novellhall Chapter 600: The First Village Battle of the New Year
Chapter 600: The First Village Battle of the New Year
After finishing the New Year’s Eve dinner, Jingzhe led Man Er, Yaozu, Xiao Long, and Duo Er to set off fireworks.
In the heavy snowfall, one after another, fireworks blossomed in the sky.
Soon, the village was filled with the sound of firecrackers.
With the sound of firecrackers, the year passed.
Amid the sound of ongoing firecrackers, the new year arrived.
To assure Gu Baishuang, Tong Huaqiong sent Gu Dahuan to brave the snow early on New Year’s Day morning to tell Gu Baishuang about news regarding Nie Xiaofeng, and informed Gu Baishuang not to visit Qinghe Bay on the second day of the new year.
Gu Baishuang had worked hard for Tong Huaqiong’s Jufu Supermarket over the past six months, making significant contributions in stockpiling coal and cotton.
Tong Huaqiong asked her to rest well at home.
Upon hearing the news of Nie Xiaofeng, Gu Baishuang cried.
Gu Dahuan couldn’t help but reveal to Gu Baishuang that the Mighty General was Tong Huaqiong’s childhood friend, intending to reassure Gu Baishuang that her nephew was protected by the Great General and would certainly be fine.
Hearing this, Gu Baishuang was even more worried.
The tale of a cowherd from Black Dragon Pond becoming a Great General had been circulating, but who knew if it was true; now that it was confirmed, she feared her son would take the Great General as a role model and strive even harder on the battlefield.
With the blade’s unforgiving nature, Gu Baishuang just hoped her son wouldn’t have the cowherd’s luck.
Nevertheless, despite her worries, upon learning her son had earned merit on the battlefield and become a Colonel, Gu Baishuang couldn’t help but feel proud of him.
Her anger over her son’s departure without informing vanished entirely.
With nothing much happening during the new year and the weather colder than usual, for most rural families, people would stay indoors, cat-nap through the winter, play cards, and hope the weather warms up soon.
Only children weren’t afraid of the cold; children bundled up like rice dumplings would shuffle from home to the village.
Besides the children, some gossipy wives and elderly women couldn’t sit still at home, enduring the piercing cold wind to stand in sheltered village spots and chat about gossip.
Liu Yueer belonged to this category.
The warmth of her own home couldn’t keep her; she sent away two maids, pocketed a handful of sunflower seeds, and stepped out of her home, first visiting her parents’ kang for a while.
She chatted with Mrs. Zhao about news regarding Dashi.
It was inevitable to grumble a bit about her jealousy over Chen Sufen having a daughter; she also wanted a daughter, but her belly had shown no signs.
Meanwhile, she expressed dissatisfaction that Gu Yaozu, as the legitimate grandson of the Gu Family, did not hold the status he deserved.
Upon hearing her daughter’s dissatisfaction, Mrs. Zhao had a headache and scolded, "You should be content. Which family in the village lets their daughter-in-law work outside? You count as a steward at Jufu Supermarket, living in the county mansion, with people to attend you, no need to follow rules set by your mother-in-law; what are you dissatisfied with?"
"Not to mention your brother, sister-in-law, and niece are profiting yearly thanks to your mother-in-law’s blessings; without your mother-in-law, we couldn’t even burn coal. Don’t act up in front of your mother-in-law; there’s no benefit in acting up."
Liu Yueer was impatient listening to Mrs. Zhao’s lecture; she only wanted to vent at her parents’ house, but her mother wouldn’t allow it.
"Alright, alright, it’s giving me a headache."
Liu Yueer wrapped herself in a thick fur coat, clutched a hand warmer, and headed for the village gossip hub.
That’s where she felt comfortable.
All the village girls and young wives envied her outfit, envied her residence in the county, and kept flattering her.
"...Do you know where Gu Dashi went? I heard he went to the border for business before New Year and hasn’t returned for the festival."
"There’s a war at the border currently; he might have died there? Tong Dajiao hasn’t left the house since returning from Pingchuan; I bet it’s true."
Granny Luo cracked sunflower seeds while squeezing into the crowd.
Granny Luo had a foul mouth, so people in the village generally didn’t like her.
"Who’s cursing people during the New Year?" Gu Honglian jumped out, hands on hips, and said.
Nowadays, Gu Honglian is the loyal lackey of the Gu Family’s main house; upon hearing negative words about the eldest sister-in-law’s family in the village, she’d be the first to refute them, sparing no effort to win back the eldest sister-in-law’s favor.
"I wasn’t cursing Gu Dashi; if he’s not dead, why didn’t he come back for the festival? Who spends the New Year away without returning home?" Granny Luo shouted.
"Hey, who’s pulling my hair."
Granny Luo wailed as she suddenly felt a weight on her head, someone pulling her hair forcefully downwards.
The person had a strong grip, pressing down hard on Granny Luo’s hair.
Granny Luo was pulled so fiercely her eyes flashed stars, her hands flailing wildly.
"How dare you curse my husband."
Liu Yueer was almost fuming with anger.
She had just left her parents’ house and heard Granny Luo cursing Gu Dashi dead at the border.
Liu Yueer was already worried about Gu Dashi’s safety; Granny Luo’s curse instantly ignited Liu Yueer’s rage.
"I’ll teach you to curse my husband."
"I’ll teach you to curse my husband."
Liu Yueer grabbed Granny Luo’s hair with one hand and slapped Granny Luo’s face with the other.
As she slapped, she cursed.
Liu Yueer was so angry she trembled all over, using all her strength, and due to the slippery ground, she nearly fell.
Granny Luo took advantage of Liu Yueer’s near slip and escaped from her grip.
Liu Yueer’s mother, Mrs. Zhao, heard the commotion and came out of the house; seeing her daughter fighting with Granny Luo, she slid over and knocked Granny Luo to the ground.
Mrs. Zhao sat on Granny Luo and started hitting her.
Daring to curse her son-in-law deserved to be beaten to death.
The surrounding people only persuaded them but didn’t intervene.
Liu Yueer held onto Gu Honglian’s hand; after catching her breath, she, together with Mrs. Zhao, pinned down Granny Luo and beat her.
The first battle of the village New Year, Liu Yueer fought heartily.
Granny Luo felt a metallic taste rise in her throat after being beaten.
This was her third time being beaten in the village.
Every time it was Tong Huaqiong or someone related to Tong Huaqiong who beat her, Granny Luo howled amid the chaos.
Mrs. Zhao and Liu Yueer exerted great effort, the two of them sweating profusely despite the cold weather.
Liu Yueer’s hair ornaments came loose from the beating.
Granny Luo sat in the snow, gasping, opened her mouth, and spat out blood that contained two teeth.
Her two loose teeth were knocked out.
Granny Luo slapped her thigh, cursed, and cried.
"Just you wait. Once my grandson becomes a Great General, he’ll ransack your families."
"My grandson is currently fighting at the border; when he becomes a Great General, none of you will escape."
Granny Luo, dressed too heavily, looked like a bear pounding the ground.
Liu Yueer couldn’t help laughing at this.
When Chun Wang had just left, Granny Luo was depressed for a while.
Later, Granny Luo began to brag outwardly, saying her grandson would eventually become a Great General like the cowherd from Black Dragon Pond, even fabricating news that Chun Wang had written letters home about his achievements at the border.
Granny Luo could only rely on these fantasies to suppress her longing and fear for her grandson’s departure to the border.
She told the tales so often that she believed them herself.
Having been beaten by Liu Yueer and Mrs. Zhao, she knew she couldn’t fight back, so she began touting her grandson.
Liu Yueer smoothed her updo and spat at Granny Luo’s side, saying, "I spit! If your grandson becomes a Great General, then the sows in my pigsty can climb trees."
"To tell you the truth, my family received a letter from Dashi at the border. He happened to meet our local fellow who told him about your grandson’s news. Want to know what your grandson has become now?"
Liu Yueer curled her lips, already anticipating Granny Luo’s reaction.