Rumors

Autumn had arrived, and the rice in the fields had all been harvested.

Combined with the drought, even the paddies had dried up.

More than half the land belonging to Fang Yue's family had been planted with wheat, while the rest was planted with sweet potato vines and red beans.

Now that the crops were growing, they only needed watering once every few days.

It was rare for them to be able to steal a little leisure amid their busyness.

But in truth, though they seemed to have gained a bit of free time,

for farmers at the very bottom of society, there was still other work to do in order to earn more of life's necessities.

They might dig wild vegetables or repair farm tools. In short, no matter what they did, they could never truly rest.

Farmers were born to be oxen and horses, never granted a moment of idleness.

From birth to death, they toiled without end.

In Big Willow Tree Village, at the grain-drying ground by the village entrance, several farm women were doing their work.

"Have you heard? Fang Cheng, the eldest son of Fang Mu's family, was negotiating a marriage with Zhou Xiaohua from neighboring Zhou Family Village some time ago. They were practically about to exchange betrothal gifts. Who would have thought Fang Mu's family would break off the engagement?"

"No way. Fang Mu's family has always been honest and well-behaved. They wouldn't do something like that, would they?"

"I heard about this. Fang Mu's eldest son really was discussing marriage with someone from the neighboring village some time ago. I never expected something like this to happen."

"That's what they mean by knowing a person's face but not their heart. This is absolutely true. I have a relative in Zhou Family Village, and she told me herself. How could it be false?"

"So it's true, then?"

"Of course it's true. Because Fang Mu's family broke off the engagement, I heard Zhou Xiaohua hasn't eaten or drunk anything these past few days. She's grown several circles thinner from hunger. What a sin! Having her engagement broken off halfway through—how will she ever face people in the future?"

The farm women sifted through rice seeds as they discussed the matter with grave seriousness.

Farm women were like this. They could not stay idle; the moment they had free time, they would chatter about the affairs of this family and that one, wagging their tongues.

Besides, it was human nature to be unable to bear seeing others do well.

They feared you would fare poorly and come borrowing money, yet they also feared you would turn your life around, prosper, and live well.

Now, because of nothing more than a rumor—one that had not been verified or confirmed—it was already being spread as though it were fact.

The village women might never have left this patch of cultivated land in their entire lives. They could not read or study, so how could they possibly have any notion of distinguishing truth from falsehood?

Perhaps they simply did not want to distinguish between truth and falsehood in the first place.

After all, matters of household gossip like this—

Hm? These people are wagging their tongues again.

Just then, Widow Yu passed by the group. She had always looked down on such idle gossip.

But when she vaguely heard that they were talking about Fang Yue's family, she could not help but listen for a few moments.

Hearing them slander Fang Yue's family for breaking off the engagement and causing the girl to refuse food and drink, this kind of rumor might not seem like much now, but she knew that in a rural place like this, even something that had originally been good could grow more outrageous the further it spread.

She had once read a story in a book, from the reign of the late emperor, about a minister named Pang Cong telling Emperor Wei the story of three men making a demon.

It said that one day, a beautiful woman appeared in a border city's marketplace. One person claimed she was transformed from an evil demon, but no one believed him. Then another person said she was transformed from an evil demon, and people began to harbor doubts. When a third person said the same thing, claiming that she was transformed from an evil demon—

by then, all the onlookers actually believed that the woman truly was an evil demon.

The woman was burned to death by foolish commoners, only for them to discover that she had been human, not a demon.

This was what they called three men making a demon—believing whatever one heard.

That was how rumors arose. No one distinguished truth from falsehood, and in the end, disaster was brewed.

Just like now, it was only being said this way.

If it spread for a few more days, tales of secretly pledging themselves for life and then abandoning one another after having their way would surely emerge.

By then, even if Fang Yue's family had a hundred mouths, they would not be able to explain themselves.

Thinking this, Widow Yu immediately remembered the few people spreading the gossip and hurried away.

Widow Yu walked quickly and soon arrived outside Fang Yue's home.

The moment she stopped, she saw that the courtyard gate was half-open. She knocked, then pushed the gate open and entered directly.

The next instant, she could not help letting out a shriek.

Then she hurriedly turned around and covered her eyes.

"Put your clothes on, quickly," Widow Yu said in a rush.

At that moment, Fang Yue had just finished training and was washing up in the courtyard.

It would not take long to rinse himself off, so he had not closed the courtyard gate.

Besides, no one would come to his home at this time of day.

That was why he had not shut the gate.

He had not expected Widow Yu to come at this moment. What was more, she had pushed the gate open and entered directly, thus catching sight of Fang Yue bare-chested.

"Hmm? Widow Yu? Is something wrong? Did Zhang Shu cause trouble again?"

Seeing Widow Yu, Fang Yue felt no embarrassment, nor did he entertain any notion of propriety between men and women. Only after putting on a short jacket did he speak.

Widow Yu rarely interacted with the people in the village. She simply lived alone with her daughter.

Since she had come specifically to his door now, there had to be something important.

Naturally, it could only be related to Zhang Shu, who was staying at his home.

"It's not about Miss Zhang."

Knowing Fang Yue had put on clothes, Widow Yu finally dared turn around. In truth, she had only caught a hurried glimpse and had not seen much.

She only remembered Fang Yue's strong body, his healthy bronze skin, and the masculine aura that filled him.

It had actually made her breathing quicken.

Her chest rose and fell, and the fullness before her chest bobbed along with it as she began recounting what she had just heard.

At the same time, Fang Yue's gaze fell ahead of him, and he could only marvel inwardly, They really are enormous!

However, upon hearing what Widow Yu said next, Fang Yue withdrew his gaze.

His expression could not help turning cold.

"Widow Yu, I understand."

"Good. Since you know, I'll go back now." After saying that, Widow Yu looked around. Only after making sure there was no one nearby did she hurriedly turn and leave.

Yet as she walked down the road, she felt her cheeks burning.

Why had she gone to his door just now? And she had even seen Fang Yue's body.

He was only sixteen this year, wasn't he?

How had he grown so strong already? The aura around him had made Widow Yu feel somewhat light-headed. In the end, she did not even know how she got home.

"These people really know how to stir up trouble!"

In the Fang Family courtyard, Fang Yue could not help sighing as he thought about Widow Yu's words.

He did not believe that rumors stopped with the wise.

If these rumors were allowed to keep spreading, his elder brother would likely find it difficult to marry in the future. Even his family's reputation would plummet along with it.

There was never a shortage of trouble in a farmer's small courtyard.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Yue headed out.

Since someone was spreading the story, he would naturally find someone and get to the bottom of it.

When he reached the village, he indeed saw several farm women chirping away.