Qinghe Village.
This morning is not ordinary.
Before dawn, the entire village was already bustling.
By the river at the edge of the village, beneath a willow tree, several women and men were washing clothes with wooden basins.
"Hey! Did you hear?"
"Are you talking about last night?"
"What happened, tell us quickly!"
"They say last night, Nian Dabao encountered a wolf pack in the mountains!"
"Ah! Then isn't that!"
"Don't be surprised! The more astonishing part is yet to come..."
At a certain doorstep.
"Young Master Li, did you hear?"
"Are you talking about Nian Dabao killing over a dozen wolves alone last night?"
"No! They say Nian Dabao killed over a hundred wolves all by herself!"
"Is that true or not?"
"Of course it's true! My wife was called up the mountain to help save Nian Dabao, she saw it with her own eyes!"
"No, no, what you all are saying is wrong!"
"How is it wrong, Young Master Wang?"
"Oh dear, my wife was also there. At that time, Nian Dabao tore apart over a hundred wolves with her bare hands! The bloodstains all over the ground were unbearable to look at!"
"Ugh... stop talking, I just finished breakfast."
...
In an instant, news about Nian Jiaojiao killing wolves spread throughout the entire village.
However, this also indirectly cleared Nian Jiaojiao's name.
Before, when villagers mentioned Nian Jiaojiao, they thought of "that vicious elder sister Nian Dabao who pushed her younger sister into the water."
Now it had become: "That formidable Nian Dabao who fought a wolf pack with her bare hands!"
...
The Nian Family.
At this moment, Nian Jiaojiao felt a little uncomfortable with the peaceful atmosphere at home.
Nan Qing politely handed over the tea:
"Wife, have some tea."
Xuan Yi sat nearby, staring in their direction.
Xing Yun also brought in a basin of foot-washing water:
"Wife, soak your feet..."
Nian Jiaojiao's expression became a black line.
Who soaks their feet in the morning?
"You don't need to be like this. You've been thanking me all morning," Nian Jiaojiao shook her head helplessly.
Xuan Yi, however, said seriously:
"The kindness of saving my life, I..."
"Stop!"
Nian Jiaojiao quickly extended her hand in a stopping gesture, took a deep breath, and said:
"I know you're grateful to me, but we are a family. Aren't you being too distant like this? If you really want to thank me, please just act normally! Please! I'm getting goosebumps!"
Nian Jiaojiao had held back all morning and finally blurted it out.
The three brothers were stunned. Nan Qing was the first to chuckle:
"Heh, as wife says."
This was the first time Nian Jiaojiao saw Nan Qing smile from the heart, and she was momentarily stunned, then exclaimed:
"Nan Qing, you look better when you smile!"
Nan Qing immediately withdrew his smile, returning to his stoic expression, and stood up:
"Since that's the case, I'll head back to my room first."
Watching Nan Qing's "emotionless" back, Nian Jiaojiao was speechless.
This man's mood changes faster than the weather!
Xuan Yi, however, looked at the two of them with a thoughtful expression.
Yu Chuan, seeing the harmonious trio, felt excluded and returned to his room dejectedly.
...
Noon.
Nian Jiaojiao got into an argument with Xuan Yi over the medicine.
"Xuan Yi, be good and change your dressing!"
"Wife, really, it's not necessary. It's just a small injury. After bandaging, it will heal in a few days. No need to waste medicine."
"Hey! Medicine is bought to be used. If you don't use it, I'll apply it to you myself!"
Hearing that Nian Jiaojiao wanted to apply the medicine herself, Xuan Yi's wheat-colored skin turned slightly red, and he backed down.
Seeing that he had agreed, Nian Jiaojiao turned to Xing Yun and said:
"You apply the medicine to him! If he doesn't behave, tell me, and I will definitely! Personally! Carefully! Apply the medicine to him!"
Xing Yun snickered:
"Yes, Wife!"
As Nian Jiaojiao was about to leave the room, a hoarse yell like a drake's came from the courtyard:
"Nian Dabao! You pervert! Get out here!"
Nian Jiaojiao's head buzzed.
Pervert?
Her?
Nian Jiaojiao turned to her two husbands, who were looking at her curiously, and said:
"I'll go take a look. You two continue with your medication."
Nian Jiaojiao strode into the courtyard and saw a woman with a pockmarked face and a sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced appearance yelling wildly without any decorum.
As soon as the other party saw Nian Jiaojiao, she immediately said:
"Good! You still dare to come out! Let's see how you explain yourself to me!"
Nian Jiaojiao recalled and knew this was the original body's "bad friends," and was somewhat confused.
Bad friends are still friends, aren't they? Why are they coming to cause trouble?
She called out the nickname from her memory:
"Zhao Mazhi, why are you making such a racket in my courtyard? Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
Zhao Lele, remembering the rumors of Nian Jiaojiao's "achievements," became a little timid.
But then she felt the rumors were unreliable.
She knew how much capability Nian Dabao had.
Thinking of this, Zhao Lele regained her courage and continued:
"Nian Dabao, stop pretending! Tell me, what did you do to my husband on the mountain?"
"Your husband?"
Nian Jiaojiao was even more bewildered.
At this moment, Zhang Jie rushed over in a hurry, grabbed Zhao Lele, and said:
"Wife, you've misunderstood! Let's talk about it at home."
Zhao Lele forcefully shook off Zhang Jie's hand and said contemptuously:
"Talk at home? I think you're afraid to say it here, aren't you? You lewd, stinky man!"
Nian Jiaojiao frowned uncomfortably at Zhao Lele's choice of words:
"Zhao Mazhi, watch your mouth!"
Zhao Lele seemed to have caught something, and said:
"Oh, so you're defending him now, and you say there's nothing going on between you!"
With that, she shouted to the surroundings:
"Everyone, neighbors, come quickly! Come quickly and see!"
Her shout quickly attracted quite a few onlookers who were already curious about Nian Jiaojiao.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, isn't that Zhao Mazhi?"
"It is Zhao Mazhi. Aren't she and Nian Dabao like sisters? Why are they arguing?"
...
Zhao Lele, satisfied to see more and more villagers gathering, loudly said to everyone:
"Fellow villagers, today, I, Zhao Lele, want you all to be my judge!"
Seeing Zhang Jie's ashen face, Nian Jiaojiao realized what Zhao Mazhi was about to say and quickly interrupted:
"Zhao Mazhi! Don't spout nonsense! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
With the villagers present, Zhao Lele felt even more confident:
"Everyone, look, she's threatening me now! Humph! No matter what you, Nian Dabao, say, I will risk my life to expose your shameful deeds!"
The villagers who enjoyed the spectacle and disliked the troublemakers quickly urged:
"Speak quickly! Speak!"
Zhao Lele said in a serious tone:
"My husband Zhang Jie and Nian Jiaojiao colluded and had an affair in the desolate mountains last night! Tell me, how should these adulterous women and scoundrels be punished?"
Upon hearing Zhao Lele's words, many villagers raised questions:
"Zhao Mazhi, you must be mistaken. Nian Jiaojiao's feat of killing wolves last night has spread everywhere, and she was with her husband Xuan Yi. Many people saw it..."
"Yes, yes!"
"Zhao Mazhi, you must have made a mistake somewhere!"