Chapter 17

Qiao Sheng began to speak with a weak expression on his face.

"The matter is like this: today didn't you have the elder aunt compensate me two hundred wen? They wanted to go back, then called my parents to claim it. My father couldn't get it back, and grandmother said she would marry off Sanmei."

"Sanmei is thirteen this year, and the coming‑of‑age ceremony is still two years away."

"Grandmother wants to marry Sanmei; my mother certainly wouldn't agree, so she had people lock my father up. If my younger sister hadn't run out to find me, I wouldn't have known."

"They were worried we would report them, so they chased us out and then attacked us."

"Scoundrel!"

The Village Head cursed, then led the crowd toward the Qiao household.

Qiao Sheng and the others followed right after.

When they arrived, Qiao Heshui and his companions were pulling Qiao Hushui out of the firewood shed.

"What are you doing!"

The Village Head, his face cold, shouted.

"We… we didn't do anything."

Qiao Heshui said, stammering a bit.

Lan Yue Niang glanced at Qiao Sheng standing aside, let go of the bedpost she was gripping, and came over: "Lianhua, you, what's happening to you?"

Qiao Sheng hadn't spoken yet.

Qiao Xuehua told Lan Yue Niang first.

She learned that Qiao Sheng's head had been smashed by Bai Zhaodi.

Lan Yue Niang shouted at Bai Zhaodi: "Elder sister, how could you be so cruel? You wanted to sell Xiao Shitou before, and now you do this to Lianhua!"

"You wretch, it's getting even worse."

"He kept shouting at her!"

Bai Zhaodi glared at Lan Yue Niang and said: "What nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever try to sell Xiao Shitou? That never happened! As for Lianhua, where did I smash her? Clearly she knocked herself that way."

No one else saw it, she refuses to admit it, so what can they do to her?

Qiao Xuehua shouted angrily: "You're the one spouting nonsense; my elder sister's head was smashed by you with a stone. You originally intended to hit us, but my elder sister blocked us, and the stone hit her instead."

"Yes, that's exactly it."

Xiao Shitou echoed.

Bai Zhaodi, seeing the two of them agreeing, said irritably: "Stop slandering me; I didn't do it, I simply didn't."

Seeing that she still wouldn't admit it.

Qiao Sheng stared at her and asked: "You say you didn't do it; why did you all run earlier?"

"Exactly."

The villagers who had witnessed Bai Zhaodi and his group running earlier all echoed her in unison.

"We…"

Bai Zhaodi didn't know what to say.

Xia Heshui cursed her a few times in his mind and said: "We… we were afraid you would overthink, so we ran."

"Right, right, that's it."

Bai Zhaodi and Xia Shan Shui said from the side.

Lan Yue Niang updated her perception of them; she was just about to scold them.

Qiao Sheng spoke again: "Elder aunt, did I bump my own head?"

"Yes."

Bai Zhaodi answered without thinking.

Qiao Sheng was waiting for that answer; he immediately said: "Village Head, the stone that previously smashed my head should still be there. If you go check, you'll know what's going on."

Bai Zhaodi felt a sudden thump in his heart.

The Village Head led the men outward, and before long he and the villagers retrieved the blood‑stained stone.

"Bai Zhaodi, what else do you have to say now?"

Bai Zhaodi's face flashed with panic as he said: "I… I didn't; it was Qiao Lianhua who smashed herself, slandering me."

I won't die until the Yellow River runs dry!

Qiao Sheng thumped the ground and said: "You keep changing your story; your testimony is no longer credible. Village Head, since elder aunt won't admit it, let's go to the Yamen to settle this matter."

(End of chapter)