Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei made a trip to the countryside.

They didn’t even need to drive all the way into Dahe Village. Parking by the roadside and chatting with women working in the fields was enough. Before long, the women were eagerly spilling all the gossip about the village.

There were two stories everyone liked to tell about the Xia family of Dahe Village. One was that the eldest granddaughter, Xia Ziyu, had been admitted to university, becoming a golden phoenix flying out of a farming family, an example that inspired children from miles around.

“Not many students from County No. 1 High School got into university this year, and Xia Ziyu is one of them. She’s pretty too, an oval face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and two long glossy braids. Who wouldn’t want her as a daughter-in-law? She’s already seeing someone though, another university student. They’re well matched.”

“The Xia family must have smoke rising from their ancestors’ graves. They must have burned a lot of incense to produce a college student!”

“She’s taken all the scholarly luck of Dahe Village for herself.”

“So the other granddaughters of the Xia family don’t stand out.”

“There’s still one who stands out, Xia Xiaolan, isn’t she?”

At the mention of Xia Xiaolan, the women began laughing maliciously, their eyes sweeping up and down Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei. Two young men asking about Xia Xiaolan. Had that loose woman been showing herself off again?

Without Kang Wei even needing to coax them, the women talked over one another, laying bare Xia Xiaolan’s entire past.

The Xia family had never split into separate households. Three brothers lived together in one large courtyard. Between them they had six children. Four girls and three boys.

Xia Xiaolan was the second oldest among the grandchildren, while the eldest was Xia Ziyu, the one admitted to university. The three Xia brothers were Xia Changzheng (the eldest uncle), Xia Dajun (her father), and Xia Hongbing (the youngest uncle).

Xia Changzheng had one son and one daughter. The promising Xia Ziyu belonged to his family.

Xia Dajun and his wife Liu Fen had only one child after many years. Their daughter, Xia Xiaolan— the little slut.

Xia Hongbing had one daughter and two sons.

After sorting out the Xia family tree, the gossip turned back to Xia Xiaolan

“She’s a troublemaker. Delicate and unwilling to work. Rural families don’t raise daughters like pampered young ladies. She’s nothing like her cousin. She barely finished junior high, and instead of working hard herself, she’s good at stealing other people’s fruit.”

“A few years ago the county sent its last batch of educated youths to the countryside, and Dahe Village got one. That young man was handsome and motivated, and people say he kept studying while working. Naturally, he and Xia Ziyu got together.”

“This year they both got into university and made their relationship known to their parents. That stirred up a hornet’s nest. Xia Xiaolan grew jealous that her cousin got into college and found such a good man, so she tried to steal him.”

“While her cousin was away, she stripped naked in broad daylight to seduce her future brother-in-law!”

“The future brother-in-law was an honest man. He escorted his naked sister-in-law home.”

“Bah! When that didn’t work, didn’t she end up sleeping with Zhang Erlai from the neighboring village?”

“Her attempt to seduce her cousin’s fiancé failed. The cousin didn’t even blame her, but the rumors spread everywhere. When the elders scolded her, she tried to smash her head against a wall and jump into the river!”

“She was pretending. When she didn’t die, the Xia family kicked her out.”

“Even her mother got dragged down by her. They both went back to her mother’s family. The Liu family is really unlucky.”

The villagers didn’t just gossip. They described everything vividly. The women talked, the men working in the fields laughed, and Xia Xiaolan’s disgraceful behavior became entertainment to ease their fatigue.

Kang Wei couldn’t bear listening anymore.

He couldn’t reconcile these stories with the young woman who had dazzled him when they first met at the noodle stall. Her past sounded as wild as the streetwise girls back in Beijing. Even those tough girls knew to protect their reputations.

Who would be foolish enough to behave like Xia Xiaolan, engaging in scandalous relationships everyone knew about?

Couldn’t she at least have been discreet?

That business of stripping naked to seduce her cousin’s fiancé. Did it have to be done in broad daylight?

Couldn’t she wait until dark?

Kang Wei didn’t dare look at Zhou Cheng’s expression.

Zhou Cheng crouched silently by the roadside, listening. By the time the gossip about the Xia family finally ended, their legs had gone numb.

Zhou Cheng quietly signaled Kang Wei to get back in the car. He hadn’t spoken a word.

Kang Wei thought that Zhou Cheng had finally wanted to fall in love, only to pick Xia Xiaolan. He must be feeling awful.

Out of consideration, Kang Wei decided never to mention her name or this matter again.

After all, Zhou Cheng wouldn’t be doing this business in the future, and they would rarely pass through Anqing County again.

With time, this embarrassing episode would be forgotten.

Back at the guesthouse, Kang Wei began packing to check out, but Zhou Cheng stopped him.

“What are you doing?”

“Aren’t we heading back to Beijing? Or we could leave tomorrow morning. There’s nothing worth staying here for.”

Zhou Cheng lit a cigarette. Smoke veiled his handsome face, hiding his expression.

“Who said we’re leaving? Put your things down.”

Kang Wei was stunned... they still weren’t leaving?

“Cheng-ge, you’re not planning to confront her, are you? I’m telling you, women can be very good at lying!”

Xia Xiaolan would definitely deny everything. Who would admit to doing such things?

People always beautify their own behavior. Zhou Cheng had never dated before. The first time he fell for someone, it was a fox-spirit type woman. She was far more experienced and had already bewitched him.

Even what she’d said at the restaurant... righteously refusing him, was probably just playing hard to get.

Kang Wei tried persuading him with both emotion and reason, but Zhou Cheng wouldn’t budge.

Since childhood, Zhou Cheng had always been strong-willed, with the presence of a natural leader. The other young men in their circle all followed him.

Zhou Cheng was so popular, yet now he seemed about to fall for a village girl.

Kang Wei was frantic.

“Brother, calm down.”

“Xiao Wei, do you know why you call me ‘brother’?”

The reply made no sense in context. Kang Wei stared at him.

Zhou Cheng spoke sparingly, “Because you’re stupid.”

Kang Wei thought, however foolish I am, I’m not as foolish as you! Completely bewitched by a fox spirit.

“Tomorrow, go find Zhang Erlai for me. He’s from Shipouzi Village. With a name and village, it shouldn’t be hard.”

So he really wanted to confront Xia Xiaolan’s supposed lover?

“Brother, you’re not coming with me?”

Zhou Cheng shook his head. “Isn’t your sister-in-law coming to the county tomorrow to sell eggs? I’m worried she’ll be too tired alone.”

Kang Wei’s mouth fell open.

He had thought Zhou Cheng wanted a confrontation, but it turned out he was worried about her being tired? She’d been selling eggs alone before, hadn’t she?

Not wanting to argue with someone so stubborn, Kang Wei decided finding Zhang Erlai was fine. Another day in Anqing County would surely make Zhou Cheng give up.

Early the next morning, Kang Wei drove to Shipouzi Village.

It lay in the same direction as Dahe Village, named after a stone-paved dock along the riverbank. Driving meant he wouldn’t run into Xia Xiaolan.

Zhou Cheng returned to the same roadside spot as before to wait. Not yet seven o’clock, Xia Xiaolan arrived on her bicycle.

“Brother Zhou!”

She braked, surprised to see him waiting again. It seemed her reputation hadn’t scared him away.

There were only two situations in which men didn’t care about a woman’s reputation: either they loved her deeply and cared only about the person herself, ignoring status, reputation, and family background... or they only wanted to have some fun and had no intention of marrying her.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t know which kind Zhou Cheng was.

But since he had been respectful so far, she simply treated him as a friend.

“You’re early again today.”

Xia Xiaolan nodded.

“I’m not selling eggs in Anqing County today. I left early on purpose, I want to go to the provincial capital for a look around.”

T/N:

Happy Chinese New Year!