Chapter 101: Infatuation 

As soon as he saw his mother angrily returning, still holding that box of pastries, Cheng Wu’s heart sank.

"Mother, why did you bring it back again?" 

As his mother stepped into the courtyard, Cheng Wu hurried to meet her.

With a glare, she snapped at him, "That little wretch said she’s unwilling!"

Hearing his mother call Zhou Qing such names made Cheng Wu feel very uncomfortable. 

But remembering how his mother was already upset that Zhou Qing had been kissed by Shen Li in public, he decided to stay silent.

But… Zhou Qing refused?

How could that be? 

She clearly liked him! 

Over the past few days while selling her calligraphy, Zhou Qing often talked to him and would glance his way frequently for no reason. 

How could she not want this?

"Mother, what exactly did you say when you went there? Did you make sure? Is she truly unwilling, or did Zhou Qing just get shy, and you misunderstood?"

At the mention of shyness, his mother got furious, stomping her feet. 

"Her? Shy? You couldn’t find anyone thicker-skinned in the whole Qingyang Village than her!"

With just a few words, Cheng Wu’s mother exaggerated the whole story, adding details as she told him what had happened.

Cheng Wu couldn't bear the blow. His head felt heavy, his feet light, and his vision blurred. His body swayed, and he almost collapsed. 

His younger brothers, alarmed, quickly rushed to support him.

"Mother, no, Zhou Qing must like me. You must not have explained it well. I’m going to ask her myself!"

Unsteady on his feet, Cheng Wu turned to leave.

His mother grabbed him, pulling him back. 

"You’re not going! That little wretch is shameless. Our Cheng family will never marry someone who ruins the family’s reputation like her."

"Mother..." Cheng Wu’s mind was a mess, and he was on the verge of tears.

His mother held on tightly and dragged him back inside the house.

Since they were talking so loudly in their courtyard, their neighbors overheard them. In no time, the whole village knew about it. 

Those who understood the situation knew that Zhou Qing simply wasn't interested in Cheng Wu. After all, Zhou Huaishan had connections with the prefect and had passed the scholar's exam, which meant he had a bright future. 

Zhou Qing had better prospects, so naturally, she wouldn't choose Cheng Wu. And marriage should be about mutual consent anyway.

But there were also those who loved to stir up trouble. 

Some were envious of Zhou Qing's family’s good fortune, jealous that Zhou Huaishan had passed the exam and made connections with the prefect, and that the local academy was renamed after him as Huaishan Academy.

Before long, rumors spread all over the village. 

The most popular one was that the Zhou family was aiming for Zhou Qing to marry some young boss from the county, but after being taken advantage of, they didn’t manage to secure the marriage, and now Zhou Qing had become a proper "discarded shoe."

No one knew how these rumors started. When Zhou Huailin and Zhao returned with the New Year's supplies, they immediately heard people gossiping, and their faces turned pale with anger.

Some people are just like that. 

You could do a hundred good deeds, and they’d be blind to them. But the moment there's the slightest whiff of trouble, they’ll pounce on it, exaggerating it until it’s unrecognizable.

In fact, they might never have even spoken to you, but that doesn't stop them from harboring immense malice toward you.

Words can hurt deeply. 

How many kind-hearted people have been driven to despair by malicious rumors? 

It only takes a few careless words from the gossiper, but those words can destroy a family.

Zhou Huailin and Zhao were terrified, afraid that Zhou Qing might do something rash. They even instructed Zhou Ping to keep a close eye on her.

Fortunately, the person in question, Zhou Qing, didn’t care at all. 

Angry? Of course. 

But more than that, she felt disgusted. 

However, such baseless rumors weren't enough to derail her life.

After all, once her father passed the provincial exams and became an official, their whole family would move away. 

Then they’d live the good life and leave these petty village folk behind. 

Who cared about those jumping around in Qingyang Village?

Besides, there were still plenty of sensible people in the village. 

As soon as the rumors started spreading, the clan leader, worried that they might affect Zhou Huaishan’s studies, rushed over to the Zhou family to comfort them and then began investigating how the rumors had started.

At the Cheng family’s house.

On the day Zhou Qing refused the marriage proposal, Cheng Wu had wanted to go ask her for clarification. After being stopped by his mother, he lay in bed, refusing to eat or drink.

At first, his parents thought he was just sulking and didn’t pay him much mind, figuring that he’d come around after going hungry for a while.

But to their shock, this was the third day, and Cheng Wu still hadn't eaten a bite.

Cheng Wu’s mother had even gone to the village butcher to buy some pork intestines, making Cheng Wu’s favorite dish, fermented garlic and intestine noodles, and brought it to his bedside.

"Wu, why are you doing this to yourself? Over that shameless little wretch, you’re torturing yourself—and your father and me. Are you crazy? Listen to your mother and get up to eat these noodles."

Cheng Wu opened his bloodshot eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling above him.

"I can’t eat, Mother. Give the food to my younger brothers."

Tears instantly welled up in his mother’s eyes.

"You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you! A man can marry any number of girls, yet you’re fixated on that discarded shoe!"

Cheng Wu’s eyes moved slightly, and his dry, cracked lips trembled as he choked out, "She’s not."

A tear slid down from the corner of his eye.

For three days, he had lain there, thinking about Zhou Qing non-stop. 

He hadn’t realized before, but now he felt that he simply couldn’t live without her.

"Mother, if I don’t marry her, I won’t live either."

His mother, furious, slapped him. "What nonsense are you talking! What do you mean you won’t live?"

"I can’t live without Zhou Qing! If you want to see me die, just keep stopping me."

"You…"

His mother was so angry that she almost lost her breath. Slapping her leg, she began wailing, "What did our family do to deserve this torment from that little wretch?"

Outside, Cheng Wu’s father sat under the eaves, his face dark as he puffed on his pipe. 

Hearing the commotion inside, he sighed heavily and walked in.

"If you’re truly that stubborn, go ask Zhou Qing again. If she agrees, I’ll let you marry her."

Cheng Wu’s mother immediately jumped off the kang.

"No! Have you heard the rumors flying around outside? How could we marry her now!"

Cheng Wu’s father snorted, "We can’t just watch him starve to death."

Tears streamed down his mother’s face as she glared at Cheng Wu.

Slowly, Cheng Wu got up from the kang and stood up, but after lying in bed and going without food for three days, he was too weak to stand straight and almost fell.

His mother quickly caught him, both anxious and angry. "If you're going, at least eat the noodles first!"

Cheng Wu said nothing, but grabbed the bowl and slurped down the noodles.

Once the bowl was empty, he put down the chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and headed straight for the door.