"Madam Ye, everyone knows the rules when it cos to discussing marriage alliances. If things go well, everyone is happy; if not, nobody should spread word about it. Now you’ve caused quite a scene; the whole village and several others know about it. What’s the aning of this?"
"This matter? Has soone from my Ye family said anything?" Yang Chuxia asked a question and then inquired lightly, "And I don’t even know who from my Ye family would’ve said it, or where it was said?"
Ms. Liu Junior’s face turned green. "Madam Ye, are you denying it now?"
"What is there for to admit?" Yang Chuxia glanced at her, thinking this person must be crazy.
Ms. Liu Senior, seeing that her daughter-in-law failed to co to the point, spoke up herself, "Let’s speak plainly, Madam Ye. Now, the villages around are all talking about the Ye Family and our Liu Family’s arranged children’s marriage, claiming that the Ye Family looks down on us, the Liu Family, and is saying that our Liu girl is not good enough, so you’re not going through with the engagent. I wonder if this rumor started with the Ye Family."
"Do you think we Ye family mbers have so much free ti on our hands? To spread this and cause trouble for ourselves?" Yang Chuxia looked at her directly, "Ever since before the New Year until after, my family has been very busy, and soon we are to leave for my husband’s post. Why on earth would I spread such a thing for no reason, as if I had nothing better to do?"
"Hmph, if it wasn’t your family who spread it, then who did? Only our three families knew about it." Ms. Liu Junior’s sister-in-law at last said sothing useful.
"How should I know who spread it? You’ll have to ask the person who did." Yang Chuxia said impatiently, "Besides, even if only our three families knew about it, how can you be so certain that it wasn’t soone from your Liu Family who let it slip? Presumably, a good number of your Liu family mbers are aware of this matter – isn’t it possible one of them couldn’t keep it to themselves?"
Seeing that the conversation was getting nowhere, Ms. Liu Junior’s brother jumped in, "Madam Ye, regardless of how you look at it, my Liu Family is at a loss here, our girl’s reputation has suffered. You tell us how to handle this matter; you owe us an explanation."
"An explanation? May I ask what kind of explanation I should give you? Did I spread this rumor? Don’t make laugh, would you? How would it benefit my two sons if I did? Surely, I didn’t spread it just so you could co and settle scores with ."
At this point, Yang Chuxia had a mont of realization – indeed, what if the Liu Family themselves had spread the word, wanting to co to her family for recompense? She couldn’t help but suspect them of such a sche; it was not beyond them. She rembered every word Ms. Liu Junior’s sister had said, and decided to keep her cool to see what they were really up to.
Land Officer Yang saw that the verbal spar had completed one round and then spoke up, "Let’s talk this out nicely. What are you doing, jumping in like that? Right now, the main issue is figuring out what to do about this whole situation."
"What is there to do about it?"
Ms. Liu Junior’s sister-in-law spoke again, slightly uncomfortable under everyone’s gaze, but then said, "Now that the nearby villages all know about it, in the end, it’s my daughter who is at a disadvantage. Everyone is spreading that she is no good – she’s barely a year old, how can she be ’no good’? There are long days ahead, and who knows what they will twist this story into? When my daughter grows up, how is she supposed to find a marriage? If this was with a commoner’s family, perhaps the rumor would be forgotten after a few days, but since it’s with your Ye Family, I’m afraid this matter will always be rembered, no matter how much ti passes."
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