Chapter 42 - 042 Saw Nothing
Chapter 42: Chapter 042: Saw Nothing
Chapter 42 -042: Saw Nothing
The front of the Bai Family’s house was certainly lively today.
Not only did Wang Jiapo bring over her son and daughter-in-law, but Liu San’s wife and the Liu Family also came along.
In addition, many other gossip-loving village women followed suit, awaiting to hear what Bai Ruozhu had to say.
Wang Jiapo was the loudest of them all.
As soon as she saw Bai Ruozhu come out accompanied by her family members, she started yelling, “Bai girl, tell everyone, didn’t we see Liu San’s wife cavorting with another man in town today?”
Liu San’s wife also started shouting, “Wang Jiapo, don’t spread such filthy rumours.
I was visiting my cousin in town, you should mind your own business!”
Liu San joined in, “Yeah, stop slandering my wife!”
Bai Ruozhu quietly gave Liu San a glance, feeling a hint of pity for him.
This man was a devoted husband, but his wife was, regrettably, betraying him.
Liu San’s wife turned her fierce gaze towards Bai Ruozhu, yelling, “Bai Ruozhu, everyone knows we have a grudge, stop slandering me!”
Lin Ping’er, standing in front of her daughter, stepped in, “Why are you shouting, Liu San’s wife?
What grudge does my daughter have with you?
You’re the one who keeps causing trouble for her, now you’re still trying to intimidate her, are you feeling guilty or what?”
Wang Jiapo looked at Bai Ruozhu, saying, “Ruozhu, don’t be scared, speak your truth!”
But Bai Ruozhu looked at Liu San’s wife, showing a hint of fear, and took a step back, subconsciously reaching up to touch her forehead.
Her fringe was swept aside, revealing a scar.
The crowd remembered, not long ago, Liu San’s wife had blocked Bai Ruozhu’s way and pushed her to the ground, despite her being pregnant, causing her to bleed from her forehead.
“I, I didn’t see anything.” Bai Ruozhu stammered, looking very fearful.
Upon hearing this, even Lin Ping’er was taken aback.
Why didn’t her daughter dare to speak out?
Hadn’t her courage grown recently?
Wang Jiapo became anxious upon hearing this and was about to scold Bai Ruozhu for not telling the truth when she remembered how Bai Ruozhu had been intimidated by Liu San’s wife earlier and had chickened out from going to town.
Wang Jiapo’s dim eyes flickered as she looked towards Bai Ruozhu and said, “Ruozhu, don’t be scared, have your say.
See, there are so many people watching.
What can she do to you?”
Upon hearing this, Liu San’s wife was not pleased, “You are the one who fabricated this story, and now you’re trying to use someone else as false witness, what nonsense!”
Regardless of how Wang Jiapo was, her seniority in the village was higher than Liu San’s wife.
Upon hearing her say this, the Wang Family members were displeased and started cursing in unison.
Some young men were even ready to fight.
The Liu Family members were not to be outdone, cursing back and rolling up their sleeves.
Fortunately, there were many onlookers who managed to stop the scuffle.
Just then, the village chief arrived, leaning on his cane.
The sight of the Liu Family immediately ruffled his feathers.
Why was the Liu Family always causing trouble recently?
Previously, when the village chief had gone to the Liu Family to demand compensation, Liu Family’s stingy matriarch had made him run around three times.
Already having a bad impression of the Liu Family, he was further annoyed by them stirring up trouble yet again, and he was disinclined to take their side.
“What’s all this noise for?
Are you guys having too comfortable a life?
Can’t you live peacefully for once?” The village chief angrily performed his signature move: hitting the ground hard with his cane.
However, he was facing the Liu Family, so anyone smart could understand his implication.
Liu San stepped forward and said, “Village Chief, this time it’s not us who are causing the trouble, it’s Wang Jiapo spreading rumours and ruining my wife’s reputation.”
“What do you mean I ruined her reputation?
Why would I mess with anyone else’s?
I saw everything clearly.” Wang Jiapo pointed at her eyes, so intensely that her fingers were almost poking her eyeballs.
“Their sinful deeds with her cousin in the back alley, and asking her cousin for toothpaste or something, just see if she brought back toothpaste from Du Family’s pharmacy,” Wang Jiapo went on talking nonstop, jabbering quickly like a machine gun.
Liu San’s wife rolled her eyes, speaking back defiantly, “That was given to me by my aunt, are you going to my aunt’s house to stir up trouble and then blame it on me?”
The village chief ran out of patience and thumped his cane on the ground again, urging, “Alright, everyone quiet down.”
On his way here, the village chief had heard a summary of the situation.
He was disgusted by such immoral behaviour.
So, he looked at Bai Ruozhu and said, “Bai girl, don’t be scared.
Speak up about whatever you know.
If anything happens, I will handle it.”
Lin Ping’er nudged Bai Ruozhu’s arm, saying, “Daughter, speak boldly.
Don’t be afraid of retaliation.
I refuse to believe that there’s no justice in this world.”
All eyes fell on Bai Ruozhu, waiting for her to speak.
Under the intense gaze of the crowd, looking somewhat apprehensive, Bai Ruozhu spoke in a soft voice, “I honestly didn’t see anything.
I merely heard some nasty words and sounds.
I was too embarrassed to look.”
Wang Jiapo chuckled,”Correct, Ruozhu was following behind me.
She was too timid to peek, but she heard clearly what Liu San’s wife and her cousin were saying.”
The village chief’s face became stern, “What did they say?”
Liu San’s wife was sweating at this point.
She was becoming anxious, arguing, “Bai Ruozhu holds a grudge against me!
She and Wang Jiapo are colluding to frame me.
Village Chief, you can’t just listen to their side of the story!”
The village chief shot her a glance, “Be quiet.
We haven’t even heard the whole story yet.
What are you so anxious about?
Once she talks, I’ll be the judge of whether it’s right or wrong.”
Bai Ruozhu hung her head and repeated the approximate dialogue between the two.
To be honest, it wasn’t her pretending to be embarrassed, she was genuinely embarrassed.
The explicit conversation happening in broad daylight made her feel awkward even thinking about it.
Wang Jiapo was delighted as she listened, clapping her hands together, “Yes, that’s what they said!
Ruozhu is too shy to talk about what happened afterwards.
But I, an old woman, am not afraid.
Is it not about taking off clothes and the noises they made later on?
Such embarrassing situations should not be ignored in our village.
Everyone in town already knows about this, only Liu San refuses to believe it.”
Wang Jiapo scornfully glanced at Liu San.
This man was utterly spineless.
Liu San’s wife vehemently denied everything, starting to wail and sob loudly, proclaiming, “Bai Ruozhu bribed Wang Jiapo to frame me.
You two have ruined my virtue.
I would rather bash my head in and die!
Even as a ghost, I will never forgive you!”
Liu San was holding his wife tightly on the side, his face full of compassion.
Bai Ruozhu spoke softly, yet her words were clear, “I didn’t have any intention to slander anyone.
I even told Wang Jiapo that we shouldn’t talk about it.
If it weren’t for the village chief asking me, I honestly wouldn’t want to say anything.
You keep asserting that I have a grudge against you, but the matters of the past have been settled.
Your family has paid us the silver, and my father has donated it to the school.
We shouldn’t ruin the relationship between our two families any further, so why would I plot against you?”