Mrs. Wang didn't quite catch what Li Zhu's mother was saying, but she could tell that she was being introduced to Gu Zi.
She responded more casually, saying, "Exactly! Without my old lady's help, would your wedding ceremony have gone so smoothly? It's just a piece of fermented cake, what's the harm in giving me a full piece? Really."
Gu Zi couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This woman didn't seem like she belonged to the same family as Aunt Yang at all.
However, Gu Zi was someone who could distinguish very clearly when it came to these matters.
Aunt Yang was Aunt Yang, and Mrs. Wang was Mrs. Wang. Yang Shenszi was the one who helped, and the Lin family had even given her a red envelope as a token of appreciation. They didn't invite her to be the witness for free.
Gu Zi initially thought of giving some fermented cakes to the well-behaved child out of respect for Aunt Yang. However, Mrs. Wang's entitled attitude made Gu Zi uncomfortable.
If she gave in today, she was afraid that this woman would keep finding opportunities to take advantage in the future.
Gu Zi said to Mrs. Wang, "When you mention the 'old lady,' you mean your mother-in-law, Aunt Yang, right? She didn't even ask for anything extra after receiving a red envelope from our family. So, why do you feel entitled?
Everyone is trying a small piece for tasting; why should you be an exception?" Gu Zi's blunt words caused Mrs. Wang's face to change. The people around remained silent, thinking that Gu Zi was making a reasonable argument. They all tasted a small piece before buying, and Mrs. Wang shouldn't be an exception.
Gu Zi was running a business, not providing relief aid.
Moreover, they had never seen anyone so directly reject Mrs. Wang before. They all felt a sense of relief.
This Mrs. Wang had a history of asking her fellow villagers for vegetables, fruits, and even sausages and cured meat.
She would directly ask for things, and when she first asked, she seemed polite and even gave the impression of being a good person. But if others showed reluctance, she would verbally attack them, making them feel embarrassed not to comply.
The villagers usually gave in to her because she was Aunt Yang's daughter-in-law and had come from afar. They didn't want others to think that their village people were stingy, so they would give her something.
For the sake of harmony, whenever she asked for something, everyone would try to share a bit with her. This made Mrs. Wang feel even more entitled, and she had developed a habit of it over the years.
Each household couldn't give much individually, but by asking multiple households for the same item, Mrs. Wang didn't have to spend her own money to buy it.
She was quite cunning in her calculations, and the villagers had realized this over the years but were helpless.
Now, it seemed like Gu Zi's personality was not easy to manipulate, which was perfect for teaching Mrs. Wang a lesson.
Mrs. Wang started using her usual tactic of verbal attacks against Gu Zi.
"You're from the city, but your direct way of speaking makes you seem difficult to get along with."
Listening to her, Gu Zi calmly weighed half a pound of pastries for a customer and said, "I adjust my way of speaking based on the person. You came straight up to me and asked for something, and you won't even allow me to refuse? Does that mean, Mrs. Wang, that you only accept straightforward talk?"
Mrs. Wang was taken aback. This was the first time someone in the village had spoken to her like this, and she didn't know how to respond. Furthermore, in a showdown of words, Gu Zi had the upper hand.
Moreover, when it came down to it, Gu Zi was also someone who had come from outside the village and had arrived later than her. If Gu Zi wanted to argue with her, besides using the fact that Gu Zi was from the city, she didn't really know what else to say.
She hesitated for a while before retorting in a cold tone, "Fine, no need to say more. If you don't want to give, then don't give. Do you think I can't afford it? I'll take my son Yuan Yuan to the town to buy pastries; they taste much better than yours. It might be a bit more expensive, but I'm not someone who's always looking for a bargain..."
Mrs. Wang finished her sentence, picked up her son Yuan Yuan, and turned to leave.
Gu Zi didn't even look in her direction. She just carried on with her work, knowing what she had to do. Gu Zi had lived for two lifetimes, and such a minor incident was not enough to affect her mood.
Li Zhu's mother and Zhang Cuihua, seeing that Gu Zi remained unfazed, were relieved.
Li Zhu's mother commented, "You really handled her well. She's skilled at using language to attack people. Since you didn't let it bother you, I feel much more at ease.."
....