Chapter 36: Chapter 036: Scolded by the River
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Sheng Ning remembered this matter, it was indeed something she did when she was being reckless. Qin Cuifen was also washing clothes at the time, making many misleading remarks indirectly which fueled her anger, leading her to tear the clothes in a fit of rage.
“It’s okay, you were still young then, it’s normal not to understand.”
Lao San, carrying a hoe outside, impatiently urged, “Hurry up, if we don’t leave now it’ll be noon soon.”
The whole family quickly got busy with their work. Sheng Ning tidied up the house a bit first, sorted the clothes, and then took the washboard, detergent, and a plastic basin to the river outside the village.
The task of washing clothes was not unfamiliar to her. When she first entered prison, newcomers were always bullied. Each person had to wash the clothes of everyone in the room, and she had washed clothes for a whole year before someone new came in to take over.
Walking through the village, everyone glanced at her with strange looks, and many were whispering.
Sheng Ning figured it was because her actions yesterday had been discovered, and people were badmouthing her behind her back again. She pretended not to know and proceeded to the riverside. She worked swiftly, finishing a basin of clothes quickly.
Just as she was about to leave, Second Aunt Qin came twisting her way over with a basin. Seeing her from afar, she shouted, “Oh, isn’t this Sheng’s third family’s murderer? She’s out here again? Quite bold, I must say.” Originally, Second Aunt Qin wouldn’t dare say such things when Sheng Ning was in the city, but now that she had offended the village chief’s family last night, it would be hard for the Sheng family to maintain their footing in the village.
She had long been displeased with Sheng Ning, this little vixen who had the face of a seductress, and naturally seized the chance to kick her when she was down.
As soon as Sheng Ning heard the word “murderer,” she grew furious. The memories of being imprisoned came flooding back, making her deeply buried hatred rise again.
Staring at Second Aunt Qin with red eyes, she said, “What…why are you looking at me? Can’t a murderer be talked about? Or do you prefer being called a vixen?”
“Which eye of yours saw me kill someone? Who did I kill?” Sheng Ning retorted.
“That one hit with the bench was clearly an attempt to kill. If the village chief hadn’t had a big life, he’d have been dead by now,” Second Aunt Qin said sharply. She then raised her voice, calling other girls and young wives washing clothes nearby to come judge the situation, “Everyone, come see for yourselves, am I wrong? She just wanted to kill the village chief!”
“I saw it myself, that hit was vicious.”
“That’s right, the village chief fell to the ground with a bleeding head right then and there. I heard he’s still lying on the kang at home!”
People laughed and agreed, gloating at Sheng Ning’s plight.
“So you’re the vixen who tried to kill my brother,” an angry voice emerged from the crowd, and a woman in her twenties rushed over, raising her hand to slap Sheng Ning.
Of course, Sheng Ning wasn’t willing to take it, grabbing the woman’s wrist and flinging her aside.
“What do you think you’re doing? Hitting someone?” She wasn’t easy to deal with either, having been through so much, she had picked up a lot of fighting tricks.
“I’m avenging my brother,” the woman, with her sharp triangular eyes and thin, colorless lips, said.
Sheng Ning recognized her, the village chief’s sister, named Ding Laidi. She had been arrogant since childhood and was the second girl in the village to be unable to marry.
“Your brother brought this on himself,” Sheng Ning sneered. In hindsight, she wished she had kicked even harder last night.