they’ve bullied me in every way possible. But today, I’m truly exhausted. If it comes to it, I’ll just drag my mother and die in front of you.”
The young girl’s cries were filled with sorrow and resentment, her long-held grievances hidden in her tears, which seemed to flow endlessly. Gu Zi felt a pang of sympathy. This wasn’t her first encounter with this girl. She had seen Zhang Yao before when she was having tea at Grandma Gao’s house. According to Grandma Gao, Zhang Yao was seventeen or eighteen, and after dropping out of high school, she single-handedly supported her entire family.
She lived in the Tube Building, taking care of her ailing mother while earning money by doing odd jobs in people’s homes. Seeing her and her mother without any support, the people around her often bullied her. Some even wanted Zhang Yao to become a cheap daughter-in-law for their families, harboring ill intentions.
The first time Grandma Gao met Zhang Yao was at a wealthy household in Jifu New Village. Zhang Yao had secretly passed a plea for help to Grandma Gao. In the note, she wrote that she was doing odd jobs for this family, and the male head of the household had taken a liking to her, forcing her to become his mistress. She hadn’t been home for two days, and she would rather die than become someone’s mistress. She had no interest in the gold and silver jewelry the man offered her; she only wanted to earn money with her own hands.
Grandma Gao pitied her but also admired her. Such a good girl should have a better fate. Grandma Gao mentioned that her own family was in need of such a diligent worker. She directly asked the female head of the household for Zhang Yao and, right under the man’s nose, took Zhang Yao away.