Chapter 60 Trouble Comes Knocking

Chapter 60 Trouble Comes Knocking

After the two finished discussing the matter, Hao Yu readily gave Liu the matchmaker's money as a thank you. Liu the matchmaker accepted the money and immediately went to deliver the message to the Chen family.

As expected, the Chen family did not mind that sixteen taels was too little. Hao Yu guessed correctly. The Chen family's only wish was to marry off Miss Chen as soon as possible.

Even if Hao Yu were willing to give sixteen taels, the Chen family would still be willing to arrange the marriage as long as he could live to marry Miss Chen.

Hao Yu finally chose the auspicious date of March 28th of next year. Before that, he planned to demolish and rebuild his house.

When he first settled in Mingfu Village years ago, he chose to build an adobe house instead of a brick house to avoid unnecessary trouble. Now that the world is at peace and he is about to get married and have children, Hao Yu no longer wants to make do with what he has.

Just then, Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang were also planning to build a house, so Hao Yu thought it best to demolish the old house and rebuild it.

Jiang Yuan then ordered another batch of materials. After ordering the materials, he went to discuss with the craftsmen and asked them to arrange a construction schedule for Hao Yu.

Although running around in the freezing cold was inevitably tiring, Jiang Yuan enjoyed it and worked with great enthusiasm.

Time flew by, and amidst everyone's busy work, it arrived at the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. On this day, Xie Wanniang used all the ingredients she had prepared in advance to cook a large pot of thick, soft, and sweet Laba porridge.

The hot, sweet, and richly flavorful Laba porridge, served with Laba garlic, cucumbers, and dried radishes as side dishes, brought smiles to everyone's faces in the family.

After breakfast, Xie Wanniang continued her embroidery, Xiao Yang stood on a small stool to wash the pots and dishes, and Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan took advantage of the fact that there was no snow on the mountain to go hunting together.

As usual, Xie Wanniang immediately locked the courtyard gate as soon as they left.

However, this time she was unable to use this method to secure a quiet opportunity to embroider.

Back in her room, Xie Wanniang had only stitched a few stitches when she heard a loud voice outside the courtyard, banging on the door and calling her "Miss Xie, Miss Xie".

Xie Wanniang frowned slightly. "Who is it? Is there something you need?"

The knocking and calling paused for a moment, then a voice came from outside the courtyard, "Hey, can't I come to you for no reason? We're all from the same village, can't I just chat with you?"

Xie Wanniang's voice remained gentle and soft. "I'm really sorry, I've taken on a job, and I'll have to pay compensation if I don't finish it. I'm busy working on it right now, so I really don't have time to chat."

This time, the voice outside the door paused for a longer time. "Then open the door. I need to ask you something. I'll leave as soon as I'm done, so as not to delay your work."

Upon hearing this, Xie Wanniang moved a ladder and leaned it against the wall, intending to climb up and see who it was. "I rarely leave my house, so you've come to the wrong person. Why don't you ask someone else?"

She was agile and, while talking, she had already climbed the ladder and poked her little head out over the wall.

With a quick glance, she saw a woman in her early forties standing impatiently outside the gate.

At this moment, the woman was kicking the door frame with her foot in a fit of anger, saying, "Since I've come to find you, it must be because I want to know something you know!"

Xie Wanniang secretly curled her lip, "Oh? What is it?"

"Open the door, and I'll tell you everything."

Xie Wanniang refused, "No, thank you. Just tell me what you want to say."

The woman cursed under her breath, "You little slut," and when she spoke again, her tone was uncontrollably tinged with anger, "How can I say anything through the door? Didn't your parents teach you how to treat guests?"

Xie Wanniang scoffed lightly, "If you can't say it, then don't say it."

As for the second part, Xie Wanniang didn't even bother to answer it.

A complete stranger she'd never even met came to her and started telling her about a customer—it was ridiculous!

When she asked "Who is it?", the woman didn't introduce herself at all. Who knows what her background is or what her intentions are?

After climbing down the ladder, Xie Wanniang waved to Xiao Yang, who had run out to investigate after hearing the noise.

"Xiaoyang, could you secretly take a look and see if the woman who insisted I open the door is from our village?"

Xiao Yang nodded and nimbly and quickly climbed the ladder.

Xie Wanniang held onto the ladder with both hands, ready to pounce and grab the child should Xiaoyang lose his footing.

Just then, the woman's loud banging and complaining voice came from outside the door again, "What's wrong with you, girl? I just wanted to ask you something, and you won't even open the door. We're all neighbors, you..."

"I don't know you," Xie Wanniang retorted loudly. "I'm just a young girl, what's wrong with me being cautious? What exactly are you planning to do by insisting on coming into my house?"

The woman became enraged, "Your home, your home? Is this your home? Why won't you let me in?"

Xie Wanniang laughed upon hearing this, "It's not my house, why should I open the door and let you in?"

The woman was speechless, while Xiao Yang, who was nimbly climbing down the ladder, tried his best to hold back his laughter.

“It’s Granny Wang from the west end of the village.” Xiao Yang, who was even more agile at climbing ladders than Xie Wan Niang, said to Xie Wan Niang in a low voice, still shaken, as the other woman’s cursing grew fainter in the distance. “Sister, you were right not to open the door.”

She told Xie Wanniang, "Aunt Wang loves to take advantage of others. Even though she grows a lot of vegetables in her own garden, she still likes to go to other people's vegetable gardens to pick them."

"No one could stop her, and many aunties and older women in the village had argued with her about this."

"And she always borrows this and that from others, and never pays it back. When others ask her for it back, she turns around and curses them for being stingy and miserly."

Xie Wanniang raised an eyebrow, "Don't her family members say anything about her?"

According to her observation, although the villagers lived a hard life, most of them still valued their reputation.

They may have various shortcomings, and they may do whatever they want in their own homes, but they will never borrow things from others and not return them, because that would make the villagers hesitant to lend them money or goods when they encounter difficulties in the future, or to help them get through the crisis.

Xiao Yang shook her head. "Her child is just like her, also likes to take advantage of others. Her husband said he didn't take the things and told everyone to go directly to his wife if they have any questions."

Xie Wanniang clicked her tongue, "Good heavens, this is too good at shirking responsibility."

He only said he didn't take it, but he didn't say he didn't eat it. So, he benefits from it when there's a good deal, but when there's trouble, he just shirks responsibility and slips away to the side.

This couple is truly bizarre, one after the other.

But that's not important. What's important is, "Why did she come to our house? It's the middle of winter, and we don't have a yard full of vegetables for her to steal."