ALL NOVEL Chapter 50 - I
The tragic death of Zhu Laosan’s family was ultimately avenged.
After capturing a gambler who typically had some dealings with Zhu Laosan, the matter concluded as such, and Zhou Yan felt relieved.
What was peculiar was that the village chief’s family suddenly arranged a marriage for Liu Yingying. It was unclear where they found the man, but when they brought him back, his clothes were in tatters, and he lacked everywhere even without shoes. He appeared to be on the run, much like a fugitive.
Yet, on the day of the wedding, after he cleaned up and changed into wedding attire, the villagers noticed that the man looked rather impressive. He was tall and sturdy, appearing to be accustomed to manual labor. His facial features were average, and he had an honest appearance.
Pei Xing and the others didn’t think much of it. The village chief’s family had only one son, Liu Hu. Now that their son had passed away, finding a son-in-law was understandable.
However, within a few days, rumors began to circulate in the village. They claimed that Zhu Laosan had wronged Liu Yingying, and she had sought revenge, leading to the tragic death of his whole family. Because Liu Yingying had lost her innocence, she had no choice but to marry a man on the run.
These rumors spread like wildfire, even detailing the time, place, and cause of the events. According to the rumors, Liu Yingying was angry at home and destroyed everything inside. When Liu Dali tried to intervene, he was slapped by Liu Yingying.
The village chief’s wife, who arrived later, removed Liu Dali from Liu Yingying’s room.
While Village Chief Liu offered some advice from outside.
Liu Dali was a quiet and honest man. He thought that Liu Yingying was upset because of the gossip. Moreover, Liu Yingying had bled on their wedding night, confirming her innocence.
In the room, Liu Yingying’s eyes revealed a sinister look. She had been tormented by Zhu Laosan that day, fearing that her reputation would be tarnished if anyone saw her. She waited until darkness fell, and her parents, who had searched for her all day, found her bearing the marks of the illicit affair.
They later learned that Zhu Laosan was the perpetrator, so they secretly arranged a son-in-law for their daughter.
This man was easily deceived. He got drunk on their wedding night, and after consummating their marriage, Liu Yingying purposely stained the bed with a few drops of blood. However, the man did not become suspicious.
But Liu Yingying refused to give in. Why she had to marry an ordinary man after being tortured and defiled?
She even married a fugitive man, while her tormentors, the vixen was enjoying Pei Xing’s favor and Song Ning who killed his brother, were all living comfortably.
The village chief’s wife, Madam Li, hugged her daughter and offered comfort: “Ying’er, I know you’re suffering, but we must endure for now to seek revenge.”
“Why doesn’t uncle just arrest Song Ning and the others directly? It would be great to blame them for Zhu Laosan’s death.” Liu Yingying’s face contorted with anger; she wished to exact revenge immediately.
“Your uncle must have his reasons, in the world of politic nothing is simple. I know you’ve been wronged, but don’t be blinded by hatred. We need to plan for the long term,” Madam Li said. She had lost her son and now faced such a situation with her daughter. She felt even more hatred and a strong desire to dismantle Song Ning’s family.
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Shi Yi shook his head after hearing the village gossip and commented, “The people in this village have too much idle time. Luckily, we’re already married and not subject to their chatter. If our reputation were at stake, wouldn’t we have to jump into the river to clean ourselves?”
Upon hearing his words, Song Ning and Zhou Yan exchanged glances, both seemingly hesitant to speak.
“Don’t stoop to their level; let’s focus on our own lives,” Pei Xing advised. With calm eyes and an even tone, he examined the words Shi Yi had written, tapped a misplaced word, and said, “This one is wrong, rewrite it.”
Shi Yi nodded, pursed his lips, took another sheet of paper, dipped his pen in ink, and, glancing at the incorrect word he had written, began rewriting.
“Don’t you know how to write?”
In response to Song Ning’s question, Shi Yi puffed his cheeks, “Yes, I can write.”
The other three watched as Shi Yi began writing, but they noticed the tip of his pen trembling, creating a few zigzag lines. He abruptly stopped, lifted his head, and gazed pitifully at Pei Xing. “I think I’ve forgotten,” he admitted.
Song Ning: “…”
Pei Xing took Shi Yi’s hand and wrote the correct word with a sharp and confident stroke. Shi Yi observed the elegant handwriting next to his which looked like a ghost inscribing a talisman. After two strokes, he paused again, took another glance, and continued writing.
Zhou Yan twisted the corner of his mouth, unsure of what to say. Despite several months of learning, Shi Yi’s terrible handwriting had not improved at all, and his reading speed couldn’t even keep up with Xiao Liu.
Song Ning and Zhou Yan had come to seek Pei Xing’s opinion. Initially, before hearing the rumors, they believed Zhu Laosan was interested in Shi Yi. However, they hadn’t expected Liu Yingying’s involvement, and they were concerned about Song Ning’s secret being exposed.
Pei Xing inquired, “Do you think this rumor is true?”
Zhou Yan replied, “At the very least, it’s not baseless.”
Pei Xing nodded and suggested, “Let’s investigate the source.”
Song Ning interjected, “How do we investigate? The whole village is spreading this news; we can’t ask every family in the whole village, right?”
Zhou Yan contemplated for a moment before saying, “It’s a valid point.”
Song Ning and Shi Yi exchanged puzzled looks. Was questioning each family really a solution? They didn’t understand what Pei Xing and Zhou Yan had in mind.
But Pei Xing and Zhou Yan chose not to elaborate further. Shi Yi couldn’t comprehend their intentions and had no interest in dealing with such matters. He continued to struggle with the words he was writing.