“She’s just too despicable,” she thought as she was about to act, but suddenly remembered the dream from last night where Yun Xiao had haunted her in the same way.
“Get out, why am I thinking about this now?”
She immediately dropped the hoe she was holding and ran to Axiang, blocking Zhao Datu’s path in an instant.
Zhao Datu stepped back instinctively at the sudden appearance of Dabao.
He no longer felt the same about Xia Dabao as before, but he was still scared of her, and dared not curse her even under his breath.
“Axiang, you head back first. If Zhao Datu dares to e closer, I’ll knock his teeth out!” Xia Dabao said.
Knowing Xia Dabao’s capabilities, Axiang quickly took her basket and ran, while Zhao Datu, looking at Xia Dabao standing in his way, could only bitterly smile, “Dabao, I was just talking to my wife. Why do you always have to oppose me at every turn? Could it be that you’ve taken a liking to me too?”
“No matter what you say today, I really don’t want to argue with you. But if you take even half a step closer, I’ll hit you!” Xia Dabao planted the hoe in front of her and stared coldly at Zhao Datu.
Zhao Datu could only watch Axiang’s retreating figure and fret.
Only when Axiang’s figure had disappeared into the woods ahead did Xia Dabao pick up her hoe and head to the field’s edge.
Zhao Datu, fuming, went home and slumped onto a bench in the courtyard to sulk.
Zhao Datu’s aunt had just returned from outside and was surprised to see him sitting there alone. She approached and asked, “Ah, my dear boy, what’s wrong with you now? Why the glum face, like someone’s died?”
Zhao Datu glared at her, “Mother, can’t you wish better for my dad?”
Zhao Datu’s grandfather was also in the courtyard, and hearing Zhao Datu’s aunt’s words, he nearly choked with anger and stood up to scold her, “Women’s hearts are the deadliest. You don’t wish well for your own husband. A perfectly good home you’ve turned upside down!”
Zhao Datu’s aunt couldn’t help but respond, “Father-in-law, what did I do? I just made an offhand remark, and you accuse me like this? Did I say something wrong? Look, Datu has been sitting here for so long, and you as a grandfather didn’t ask or care, only know how to make snide remarks. What do you mean by claiming I ruin a perfectly good home?”
“You don’t know your own son? What else could anger him? Is it not because of Axiang? When Axiang was here, had you been just a bit nicer to her, could she have schemed up a drama to anger you?” Zhao Granddad was too tired to argue and went back to his room.
Zhao Datu’s aunt, having no one else to vent to, snapped at Zhao Datu, “You’re not still thinking about that slut Axiang, are you? Weren’t you the one who ignored her in the first place? Now that she’s with that idiot, why not just let her be? Surely you’re not thinking about picking up someone else’s cast-offs?”
Zhao Datu immediately retorted, “Mom, what are you talking about? What do you mean picking up cast-offs? It’s that idiot who picked up my cast-offs, not, Axiang isn’t cast-offs, she was mine first.”
“So what if she was yours first? Didn’t your mother tell you? You’re a catch, plenty of other girls would marry you. Don’t want to marry a girl from our village? Fine, I’ll go see Matchmaker Wang tomorrow and get you a girl from another village, guaranteed to be a hundred times prettier than Axiang.”
“Mom, I don’t want someone from another village; I want Axiang!” Zhao Datu said angrily, “Mom, tell me the truth, have you ever found a jade bangle?”
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