Paying Respects to the Village Mayor's Wife

At Wu Caiwei's home, Su Li sat down. Between two close friends, there were no secrets. Su Li recounted the rumor as a joke to Wu Caiwei.

After hearing it, Wu Caiwei said, "Qin Sanniang is really something, deliberately opposing us and spreading baseless rumors! She knows nothing and just talks nonsense, even claiming you introduced me to Brother Zhang Mu. Everyone in our village knows I have known Zhang Mu since we were kids."

Su Li laughed and said, "Exactly, everyone knows Zhang Mu has had his eye on you since childhood and has been determined to make you his wife."

Wu Caiwei blushed and took out a cloth bundle from the side, saying, "A Li, look, this is the new outfit I made for Brother Zhang Mu. Tomorrow he's becoming the village chief and will be giving a speech at the academy! I want him to look dignified in new clothes."

Su Li opened the bundle, and indeed the new clothes inside were very beautiful, with fine stitching — truly worthy of Wu Caiwei's handiwork.

Su Li smiled and said, "You really put thought into it. Dressing up your husband so handsomely, aren't you afraid someone will snatch him away? I heard quite a few people in our village have their eyes on Zhang Mu."

Wu Caiwei laughed, "I'm not afraid at all. He's mine; no one else can take him! Ah, I didn't expect my Zhang Mu to become the village chief. From now on, I'll be the village chief's wife."

Su Li laughed and deliberately cupped her hands, saying, "Greetings to the village chief's wife!"

"Hahaha!"

The two close friends laughed and joked. While they were talking, outside, Wu Daifu was seen holding Little Clown.

Su Li said, "Caiwei, your father really dotes on Little Clown."

Wu Caiwei half sighed, half worried, "Yes, my father holds the child all day and won't let go. I can't even take him away. If it weren't for the baby needing to nurse at night and sleep with me, I think my father wouldn't want to give the child back to me at night."

Su Li looked through the window at Wu Daifu lovingly holding the child and sighed, "The matter of losing the child must have scared your father, so he's especially doting on Little Clown."

"Yes, this child was pitiful from the start, almost lost. Just thinking about it makes my heart race. I often dream at night about losing the child. A Li, once a woman has a child, it's like she puts half her heart beside the child. If the child really gets lost, it's unimaginable," Wu Caiwei sighed.

Su Li stayed at Wu Caiwei's home for half a day. The two close friends ate together, and only around dusk did Su Li take Bailu and head home.

On the way home, villagers' gazes were no longer so strange, indicating that Sister Hong and others had quickly dispelled the rumors.

Passing by Qin Sanniang's home, Su Li heard a boy's wailing cries like ghostly howls from the courtyard, mixed with Zhang Zhuzi's cursing and Qin Sanniang's sharp scolding.

"Bailu, what's going on?" Su Li paused, frowning. The whole village knew Zhang Zhuzi had a fiery temper. He used to beat Tang Shi frequently, almost every three days a little, every five days a lot.

Now that Tang Shi was gone, Su Li suddenly realized that the one Zhang Zhuzi was hitting now must be...

"Zhang Zhuzi is hitting his son, of course." Bailu frowned, clearly disapproving of Zhang Zhuzi's domestic violence. But in ancient times, beating one's wife and children was considered a family matter outsiders couldn't interfere with. So villagers could only tell Zhang Zhuzi not to be so harsh on his son, but it was useless.

Just as Bailu finished speaking, Zhang Zhuzi's gate opened and Zhang Zhaocai rushed out, limping but running fast.

Zhang Zhuzi chased after him with a thick stick, jumping and cursing, "You little brat dare to run? If you don't come home, I'll beat you to death! Pah!"