Grandma Zhou’s home wasn’t too far, so Yue Xiaofang didn’t have the driver take her.
Carrying large and small gift boxes in her hands, she planned to take a leisurely stroll there.
It was a good opportunity to see the changes in Daye Village along the way.
Halfway there, Yue Xiaofang caught sight of a somewhat familiar person in the distance, but she couldn’t be completely certain.
The man’s hair was half white, and he carried a shoulder pole, with a bucket of water hooked at either end.
He was hunched over, whether from the weight of the buckets or the heavy burdens of life, it was hard to say.
Yue Xiaofang stood and watched for a while but still couldn’t remember who it was.
It wasn’t until a mother passed by with her son in tow.
The boy curiously looked at the man too, but his mother jerked his neck back.
"Don’t look at him, Qiu Maode is sick in the head, you don’t want him to fixate on you."
Yue Xiaofang had an epiphany, finally recalling who the person was.
Back in the grove, Yue Xiaofang had been so desperate that she even picked up a rock, contemplating dying alongside him.
Fortunately, her brother was brought by Qingqing shortly after, who helped her out of the predicament in a roundabout way.
She hadn’t expected that Qiu Maode, who once seemed strong and imposing, would fall to such a state.
But Yue Xiaofang felt no sympathy for him, considering that the Qiu Family were able-bodied with many brothers; if they truly wanted to work hard, they wouldn’t be so poor that they couldn’t lift their pot lids.
Yet, he had tried to possess her through such disgusting methods, leaving Yue Xiaofang with no choice but suicide or marrying into that family.
Falling to such lows served him right!
Yue Xiaofang quickly grasped her things and hurried on, not wanting to be seen by such a person.
But coincidentally, at that moment, Qiu Maode turned his head as if sensing something and saw Yue Xiaofang’s figure in the distance.
He set down the buckets and rubbed his eyes.
Was that Yue Xiaofang?
Qiu Maode hesitated for a while, then dismissed the idea as unlikely.
The villagers all said Yue Xiaofang was now very successful, a big boss in the city with her own brand.
Some people bought her clothes which were nice-looking, durable, and reasonably priced; apparently, many women in the city recognized the brand.
Qiu Maode couldn’t help but remember how his family had once wanted him to marry Yue Xiaofang.
Alas, had he earnestly pursued her back then, maybe the outcome would have been different?
No, that’s wrong, a surge of resentment flashed in Qiu Maode’s eyes.
Yue Xiaofang was a woman who didn’t know what was good for her, and normal methods probably wouldn’t have worked on her.
When Yue Jiannan wrongfully accused him, he shouldn’t have panicked; he should have insisted it was Yue Xiaofang who called him over for an affair.
Then she would have been forced to marry him.
He wouldn’t have ended up at such an age, still unable to find a wife, avoided by all, men and women alike, in the village.
If Yue Xiaofang had married him, all the money she earned would have been his and the Qiu Family’s, and they would have become one of the village’s wealthiest and most envied families.
Qiu Maode smacked his lips, his face revealing a rapturous expression as he clearly indulged in such dreams often.
"Qiu Maode, where have you gone off to die? Even picking up two buckets of water, you’re slacking off?"
The shrill voice carried from afar, and Qiu Maode could only respond to his mother while continuing to carry the water buckets on his shoulders.
Step by step, he headed in the direction of his home.
By the time Yue Xiaofang arrived at Grandma Zhou’s yard, she was already sweating profusely.
Grandma Zhou was just as she had been before, sitting in the courtyard on a sun lounger, squinting in the sunlight.
She seemed to have more wrinkles than before, but her spirit was still very good, and her eyes were sharp.
She could even tell when someone in the yard wasn’t sewing earnestly, making them pick out the thread and sew it again.
"Grandma Zhou!" Yue Xiaofang greeted warmly, piling the gifts beside the old lady.
Grandma Zhou straightened up, looking at Yue Xiaofang with a smile.
"Xiaofang, how come you’ve got time to come back?" she said, her teeth wobbly and her speech slightly airy.
Yue Xiaofang affectionately embraced her, "I’ve come back to see you."
Although Grandma Zhou was old, her mind was very clear.
"I remember the first time you came to my yard, looking for work to help you out. Surely there’s no visit without a reason now, let’s go inside and talk," she said.
Yue Xiaofang couldn’t help feeling impressed; with age came craftiness indeed.
No wonder, after all these years, Grandma Zhou still controlled the women’s work resources in Daye Village.