Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Conflicts Must Be Resolved On the Spot

"It’s to help you ward off the cold. Understand the situation; everyone has a kind heart. Don’t treat someone’s good intentions like dirt, thinking you’re entitled." Fu Xiaoxiao glanced at them and set down the ginger soup.

"Aunt, don’t bother with them anymore. You’ve been busy for half the day, and you haven’t even had any yourself!" Fu Xiaoxiao ladled out a bowl for Aunt Zhang. Aunt Zhang cheerfully dragged Fu Xiaoxiao to sit beside her, sipping the soup one mouthful at a time.

The villagers also ignored the educated youth, having already drunk the ginger soup and feeling their bodies warm up. Each of them started chatting about everyday life, leaving the educated youth aside.

Fu Xiaoxiao’s words left the educated youth embarrassed, standing there and wanting to stubbornly refuse the soup, yet the coldness biting at their bodies. Seeing everyone with cheerful smiles and flushed faces.

Xiao Heng turned to look at them, observing the ongoing snowstorm outside. It was clearly impractical to go back to the youth dorm to get a cup, as their bodies were already too stiff from the cold.

If they wanted to be stubborn, it would depend on their resilience.

Xiao Heng ignored them and instead approached the side, picked up a bowl, and served himself some ginger soup.

After drinking it in one gulp, the warm ginger soup immediately dispelled the cold from his body.

Xiao Heng nodded to Aunt Zhang, placed the bowl beside him, and walked to a corner to sit down.

The other educated youth looked at each other, glancing at the pot of ginger soup still steaming, their unresponsive hands rubbing together in vain. In the end, concerned for their lives, they picked up the bowls they had earlier dismissed and drank a big bowl of soup.

With one, comes another; the male educated youth each followed suit, gulping down the ginger soup.

"Ah~ so comforting." With one bowl down, they felt rejuvenated.

"Thank you, Aunt Zhang." The male educated youth nodded politely to Aunt Zhang, then placed their bowls down and sat beside Xiao Heng.

Hearing their thanks to Aunt Zhang, she smiled, and the villagers’ expressions improved significantly.

Zhao Qing glanced at Fu Xiaoxiao, smiled and stepped forward to drink the ginger soup, understanding Fu Xiaoxiao’s intentions and gratefully thanking Aunt Zhang.

Once everyone had finished the ginger soup, they sat on the ground, waiting for the snowstorm to pass.

Aunt Wang and others also came over, and upon seeing Fu Xiaoxiao, the aunties patted her hand. "You know, those words really spoke to my heart."

"Exactly, in such cold weather, a bowl of ginger soup is more precious than anything." Fu Xiaoxiao replied with a smile.

"I don’t know how long this snowstorm will last." Aunt Wang worriedly gazed at the snowstorm outside. "We’ve never had such a snowstorm before. Who knows what’s going on this year."

"The crops in the fields can’t withstand this snow..." Aunt Zhang sighed, and everyone understood that under such snowstorm conditions, the chances of protecting the crops were almost zero.

"Is everyone in the village here?" Fu Xiaoxiao changed the subject, finding it too heavy.

"Those who could come are here." Aunt Wang looked around, noticing that almost everyone from the village had gathered in the grand ancestral hall.

"Wait, there’s one person missing." Aunt Zhang thought for a moment and said.

"Who else?" Aunt Wang couldn’t recall and asked.

"You forgot, the one locked in that shabby hut." Aunt Zhang reminded.

"Oh dear! That’s important. We need to find someone to bring him over quickly." Aunt Wang’s face turned serious.

Fu Xiaoxiao was taken aback, wasn’t that...

She turned and locked eyes with Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng’s grandfather—Lin Jun!

"Do we really need to bother with him? Just let him fend for himself in there." A villager asked, puzzled by Aunt Wang’s suggestion. "Aren’t they bad people?"

"How bad can he really be? He hasn’t committed murder or arson! That’s a living person’s life. Imagine when you grow old and frail, if others treated you like trash to be left to die, would you want that?" Fu Xiaoxiao retorted, looking at the villager.

Many agreed with Fu Xiaoxiao’s words. Despite his misdeeds, he hadn’t committed any heinous crimes, and that dilapidated hut couldn’t even block a breeze, let alone such a fierce snowstorm.

"This is a matter of life and death." Aunt Wang spoke up, and the village chief did not oppose, merely scanning the crowd with a stern face.

"Who is willing to go?" The village chief raised his voice to ask.

The villagers eyed each other but no one stepped forward for a while.

"I’ll go!" Fu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Heng raised their hands simultaneously, speaking in unison.

"Xiao Xiao, you can’t go. In such cold weather, you’ll hurt your body." Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhang hurriedly pulled Fu Xiaoxiao down, preventing her from going.

"We have able-bodied men in the village; this isn’t something for women to handle." Aunt Wang said sternly, and upon hearing this, several young and strong men immediately stood up.

"That’s right, such minor matters shouldn’t fall on women, we can handle it."

"I’ll go along to help." Xiao Heng spoke seriously, and the men looked at him with newfound respect, surprised to see such courage among the educated youth. They grinned at Xiao Heng, saying, "You’re a real man, let’s head out!"

"Wait a moment," Fu Xiaoxiao called out.

"You’re a woman, really, don’t go!" Seeing Fu Xiaoxiao speak up, the men shook their heads in refusal; no task should fall to women.

"No, I mean you should take the ginger soup with you. It might get cold, but drinking it can still help ward off the cold," Fu Xiaoxiao explained, handing them several bamboo canisters, filling them generously with ginger soup so each could carry one.

"Women sure are thoughtful, thanks!" The men were pleased to have been looked after by Fu Xiaoxiao.

This move by Fu Xiaoxiao earned her considerable goodwill from many.

Xiao Heng exchanged glances with Fu Xiaoxiao, then followed the men, braving the snow to run out.

"This Xiao Heng is quite good, warm-hearted and responsible." Aunt Wang was pleased to see Xiao Heng.

"Too bad you’ve already married, otherwise you two would be quite the match." Aunt Zhang added, laughing.

"No match, no match, my mom is only good with my dad." Sitting beside Fu Xiaoxiao, Lu Chen interjected, displeased. "My dad is even better than him."

"Haha, the child is getting anxious." Aunt Wang said dotingly, hugging Lu Chen.

"Matriarch, if the snow doesn’t stop, should we head home?" The village chief approached, looking serious, followed by a few men, respectfully seeking Aunt Wang’s advice.

Fu Xiaoxiao saw this kind of scene for the first time: the village chief showing such respect to Aunt Wang.

"Why go home? To die? The houses in the village are old. If the snow continues, while you’re sleeping, if it builds up and breaks the beams, causing the house to collapse... No one could save you then." Aunt Wang eyed the village chief sternly.

"It’s better to be on the safe side tonight; when the snow diminishes a bit, go home and bring your bedding over. We’ll all lay a floor mat and squeeze together for the night here." Aunt Wang looked around the ancestral hall, recognizing it as the sturdiest building in the village, capable of withstanding the snowstorm. It was the only place that could.

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