Granny Tian wasn’t flustered in the slightest.
Standing opposite Granny Bai, she had seen everything clearly.
The moment the village chief arrived, the old hag’s eyes had started darting around.
There wasn’t a doubt in her mind—
Granny Bai was faking her faint.
“Move aside!”
Granny Tian shoved Song Muhuo aside without ceremony and crouched beside the “unconscious” old woman.
Just as she reached out with both hands…
Song Yaozu rushed forward, ready to stop her.
But Xie Fusheng arrived in time and grabbed him.
“You little brat!”
“Try laying a hand on my mother!”
Song Yaozu shouted angrily,
“You’re the ones bullying people!”
“Your mother kept attacking mine after she fainted!”
The two men began shoving each other.
Meanwhile…
The rest of the Xie and Song families squared off against one another.
The atmosphere became tense once more.
The village chief’s eyebrow twitched violently.
He opened his mouth…
Then closed it again.
Instead, he simply watched Granny Tian.
Please…
Wake that old woman up.
Otherwise even if I wanted to side with you, this would be difficult to handle.
“Heh… heh…”
Granny Tian rubbed two fingers together with an evil grin.
The sinister smile made the “unconscious” Granny Bai’s eyelashes tremble slightly.
Inside…
She was furiously cursing her useless family.
What a bunch of trash!
You can’t even stop one old woman!
She was furious…
But she couldn’t dare move.
Only her nostrils flared again and again.
Granny Tian caught every tiny movement.
Then—
She found the loose flesh under Granny Bai’s upper arm.
Using every ounce of strength she possessed…
She pinched it as hard as she could.
“AAAAAHHHHH!!”
A bloodcurdling scream exploded across the entire courtyard.
Granny Bai shot upright as though she’d come back from the dead.
The village chief rolled his eyes so hard they nearly disappeared.
So she really was pretending!
Did she think I was that easy to fool?
He immediately shouted,
“Granny Bai is perfectly fine!”
“Everyone stop!”
“Anyone who continues fighting…”
“…will be expelled from the village!”
Both sides froze instantly.
Granny Bai had been about to leap back into the fight.
But the moment she heard the words expelled from the village…
Even her raised hand slowly lowered.
Being driven out wasn’t something anyone could afford.
Instead…
She plopped onto the ground and began wailing dramatically.
“Village Chief!”
“You have to stand up for me!”
“I was quietly staying at home.”
“Granny Tian came to my house spewing abuse.”
“I hadn’t even cursed back yet…”
“And she beat me up!”
Granny Tian spat loudly.
“Pah!”
Hands on her hips, she sneered.
“You’re the one twisting the truth!”
“Who was it that started spreading filth?”
“The people who were in the bamboo grove that day can all testify!”
“It was you!”
“You slandered my granddaughter-in-law first!”
“If Jinxiu were really unlucky…”
“Would she have found two huge rabbits?”
“None of you have luck as good as hers!”
Granny Bai stubbornly raised her chin.
“Her?”
“That skinny little monkey caught rabbits?”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Someone else must’ve caught them.”
“They just gave her the credit.”
This time…
Granny Tian didn’t get angry.
She merely smiled coldly.
“Oh?”
“Then what about today?”
“Jinxiu found snow fungus while we were in town.”
“What do you have to say about that?”
The surrounding villagers erupted.
“What?”
“You found snow fungus?”
“Where?”
“Near town?”
“Your luck is unbelievable!”
“I’ve never found any.”
“How much did Physician Ma sell his for again?”
“I think…”
“Fifteen taels.”
Everyone gasped.
Even Grandfather Xie stared with his mouth hanging open.
“Old woman…”
“Is that true?”
“Don’t tease me.”
“I’ll actually believe you.”
Granny Tian ignored her unreliable husband.
Lifting her chin proudly, she declared,
“Listen carefully!”
“I don’t care whether Jinxiu personally discovered the rabbits…”
“Or personally found the snow fungus.”
“Ever since she entered our family…”
“Our Xie family has been blessed with good fortune.”
“She is our lucky star.”
“If anyone dares slander her again…”
“I’ll fight them to the death!”
Granny Bai froze.
Jealousy and resentment twisted her heart.
Why?
Why is that old fool Xie so lucky?
Just when they were about to fall apart…
They turn things around again.
Damn it!
Still unwilling to admit defeat, she barked,
“Where’s the snow fungus?”
“Show it to us!”
One of the villagers couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Enough already, Granny Bai.”
“Why should they prove anything to you?”
Another person guessed,
“They probably already sold it.”
“That’s why they had money to buy all that cloth.”
Granny Bai’s eyes darted about.
“I think…”
“The Xie family just doesn’t want to admit Jinxiu’s a jinx.”
“They’re pretending everything’s fine.”
“Just wait.”
“When that unlucky woman destroys the Xie family…”
“The whole village will suffer too!”
Jinxiu had heard enough.
She handed the cloth to Xie Jinnan before stepping in front of Granny Tian.
Crossing her arms, she smiled coldly.
“I think that auntie over there was right.”
“Why should I prove anything to you?”
“Who exactly do you think you are?”
She paused.
“Still…”
“This matter started because of me.”
“So let’s make a wager.”
“If I can produce proof…”
“You’ll apologize to me.”
“And you’ll compensate me…”
“Five hundred copper coins…”
“…for emotional damages.”
Granny Bai hesitated.
“I…”
“Not brave enough?”
Jinxiu interrupted smoothly.
“Then that proves you’re guilty.”
“You knowingly slandered me.”
Behind her…
Song Muhuo desperately signaled with his eyes.
Don’t agree!
Granny Bai’s expression alternated between green and white.
She wasn’t stupid.
If Jinxiu dared propose a wager…
That meant the snow fungus was almost certainly real.
Even if it had already been sold…
The pharmacy in town could verify everything.
At that moment…
Xie Jinnan stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his wife.
His calm voice carried clearly across the courtyard.
“According to the laws of Northern Yan…”
“Among the Eight Ritual Crimes…”
“Malicious slander is listed as an offense.”
“Anyone who knowingly spreads false accusations and destroys another’s reputation…”
“…may be sentenced to death.”
“There were eyewitnesses that day.”
“And now…”
“Your refusal to accept the wager further proves your guilty conscience.”
“The evidence is already overwhelming.”
“If you still refuse to repent…”
“We can settle this before the county magistrate.”
“Death…?”
The Song family turned pale.
Granny Bai shrieked,
“That’s nonsense!”
“What crime have I committed?”
“I only said a few words about your wife!”
“Don’t think you can fool an old woman just because you’re educated!”
Just then…
Song Jin stepped out from the crowd.
His expression was solemn.
“Brother Jinnan isn’t exaggerating.”
“Our Northern Yan laws treat malicious rumors very seriously.”
“If the consequences are severe…”
“Entire families can even be implicated.”
“Granny Bai…”
“You’d better think carefully.”
The Song family members immediately turned white as sheets.
They stood there like frightened quails.
Song Muhuo shot his mother a vicious glare.
Look at the disaster you’ve caused!
Granny Bai’s legs began trembling.
Her face looked as pale as wilted vegetables.
“I-I…”
“Who’s scared?”
“Fine!”
“I’ll take the wager!”
Without another word…
Jinxiu pulled a small cloth bundle from her sleeve.
“When I harvested the snow fungus…”
“I accidentally broke off one piece.”
“I couldn’t bear to throw it away.”
“So I kept it.”
Physician Ma, who had been watching the excitement from the crowd, immediately stepped forward.
“Young Madam…”
“May I examine it?”
Jinxiu smiled.
“Of course.”
“You’re the village’s physician.”
“You’ve harvested snow fungus yourself.”
“There’s no one more qualified.”
Physician Ma accepted the bundle.
He picked up the pale white fragment and rubbed it gently between his fingers.
Then he nodded.
“That’s right.”
“It’s genuine snow fungus.”
“The quality isn’t outstanding…”
“But even so…”
“It should still sell for around one tael of silver per liang.”
Wu Third’s wife couldn’t resist speaking again.
“Tsk.”
“Only one tael?”
“Didn’t Physician Ma sell his for more than ten?”
She had originally been hoping Granny Tian would charge recklessly into the Bai household and get beaten up.
That would have satisfied her anger.
Instead…
Granny Bai had ended up screaming in pain.
The entire Song family had turned into cowards.
What a disappointment.