âYou! You are simply confounding black and white!â Lian Fang Zhou pointed at her as she spoke in fury. âIâm not going to waste my breath with you. Weâll go to clarify it in front of li zheng and the village elders! I believe thereâs still justice in the world!â
âYou think Iâm afraid of you?â Mrs. Qiao pointed at her with a sneer. âSo what if you bring it up to them! Hmph, you think they would believe a little girlâs word?â
âFang Zhou ah!â At this time, Lian Li steadily interjected. âAbout this matter, your Aunt was muddled-headed. You came back perfectly fine! So, let this matter pass and not mention it anymore, ok? I have already scolded your Aunt. From now on, she wonât do these foolish things! Ah?â
Lian Li lightly pulled on Mrs. Qiaoâs sleeve and with his eyes signaled her toward Ah Jian a few times.
At first, Mrs. Qiao wasnât willing and wanted to continue ranting but seeing Ah Jian, she remembered last nightâs suffering and immediately felt her arms were aching. Her heart trembled. She faintly harrumphed and not speak anymore.
Lian Fang Zhou was amused by Lian Liâs word that was laced with âaffablenessâ and âaffectionatenessâ. She coldly smiled, âUncle! In other words, you also have a part in this? Aunt created a barrier. You and my father are brothers with the same mother! I am your blood-related niece. You actually have the conscience to do this!? Are you not letting down my father? In a hundred year, do you have the face to meet my father? And my grandfather and grandmother?â
At her words, Lian Li felt embarrassed and reprimanded, âWhat nonsense are you saying! Didnât I say? I only knew about this matter afterward! I had already scolded your Aunt, so what do you still want? Child, why canât you forgive the person in the wrong? No matter how wrong your aunt is, she is still your elder!â
Lian Fang Zhou icily declared, âIs the thing she done something an elder would do!? Uncle, if the same situation happened to Cousin, would you say the same thing?â
âPah! â Without waiting for her to finish, Mrs. Qiao continuously spat. She agitatedly glared at her with hostility and denounced, âYou jinx, what nonsense are saying!â
Lian Fang Zhou harrumphed, âHeart to heart, you are vicious enough! You can do this to your niece, while for your own son, not even allowed to talk about it! Aunt, I wonât let it drop like this. Come, you and I need to bring this up to li zheng and the village elders!â
As she spoke, Lian Fang Zhou reached out to drag Mrs. Qiao.
Lian Li hurried to block her. With a frown, he said, âChild, why are you so stubborn? If this matter gets out, what benefit would there be for you?â
âAt least itâll let you know that even without parents, I, Lian Fang Zhou, isnât easy to bully! You did such a thing and ruined the whole villageâs reputation, li zheng and village elders are bound to give me justice! What?â She sneered, âYou have the gut to do it, but none to admit it?â
âI wonât go!â Mrs. Qiao snorted. âThis lady wonât admit it, so what can you do to me! Those few still-not-dead-yet will help a silly little girl? Donât be so dumb!â
âMrs. Lian-Qiao, you are simply downright rude and utterly shameless!â Following that angry bellow, was the sight of li zheng and the three respectable elders coming inside. Each face was colder than the other. Lian Ze was also at the side with a fuming expression.
Lian Li and Mrs. Qiao never expected Lian Fang Zhou to use this kind of method. Their face paled from fright.
Lain Li was so remorseful that his mouth was bitter. He knew something wasnât right. This lass came back after suffering such a great grievance, unexpectedly wanted to reason things out instead of causing a ruckus! So this is why, so this is why!
âLi, li zheng! Third Great Uncle Zhang, Fifth Great Uncle Zhang, Great Grandfather Li, why did, you, come!â Lian Li did his utmost best to put on a smiling face. But no matter how it looked, it appeared forced.
Zhang li zheng and the others remained silent, while their expression was ugly.
âAccused! Iâve been accused!â Mrs. Qiao loudly yelled with a sob. âLi zheng ah and few great uncles ah, you have to give me justice! This heartless dead girl set a trap and tricked me!â
Zhang Li Zheng just coldly swept a glance toward her, said, âDare not. How could us still-not-dead-yet give you justice? Whatâs more, if itâs accused or not, didnât you say it just now? The words you personally said, have you forgotten? Us still-not-dead-yetâs ears arenât deaf yet!â
âNo, itâs not like that. I was speaking in anger. It was words said in the moment of rage!â Mrs. Qiao cried. âI was enraged by this dead girl! This girlâs eyes never had us two elders in her eyes. What I said, said was to purposely make her mad! Iââ
âEnough!â Third Great Uncle Zhang coughed once. He spoke neither fast or slow, âLeave all the talk for when we are at li zhengâs home! Letâs go!â
Finishing, the few old men and Zhang li zheng turned to leave. Zhang li zheng called for Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian.
Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian followed them.
âHusband, this, what do we do!â What do we do!â Mrs. Qiao was going mad from angst.
âYou stinky old woman with a loose mouth!â Lian Li was stamping his feet and fiercely scolded, âWhat to do? Who told your stinky mouth to be not careful and say irresponsible things!â
âI, how could I know those still-âŚâŚthey would be outside!â Mrs. Qiao was mad and worried. She aggressively spat out, âThat dead girl is too crafty. She planned a trap to harm me!â
âLetâs go. Weâll see after we go over! Iâm warning you, you better behave! If you dare speak irresponsibly again, hmph, I wonât forgive you!â Lian Li coldly said.
âGo where? Iâm not going!â Mrs. Qiao expression whitened and unconsciously retreated back.
âNot going? Now you know you to be afraid! Going or not, itâs not up to you!â Lian Li coldly snorted, grabbed her arm and forcefully dragged her.
Seeing Hua Jin Tao at li zheng homeâs slant hall, Mrs. Qiao expression turned white and was so close to fainting.
âWhat words do you still have to say?â Zhang li zheng icily stared at Mrs. Qiao.
âKneel! You vicious woman!â Lian Li shouted and pushed Mrs. Qiao.
Mrs. Qiao dare not disobey. After a slight delay, she kneeled down with a lowered head. But her mouth kept on crying out, âAccusation! Accusation!â
âSeem like, you really are treating us still-not-dead-yet deaf ah!â Zhang li zhengâs and the othersâ expression was extremely ugly. Their anger gradually rose and was full of loath.
Everybody had heard of the Lian Familyâs matter between the two branches. So when Lian Fang Zhou brought over Hua Jin Tao to complain in tears in the early morning, how could they not give judgment for her as li zheng and village elders?
âYou shut up!â Lian Li fiercely glared at Mrs. Qiao. With an apologetic smile, he spoke, âThis woman, this woman doesnât have much experience. Li zheng and few great uncles forgive this time! This time she was muddle-headed! She shouldnât have done this foolish thing!â
Third Great Uncle Zhang coldly harrumphed, âThis sounds like human words! Mrs. Lian-Qiao, do you know your wrong?â
Being glared by Lian Li, Mrs. Qiao hung down her head and quietly admitted, âI, I know my mistake!â
Her heart was filled with extreme rage from suffering such embarrassment in front of Lian Fang Zhou.