The elder Madam Xu was already over thirty. Her build was naturally sturdy, and with eight months of pregnancy, she had gained twenty catties.
As Madam Xu toppled, Xu Xiao'e couldn't possibly support her, and the two of them fell to the ground together.
Fortunately, Madam Xu landed squarely on top of Xu Xiao'e, so she didn't suffer any serious injuries, only a fright from the sudden fall.
However, Xu Xiao'e was not so lucky. Her back hit the ground directly. The village roads were unpaved, always littered with small stones and large clods of earth. Xu Xiao'e had fallen hard, and her back burned with pain.
To make matters worse, Madam Xu's 140-jin weight pressed down on her.
Pan Shi, Shen Xiaoyan, and Shen Xiaoming, who were standing nearby, along with several women chatting by the gate, were all stunned into silence by the shock.
It wasn't until they heard Madam Xu's cry of alarm and Xu Xiao'e's pained groans that they snapped back to their senses and rushed forward to help Madam Xu and Xu Xiao'e up.
"What's wrong? Are you alright? Does your belly hurt?" Pan Shi asked, holding Madam Xu's hand with concern.
Although she disliked Madam Xu's character, the child was innocent. If Madam Xu had miscarried, the child would have suffered.
Fortunately, Madam Xu shook her head and said, "I'm fine, my belly is fine. It's a good thing Xiao'e was there... Right, Xiao'e, how are you? Where did you fall?"
Feeling no discomfort herself, Madam Xu quickly turned to look at Xu Xiao'e, and the sight pained her greatly.
Xu Xiao'e's right palm was scraped by a stone, and her face was contorted with pain, her nose and tears smeared all over.
"Xiao'e, where did you fall? Does it hurt? Do you want me to call a doctor?" Madam Xu asked in a rush.
Xu Xiao'e took a handkerchief from her sleeve, wiped her face clean, and then said to Madam Xu, "It's okay, Mother. How are you? Is your belly alright?"
Everyone who witnessed this scene smiled. It was truly a mother-daughter connection, each caring for the other first. Even Pan Shi, who usually couldn't stand Madam Xu and her daughter, felt that their affection for each other was genuine.
But then, everyone saw Xu Xiao'e suddenly fix her gaze on Shen Xiaoyan, her face filled with sorrow, and say with distress, "Sister, even if you didn't want Father and Mother to go, you shouldn't have tripped Mother. Mother may not be your biological mother, but she raised you and Xiaoming for over ten years, found you a good husband, and besides, Mother is carrying Father's child, your own little brother!"
What? Shen Xiaoyan tripped Madam Xu?
These words filled everyone's minds. Looking at the sorrowful Xu Xiao'e and the expressionless Shen Xiaoyan, they were momentarily stunned.
Madam Xu was initially confused, not understanding why Xu Xiao'e would say that. But after Xu Xiao'e finished speaking, she immediately understood her daughter's intentions.
Madam Xu then put on a mournful expression, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Xiaoyan, how could you do this? I'm carrying your little brothers, and you still did this?"
Hearing them both say this, the onlookers began to look at Shen Xiaoyan with suspicion, as if she had indeed tripped Madam Xu. Some, being gossipy, wanted to chime in.
But Shen Xiaoyan didn't give them the chance. She let out a mocking laugh and calmly said to Madam Xu and Xu Xiao'e, "Look carefully. I'm two to three meters away from you. Do you think my legs are long enough to trip you from here?"
Xu Xiao'e and Madam Xu were taken aback. Then Xu Xiao'e said, "Sister, if you have nothing to hide, why are you hiding so far away?"
Shen Xiaoyan scoffed, "You may have forgotten, but I haven't. And I believe everyone here hasn't either."
Hearing this, Xu Xiao'e felt things were going badly and quickly tried to interrupt Shen Xiaoyan, but it was too late.
"Xiaoming and I just came out of Aunt Wu's courtyard together. You and your mother were standing by your door, right where you are now. We were talking, but I didn't take a single step forward. I was about to leave, and my direction was away from your door. We were that far apart, so how could I have tripped your mother?"
"Actually, I saw Sister Shen Xiaoyan and her brother walking towards me just now," said Granny Liang, who was visiting next door to Pan Shi and happened to witness the scene.
Hearing Shen Xiaoyan's words and recalling the events, it seemed to be exactly as Shen Xiaoyan described. She spoke without thinking.
Others also thought about it and realized it was true. At that moment, the gazes directed at Madam Xu and Xu Xiao'e were filled with mockery.
Madam Xu felt extremely embarrassed. She glared at Xu Xiao'e beside her. Why did she have to fabricate a story about Shen Xiaoyan tripping her when she fell?
This was a disaster. Exposed in front of everyone, how would she ever face anyone again? How could she possibly go tomorrow?
Xu Xiao'e also realized she had been too hasty. Instead of smearing Shen Xiaoyan, she had embarrassed herself. Standing there, her face flushed red, she didn't know what to do.
Shen Xiaoyan looked at them and sneered, "Since it has nothing to do with me, I'll be leaving. However, I suggest you don't go tomorrow. If something happens, I won't be able to bear the responsibility."
With that, Shen Xiaoyan pulled Shen Xiaoming away. Before leaving, she said to Granny Liang, "Granny, if you have nothing to do tomorrow, please come visit."
Granny Liang smiled and agreed. She had seen the new house of the Shen Xiaoyan family. Its grandeur was comparable to the mansions of wealthy families in town.
Although Shen Xiaoyan's parting words were impolite, everyone present felt they were justified.
Madam Xu and her daughter clearly had ulterior motives, and inviting them would only cause trouble.
Looking at the mocking smiles directed at them, Madam Xu and Xu Xiao'e's faces turned ashen. Finally, they could only grit their teeth in resentment and turn back to their courtyard.
As soon as they entered the house, Madam Xu sat on the kang and said to Xu Xiao'e, "Why did you say Shen Xiaoyan tripped you just now? Now it's ruined, and we can't go tomorrow."
Xu Xiao'e also felt resentful, but she couldn't talk back to Madam Xu. She said dryly, "I just said it on impulse, I didn't mean it. Besides, we can still go. If we go with Father, surely they can't refuse us entry?"
Madam Xu gave Xu Xiao'e a look of disappointment and said, "Even if we go, we can't proceed as planned. Otherwise, everyone will think it was intentional because of what happened today. Will we still have any face left?"
Xu Xiao'e was speechless. She knew Madam Xu was right, but she really didn't want to give up such a good opportunity.