Driven Out Of The Village

Chen Baiyi heaved a sigh of relief as she watched Old Madam Wang leave. In fact, she did not know how Li Zhimin died, but he usually did not drink and the river he drowned in wasn't along the road that led to his house either. When she heard about it, she felt that something was amiss. After she had tricked Old Madam Wang, she could tell from her reaction that it was not an accident.

Now that the time to return the money had been extended to half a year, she could take a gamble and start a small business. With this in mind, Chen Baiyi laid on the bed and slept with her clothes on.

The next morning, for some reason, there was a commotion outside the door. Chen Baiyi was awakened by the sound and sighed heavily—it seemed that the repair of the door could not be delayed any further.

She walked out and saw a group of women surrounding her door. The one leading them was Zhang Xiulan's biological sister, Zhang Xiumei. She pointed at Chen Baiyi and said, "Jinx, get out of the village!"

Chen Baiyi was calm and composed as she said, "On what basis?"

"On the basis that you've ruined the reputation of all the girls in the village." Zhang Xiumei pulled the woman beside her. "Ms. Liu's daughter's engagement was canceled yesterday. They said that they were afraid that the girls in the village would jinx their husband. If you don't leave now, the rumors will spread even further. How will our daughters marry?"

Mrs. Liu wiped her tears and said, "Baiyi, don't blame me for being ruthless, but you really can't stay in the village anymore."

"Who can't stay in the village anymore?" Before Chen Baiyi could speak, a deep male voice sounded from behind everyone.

The women turned their heads in unison. When they saw that the person who came was the village chief, they were so frightened that they immediately dispersed. Only Zhang Xiumei and Auntie Liu stood stubbornly on the spot without moving. However, Auntie Liu lowered her head and didn't dare to say a word.

The village chief came over with his hands behind his back. When he saw Zhang Xiumei and Auntie Liu, he asked, "What happened?"

The little girl beside him said in a clear voice, "I know." Then, she repeated their conversation.

The village chief said to Auntie Liu in exasperation, "Your daughter was caught seducing a man and that was why her engagement was called off. I didn't tell anyone for your sake, but how can you slander innocent people?"

Auntie Liu trembled and didn't dare to retort. She only said, "It's Xiumei who asked me to…"

Zhang Xiumei scolded her loudly, "You were the one who asked me to seek justice for your daughter. If I knew that your daughter was a loose woman, I wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess."

"My daughter is not promiscuous. It's her boyfriend's fault for always hitting her. Her friend was just comforting her," Auntie Liu explained. "The two of them are innocent."

The village chief waved his hand and interrupted their argument. "No matter who's right or wrong, you can't blame this on Chen Baiyi in the future. You have to believe in science, understand?"

The group of people left angrily.

Chen Baiyi went forward to thank the village chief. The village chief pointed at Auntie Lin and said, "Fortunately, Auntie Lin was quick-witted. She saw that the situation wasn't right and secretly came to find me."

Chen Baiyi looked at Auntie Lin gratefully. Auntie Lin said casually, "We're neighbors. If you have any difficulties, I can't just sit by and do nothing, right?"

"No matter what, I have to thank you," Chen Baiyi said. "I'll tidy up the house later and treat you guys to dinner."

Before the two of them could refuse, the little girl who had just explained the situation to the village chief said, "And me!" She was Auntie Lin's granddaughter. Ever since she had drunk Chen Baiyi's chicken soup, she had never forgotten about it.

Chen Baiyi smiled and hugged her. "No problem. I'll cook a feast for you later."