In the midst of the snowstorm, a group of teenagers led by An Peng were walking along the village road, talking and laughing as if they were on their way to somewhere.
Shen Cuiyu and the others exchanged glances and silently followed them.
All the way, they eavesdropped carefully and found that these teenagers said nothing but flattering An Peng in various ways. And all the compliments ultimately pointed to the family with absolute authority in the village behind her...
A tall and skinny boy said eagerly,
"If it were not for Uncle An's kindness this year, and he paid us in advance to repair the canals, we could not have such a good harvest! Our village owes a lot to Uncle An!"
On the other side, a girl with twin buns immediately answered, enviously,
"Exactly! Sister An Peng's coat is from the town, right? It's so beautiful! Only Sister An Peng can match such a good-looking coat!"
The teenagers spoke one after another, their words full of admiration and flattery!
Zhong Shengwan frowned slightly. Based on An Peng's previous behaviors, it could be inferred that her family was wealthy, and she had grown up in luxury. However, the scene in front of them was exaggerated, as if this Master An was the provider of the land!
So, he asked Zhang Yushu in a voice only audible to those around him,
"Such a poor little village... What on earth is An Peng's father's background?"
Zhang Yushu answered seriously, "Father-in-law used to be a gentry, controlling most of the farmland in the village and determining the livelihoods of many families..."
The others then understood why these teenagers would flatter An Peng. It turned out that most of them depended on the An family for survival, and it was already their instinct to flatter and obey.
As everyone was thinking, another boy who looked smarter in the crowd suddenly spoke up, bringing the topic to a more distant place, with a smile,
"In my opinion, our Miss An is so talented that she will marry into the city to live a good life in the future! I heard from my father the other day that even the village head treated Uncle An politely. Isn't it true that the young master of the Zhang family visited a few days ago? Perhaps, it was for our An Peng!"
As soon as these words came out, it drew exclamations from the other children. However, Shen Cuiyu and the others heard this and looked at Zhang Yushu in unison—who else could it be but this young master of the Zhang family?
"You and An Peng knew each other when you were young?"
Zhang Yushu looked blank and didn't speak for a long time. "I... I can't remember..."
Actually, he didn't have many memories of this village. It was just a fragment of his life, and he couldn't remember clearly the people and things he met here.
If he didn't enter the illusion this time, he would have almost forgotten this vague time.
He had only stayed here for two months. Why did so many things happen?
Moreover, why did An Peng in front of him feel so strange to him?
Shen Cuiyu didn't continue to ask, but instead observed An Peng's every move.
An Peng's lips curled up proudly after hearing this flattery. Then, for some reason, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her tone carried a bit of angry coquetry,
"I saw Zhang Yushu. He is quite handsome... However, if he really likes me as you said, why did he talk to the daughter of the groom at the village entrance this afternoon? He also smiled so happily at her?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the girl with twin buns beside her immediately answered sharply,
"Surely it was that cheap girl who didn't know shame and deliberately went up to seduce Young Master Zhang! Young Master Zhang is kind and didn't want to embarrass her in public!"
"Exactly! The daughter of a groom is also worthy of being compared with Miss An?"
The others also echoed, their words extremely demeaning.
An Peng's furrowed eyebrows relaxed, and her proud expression returned. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze passing over the crowd as if she didn't care, and finally landed on the end of the team. Her eyes were floating, with undisguised disdain and contempt, as if she was looking at something dirty.
Shen Cuiyu followed her gaze and only then noticed that behind the glamorous An Peng and her entourage, there was actually a figure following far behind!
It was a girl who was extremely petite and thin. Compared with An Peng, who was wearing a luxurious fox fur coat and was being flattered by everyone, the oversize padded robe on her body was extremely eye-catching. The robe was covered with patches of different depths, and several places were even torn, revealing the dry and blackened hemp inside and holes, looking thin and pitiful in the cold wind.
Zhang Yushu stared blankly at the thin and humble figure, and his heart tightened inexplicably. He seemed to have seen this girl before... However, when he tried hard to recall, it was like looking at flowers in the fog, and he couldn't remember. There was only a sense of stagnation that he couldn't explain...
At the same time, the children quickened their pace and turned into a quiet alley. Finally, they stopped. They consciously split into two rows, leaving only An Peng standing at the front. Then, everyone's eyes looked at the girl at the end of the team in unison.
An Peng tidied up the white and thick fur collar around her neck leisurely. Then, she waved her hand casually. The action was light, but it carried an unquestionable dignity. She looked at the girl at a not-so-close distance. Her tone was calm, but every word was clear,
"You, come here and let me take a look."
As soon as these words came out, it was like a silent order.
The alley immediately became quiet, with only the whistling wind left.
All the boys and girls turned their heads. More than a dozen pairs of eyes were like cold arrows, nailing on the lonely girl in unison.
In those eyes, there were numb onlookers, flattering accomplices, and more undisguised malice waiting to watch a good show.
An invisible and suffocating pressure enveloped them heavily.
Whether it was because she was dressed thinly and couldn't resist the cold, or because of the fear and pressure brought by those gazes, under An Peng's and everyone's obvious or hidden gazes, the girl's body trembled violently.
She hesitated for a long time, but finally, with her head down, like a frightened mouse, she slowly moved from the end of the crowd to the open space in the middle of the crowd, accepting everyone's scrutiny.
"Why are you walking so slowly? Don't you have legs?"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd reached out and pushed the girl. Her figure was already thin, and the person used all his strength. The girl was directly pushed to the ground!
The thick snow almost covered her body. She supported the ground with her hands and wanted to stand up, but because the ground was too slippery, she staggered a few times and fell heavily again, looking extremely embarrassed!
At the same time, there was a low burst of giggles from the children all around!