Chapter 209: Backlash
The room was not big, with few places to hide a person.
Yihuan rummaged through the wardrobe, then checked all around for places where someone could hide, and found no one, so she was certain that useless old bachelor really wasn’t here.
That old bachelor must have gotten cold feet midway, didn’t dare to act, and ran off when she wasn’t noticing.
No wonder he had been a bachelor for so many years; he really was useless. If she had known he was so useless, she would have found a bolder man, one who looked hard to mess with at first glance.
“Done looking? If you’re done, get out.” Yaoguang looked coldly at Yihuan.
The other women felt a bit awkward.
Today their men had all entered the examination hall. They were worried in their hearts and naturally couldn’t sleep. As a result, Yihuan called them over to catch the thief, saying Yaoguang was alone at home, and if that thief did something to her, they were all women and family of scholars, so they couldn’t just stand by.
What she said made sense, and with so many people gathered together, if they really could drive away the thief, it would be something to boast about. When the men came back later, they could brag about how they had accomplished such a great deed in their absence.
Now no thief had been found, and instead they had rashly barged into someone else’s house, upsetting people.
“Let’s go, let’s go, back to sleep.”
With the first woman turning to leave, the other women also spoke up saying they were going back.
“Zhou family wife, these few days the men are taking the imperial examination inside. We women have nothing to do, so we’re planning to gather together. Do you have time? Want to join?”
Among the women, there were some smooth in handling affairs. Seeing the situation wasn’t great, and not wanting to cause trouble for her own man, she simply took the initiative to invite Yaoguang to ease the relationship.
Facing the other women, Yaoguang restrained her anger, raised a smile, and said, “Sister-in-law’s gracious invitation— even if the king of heaven himself had business with me, I’d still make time.”
The other women hadn’t expected Yaoguang to be so agreeable. Those who had some resentment toward Yaoguang originally saw her easygoing nature and their hostility toward her lessened a lot.
In her previous life, Yaoguang had met these women. Among these six, three would become official’s wives. Even if each had their own schemes, their natures weren’t bad. The other three she hadn’t seen in the capital city; presumably their future developments would be mediocre, but she made friends not based on others’ achievements, but on whether their character suited her taste.
Besides, in her previous life, she wanted to fit into their circle, but Yanci wouldn’t give her the chance, unwilling to let her go out and ‘lose face’. In this life, she could openly make friends.
Moreover, she would need to use them later! First build good relations now, so they’d be handy to use later.
Yaoguang turned back and looked coldly at Yihuan: “Why haven’t you gotten out yet? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Our two families have never gotten along— what big tail wolf are you pretending to be here?”
The looks those women gave Yihuan changed.
They had originally thought she was really being kind, so they went along with her to check. Now it seemed she had ulterior motives!
Yihuan hadn’t caught any ‘evidence’, and now Yaoguang had slapped her in the face right in front of everyone. She was both hating and angry inside, but she had always known how to endure, and knew she couldn’t flare up again now. Without any evidence, no matter what she said, she couldn’t win people over; she could only look for another opportunity to make Yaoguang unable to rise again.
Yihuan covered her face and cried: “Yaoguang sister, we’re both women and from the same hometown. I was really worried about you and that’s why I cared so much. How can you say that about me?”
With that, Yihuan ran out crying, looking like she had suffered a great grievance.
The other women were immediately drawn to the relationship between the two.
They weren’t sleeping anyway, so they might as well hear some gossip; maybe they’d get tired from listening and fall asleep once they got back.
“You have a grudge with that Xiao family wife?”
“Don’t bring it up; the relationship between our two families is quite complicated.” Yaoguang said, “Sisters-in-law and aunties, I know you’re all well-intentioned. Thank you for your concern.”
Hearing that, those women felt even more at ease in their hearts.
Turns out this wife was so reasonable!
At this moment, a scream came from next door.
Hearing this sound, Yaoguang anxiously said, “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?”
“From the sound of it, there really is a thief, just not here at your place, but next door. Come on, let’s go take a look quickly.”
The women trotted toward the house next door; Yaoguang walked slowly behind.
After all, this good show was her arrangement; she knew the upcoming plot like the back of her hand, nothing new about it, so she left the best viewing spot for others.
“Oh my god…” Hu Shi covered her eyes, as if she couldn’t bear to look.
The other slightly older women, however, widened their eyes.
“Xiao family wife, doing this kind of thing— how can you face the Xiao Scholar?”
Only to see Yihuan pinned under Huang Daniu on the table, Huang Daniu with his clothes off, behaving intimately with Yihuan.
Yihuan shook her head, her eyes full of tears.
Huang Daniu used clothes to cover Yihuan and cursed at those women: “Aren’t you meddling a bit too much in trivial matters? Her man isn’t here; what’s it to us if we get intimate?”
“She has a man; doesn’t that make it a problem?”
“Her man is just a flash in the pan; for such a fresh young wife, does she really have to keep herself for him?”
The women looked at Yihuan in shock.
“It’s not like that…” Yihuan had just said this when she heard Huang Daniu’s low threatening voice.
“Everyone, clearly these two know each other.” Yaoguang said, “It’s not good for us to stay here; we should probably leave!”
“No way, she has no shame but we do! Her consorting with a wild man here— if word gets out, our reputations will be affected too. We’ll let the official judge; these two consorting here— shouldn’t they be put in a pig cage?” one woman said.
“What a trouble.” Huang Daniu let go of Yihuan and straightened his clothes. “No mood anymore.”
With that, he touched Yihuan’s waist and smirked evilly: “Next time I’ll find you again.”
Yihuan sobbed: “Don’t talk nonsense; I don’t even know you.”
“You don’t know me, so why’d I look for you instead of someone else?” Huang Daniu pulled Yihuan’s embroidered undergarment from his bosom. “You stinking woman, eat and don’t admit it?”
Yihuan glared hatefully at Yaoguang.
Huang Daniu was clearly supposed to be at Yaoguang’s place, yet now he was in her room. She didn’t believe this was an accident; it must be Yaoguang’s scheming.
Task complete, Huang Daniu took Yihuan’s embroidered undergarment and left.
The other women looked at Yihuan with disgust: “Shameless.”
“Stay away from her from now on; that faceless slut— don’t let her ruin our own reputations.”
“It’s late; everyone disperse!” Yaoguang said.
Those women quickly left. Yaoguang didn’t hurry to leave, but stood there looking at Yihuan, whose crying had stopped: “You should be grateful I’m a kind person and don’t want to use your despicable methods for revenge. Yihuan, next time I might not be so kind.”
“What you’ve done has still ruined my reputation; is that what you call kindness?” Yihuan looked at her unwillingly.
“This is just a warning, to let you know I have plenty of ability to make you die even more miserably. Losing reputation won’t bring the sky down, but what you schemed for was my chastity.” Yaoguang sneered. “Yihuan, if you dare provoke me again, next time I’ll pay you back with interest.”
