However, Xue Zhi’s explanation did not convince the crowd. Instead, it only made them even more suspicious.
Seeing that the situation was turning bad, the village chief quickly stepped forward to stop them.
“Enough! Everyone stop!”
Then he turned to Li Honghua.
“Dàyong’s wife, can’t things be discussed properly? What exactly is going on here?”
Li Honghua shot Xue Zhi a vicious glare and cried out angrily,
“Village Chief, you must uphold justice for my family!
The news of my Lin’er dying in battle has only just arrived, yet this restless daughter-in-law of mine is already trying to climb to a higher branch, seducing men everywhere.
Now she even staged this river-jumping act to lure Scholar Fu. When everyone caught her, she refused to admit it and instead slandered me.
Oh, I have no face left! I’m already a grandmother, yet my own daughter-in-law is ruining my reputation!”
She cried as she spoke, but if only her voice had been softer or she had managed to squeeze out a few tears, perhaps someone might have believed her.
But with Li Honghua’s usual overbearing and aggressive reputation, it was difficult for anyone to trust her.
As soon as she finished speaking, Xue Zhi’s face turned pale, her lips trembling.
“Mother, how can you treat me like this?
I already promised you, yet you still refuse to let me go. Must you truly force me to speak everything plainly?”
With Xue Zhi’s firm attitude, and because everyone in the village knew she had always been meek and obedient despite being beaten and scolded by her in-laws, many people chose to believe her.
A woman suddenly shouted,
“Well then, Li Honghua! You’re already fifty or sixty years old and still sneaking around with men? Xue Zhi, speak boldly! Tell us who the adulterer is, and I’ll stand up for you!”
The speaker was Huang Juan, Li Honghua’s sister-in-law and longtime enemy.
She would love nothing more than to see Li Honghua humiliated.
“Xue Zhi, don’t be afraid of her. Everyone here will stand up for you.
Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right!”
“Xue Zhi, hurry and say it!”
“Second Daughter-in-law Fu, speak!”
…
Under everyone’s urging, Xue Zhi finally gave in halfway, pretending she had no choice.
“A few nights ago, I got up in the middle of the night to use the latrine and happened to see my mother-in-law sneaking out in a hurry.
I was worried, so I followed her.
Then I saw her with a man…”
She lowered her head.
“I originally intended to pretend I saw nothing.
But just as I was about to leave, Mother-in-law noticed me. She cried and begged me to keep it secret.
…I softened and agreed.
But ever since that day, rumors about me began spreading throughout the village.
At first, I didn’t think much of it.
But just now, when I passed by the river, I ran into my sister-in-law. She pushed me into the water when I wasn’t paying attention.
She also told me Mother-in-law was afraid I would expose her secret and wanted… wanted to kill me.
After all, only the dead can keep secrets.
As long as I died, Mother-in-law would no longer need to worry every day.
My parents are already dead, and no one would care whether a widow lived or died.
If Scholar Fu had not happened to pass by and kindly saved me, I would have drowned already.
Now that Mother-in-law sees I didn’t die, she’s afraid the truth will come out, so she’s accusing me of seducing Scholar Fu instead.
Scholar Fu is a learned man who will one day earn official honors. How can you recklessly smear his name?”
When she said the last sentence, Xue Zhi secretly glanced at Fu Shiyue guiltily.
I’m sorry, Scholar Fu.
This matter had nothing to do with him. He had only been dragged in because of kindness, and now she had to use him.
But use him she must.
Fu Shiyue was the only scholar in Fu Family Village.
The village chief would never ignore anything involving him.
Sure enough, Fu Shiyue merely raised an eyebrow and looked at Xue Zhi with surprise and scrutiny.
The village chief immediately asked,
“Dàyong’s wife, is what your daughter-in-law said true? Did you truly order your daughter to push her into the river?”
Fu Shiyue’s reputation could not be damaged.
And Fu Family Village absolutely could not bear the scandal of a mother-in-law ordering her daughter to murder her daughter-in-law.
“No! No!”
Li Honghua waved her hands frantically.
“Village Chief, I didn’t! Don’t listen to her nonsense!
Xue Zhi! Shameless wretch! How dare you slander me? I’m your mother-in-law!”
Xue Zhi snorted lightly.
“Mother-in-law? So you still remember that you are my mother-in-law?”
Huang Juan widened her eyes.
“Xue Zhi, who is the man your mother-in-law is having an affair with?”
Li Honghua shot Huang Juan a glare, lifted her chin proudly, and sneered.
“If you have the guts, then say it. If you dare slander me, I’ll tear your mouth apart.”
Seeing how fearless Li Honghua looked, Xue Zhi curved her lips.
“You truly want me to say it?”
“Say it.”
She had never done such a disgraceful thing, so what was there to fear?
“Fine. You asked for it.”
Xue Zhi spoke slowly.
“Diao Si. The man having an affair with my mother-in-law is Diao Si.”
The smug expression on Li Honghua’s face instantly froze.
Then terror spread through her whole body.
“Y-you… what nonsense are you saying? Don’t falsely accuse people! I… I’ve never even spoken to Diao Si!”
What was happening?
How did Xue Zhi know about her and Diao Si?
These past days she had not contacted him at all.
When had Xue Zhi found out?
How much did she know?
At once, Li Honghua’s heart sank to the bottom.
Seeing the fear in Li Honghua’s eyes, Xue Zhi felt strangely better.
She had never personally seen Li Honghua with Diao Si.
But in her previous life, after Fu Lin brought the family to the capital, Diao Si had secretly gone to find Li Honghua.
That was when she saw the ugly truth of the Fu family.
Disgusting.
In this life, even if she wanted revenge, she did not want to continue pretending with such filthy people.
Xue Zhi looked directly at Li Honghua.
“You say I’m framing you? Fine.
Report it to the authorities.
Let the county magistrate investigate thoroughly and see whether I’m lying or whether it is true.
And while he’s at it, let him also judge what crime Fu Rong committed for pushing me into the river and attempting murder.”
The moment everyone heard report to the authorities and county magistrate, they were stunned.
If Xue Zhi dared mention the magistrate so boldly, then surely she was telling the truth.
So…
Li Honghua truly had an affair with the widower next door!
Under the burning gazes of the crowd, Li Honghua opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, Fu Dàyong arrived late and interrupted.
“Village Chief, I’m truly sorry. It’s only a small family matter, yet we’ve troubled you.
I’ll take them both home right now.”
Then he turned and glared at Li Honghua, gritting his teeth.
“Haven’t you embarrassed us enough? Get back now!”
Useless fool.
He gave her one task and she could not even handle it properly.
Because of Fu Dàyong’s authority, Li Honghua unwillingly turned and left the crowd.
After she was gone, Fu Dàyong lowered his voice and tried to persuade Xue Zhi.
“Little Zhi, we can talk about this later. Go home first and change clothes. It’s cold—you’ll catch a chill.”
Seeing him trying to casually smooth everything over, Xue Zhi clenched her fists.
She had no intention of returning to the Fu family.
This was her chance.
She had to break free now.
Ignoring Fu Dàyong, she turned to the village chief and said decisively:
“Village Chief, you have seen how my mother-in-law treats me.
I have been married into the Fu family for more than two years. Everyone knows what kind of life I have lived these two years.
Now, I truly no longer dare remain in the Fu family.
If I stay any longer, I fear I will lose my life.
I want a divorce!”
She raised her hand to wipe away tears and said sorrowfully:
“Since Fu Lin is dead, I respectfully ask the Village Chief to permit me and Fu Lin to dissolve our marriage.”