Chapter 525: Chapter 525: Splashing Water on Old Mother Chapter 525: Chapter 525: Splashing Water on Old Mother “Mother, are you feeling unwell?” Xuexue immediately stepped forward and asked.
“It’s nothing, just some sand got in my eyes, a little rub and it’ll be fine!” Madam Xie’s expression seemed a bit unnatural.
“Then you rest for a while, I’ll go hang the clothes.” Saying this, Xuexue bent down to pick up the wooden basin, preparing to step over to the clothes drying area to hang them up.
Madam Xie’s voice was a bit urgent, “Eh! Don’t…”
Xuexue stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at Madam Xie with puzzlement in her beautiful eyes, “What’s wrong?”
Madam Xie lowered her head, her gaze somewhat elusive, “That… the clothes aren’t clean yet!”
“Not clean?” Xuexue lowered her head to closely inspect the clothes in the basin, and indeed, there were still some stains on some of the clothes.
“Mother, didn’t you go to the riverside to wash clothes early this morning?” This morning, Madam Xie had left the house with her, only they had set out from different starting points.
“Some gossipy women in the village were talking nonsense, and Mother couldn’t bear it, so I argued with them a few sentences.” Madam Xie’s voice grew softer and softer, those gossipy women’s remarks were too harsh, she didn’t dare let Xuexue know, afraid that she would be upset.
“So, you didn’t wash the clothes?”
“Yes.”
Xuexue turned around with the wooden basin and stepped outside.
“Xuexue, where are you going?”
“To wash clothes.”
“No… don’t go.” Madam Xie was afraid she would hear those gossipy women’s comments, and it would hurt her.
“It’s okay, Mother. You make breakfast at home, I’ll come back after I finish washing the clothes.” Xuexue’s pace didn’t stop for a moment, she continued walking further away.
“This girl, why won’t she listen to me?” Madam Xie stood in the courtyard, murmured helplessly a few times, then turned to go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. After breakfast, she still had to go to the field to pick watermelons; Shopkeeper Fan’s carriage came every morning. Their family’s livelihood depended on it, and couldn’t be delayed.
“Mother, I’ll help you start the fire.” Chuner followed behind, trotting along.
“Go play with Xiao Gougou; Mother can manage alone.”
“In a little while, we’ll all go to the Private School, and then we’ll be together every day! Now I want to stay with Mother.” Chuner was a small girl with a mischievous heart, very endearing.
“Alright, just be careful not to burn your hair.”
“I won’t, Chuner is clever.”
By the river
The Mo Family Village had no well, so all water for drinking and use had to be fetched from this river.
In the morning, most of the village women would come to the river to wash clothes, so early in the morning, the riverbank was full of people washing clothes, a bustling and rather impressive sight.
A woman, who had helped cook when Xuexue’s family was building their house, always remembered her gratitude toward Xuexue. Seeing her carrying the wooden basin over to wash clothes, she quietly pulled Xuexue aside to tell her about the dispute between Lady Li and Madam Xie.
Raising her eyes, Xuexue saw Lady Li not far away, washing clothes while chatting and laughing with a few women next to her, looking quite happy.
“Um! Thank you, auntie,” Xuexue thanked the woman, carrying the wooden basin towards Lady Li. Xuexue slammed the basin heavily beside Lady Li. Earlier when Madam Xie was washing clothes, the basin had retained quite a bit of water, instantly splashing all over Lady Li.
“Ah…!”
Lady Li shrieked, jumping up while patting the water off herself, cursing all the while, “Which blind wretch bumped into me?”
As she cursed, she looked up, and seeing Xuexue, her eyes widened, “It’s you? You actually dared to splash water all over me, are you tired of living!”