C5

After saying this, she gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. More and more people gathered outside, and those who hadn't heard clearly before now understood everything perfectly, sparking a flurry of discussions.

Rongrong, caught up in her anger, had lost all sense of reason. "Yes! It's all your fault, you jinx! I told my parents to kick you out, but they wouldn't listen. How many more people do you need to ruin?"

Xiaoxia gave a faint smile. She was graceful and composed, and even under such accusations, she managed to maintain a dignified expression, which quieted the crowd outside. Xiaoxia seemed oblivious to the commotion, focusing intently on Rongrong. "Third Aunt, what you're saying is absurd. Did I encourage Xiaoyu's husband to commit robbery? Did I persuade Xiaoyu to come back? It's impressive how you manage to place such a heavy blame on me, but why don't you blame yourself for not seeing clearly and letting Xiaoyu marry such a person?"

Rongrong was taken aback, watching Xiaoxia's lips move as she tried to argue back, but those piercing eyes made her shiver.

After a pause, Xiaoxia continued, "Xiaoyu is clearly the victim here, yet for the sake of so-called pride, you insist on sending her back. I suppose even if her husband, in his anger, harmed Xiaoyu, you wouldn't blame him, right? You might even be happy to get some compensation. Isn't that what happened when you sold me to that family? Third Aunt, you don't blame the husband, you don't blame yourself, but instead, you blame me for bringing misfortune to Xiaoyu. So, can I say it's all because of your bad luck, that you lost your brother and sister-in-law early on, then my husband, and now your son-in-law is in jail? Tell me, Third Aunt, does what I'm saying make sense?"

Xiaoxia's eyes sparkled brilliantly, her already lovely face glowing even more with confidence and openness. Among the crowd outside, someone started cheering, "Well said!"

"Yeah!"

Rongrong was taken aback, finally realizing that her family's mishaps had become a public spectacle. Known for her sharp tongue, she had never lost an argument—until today, when she found herself defeated by the usually timid Xiaoxia. Strangely, she couldn't find a single word to counter Xiaoxia's remarks.

Standing behind Rongrong, Xiaoyu had been staring blankly at Xiaoxia. As the commotion outside grew louder, she covered her face with her sleeve and ran back to her small courtyard, crying. Rongrong shot Xiaoxia a fierce glare before following suit.

With the excitement over, the crowd gradually dispersed. Just as Xiaoxia was about to head back inside, she heard someone calling her name from outside.

Looking up, she saw Dawang, the village blacksmith.

In her memory, Dawang had always been kind to her. Whenever she was punished at home and sent to work on an empty stomach, he would secretly slip her a bun.

"Dawang," she greeted, walking to the door with a slight smile.

Xiaoxia was someone who clearly distinguished between right and wrong. If others didn't wrong her, she wouldn't wrong them. Naturally, she treated those who had been kind to her with goodwill.

Facing her smile, Dawang's cheeks turned a noticeable shade of red. He scratched his head a bit awkwardly, as if making up his mind, and pulled a hairpin from his pocket to hand to Xiaoxia.

It was a simple silver hairpin, the top carved into the shape of a lotus flower, with no other decoration and somewhat rough craftsmanship.

Xiaoxia looked at him in confusion. Dawang, a bit embarrassed, met her gaze briefly before speaking up, "I heard about the trouble... Don't worry, Xiaoxia. Wait for me. Once I've saved enough money, I'll come and marry you!" With that, he turned and ran off without looking back.

Xiaoxia stood there, watching his retreating figure, unable to suppress a smile.

The last time she encountered such an earnest guy was probably back in high school. Clearly, Dawang liked her, which explained why he always found ways to be nice to her. She remembered that Dawang's family wasn't well-off, which was likely why he needed to "save enough money." It's rare for someone to work hard for a woman. In her modern life, she'd dated many guys, and as she got older, people seemed to become more complicated. Dawang might not be her type, but she was touched by his sincerity.

Xiaoxia gently rubbed the simple silver hairpin in her hand and slowly walked back.