Chapter 11: Idle Gossip
The village chief shook his head, feeling a bit sorry for them. But in the end, it was a private affair of the Bai Family, and it wasn’t his place to interfere.
"What a tragedy... covered in injuries..." He stepped forward to examine the wounds on Mrs. Zhao and her daughter, then called out to Uncle Hu. "They’ll never recover properly in this drafty, leaky shack. Old Hu, let’s do as you suggested. Take them to your home for a few days."
Although Zhao Lan was a widow, she had always been honest and kept to herself. Uncle Hu was also a down-to-earth man. Seeing that the village chief himself had spoken, the other villagers didn’t dare gossip and began to disperse in twos and threes.
Bai Zhi could see that Uncle Hu and the village chief were genuinely kind-hearted, so she looked toward Zhao Lan. Her mother, however, was still hesitant. ’She was a widow, and her daughter was no longer a little girl. Only two single men, Hu Changlin and Hu Feng, lived in the Hu Family home. If she really brought her daughter to stay there, there was no telling what nasty rumors might start to spread. She didn’t care what happened to her; at her age, she had weathered all sorts of storms. But Zhi’er was still young. She would need to marry into a good family one day, and she couldn’t let malicious gossip ruin her reputation.’
With her mind made up, she said to Uncle Hu, "Brother Hu, village chief, thank you for your kindness. Since we couldn’t separate from the family, we should probably stay here. Zhi’er and I are both injured; we would just be a burden anywhere else. It’s better to remain for now."
Hu Changlin and the village chief understood her concerns and her choice. After all, a woman’s reputation was paramount. It could affect her happiness for a lifetime and couldn’t be treated carelessly.
Just as the two men were about to take their leave, a sudden clap of thunder boomed overhead. It was followed by a howling gale that swept through the courtyard, kicking up clouds of dust that blinded everyone.
Before anyone could react, they heard a series of creaks and crashes. When they turned to look, the dilapidated shack that had barely offered them shelter had completely collapsed.
This wasn’t the first time the flimsy structure had been toppled by the wind. In the past, Zhao Lan would take Zhi’er to shelter from the rain in the main house’s hall, making do for the night. Once the rain stopped, she would patch up the shack herself and move back in. But today, with her arm broken, how could she possibly rebuild it?
Never mind that her brothers-in-law hadn’t returned; even if they had, she feared none of them would have been willing to help her.
Seeing the situation, Hu Changlin quickly said, "Zhao Lan, I doubt you’ll be able to fix this place anytime soon. How about this? We have a storage shed behind our courtyard. It’s very basic, but at least it’s a roof over your head. Since it’s outside our main yard, it shouldn’t cause any gossip. Why don’t you make do there for a few days?"
The moment the village chief heard this, he quickly chimed in to persuade her. "That’s an excellent idea. I know that shed—it’s a wooden hut, so it can at least shield you from the wind and rain. Besides, your arm is injured, and young Zhi is covered in wounds. Making her sleep on the muddy ground will only make things worse for both of you."
Zhao Lan glanced at the main house. The doors were shut tight. ’My intuition tells me they’ve already bolted it from the inside. Even if I wanted to, I no longer have the right to let Zhi’er sleep on the dirt floor in the hall tonight. I could probably endure it myself, but Zhi’er... with all these injuries, how could she possibly last a whole night in this biting wind and cold rain?’
She gritted her teeth and finally nodded. "Brother Hu, thank you."
Hu Changlin waved his hand readily. "It’s nothing to thank me for. It’s just an old, empty hut. You two wait here, I’ll go get your quilt for you; I don’t have any spares at my place." With that, Hu Changlin hurried over to the half-collapsed shack and pulled out a thin, heavily patched quilt and two old wooden basins.