Knock knock knock.
At midnight, Aunt Zhang heard a gentle knock on the door.
“Who is it?” Aunt Zhang asked in a daze.
“It’s , Little Jiang.” Her gentle voice was like the drizzle in Jiangnan.
Aunt Zhang quickly went to open the door and saw Madam Jiang standing at the door wearing an old cloak. She had a slender figure and an otherworldly face. When Madam Jiang entered the village, Aunt Zhang had just gotten married. After eighteen years, Aunt Zhang was no longer young, but Madam Jiang still seed to be the sa as when they first t.
Aunt Zhang said in surprise, “Why are you here? What’s the matter?”
Madam Jiang said softly, “Big Brother and Sister-in-law need to prepare the New Year’s dishes. I have to go over and help. Ah Wan and Bruiser are still asleep. Ah Wan seed to have caught a cold yesterday and isn’t feeling well so I’m a little worried. Can I trouble you to help keep an eye on her? I know it’s too early and it might be troubleso for you, but I can’t think of anyone else.”
Aunt Zhang said readily, “Of course! I’ll go and watch for you!”
Madam Jiang smiled gently. “Thank you, Sister Zhang.”
… .
“Not good! Not good! Sothing big has happened!”
The village headman was woken up by Aunt Bai’s scream.
Aunt Bai was famous for her loud voice in the village. She had a good voice and everyone could still hear her voice when they went to town.
......
She lived next door to the village headman. Her husband was a distant cousin from the village headman’s mother’s family. She didn’t know how distant her husband was. However, they lived close to each other and often interacted, so they seed closer than other relatives.
Hence, when sothing happened, she was the first to run towards the village headman’s house.
However, it was too early and the village headman’s family was sleeping.
The village headman frowned unhappily and pushed the woman beside him. “Go take a look and see what happened?”
“I’m not going.” Little Chen wrapped herself in the blanket and turned around.
The village headman’s sister-in-law’s surna was also Chen. Everyone in the village called her Big Chen, and his wife was called Little Chen. His brother’s family had already moved to another village, but they had never changed the way they addressed her.
“You lazy woman!”
The village headman could not move Little Chen, so he could only put on his own clothes.
Aunt Bai’s screams continued like a pig being slaughtered as she knocked on the door at the sa ti. The village headman seriously suspected that his door was about to be taken down by this distant relative.
“Coming, coming. Why are you shouting so early in the morning?” The village headman took off the cold door latch, and his fingers were so cold that they hurt.
When Aunt Bai heard the sound of the door bolt being removed, she did not wait for the village headman to pull open the door and break in.
Fortunately, the village headman dodged in ti. Otherwise, he would have been slapped on the door.
The village headman glared at her. “Look at you!”
Aunt Bai said in a panic, “No, no… I really have sothing serious to say. Zhao Heng’s mother… Sothing big happened!”
“What happened to his mother?” The village headman’s expression beca more concerned when he heard Zhao Heng’s na.
Aunt Bai said, “She… she threw herself into the well! Hurry up and take a look!”
It was the New Year, but soone committed suicide. How could this be?
The village headman couldn’t be bothered to complain about Aunt Bai anymore and went to the old well at the village entrance with her.
This well was quite old, but it had never dried up. The villagers still often ca here to fetch water. Aunt Bai was one of the people who ca early in the morning to carry a bucket of water. She threw the bucket down and heard a clang, as if she had hit sothing. She leaned over and saw a person with most of the body subrged in the water.
She thought she had seen a water ghost and fell to the ground in fear!
On second thought, she thought that sothing was wrong. The sky was already bright. Where did the ghost co from?
She took a closer look and recognized that it was Mrs. Zhao.
When the village headman rushed to the old well, Mrs. Zhao had already asked Shuanzi’s father and a few strong farrs to bring her up.
Mrs. Zhao’s entire body was frozen stiff, and her face was deathly pale. There was ice on her head, and if she didn’t twitch from ti to ti, everyone would probably think that she was already dead.
“I think her leg is broken,” said one of the hunters in the village.
“Her arm seems to be broken too,” Shuanzi’s father whispered.
“How can she not throw herself in the well properly?” Shuanzi complained. If he threw himself into the well… Bah! Why would he do that!
Everyone also felt that she broke it when she threw herself into the well. How else could it have happened? Did she let soone break her arm and leg? Who had the ability to do so?!
Most of the villagers were shocked by Aunt Bai’s loud voice. No one expected to see this early in the morning.
“What a sin.” Aunt Bai clicked her tongue.
“Mother!” Zhao Heng rushed over, followed by Zhao Baoi, who was wearing a cotton jacket.
When Zhao Baoi saw Mrs. Zhao’s corpse-like appearance, she burst into tears!
Zhao Heng squatted down helplessly. “Mother! Mother… Mother!”
Aunt Bai said anxiously, “Aiya, don’t just stand there! Quickly take off your cotton clothes and wrap them around her! Then go back and boil so water to give her a hot bath!”
Zhao Heng did as he was told and took off his cotton shirt to wrap it around Mrs. Zhao.
Shuanzi’s father and a few n found a door and carried the almost dying Mrs. Zhao back to the Zhao residence.
A few won went to help boil hot water.
Zhao Baoi cried and couldn’t help at all.
Little Chen rushed to the Zhao residence and changed Mrs. Zhao’s clothes with a few aunts.
The village headman began to ask the Zhao siblings why Mrs. Zhao wanted to throw herself into the well.
Zhao Heng was confused. “My mother was fine last night…”
Although Mrs. Zhao had been angered, her son had returned so Mrs. Zhao was lively again. She was more energetic than anyone else as she complained. By the looks of it, it would not be a problem for her to live for another hundred years!
Why did she suddenly take things so hard… and throw herself into the well?
Zhao Heng was even more puzzled than the village headman.
The only person who knew was Zhao Baoi.
After Zhao Baoi told Mrs. Zhao about Yu Wan entering the brothel, Mrs. Zhao imdiately expressed that she wanted everyone to know about the scandal of that little hussy. She wanted that little hussy to be drowned in a pigpen! She wanted that little hussy to die!
Therefore, her mother went to the village entrance not to throw herself into a well, but to ring the bell.
But… How did she fall into the well? Her mother wasn’t that careless…
Just as Zhao Baoi was puzzled, Madam Jiang and Yu Wan ca to visit.
In the past, the mother and daughter had a difficult life. They were sallow and skinny. Now that their lives were better, they had gained weight and their complexion was rosy. At a glance, it was eye-catching.
Of course, Madam Jiang was still a little sick. Yu Wan held her arm, as if she was afraid that she would fall.
“I heard that sothing happened to Sister Zhao. It’s really sad.” Madam Jiang pinched her handkerchief and said with a pained expression.
The village headman sighed. “It’s hard on you to forget the past and specially co to see her.”
“Of course,” Madam Jiang said innocently.
The village headman said with a headache, “I heard from Zhao Baoi that her mother went out at dawn… Sigh, why did she throw herself into the well for no reason?”
That’s right. Why did such a cowardly person throw herself into the well?
Yu Wan looked into the room with confusion. Coincidentally, Zhao Baoi ca out with a large basin of wet clothes and t Yu Wan’s gaze.
A muffled thunder suddenly exploded in Zhao Baoi’s mind. She raised her finger and pointed at Yu Wan. “It’s her! She hard my mother! She pushed my mother into the well!”
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