“Hah! What wouldn’t I dare? I’ll open it right now to show everyone!”
He Changchun was absolutely certain that Du Chenyu was bluffing. He had personally witnessed this sachet falling from Su Ying’s bosom—how could it be fake?
Moreover, he had kept it close to his body all along, leaving no opportunity for anyone to switch it.
Therefore, this sachet must belong to Su Ying.
He took out the sachet and tore it open forcefully, indeed revealing small characters inside.
At that moment, many people gathered around to look, only to discover that the small characters clearly formed the character “Yue.”
If it were Su Ying’s, the character should at least be “Ying”!
When He Changchun saw the character “Yue,” his face instantly turned pale with shock.
“This can’t be, it’s impossible! This was clearly left behind by Sister Ying when we were together that day. How could it…”
He Changchun continued to emphasize his relationship with Su Ying.
But Su Ying retorted, “He Juren, please show some respect. I have never been with you. I don’t know why you would slander my reputation in front of everyone!”
“Sister Ying…”
The incident with the sachet had already filled He Changchun with panic, and now Su Ying’s words made his heart race even more. It felt as though things were spiraling out of control. He stared at her, hoping to find a trace of panic in her eyes—proof that he could still salvage the situation and turn things around.
But all he read in her eyes was calmness and certainty.
“Don’t call me that. You’re so confident, claiming in front of everyone that something happened between us. What makes you think so?”
Su Ying stared coldly at him.
Mrs. Ge grew agitated and pointed at her, saying, “Don’t think you can bully my son just because he’s easy to push around. That day, you deliberately came to our house and did those things with him—many people know about it. Don’t you dare deny it!”
“What things? Who saw it? Do you only know how to spew venom with your mouths? What have I ever done to you? Why must you drag me into this play you’ve orchestrated yourselves?”
Su Ying similarly pointed at Mrs. He and roared, her imposing demeanor startling everyone slightly.
At the same time, some recalled the events of that day.
Why was Mrs. Ge so certain that Su Ying and He Changchun had been intimate that day? And why did she coincidentally take them to her house to see embroidery patterns?
The women who had encountered Su Ying that day remembered her carrying bellflowers on her back and recalled her saying she had picked the herbs to treat her face. Glancing up at her nearly healed face, they fell into thoughtful silence.
Seeing everyone’s doubts, Du Chenyu immediately added, “I believe this matter is a great injustice to a woman. It should be thoroughly investigated. Could any villager please find a physician to examine her and restore justice?”
As soon as Du Chenyu spoke, someone went to fetch a physician.
Before long, two physicians arrived.
They examined Su Ying’s pulse one after another, both concluding that the young lady merely had some abdominal bloating—nothing serious—and prescribing a digestive remedy.
Upon hearing this result, everyone was astonished.
Su Ying truly wasn’t experiencing morning sickness—it was just bloating!
They had all wronged her!
Hah! How peculiar. He Juren solemnly declared he had an affair with Su Ying, and everyone emphatically insists you take her as a concubine—it seems as if someone deliberately orchestrated this. If He Juren were prudent, wouldn’t he know to protect a woman’s reputation? Why repeatedly place her in situations that invite misunderstanding!
If He Juren were truly sincere, he shouldn’t have allowed his mother to discuss this matter with others but should have quickly settled the wedding date with the Su family. Using public opinion to pressure a young woman into becoming his concubine is hardly the act of a gentleman!
This inevitably reminds Du Xiucai of what Su Erya’s mother said—perhaps He Juren truly intends to take Su Ying as a concubine for his own gain, rather than sincerely seeking to marry her.
Now, looking at this Taoist and the Su family, things grow even more suspicious.
If I heard correctly earlier, this Taoist claimed that Su Ying carries a Killing Aura and, being pregnant, would bring disaster upon the entire village, correct?
A Taoist known for his accurate divinations made such a grave error—it also seems calculated. Du Xiucai is curious: who instructed you to do this?
The Su family?
Ah, that makes sense. The Su family seized the eldest branch’s property and, upon learning He Juren intended to take Su Ying as a concubine, feared losing their ill-gotten gains. So they hired a fake Taoist to frame Su Ying for a capital crime—a clever scheme of killing with a borrowed knife!
Such a meticulously planned method suggests they’ve had ample practice—they must have done this many times before!”
The crowd shuddered at Du Xiucai’s words.
Mrs. He panicked and hurriedly explained, “No, no! We absolutely didn’t do this! Those two doctors must have been bribed. If they could bribe Doctor Sun, they could bribe any other doctor too!
This has nothing to do with us! We’ve always treated the three siblings well!”
Doctor Sun, standing in the crowd, couldn’t hold back and stepped forward.
“You woman! If you had doubts, why not ask me directly? What did you mean by turning away and leaving? Who said the Su sisters bribed me? What could they possibly bribe me with?”
Seeing Doctor Sun step forward, Mrs. He averted her eyes but stubbornly insisted, “Stop making excuses! Clearly, the two girls told you not to reveal the truth to us, and you agreed!”
“Hah! I truly don’t understand how those girls ended up with an aunt like you. I was summoned by the elder girl. The younger girl complained about the cost, saying she could just rest at home like Niuniu’s mother.
Niuniu’s mother is genuinely pregnant, while Su Ying merely had abdominal bloating—she confused the two conditions, which was wrong. I merely advised her, and the girl, being shy, begged me not to discuss it with you. Is that a crime?
If you misunderstood, you should have clarified in front of the children. Instead, you joined the crowd in falsely accusing Su Erya and didn’t defend her! You claim you always have their best interests at heart? What nonsense! In my opinion, having relatives like you is the three siblings’ greatest misfortune!”
Hearing Doctor Sun’s words, the crowd stared at Mrs. He in shock.
Mrs. He’s scalp prickled—the mask she’d carefully maintained for years had been ruthlessly torn away.
She glared fiercely at Su Ying. If not for her, she wouldn’t be in such disgrace!
“No, you’re all wronging me! I’m not that kind of person! You have no evidence to say such things!”
Mrs. He probably felt that staying any longer would completely ruin her reputation, so she hurried back home.
Su Changdong didn’t say a word. Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, he followed and ran away too.
Their escape made everyone more convinced that their relationship with the three Su siblings wasn’t as simple as they usually presented.
It also deepened suspicions about the Su family’s malicious intentions.
“Heh! So it turns out those with guilty consciences run fast indeed – the Su family, the Taoist priest, He Juren and his mother have all disappeared!”
Du Chenyu curled his lips slightly and murmured these words. When everyone turned to look again, it was exactly as Du Xiucai had said – all these people had vanished!
The village actually harbored so many venomous snakes – truly unbelievable!
Having cleared the mist and seen these people’s true faces, the villagers felt deeply resentful.
They suddenly felt as if they had been used as pawns, and this feeling was truly unpleasant.
When they looked up again at Su Ying, whom they had misunderstood today, their eyes were filled with guilt.
The man hidden in the shadows, standing on a tree branch, witnessed everything that had happened today and couldn’t help but show admiration on his face.
This small mountain village truly hides extraordinary people!
Especially that young girl – truly wise!