Chapter 67
67 Arrogance (2)
The pancakes smelled so good!
—
It snowed again in the morning. Fortunately, it only snowed for a short while before stopping, so it did not affect Su Xiaoxiao’s walking.
It was noon when Su Xiaoxiao arrived at the village. At this time, most of the villagers were at their houses. However, more than half of the villagers had gathered at the Su family’s house, surrounding it tightly.
“Sister! You’re back!”
Su Ergou, who was fetching water at the village entrance, saw his sister. The three children, who insisted on following him to fetch water but were actually waiting for Su Xiaoxiao at the village entrance, pounced on her!
Su Xiaoxiao bent down and let the three little fellows bump into her.
She patted the heads of the three little ones. “Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu.”
After interacting with them for a while, she could distinguish them without counting the swirls on their heads.
The three little ones, who had been called the right name, were extremely happy. They fought to rub their heads against her palm. “Mother.”
Su Xiaoxiao was gradually used to this form of address and no longer corrected them insistently.
She patted their heads and touched their hands. “Are you cold?”
The three of them shook their heads. “Not cold.”
Waiting for their mother was not cold at all!
Su Ergou was ready with his water, and the family began to walk back.
“Did something happen to the Su family?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.
Su Ergou snorted. “Cousin wrote the word ‘fortune’ and some couplets for the Su family. The village chief and relatives of the Su family also received them. They even said that if there are more later, they would give them to the villagers for free. Everyone wants to see if they can grab a couplet. If they really can’t, they would snatch the word ‘fortune’.”
The couplets in town were very expensive. In addition to the cost of red paper, they also had to pay the person who wrote the couplets a little money.
Madam Huang and Chen Haoyuan could be said to have spent a lot of money to make the Su family look good.
Madam Fang and Madam Yang came out to paste the couplets. Their faces were filled with joy. The villagers surrounded them and praised them non-stop.
At this moment, Auntie Wu squeezed out of the Su family with her crying grandson.
The adults cherished spring couplets, but they didn’t want children. There was no choice. Auntie Wu could only leave first.
When she saw the siblings, she hurriedly said, “Daya! Ergou! Scholar Chen is writing a couplet. Hurry up and get a pair! He’s your cousin! He’ll definitely give it to you!”
Su Ergou rolled his eyes. Who wanted that guy’s couplets?
Auntie Wu shouted, “Scholar Chen! Fatty Su and Ergou is here to ask you for a couplet!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers instantly looked at the siblings.
“Didn’t you say that it would be our turn after writing Old Zhang’s?”
“That’s right. Why is there another couplet for someone else? Are you done?”
“We can’t fight with them! They’re Scholar Chen’s cousins!”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “Everyone, you’ve misunderstood. We’re not here for the couplets. We’re just passing by.”
Madam Huang finally found an opportunity to show off. She smiled proudly and mockingly. “If you want it, just say it. We’re relatives. Our Chen family can still afford it!”
Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, “I said I don’t want it.”
Auntie Wu advised, “Fat Lass, don’t throw a tantrum. Your aunt already said that she would give them to you. Why don’t you want it?”
Su Xiaoxiao said domineeringly, “I’m not interested!”
What did Fat Lass Su say?
She... wasn’t interested?
She actually looked down on the couplets written by Scholar Chen!
Fatty Su’s words successfully attracted everyone’s attention!
However, no one thought that she was telling the truth. On the contrary, they only felt that she was speaking out of spite!
Who was Chen Haoyuan? He was a scholar who was even more powerful than He Tongsheng. It was difficult to find another one!
On the other hand, couplets were as rare as meat in the countryside where they could only bear to eat two meals a day other than during the busy farming season!
Who didn’t want a couplet during the new year?
“Sigh, I’ve long heard that the two families don’t have a good relationship. They even made things so ugly previously,” a villager said.
They were talking about Madam Huang and her husband, Chen Feng, going to the Su family to arrange a marriage for their illegitimate son and Fatty Su. Chen Feng and his wife had their faces slapped by Fatty Su and her newlywed husband in public.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t have the cheek to ask for a couplet either.”
“Madam Chen didn’t argue with her and graciously offered her a couplet. Why doesn’t she want it?”
“I already said that she’s too ashamed to accept it.”
A few villagers discussed the matter among themselves. These people did not have this expression at the entrance of the Su family the previous time. Instead, they acted as if it had nothing to do with them and watched the show.
However, things were different now. In order to obtain the couplet written by Scholar Chen, almost everyone sided with Madam Huang.
Madam Huang was extremely comfortable with the words “forgiving and magnanimous”. In any case, she had to give away the last couplet. If she could gain a good reputation and step on this girl’s face, she had no reason to disagree.
She pretended to sigh. “Everyone, stop talking. My sister-in-law passed away early so she doesn’t have a mother to take care of her. It’s inevitable that she’s a little insensible. As her aunt, can I really argue with a child?”
These words were just short of saying that Fatty Su was motherless and did not receive a proper upbringing.
Madam Huang thought that she was being reasonable and said magnanimously, “Forget it, Fat Lass. I won’t make things difficult for you. Call me Aunt. I’ll give you this couplet.”
“Ah, really? Then what should we do?”
“Yes, we’ve been waiting for a day!”
“I’m really sorry. Fat Lass is Hao’s cousin after all...”
Madam Huang was halfway through her sentence when she turned around. Fat Lass Su was gone!
Had that wretched girl left without waiting for her to finish?
“Damn girl! Stop right there!”
Madam Huang was trembling with anger!
Su Xiaoxiao held the three little ones’ hands and said unhurriedly, “Ergou, tell her that I don’t want the couplets written by Chen Haoyuan.”
Su Ergou turned around and shouted, “My sister said we won’t want the couplet Chen Haoyuan wrote even if you pay us to accept it!”
Madam Huang extended her index finger and placed one hand on her hip. She scolded angrily, “You wretched girl! Keep being stubborn!”
Stubborn?
Su Xiaoxiao laughed angrily.
Putting aside Chen Haoyuan’s character, his handwriting-
She had seen the couplets posted by Madam Fang and Madam Yang clearly. The handwriting was far inferior to Wei Ting’s!
“Ergou, we’ll write our own couplets when we get back.”
Su Ergou turned around again and shouted, “My sister said we’ll write our own couplets when we get back!”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “You don’t have to tell them this...”
Madam Huang smiled. “Okay! Go and write! If you can write it, I’ll chop off my head for you!”
Did she think it was her first day getting to know Fatty Su? None of the family of three could read!
It would be fine if she didn’t take their couplet! Could she even write a couplet? She was bragging!
She wanted to see how the Su family would clean up the mess!