蜚短流长 meaning in Chinese

(添枝加叶,说人坏话) spread embroidered stories and malicious gossip; spread rumors

Years later , the man returns to his village and starts off another hopeless romance before meeting a teacher from the neighbouring village . when he is about to marry the woman , he finds out that she is nobody but the mother of his " dead wife "
后经人介绍，与农村女教师沈玉兰相识，刚欲确立婚约，突然得知玉兰竟是自己死妻的生母，一时镇内外蜚短流长，众说纷纭… …