Unjust Rumors!

Song Chunfang was desperately waving her hands, crying out, “No, no, I didn’t mean to harm anyone. I just talked about what Lin Shu was doing, that’s all.”

The onlookers, mostly older village women, came forward to testify. “These women are outrageous! They often gossip about others, and now they’re slandering Shaotang’s wife? What a disgrace! They’ve lost their conscience!”

These women had been gossiping freely, and it had become increasingly brazen.

It was impossible for others not to overhear.

Old Changtou initially tried to deny the allegations, claiming he was only sympathizing with the Lu family and merely lamenting about remarriage, but hadn’t said anything outrageous.

However, with everyone testifying against Song Chunfang and the four women accusing her, his attempts were futile.

Old Changtou felt a wave of dizziness; how could he be so unlucky?

Chang Laopo cried with snot and tears, “It was just some idle talk, not painful or harmful. It won’t make you lose a piece of meat. Why have we been beaten so badly? Who’s going to pay for the doctor’s fees? We don’t have that kind of money!”

Seeing Song Chunfang lying on the ground, unable to get up, Chang Laopo’s heart sank.

What if she was badly injured?

They didn’t have the money for treatment.

Although she was annoyed with Song Chunfang for causing trouble, family was family.

When faced with external aggression, they had to stick together.

Furthermore, she was quite satisfied with Song Chunfang as a daughter-in-law.

The Song family didn’t demand too much in dowry, and Song Chunfang was sweet-tongued, always flattering and endearing.

She often praised her father-in-law’s abilities, suggesting he could have been a village leader or an accounting team leader if not for the constraints placed upon him.

Old Changtou and his wife had never been happy with the Lu family.

Now that their daughter-in-law shared their sentiments about the Lu family, they felt a kinship with her.

They had always thought the Lu family was blind for missing out on a good daughter-in-law like Song Chunfang and marrying the strong, dark Lu Da instead.

They had been secretly pleased about it.

They didn’t expect things to turn out this way.

Old Changtou and Chang Dazhi looked sullen and aggrieved, stubbornly denying any knowledge of their daughter-in-law’s actions.

They claimed that any slanderous remarks were the fabrications of the other women, and they themselves were innocent victims of a baseless conspiracy.

They suddenly found themselves deeply experiencing the pain of being falsely accused and slandered.

Qiu Pozi, who had once been a servant to Lu Laopo (Great Grandfather Lu’s blind wife), pointed at Old Changtou and Chang Dazhi. “These two are clearly in the wrong. They think they can just brush this off with lies. They’ve always been discontent with Lu family, and now they’ve finally met their match!”

The villagers were incensed and rallied around Fang Dihua and the other women.

The confrontation became the talk of the village, with everyone siding against the Chang family for their underhanded tactics and false accusations.

Grimacing with rage, she said, “You and your son swore by the gods, Qin Erye and Guan Erye, that you didn’t speak ill of others. If you don’t tell the truth, you’ll face disaster, never have enough to eat or earn money in this life!

Your sons and grandsons will be useless and won’t care for you in old age! All your family’s good fortune will transfer to Shaotang’s wife and children!”

How could Song Chunfang’s slandering and harm be unrelated to these two men?

Did they think they could hide behind their daughter-in-law’s mistakes and say it had nothing to do with them?

Dream on!

Chang Dazhi, Old Chang, and his wife were stunned.

“Oh my goodness!”

This old woman was incredibly vicious!

The Chang family, who initially denied knowing about Song Chunfang’s gossip, were now speechless as if someone had choked them.

They clearly knew about her gossiping— they had even participated in it.

Chang Dazhi was even worse.

Ever since news of Lu Shaotang’s situation came back, he’d been reveling in the misfortune, talking about how the Lu family was finished.

He even discussed with Song Chunfang in private about how a widow’s delicate skin was perfect to become his mistress and suggested Song Chunfang bring the widow to get close to him.

How could he dare admit this?

Fang Dihua would have been willing to castrate him.

Old Chang tried to deny it but was rendered speechless by the curse from Qiu Pozi.

Chang’s wife, however, didn’t care about the curse.

She swore loudly, “Qiu Pozi, you’re the black-hearted one! You want to stir up trouble between us? You just enjoy the drama, right? You used to be a maid for them…”

Qiu Pozi spat and replied, “The land reform team leader said I was not a maid but a paid nanny for Old Lady Lu. Are you implying that even high-ranking officials have maids?”

Chang’s wife immediately fell silent.

Old Chang knew they had been caught and repeatedly bowed in apology. “Sister-in-law, I’m truly sorry. It wasn’t intentional. We were just sympathizing and spoke too much. Let’s forgive and forget.”

Chang’s wife tried to shift blame onto Fang Dihua, asking for compensation for the beating of their daughter-in-law, but there was no solution even when the production team leader arrived.

How vicious!

She was caught red-handed, just like a thief who breaks into a house, gets caught in the act, and is beaten half to death.

Back then, there was no sound legal system or regulations to protect the rights of suspects.

Getting caught was just like being caught in adultery or theft—there was only punishment!

Old Chang’s Wife still wanted compensation, but how could Fang Dihua satisfy her?

Fang Dihua didn’t even agree to settle things amicably.

She said coldly, “Everyone in the village knows that my third daughter-in-law is timid, right?

She’s afraid to go out after dark, afraid to speak loudly in front of people, and even afraid to scold animals.

When someone scolds her, she cries at home for half the day. You hide behind her house, scolding her three meals a day—aren’t you trying to force her to death?”

Aunt Li and Old Qiu shouted, “Yes! They’re trying to force her to death!”

Old Chang then bowed to the production team leader, asking him to help mediate.

Team Leader Lu felt somewhat embarrassed.

Though his surname was Lu, he was not a brother within the same generation as Old Lu; they were only related by clan.

Moreover, Old Lu gave him face, but Fang Dihua didn’t care about that.

This woman was wild and temperamental.

If you offended her and stirred up her anger, she would not let it go.

She might even make things difficult for you later, insisting on getting her way, otherwise, no one would have a good outcome.

In fact, when he was younger, the production team leader had heard of Fang Dihua’s reputation.

Her brothers couldn’t beat her, and despite coming from a wealthy peasant family, she had worked with the Women’s Rescue Association and had even been a militia member!

Later, due to policy reasons, she had to avoid suspicion and focus on raising her children, so she stopped being involved with the militia.

Why did Song Chunfang have to provoke her?

Even the most arrogant hooligans from neighboring villages wouldn’t dare to provoke Fang Dihua!

Old Mrs. Chang was still grumbling about reporting to the commune, and the production team leader thought she was really looking for trouble.

You want to report to the commune?

For such a small matter, do you really think the commune has time to deal with you?

Those who can go to the commune are usually those qualified to be publicly tried and executed.

Those who are not qualified are dealt with by the village’s cadres.

Now, it was Fang Dihua who refused to let things go!

Fang Dihua pointed at Song Chunfang and a few other women, “Make them apologize publicly in the team, slap themselves and say, ‘I was wrong, I won’t dare to gossip and spread rumors again, next time I’ll just pull out my tongue.’ Say it thirty times to remind those who love to gossip.”

Whoever gossips about her third daughter-in-law again, Song Chunfang and the others will serve as a living example.

She then pointed at Old Chang and Chang Dazhi, “They will take responsibility for her acknowledging her mistake.”

Fang Dihua considered herself quite reasonable—she didn’t catch them in the act, didn’t make them apologize in person, and only made a statement about it.

Old Chang’s face turned bright red, feeling like his skin was being torn off and trampled.

Chang’s Wife face was purple with anger.

Aunt Li said, “Sister-in-law, they need to apologize to the brigade.”

Old Chang quickly said, “Please, let it be just the production team. It’s too embarrassing for the whole brigade.”

The brigade has five production teams.

While apologizing in the team would still spread the word, it wouldn’t be as humiliating as apologizing in front of the entire brigade.

Chang Dazhi refused to back down. “How can I walk with my head held high in the future if I do that?”

Fang Dihua sneered, “No apology? Fine, we’ll drag this out. I’ll make sure to beat them every time I see them! I’ll tell everyone about your slandering and harming others. I’ll make sure your families can’t lift their heads in the entire brigade and commune!”

She intended to make sure that everyone in the surrounding villages knew about the Chang family’s reputation for gossiping and slandering.

The other women’s husbands and in-laws immediately panicked, urging, “We agree to the apology, we’ll go right away!”

One woman’s mother-in-law even slapped her daughter-in-law and yanked her ears, insisting she go apologize.

Another woman’s mother-in-law used a stick to beat her daughter-in-law, cursing her for causing trouble at home and demanding she apologize quickly to avoid further disgrace.

If this continued to the brigade or commune, the whole family would be shamed, along with their relatives.

In this era, if someone was beaten for their misdeeds, people would only say they deserved it and cheer on the punishment.

At noon, Song Chunfang and the other women were brought to the production team’s courtyard, lined up on the stage, and had to slap themselves and apologize aloud.

The entire production team turned out to watch—men, women, and children—making it more crowded than during the New Year celebrations.

Someone yelled, “Speak louder! Show us the spirit you had when you were gossiping!”

“Shaotang’s wife is such a good person. She’s already timid, and these heartless people still spread rumors about her!”

“Isn’t that trying to force her to death?”

“How awful, truly heartless!”

By the time Song Chunfang had received 21 slaps, she passed out.

Fang Dihua showed no mercy, waking her up with a bucket of water and continuing to slap her.

What about showing mercy and forgiving?

Nonsense!

Did these scoundrels think about that when they were spreading rumors behind her house every day?

If you think Song Chunfang is pitiful, let the whole village spread rumors about you and see if you can hold your head up when you go outside. See if you still feel sorry for her!

Fang Dihua, known for her fiery temper and fierce nature, wasn’t afraid of being labeled as harsh.

Since she had started, she wouldn’t stop until she had thoroughly punished them.

If she didn’t make them suffer, they might continue to provoke her and test her limits.

Due to Fang Dihua’s ferocity, no one dared to publicly say things like “Song Chunfang is really pitiful; she has admitted her mistake, so don’t mistreat her” in front of others.

Lin Shu, holding Sweetie with her left hand and Waiting with her right, wearing newly made cross-band cloth shoes, stood at the entrance of the alley and watched the crowd in the courtyard from a distance.

Although she couldn’t see Song Chunfang’s embarrassed face, she felt an unusual sense of joy.

Finally, she had avenged the original owner!

She felt as if an invisible shackle had been broken, and she was relaxed and comfortable.

Someone had her back!

Since her grandmother’s death in her past life, she hadn’t felt the care of family, but now Fang Dihua made her feel very safe and happy!

Her mother-in-law is so great; I must be very filial to her!

Hmm, the second pair of shoes should be for my mother-in-law.

“Third Sister-in-law, hurry up! We’re starving in the fields, and… new shoes? You, you’re wearing my new shoes?” Second Sister-in-law Lu, who had rushed back home starving to find food, noticed the new shoes on Lin Shu’s feet.