Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 485: Chapter 254: Arriving at the Doorstep

This was the result of the discussion between the Yang Family and He. They felt there was no need to clarify such gossip—in fact, they believed it would be a mistake to do so. A public argument would only make the rumors spread faster. It was better to have the men step in and tell the Zhou family to get their daughter-in-law under control.

And so, the two elders officially stepped in, inviting Shorty Zhou to join them.

When Shorty Zhou heard that the village gossip was his own nephew’s wife’s doing, he was furious. She might not be his daughter-in-law, but she was still part of the Zhou family! What a disgrace! Fuming, he went with Zheng Changhe and Zhang Dashuan to his brother Zhou Baozhu’s house, only to find Big Mouth Zhao yelling at his nephew, Zhou Xiaonian.

"Look at your wife! She’s a damn troublemaker! Bullying Juhua is one thing, but then she had to go and spread this gossip. She’s no angel herself, yet she dragged my wife into it. Do you think I, Big Mouth Zhao, am some kind of pushover?"

Xiaonian’s wife felt a pang of guilt but refused to back down. "What makes you so sure it was me?" she retorted. "Couldn’t someone else have said it? There were plenty of people there that day."

Zhou Xiaonian, who was holding and playing with his son, grew angry from Big Mouth Zhao’s tirade. Frowning, he said to him, "Big Mouth, we grew up together. You’re usually an honest man. Why are you being so unreasonable today?"

Big Mouth Zhao flew into a rage and questioned Xiaonian’s wife, "My wife said she didn’t say it. Juhua and Huai Zi aren’t going to spread gossip about themselves, and Liu Xiaomei is just a little girl. You think she’d go around telling people this stuff? If it wasn’t you, who was it?"

Xiaonian’s wife retorted evasively, "I’m not convinced. How would I know what Guizhi said or didn’t say? And even if Liu Xiaomei didn’t tell anyone outside, what if she told her family and one of them accidentally spread it? Why are you so dead set on blaming me?"

Zhou Xiaonian felt his wife had a point, so he nodded. "That’s right. You say your wife didn’t say it, and I think my wife didn’t say it, either. This is just a big mess we can’t untangle. Besides, it’s possible Mei blurted it out without thinking."

Big Mouth Zhao was a simple-minded man and no match for the couple in an argument. His temper flared, and he roared, "If my wife said it, may I have a son born without an asshole! Do you dare to swear an oath? If you said it, then may your son not live past this year. Do you dare to swear it?"

Zhou Xiaonian’s face fell. "Big Mouth Zhao!" he bellowed. "Are those the words of a human being?"

Eyes red and neck stiff, Big Mouth Zhao refused to back down. "And why not? If you didn’t say it, then no matter how vicious the curse, it has nothing to do with you. Your refusal to swear proves you’re guilty. You want me to drag Liu Xiaomei from the Liu Family over here to swear too?" He was furious, determined to teach this hag a lesson.

Zhou Xiaonian turned uncertainly toward his wife, his gaze filled with suspicion.

How could Xiaonian’s wife dare to make such an oath—after all, she was the one who had said it!

When she saw her husband staring at her, she couldn’t meet his gaze and her eyes darted away.

The moment Big Mouth Zhao saw her reaction, he hollered before Zhou Xiaonian could speak, "Well? Cat got your tongue? Fine, if you won’t say it, I will: If you’re the one who spread that gossip, then your son won’t live past this year." He was now laying a curse on the child.

Zhou Xiaonian glanced at the rosy, plump son in his arms and began to tremble with rage. He shot a venomous glare at Big Mouth Zhao, then spun around to face his wife, his eyes spitting fire as he roared, "You damn hag! You troublemaker! You had nothing better to do than run your damn mouth instead of staying home and watching the baby?"

Her heart ached for her son. Already livid from Big Mouth Zhao’s curse, her husband’s scolding now ignited her own fury. "So what if I said it?" she shrieked. "What lies did I tell? It was the truth! Are people not allowed to speak the truth anymore? Following that logic, should we all just blindfold ourselves so we can’t see, plug our ears so we can’t hear, and sew our mouths shut so we can’t speak?"

She was repeating something Granny Hua had once said, but her delivery was far smoother. It was clear she had a silver tongue.

At this, Zhang Dashuan, who had been listening in the courtyard the whole time, suppressed his fury and turned to stare silently at Shorty Zhou. Zheng Changhe, however, exploded with the same temper as Big Mouth Zhao. He glared at Shorty Zhou and demanded, "Where’s your brother? I’m going to have a serious talk with him. If he won’t discipline his own son and daughter-in-law, then I’m going to start throwing punches."

Being stared down by Zhang Dashuan had already left Shorty Zhou fuming. Before he could even figure out what to do, Zheng Changhe’s shouting sent him into a towering rage. He bellowed, "Xiaonian, drag your wife into the house! Stop this public disgrace! If she doesn’t listen, the Zhou family can’t keep a daughter-in-law like that—we’ll send her right back to her parents. Now go and get your father!"