"What a fine mess your brother Bai Jianshe has made! He got my daughter pregnant and then ran off! He's been hiding here for over a month!" The man blurted out the scandal as soon as he opened his mouth.
Such things are shameful to talk about. If it weren't handled carefully, his daughter might never get married. In these parts, if there's any gossip, the village gossips will spread it far and wide in less than a month.
Bai Xue was also shocked. She had thought the girl's family would keep it quiet out of fear of losing face and would discuss the matter with them privately, but the girl's father didn't seem to care about that at all and started shouting about it in her courtyard.
Now everyone in the village knew, and they crowded around her house, watching the commotion with their hands tucked in their sleeves, as if it was something rare to see.