Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Old Man Yang hadn't spoken yet when an older woman chimed in snidely, "Oh, some people are just shameless. Every single day, they play dumb and act clueless."

"I say, if you're broke, just walk. Why ride at all? And then after riding, you make a scene and refuse to pay. Tsk tsk, so embarrassing."

"Oh, big sister, you're wrong. To know shame, you need to have some shame. But someone shameless wouldn't know shame if it hit them."

The one who replied was a young wife who looked only a few years older than Lu Wanxiao. As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at Lu Wanxiao, her eyes filled with disdain, mockery, and... envy.

Yes, envy.

She envied that Lu Wanxiao, who was lazy and gluttonous, did no work all day, couldn't even take care of her own husband, yet still ate well and drank well, often going to town to buy things. Song Changting didn't boss her around or even yell at her.

And she, on the other hand, just because she gave birth to a daughter, had to work in the fields every day, do all the laundry and cooking at home. If she did poorly or was slow, she got scolded by her mother-in-law and her husband.

This trip to town only happened after she begged her husband for ages, and the money he gave her was calculated exactly for what she needed to buy—just enough, not a cent more.

Why should Lu Wanxiao, someone even a dog would avoid, have such a good life?

Lu Wanxiao had no idea what this young wife was thinking, but she understood the meaning behind their words.

So they thought she was going to ride for free?

So they had actually heard her shouting earlier?

Come on, it was just one copper coin. Was it really that serious?

Too lazy to argue, Lu Wanxiao just took out a copper coin and handed it to Old Man Yang. "Here, Grandpa Yang, the fare."

Old Man Yang was from the same generation as Lu Wanxiao's grandfather, whom she'd never met, so by seniority, Lu Wanxiao should call him Grandpa. But the old Lu Wanxiao either didn't address him at all, or followed the aunties in calling him Uncle Yang, or simply called him Old Man Yang.

Unexpectedly, Lu Wanxiao paid up so readily this time and even called him Grandpa Yang. Old Man Yang was stunned, even forgetting to take the money. The others on the cart also stared at her as if seeing a ghost.

"Isn't it one copper coin per ride? Or has the price gone up?" Lu Wanxiao asked, puzzled, seeing that Old Man Yang hadn't taken the money.

"Oh, no, no, no price increase." Old Man Yang said, taking the coin from Lu Wanxiao. "It's still one copper coin per ride."

Old Man Yang put the money away, flicked his whip, lightly tapped the ox, and they moved on.

As for the fare Lu Wanxiao had stiffed him on last time, since she didn't voluntarily offer it, Old Man Yang didn't bring it up either. He considered it a free ride, after all, Scholar Lu and Song Changting had helped him before.

Just as the wheels started turning, the first old woman spoke up again. "Oh, so you've got money now? Don't tell me you secretly sold some of Song Changting's books again?"

Lu Wanxiao was lazy and wild, spending money without earning a cent. The family's funds only went out, never came in. When she ran out of money, she sold things. Over the past two years, everything saleable in the house was just about gone. If there was anything still worth something, it was probably Song Changting's few books.

Last time Lu Wanxiao didn't pay for the cart was because after buying things, she couldn't even scrape together a single copper coin.

Now that Lu Wanxiao was paying so readily, their first thought was that she had sold Song Changting's books.

After all, even Song Changting's younger brother had been sold off by Lu Wanxiao. The Song household had become a place even thieves would avoid.

As soon as the old woman finished, another chimed in to support her. "Ah, poor Changting. First, he went to take the exams and suffered that misfortune, and then he ended up with such a worthless wife. He must have been cursed for generations."

"Indeed, it's truly a sin. The other day I went to ask Changting to read a letter for me. You wouldn't believe how thin he looked—it was heartbreaking. I gave him a few eggs, but I wonder if he even got a single one."

"Oh, Sister Li, you're just wasting eggs. Don't you remember, when Changting's leg first broke, the chicken the village head's family brought over—who ended up eating it? I heard Changting didn't even get a sip of the soup. Those eggs of yours, Changting probably never even saw them."

"Sigh, every time I see him hobbling on crutches to fetch water or gather firewood, it's both sad and painful. But the kid is too proud and refuses help from others."

"Having a wife is worse than not having one. Sigh, it's really a sin..."

The aunties shifted the topic to Song Changting, and once they started, they couldn't stop, chattering endlessly.

Lu Wanxiao listened and thought, Damn! That's just too messed up. If they weren't talking about her, she'd want to join in and curse along.

"Sigh!"

Hearing her sigh, the others suddenly remembered she was still there and quickly shut up.

If it were the old Lu Wanxiao, hearing others talk like this, she'd have cursed them out fiercely, starting with their parents and going all out. On a really bad day, she'd even curse out their ancestors for eighteen generations.

But today, Lu Wanxiao didn't curse back. There wasn't even a hint of anger on her face. She didn't even look at them, as if she hadn't heard a word.

Seeing this, the two women who had spoken exchanged surprised glances, trying to see if she was plotting something bad.

But Lu Wanxiao spoke at that moment. "Aunties, why are you staring at me? It's fine, go ahead, don't mind me."

"..."

They exchanged looks, a hint of confusion in their eyes. How could Lu Wanxiao seem so different in just a few days?

By her usual style, shouldn't she be cursing them out? They'd already braced for a fight.

Lu Wanxiao glanced at them and gave a slight smile. "What? Didn't I curse you like usual? You feeling uncomfortable? Or am I ruining your fun?"

"You..." The women were left speechless and reluctantly shut up.

To be honest, they knew exactly what kind of person Lu Wanxiao was. But the things she did were just unbearable. No matter what, they wouldn't do what she did—neglect her injured husband, sell her brother-in-law, or drive her mother-in-law to death.

So every time they saw Lu Wanxiao, they couldn't help saying something.

Now that Lu Wanxiao had called them out, they couldn't keep going.

As for the young wife who both despised and envied Lu Wanxiao, after everyone fell silent, she glanced at Lu Wanxiao and said, "Some people, when they had no money, relied on Grandpa Yang's kindness to throw fits and ride for free. Now that they have money, they know to pay up. Honestly, their face is so thick that even a knife stab wouldn't hit flesh!"

Lu Wanxiao: "..."

What the hell? "Face so thick a knife can't hit the flesh"?

She hadn't said a word to this woman since getting on the cart, nor had she touched her. Why was there so much hostility? Anyone would think she'd stolen this woman's husband!

Lu Wanxiao turned and squinted, sizing up the woman, wondering if the original owner had some grudge against her.