Chapter 519: No Strategy Left Unturned (3)_1
As a result, any slight movements in Lao Mo’s House could not escape Mo Yan’s ears. Inappropriate plans behind the scenes were thus adjusted, which ultimately achieved even better results than they had anticipated.
...
June was the hottest month of the year. The villagers, scorched by the sun all day, finished their day’s toil, and after a simple dinner, small groups with little stools headed to the cool breeze under the ancient poplar tree to enjoy the evening cool.
When people gathered, there inevitably were various topics of conversation. The men mainly talked about the weather and crops, whereas the women were more enthusiastic about the neighborhood gossip. Sure enough, someone soon dropped a bombshell.
"Hey hey hey, have you heard? Mrs. Hong from the Mo Family is up to her witchcraft again! This time, the wicked thing she did is even worse than the last incident when she forced Wu’s mother and daughter to leave!" a young daughter-in-law whispered with a conspiratorial air.
Upon hearing this, someone immediately joined in, "Ah? Up to her witchcraft again? Come on, spill the beans—what’s happened? My mother-in-law suffered a heatstroke, and these past few days have been so hectic, I haven’t had the time to catch up on other matters! I heard before that Mrs. Hong was boasting all over the village because that old spinster of theirs was spotted by a wealthy family in the city, who wanted to take her as the main wife."
Before the woman who had spoken first could reply, another older woman interjected, "Hmph, if it were not for that good-for-nothing old spinster, why would Mrs. Hong engage in such witchcraft? If you ask me, Mrs. Hong isn’t just being witchy; she’s courting death. If she keeps on with this nonsense, the Mo Family will sooner or later be ruined by her hands."