Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
Chapter 39: Who Said I Stole the Money?\n“Why is the silver on the ground?”\n
“Why else? It must have been stolen by someone living in this house!”\n
“If I’m remembering correctly, this should be Fourth Master Li’s room, right?”\n
…\n
Some of the villagers knew immediately who occupied the room. After all, many had lived in the Wuming village for a long time, and naturally knew the details of each family.\n
Even if one’s relationship wasn’t very good, they were nonetheless still familiar with each other. In such a small, rural area, everyone knew each other’s home situation like the back of their own hand.\n
Matriarch Wang’s expression visibly brightened up as she saw the shimmering taels lying under the door. No matter who was in that room, she would barge in and claim what was rightfully hers.\n
This was her silver!\n
However, no matter how much she threw herself against the wooden door, huffing and puffing to open it, she still couldn’t enter the room. The door had been blocked from the inside.\n
The Fourth Master had a guilty conscience ever since last night, and the commotion outside had been so loud, that he had long woken up. He was the only one that knew he had snuck into his parent’s room last night. Even though the thief was not him, it felt like he was somehow at fault for this matter. \n
Therefore, he didn’t dare to peek his head out. With so many people outside, it was bound to become a very chaotic scene, which further intensified his feelings of guilt.\n
In addition, with Bailian demanding to appeal to the officials in town to settle this case, he became even more jittery and nervous.\n
“Bang Bang Bang!” Matriarch Wang violently pounded on the door.\n
“Wife, forget it!” Patriarch Li frowned at Matriarch Li, who was starting to act like a lunatic after learning her stolen money was just within reach.\n
Bailian sneered. At first, Matriarch Wang, with no evidence, had unjustly incriminated the Third Branch as the culprit. At the time, Patriarch Li hadn’t said a word.\n
Now that evidence had appeared on the Fourth Master’s doormat, Patriarch Li deliberately tried to coax the frenzied Matriarch Wang.\n
It was truly too ridiculous.\n
The expressions of the crowd had significantly changed, each one beaming at the sudden turn of events, their eyes filled with burning flames of justice. They had watched Patriarch Li’s contradictory actions, watched Matriarch Wang accuse the Third Branch, and now they watched in glee as the silver laid in plain view in front of the Fourth Master’s quarters. It was clear that Matriarch Wang had been spouting nonsense earlier.\n
However, even so, no one from the Li Family had stepped up to defend the Third Branch, leaving the villagers to ponder over the true intentions of the family members.\n
Coupled with the Third Branch’s shabby dress and poor physical condition, they couldn’t ignore the obvious abuse occurring in this household.\n
It was too miserable ah!\n
In addition, no one entertained the thought that the silver had been randomly thrown here. If it hadn’t been stolen by the Fourth Master, then why would he still hide in his room?\n
“Fourth! Get out of here!” Matriarch Wang threw off Patriarch Li’s iron grip, a boost of adrenaline running through her veins. No matter who stole her precious silver, she would go to any lengths to get it back.\n
Because if her Eldest Son wanted to become a high-ranking official in the future, if there was no silver, then how was he supposed to take the imperial examination?\n
She wouldn’t be merciful towards the culprit, even if it was her beloved fourth child!\n
In reality, Patriarch Li’s favorite son was actually the Fourth Master. Although the Patriarch never expressed his fatherly love, he still deeply treasured this young son of his on the inside.\n
Although the Eldest was the most promising, the Fourth Master was the next most outstanding, poetic, and elegant, suavity ingrained in each inch of his body.\n
And this was exactly what Patriarch Li had been like in his prime.\n
“Get back here!” Patriarch Li disdainfully looked at Matriarch Wang, as if she was merely a crazy old dog and dragged Matriarch Wang away from the door.\n
Matriarch Wang staggered, and just as she opened her mouth to spew a sling of curses, seeing Patriarch Li’s unreadable expression, she quickly shut her mouth.\n
Although Matriarch Wang had an extremely domineering and unyielding personality, she still followed Confucian virtues in which male superiority and female inferiority were deeply ingrained in her mind. So even though she had a tyrannical and bossy personality, she wouldn’t dare to go against her husband.\n
Moreover, her husband had been a scholar once and had also once been considered a candidate to take the imperial examination. Now, he was now a distinguished academy teacher.\n
Therefore, Matriarch Wang’s outburst had been restrained as she respectfully obeyed her husband.\n
“This will be the end of this matter.” Patriarch Li’s deep and genteel voice reprimanded Matriarch Wang, and then he clasped his fists towards the Village Head, “I’ve let everyone see a joke. If there are any further misunderstandings regarding this matter, we will solve it privately. Everyone can disperse!”\n
“Grandfather, why did the Old Madam accuse us for no reason? If you try to cover up Fourth Master’s crime, then you can just kill us instead!” Bailian stubbornly refused to let this matter resolve like this, and indifferently looked on at Patriarch LI.\n
A thin, weak girl calmly looked at Patriarch Li, her tone clear and crisp, her logic especially stubborn and unyielding. It evoked a sense of pity and thread of admiration in everyone who was present.\n
If anyone else was to talk back to their elders like this, it usually made people feel as if they didn’t have any discipline and was a scoundrel who didn’t respect their elders.\n
But, just look at this girl!\n
Patches and holes in her clothes, bloodstains on her pale face, skinny to the point where she almost looked like a skeleton!\n
Anyone with a pair of eyes could see the lowly status the Third Branch had within the Li Family, a mere suspicion almost brought about the whole branch’s demise.\n
But if the Fourth Master was the one that had stolen it, then they didn’t even investigate any further! Even forgetting it!\n
Oh, this was truly unconcealed bias ah!\n
“Go back already!” Patriarch Li threatened, his expression dark as he tried to scare Bailian off.\n
All of the people in the crowd had been frightened into silence by Patriarch Li’s implicit threats, not to mention any mere girl.\n
In the past, Bailian didn’t even dare to raise her head in front of Patriarch Li.\n
But now…\n
“I won’t!” Bailian firmly shook her head, her mouth set in a grim line, “If we hadn’t discovered that Uncle was the true culprit, then everyone in the Third Branch would have been killed, even my Mother…”\n
Bailian visibly choked up, her words quivering. Seeing this sight, everyone’s heart’s felt a tinge of distress and wanted to comfort her.\n
This girl seemed to be swaying, unsteady on her feet, like a wisp of cloud that could be blown away by a mere breeze. Despite her weak condition, she stood her ground, fighting to regain even a little bit of dignity back for the Third Branch.\n
This was to be expected.\n
Anyone who had been severely wronged, how could they not feel dissatisfied ah!\n
Therefore, everyone put the matter of Bailian rebutting Patriarch Li’s words just now.\n
The girl that had been neglected by everyone before was truly not the same easily-overlooked girl as before!\n
“This matter ends here Third! Take the Fifth girl home.” Patriarch Li gritted, feeling very unhappy. He coldly waved his sleeve at the Third Master.\n
Today, He had lost a lot of face in front of the rest of the villagers, including the Village Head. The Li Family had become a laughingstock!\n
He hadn’t expected Bailian wouldn’t even consider his elderly status and still tenaciously harp after him, even though he was a scholarly gentleman and distinguished teacher.\n
Now, all he could do to mend the situation was to let these people leave as soon as possible and this matter could be blown over.\n
Of course, the silver was to be retrieved, but he would have to wait until the villagers dispersed.\n
“Father…” The Third Master had a pained expression on his tanned, honest face, “We really didn’t steal the silver, you…”.\n
You are truly too partial.\n
“It was a misunderstanding, the family didn’t lose any money.” Patriarch Li eyed the quiet Matriarch Wang, a threatening glint flashing in his eyes, “The Old Madam was muddle headed after waking up and thought her money had been stolen, we’ve made everyone laugh.”\n
The corners of everyone’s mouths twitched.\n
Confused after waking up?\n
Was he really lying now?\n
Any discerning person knew at a glance that it had been the Fourth Master who had stolen the silver. Even so, Matriarch Wang had unjustly framed the Third Branch and even thrashed Grandmother Ciying and Bailian. She had even kicked at the heavily pregnant Madam Zhao, who even now, was still unconscious.\n
And the Patriarch wanted to end this matter here?\n
Everyone scoffed at Patriarch Li in their hearts. They had believed that reading books was a good thing, helping shape one’s moral character, but Patriarch Li had become a person who flipped right and wrong as he pleased.\n
Then, why even bother being a scholar?!\n
“Who said I stole the money?!”\n
When everyone else had been gossiping and slandering the Fourth Master, a frivolous voice sounded out into the courtyard. The door that Matriarch Wang had tried to bust down, opened with a creaking sound.\n
A young, handsome man walked out of the room, looking a little sleepy, his hair messy and unkempt.\n
It seemed that he had just woken up.\n
Although he hadn’t been sleeping, the Fourth Master had silently laid in his bed, hatching out his counter plan.\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-foreground-dark-background-color has-foreground-dark-color is-style-wide">\n Announcement: I have translated up to Chapter 40 for this novel, but do not plan on translating the rest of the work unless there is a lot of people who want it. I am having trouble getting the raws and am losing interest in the work. Just wanted to let you guys know! \n