Without even glancing at him, Mother Xiao launched into a tirade: ‘You disgraceful good-for-nothing! You’re a grown man—how can you pin the blame on my daughter-in-law for such a minor injury? Have you no shame?’
“I, I…”
With just a few words, she had left the man speechless, unable to retort.
“Stop hiding away—come out here!”
Mother Xiao stepped forward, reaching out to grab him, only to be blocked by Jiang Wuren.
“It was Xiao Changhe who made a pass at my little sister first!”
Hearing this, Xiao’s mother was startled at first, then burst out laughing. “Say that again—who made a move on your little sister?”
Jiang Wuren was left utterly bewildered by Xiao’s mother’s sudden laughter. “What’s so funny?”
“You’d believe I made a pass at you more readily than that my son Changhe made a pass at your little sister!” Xiao’s mother shook her head gently, her face brimming with contempt.
Nuzzled in Xiao Changhe’s embrace, Jiang Fuseng gave Xiao’s mother an approving look.
“Brother Changhe, did you really make a move on her?” She lifted her head, her voice sweet and soft, tinged with a hint of hurt.
Xiao Changhe shook his head. “No.”
“I believe you!” Jiang Fuseng’s lips curled into a happy smile. She released her arms from around his waist and turned towards Jiang Wuren. “What gives you the right to say Brother Changhe made a lewd advance at your little sister? Do you have any evidence? If not, I’ll call the police and report you for slander!”
Upon hearing this, the other four turned to look at Jiang Wuren.
“Brother Wuren, you say Xiao Changhe bullied your sister—do you have any proof?”
“That’s right, Brother Wuren, you can’t be lying to us brothers!”
“Brother Wuren, say something…”
“This is getting on my nerves!” Jiang Wuren shot an irritated glance at his mates. “If I didn’t have any evidence, would I dare come and cause trouble at the Xiao family’s place?”
“Well, where’s the evidence?” Jiang Fusheng held out her hand. “Let me see it.”
“My sister told me so herself!”
Jiang Fuseng laughed helplessly. “Just because your sister said it, you’re going to cause trouble for my man? Do you have any sense at all? Do you just take whatever she says at face value?”
Xiao Changhe, who was blocking the doorway, heard her say ‘my man’ and felt the blood rush to his head; his face flushed slightly.
“My sister doesn’t lie! ” Jiang Wuren’s face turned crimson with rage.
“Your sister might not lie, but does that mean my man does? He says it didn’t happen, so it didn’t.” Jiang Fuseng rolled up her sleeves and shook her fist. “If you can’t produce any evidence or explain yourselves properly, I’ll beat you up!”
With Aunt Xiao and Xiao Changhe here, who was she afraid of?
“Brother Wuren, has your sister really been wronged? Give us a straight answer.”
“Why would I lie to you? If you don’t believe me, go and fetch my sister yourselves!” Jiang Wuren glared angrily at his brothers, who were now questioning him.
The other four exchanged glances and were about to leave together to find her.
But Jiang Fuseng stretched out her arm to stop them. “Only one of you may go and fetch her to face the matter. This must be sorted out properly.”
She wasn’t about to stand for her husband being falsely accused of making a pass at another girl!
“I’ll go,” said one of them.
Seeing this, Jiang Fusheng turned to look at Xiao Changhe, who was blocking the doorway like a door god. “Tell him to go and bring the person here. We must get to the bottom of this. I won’t allow anyone to slander you.”
“Right.” Xiao Changhe, whose eyes had previously held a glint of fury, was calmed by her words and stepped aside to let the man pass.
Xiao’s mother, standing nearby, said nothing, but the smile on her face was brighter than the wildflowers by the roadside.
Seeing her precious son being so tenderly protected by her precious daughter-in-law, what mother wouldn’t be delighted!
“You lot, restore this place to its original state!” Jiang Fuseng raised a finger, pointing at Jiang Wuren and the others.
The three men had intended to refuse, but when they saw Madam Xiao narrowing her eyes and clenching her fists right in front of them, their arrogance plummeted to rock bottom. They all slumped their shoulders and went over to help right the rack they’d knocked over in the courtyard.
“Why aren’t you moving?” Jiang Fuseng asked, looking at Jiang Wuren.
“I didn’t break it, so why should I be the one to fix it?” Jiang Wuren said smugly, completely unaware of the trouble his words might cause.
Jiang Fuseng snorted derisively, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the other three men Jiang Wuren had brought with him.
Sure enough, upon hearing his words, the three exchanged incredulous looks.
Now was the moment!
“You’ve seen it, haven’t you? You thought this was brotherly loyalty, but all he had to do was utter a single word, and you all came running to help him stir up trouble. Yet he hasn’t lifted a finger; he’s left all the dirty work to you. Tell me, with a brother like that, wouldn’t he betray you when it really matters?”
Her manoeuvre to sow discord played out with perfect ease.
“What nonsense are you spouting!” Jiang Wuren finally snapped out of it, his face turning pale. “Don’t listen to that vile woman’s rubbish. We’re brothers who’ve grown up together since childhood, from the same village…”
Jiang Fusheng stepped forward, raised her arm, and swung it viciously.
Smack!
“You hit me again?” Jiang Wuren clutched his face, staring at her in shock.
Being ambushed just now was one thing, but now she’d actually slapped him?
Xiao Changhe and Xiao’s mother were both taken aback.
The force of that blow was no small matter!
She certainly didn’t look like a delicate woman.
It was just that her slender frame made her appear frail.
“I was aiming for you! Try insulting me again!” Jiang Fuseng shook her stinging palm.
“You wretch!” Jiang Wuren’s rage boiled over, and he raised his hand to lunge at her.
“Brother Changhe!” Jiang Fuseng suddenly shouted.
A figure appeared before her even faster than Jiang Wuren.
With a thud, Jiang Wuren was sent spinning by a single punch from Xiao Changhe, tumbling into the large water vat beside him, landing on his back with stars dancing before his eyes.
“Brother Changhe, you’re so amazing!” Jiang Fuseng hid behind Xiao Changhe, tugging at his clothes and blinking her eyes like an adorable little rabbit.
“You’re amazing too.” Xiao Changhe smiled slightly and pinched her cheek.
This girl, she’s quite the actress.
But he liked it.
Just then, the three men who had been quietly tidying up the courtyard walked over together.
“The courtyard’s back to normal now. Can we be on our way?”
Jiang Fuseng smiled. “Leaving already? Not going to check on your Brother Wuren?”
The three men looked towards the large vat.
A few hours earlier, they’d heard that Xiao Changhe had been making a pass at his younger sister. As good brothers from the same village, they’d stepped in to help him and come looking for Xiao Changhe.
Only now did they realise that whilst he’d intended to cause trouble for the other man, he hadn’t laid a finger on him—it was they who’d done the fighting.
By helping to restore the courtyard and washing his hands of the matter, wasn’t he simply betraying them?
Fortunately, Jiang Laidi had exposed him for what he really was.
It was still early days; they’d only smashed a few things. If they’d actually come to blows, causing bloodshed and ending up at the police station, who knows how he might have wriggled out of it by claiming he’d done nothing!
“We don’t know him well.”
The three of them, unusually in unison, shook their heads in unison.
“You did come and smash things, after all. Even though they’ve been put back in order, we can’t just let it go. You must apologise to Brother Changhe and Aunt Xiao!”
“We’re sorry…” the three said in unison.
“Not loud enough.”
“We’re sorry!” the three shouted at the top of their voices.
Jiang Fusheng tilted her pretty, fair face upwards and said in a soft, sweet voice, “Brother Changhe, shall we let them go?”