“It was her daughter,” the middle-aged woman said, pointing at Shen Luhua in the crowd. “Who else would have said something like that in public other than that shameless daughter of hers?” she said disdainfully.

 Shen Luhua, who was leisurely walking about, suddenly became the crowd’s common target.

 “Mrs. Sheng, I see your eldest daughter is back.” Unkind titters rippled through the crowd.

 “That b*tch and Widow Zhang are one and the same! It’s no wonder she said say such things aloud.”

 Shen Luhua’s face contorted with anger. “Shut your mouth!” she said. “You’re just a bunch of gossipy women who spend all your free time slandering people!”

 Shen Luhua often heard people criticize her stepdaughter, but that was before her stepdaughter had refused to acknowledge her as her mother. So, for the sake of keeping her younger daughter out of it, she had pretended not to hear anything. But things were different now. Her stepdaughter had called her Mom, and she was going to live up to that name. She had to stand up and defend her daughter’s reputation.

 Ahem… although, to be honest, that daughter didn’t have much of a reputation to speak of.

 The crowd was stunned into silence by her retort, and it took a moment for them to regain their senses.

 “Who do you think you are? You yourself are on your second marriage, and yet you have the gall to criticize us? To me, you don’t seem any better.” The middle-aged woman who had been talking before now spat on the ground and glared at Shen Luhua with obvious disgust.

 “Mrs. Qin, you should really watch your tongue,” Shen Luhua said.

 “Why should I watch my tongue? You should watch yours! It’s about time you stopped putting on your city airs and thinking you’re better than us. Sheng Third’s first wife was from the literati in the city, but she ended up running away with another man all the same…”

 Mrs. Qin was an infamous hellcat in the village. She had never lost a quarrel. Her greatest victory to date was her quarrel with her mother-in-law. She moved her stool to the entrance of her mother-in-law’s room and quarreled nonstop with her for three days and three nights, without even stopping for food or drink. Her poisonous tongue cursed everyone from her mother-in-law’s ancestors to her direct family, other in-laws, and other children. Not a single one of them escaped her insults.

 Eventually, she succeeded in driving her mother-in-law to the grave.

 This record had remained unbroken for ten years and had given her the reputation of being the one woman no one should ever cross.

 Shen Luhua’s face turned white with fury, but she knew was Mrs. Qin was made of. She was also aware of Ningning’s close friendship with the daughter of the Qin family and was worried that Ningning would get angry if this quarrel blew out of proportion.

 “Mom, are you all right?” Sheng An had been playing with the rascal from the village head’s family. When she heard the bickering voices from afar, she came running over with the village head’s wife and son.

 “Mom, why are you arguing with the likes of her? You won’t be able to win!” Sheng An had always been sharp-tongued, and she didn’t bother with any pleasantries.

 She hated Qin Cuifen, and, by extension, hated Qin Cuifen’s aunt too.

 Mrs. Qin knew that Mrs. Sheng was no match for her, which bolstered her courage. “The likes of me? What are the likes of me, you d*mn wench?”

 “How would I know what the likes of you are? Don’t you know that yourself?”

 “You d*mn wench. Don’t think you can do as you please just because you have the mayor’s family behind you!”

 “Heh! I’m doing as I please?” Sheng An scoffed and pulled Shen Luhua along with her. “Mom, let’s just ignore her.”

 “Hey, don’t you dare leave!” Mrs. Qin was on a roll, and she was just about to stop Sheng An when the village head’s wife stepped forward and stood beside her.

 Qi Mei wasn’t tall. She had been eclipsed entirely by Sheng An while standing behind her, so no one had realized that the village head’s wife was also present.

 Upon seeing her, Mrs. Qin suddenly deflated like a popped balloon.