The Fierce Farm Girl Has A Secret Space Chapter 2378: Envied (4)

Widows Dong Wenxiu and Feng Zilan were not to make New Year visits, as local customs deemed it inauspicious. Therefore, Yang Baixiang and Yang Ruxin undertook the rounds separately.

Their initial visits were to their third and fourth paternal uncles' households, followed by a trip to the village head's residence.

Impatient with Yang Ruxin's measured pace, Sanni and the others had already scampered off to explore on their own.

However, on this day of widespread festivity, while the entire village buzzed with joy, a chorus of angry shouts emanated from the entrance of a particular home.

Sanni, ever drawn to drama, swiftly guided the others to the scene. It was Goudan's residence. Yang Huangshi stood at the threshold, her face contorted in anger, berating not an individual but the unseen culprit who had defaced their couplets.

Yang Guofu stood nearby, his expression grim.

The previous day, Goudan had personally penned those very couplets. The couple had joyfully affixed them, only to discover upon rising that some nefarious individual had callously torn them down.

Goudan's eyes welled with tears; these were his calligraphy, the ones his parents had so proudly displayed and for which he'd received accolades from his teacher. Even his ancestor had commendended him, urging him to pursue scholarly success and become a Champion. Now, all his efforts were in vain.

At this very moment, while others exchanged New Year's wishes, a crowd had congregated near Third Uncle's house, right in the village center. Their collective condemnation echoed, branding the act as utterly disgraceful and unjustifiable.

"Goudan's mother, have you somehow angered someone?" Chen Yingzi inquired, cracking sunflower seeds with an air of thinly veiled schadenfreude. "Why else would only your family's have been targeted and not mine?"

The two families resided in adjacent houses, one facing the other.

"Whom could I possibly have offended?" Yang Huangshi retorted fiercely. "If I had wronged someone, they should confront me directly. I would acknowledge any fault if they pointed it out and spoke their mind, but who resorts to such petty malice?"

Chen Yingzi ceased her chewing but wore a look of unmistakable disdain.

"This was a deliberate act," Sanni declared, stepping forward to gather the scattered red paper from the ground. "Fourth Aunt, I don't believe this stems from you offending anyone. It's more likely born from someone's envy of you all."

Given Yang Guofu's position as the fourth grandson among Third Uncle's descendants, she was addressed variously as Fourth Aunt, Fourth Sister-in-law, or Fourth Granny.

"What is there in my family to inspire jealousy?" Yang Guofu asked, his brow furrowed.

"Fourth Uncle, Goudan and Xiaofeng study together and frequently earn praise from their teacher. Now that the teacher has also lauded these couplets, it's natural for someone to feel envious," Sanni explained with a shrug.

"Curses upon this wicked deed! How depraved must one be?" Yang Huangshi's fury escalated, her face flushing and her neck veins bulging. "If they possess such capability, let them send their own sons to study; what good does mere jealousy achieve?"

"Fourth Aunt, even if you rail until you're breathless, it won't prevent them from tearing them down again. You're only agitating yourself," Sanni advised, her gaze scanning the surroundings. "We need to devise a method to apprehend the perpetrator."

"What Sanni says is correct," Third Uncle, who had just arrived, nodded in agreement. "This is not merely about a pair of couplets; it signifies a decay of moral character."

"Mengmeng, do you have any insights on how we might track down the culprit?" Yang Guofu inquired, pulling his wife closer and turning to Sanni. "Should you uncover the responsible party, Fourth Uncle will be eternally grateful."

"Fourth Uncle, I personally lack the means, but my eldest sister possesses such discernment," Sanni replied with a grin. "Once she lends her assistance, we are certain to identify the individual responsible."

Zhou Xiao couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh, wondering if he was inadvertently causing trouble for his elder sister.

Yang Guofu paused, contemplating whether such a minor incident warranted troubling Yang Ruxin.

"My eldest sister detests those who disturb the village's peace and harmony; she will undoubtedly agree to help," Sanni stated with unwavering confidence. "Everyone please remain here. I shall fetch my sister immediately and return shortly." With that, she turned and hurried away.