Chapter 22: She Only Desired That Patch of Wasteland
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“Whose daughter is that? She’s truly beautiful!”
“Her skin is so delicate, it looks as though you could squeeze water from it!”
“Exactly! Just look at those men. They act as if they’ve never seen a woman before—like dogs that have spotted a bone…”
“Hahaha…”
The women sat together, discussing what had just happened. Every one of them wore a radiant smile, as though they had witnessed the most beautiful sight in the world.
Yet at that moment, a figure suddenly rushed over, shattering the harmony and tranquility. It was Little Qing. Her face was twisted with fury, flames of anger flickering in her eyes. Jealousy had completely consumed her reason.
“Auntie, what are you talking about? She’s nothing but a fool—the wife Brother Xuan bought and brought home,” Little Qing said viciously, her voice filled with resentment and hatred.
Her words exploded among them like a clap of thunder, leaving everyone staring at her in astonishment.
Little Qing continued to vent her anger. “She’s vicious. Whenever one of her fits comes on, she beats not only her parents-in-law at home, but even her sister-in-law. The day before yesterday, I merely exchanged a few words with Brother Xuan, and she beat me up. That woman is absolutely insane.”
As she spoke, Little Qing pulled up her sleeve, revealing the bruises on her arm as proof that she was telling the truth.
“Look for yourselves. These are the injuries she left on me.” She sobbed, tears welling in her eyes, appearing utterly aggrieved.
Everyone’s gaze fell upon Little Qing’s wounds, and the women immediately began whispering among themselves. They had originally been filled with goodwill toward the beautiful young woman, but now Little Qing’s words left them shocked.
“What good is a beautiful face? She’s a madwoman!” Little Qing said through clenched teeth, her tone full of contempt and disdain.
Hearing this, the women could not help frowning. They sympathized with Little Qing’s misfortune and began comforting her while condemning that “madwoman’s” behavior.
Before long, they had all joined the discussion, chatting excitedly.
Little Qing’s intentions were malicious. She painted Luo Yunhe as a woman guilty of every imaginable sin. To the villagers, she recounted Luo Yunhe’s many “misdeeds,” portraying her as a wicked and detestable woman who would stop at nothing.
“Miss, there it is—that’s the village chief’s home…”
The men’s eyes seemed unwilling to leave her for even a moment, and Luo Yunhe had endured their stares the entire way. She felt deeply uncomfortable and embarrassed, but still smiled politely in gratitude.
“Thank you, gentlemen! I’ll head inside now. You can all go back to whatever you were doing!” Luo Yunhe tried to escape their attention, hoping to enter the village chief’s home as quickly as possible.
“All right, all right…”
The men answered one after another, yet continued standing where they were, their gazes still fixed on Luo Yunhe.
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Seeing that they remained standing there foolishly, with no intention of leaving, Luo Yunhe let out a helpless sigh and stepped forward to knock on the door.
“Who is it?” a woman’s voice came from inside the courtyard.
A moment later, a series of footsteps approached, and the door slowly opened.
“Whom are you looking for?” The village chief’s wife looked at Luo Yunhe with some confusion.
When she noticed the group of men standing behind her, her bewilderment deepened. They were all villagers from the area, so why had they followed this unfamiliar young woman?
Luo Yunhe answered with a smile, “I’m here to see the village chief. Is he at home?” She maintained a graceful, courteous smile.
“He is, he is. Are all of you here to see my old man?”
Upon hearing the village chief’s wife, the men behind Luo Yunhe all shook their heads, each wearing a foolish grin.
Seeing their expressions, how could the village chief’s wife fail to understand why they were there? She sighed helplessly and invited Luo Yunhe into the courtyard.
Once inside, Luo Yunhe exhaled in relief and smiled at the village chief’s wife again.
The woman returned an awkward smile and led her straight to the main reception room.
“Miss, have a seat. I’ll go fetch my old man right away!”
Luo Yunhe nodded and slowly began taking in her surroundings.
As soon as she entered, a spacious courtyard came into view. Traditional houses stood in orderly arrangement on either side, lending the place an especially refined air.
At the very center was a reception room. Even from outside, one could sense the simple, antique atmosphere within. There also seemed to be another courtyard behind it, occupying a considerable area.
Before long, an elderly man of about sixty ambled into the reception room. Luo Yunhe quickly rose to her feet.
“Village Chief, greetings. My name is Luo Yunhe, and I’m Su Jingxuan’s wife!”
The village chief raised his brows slightly at her introduction, his eyes instinctively roaming over her from head to toe.
He wondered privately, Hadn’t he heard that the eldest son of the Su family had bought himself a foolish bride? How could this young woman before him look nothing like a fool?
“Hmm. Sit down.”
As he spoke, the village chief walked to the seat of honor and sat down.
“Young lady, you came to see me so early in the morning. Is there something you need?”
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“Village Chief, I do have something to discuss,” Luo Yunhe said seriously.
“What is it?”
“I’d like to ask about that barren plot of land—the one intended for the vineyard.”
The village chief lifted his eyes at her. “Don’t tell me you want that barren plot?”
“Yes!”
“That land won’t grow anything. Are you certain you want it?”
“I’m certain. Do you know where the owner of that land is? And how much would it cost to buy?”
Seeing how young she was, the village chief realized that she did not understand the land was completely unsuitable for cultivation. He began patiently trying to persuade her.
“Young lady, that land truly cannot grow anything. If it could, it wouldn’t have lain abandoned for so many years.
“The best farmland in our village is extremely fertile, but that barren plot is mostly sand and gravel. Getting anything to grow there is exceedingly difficult.
“If you truly want fertile land, there are several excellent plots in the village. Why don’t you take a look at those instead?”
When Luo Yunhe heard that the land was sandy, her eyes lit up even more. Sandy soil was ideal for growing grapes.
As for why the previous grapevines had failed, there had to be some other reason. She could investigate it gradually and improve the soil and cultivation methods later.
“Village Chief, I’ve made up my mind. I want that barren plot. Please believe me—once it’s in my hands, it will never remain abandoned.”
“Ah, little girl, you’re still too young! That plot may be relatively cheap, but you don’t need to insist on it. We have plenty of good land in the village…”
“Village Chief, thank you for your kindness, but I only want that barren plot.”
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