Qianhua lay back down and then, pretending to be dreaming, cried out loudly, “Cousin, don’t push me! Don’t push me!”
Mrs. Liu, leaning against the bed, heard her daughter’s cries in her sleep and woke instantly. She lifted her head, eyes wide with joy, and exclaimed, “Qianhua! You’re awake! Are you calling for your mother?”
Qianhua didn’t answer. She continued to pretend, crying out in panic, “Ah… cousin, don’t push me! Don’t push me!”
Mrs. Liu finally recognized the voice and was struck with horror.
She had always believed her daughter had fallen into the river by accident—but could it really have been Cuihua…?
Unable to bear the thought, she hurriedly lifted the cloth curtain, ready to go wake her husband.
“Her father…” Mrs. Liu’s words caught in her throat, because Liang the Second had already gotten out of bed.
Leaning on his crutch, he slowly approached Qianhua’s side of the room. His leg still hurt, and these past days he had been sleeping lightly, so the noise had woken him immediately.
Upon hearing his daughter’s terrified cries, he was both shocked and enraged. At this late hour, he didn’t think twice and, leaning on his crutch, went to the east room to wake his elder brother.
Liang the First arrived at Qianhua’s room and saw his niece crying and shouting in her sleep: “Cousin, don’t push me! Don’t push me!” He was startled and immediately returned to his room to summon Zhu, telling her to bring their daughter over.
Zhu didn’t know what had happened, but she obeyed her husband’s instructions.
As Cuihua and Zhu entered the room, they hadn’t yet understood what was happening when Liang the First glared at Cuihua and demanded, “Cuihua, tell the truth—did you push Qianhua into the river?”
Cuihua’s heart pounded.
She had been worried all night that Qianhua might wake and tell the truth, and now she could hear her cries, but she still forced herself to appear calm. “Father, I didn’t do it! She fell into the river by herself,” she said.
“Second brother, this must be a misunderstanding. Although Cuihua and Qianhua often quarrel, they are still cousins. How could she push Qianhua into the river?” Liang the First said, relaxing a little. Pushing someone into a river was not a small matter.
“A misunderstanding? If she didn’t push her, why is Qianhua calling out like this in her sleep?” Liang the Second didn’t believe it for a second.
Meanwhile, Chen and Liang Wenjie, in the room nearby, had been woken by the commotion and had come to Qianhua’s room.
“Cuihua, answer honestly—did you push Qianhua into the river or not?” Liang the Second’s face was dark and terrifying.
“It wasn’t me! I didn’t push her!” Cuihua’s voice trembled. Seeing her second uncle so furious, she was terrified. She wouldn’t admit it now; if he lost his temper, he might really hit her.
“I saw it! It was Eldest Cousin who pushed Qianhua!” A clear child’s voice rang out—it was Liang Wenjie, following Chen to the doorway.
Chen quickly covered her son’s mouth. She normally avoided family conflicts and pretended not to notice anything, but tonight her son had spoken out.
“Wenjie, what are you saying? I didn’t push Qianhua! She fell by herself!” Cuihua glared at Wenjie, trying to argue.
The noise had also awakened Old Liang and Old Madam Liang. They got out of bed and came to Qianhua’s room, arriving just after Chen and Wenjie. They overheard Wenjie’s accusation and Cuihua’s denial.
Old Liang lifted the cloth curtain and entered the small partition. Cuihua shivered in fear at his approach.
Old Liang glared at her and then crouched down to look at his grandson Wenjie. His voice softened, filled with love: “Wenjie, tell Grandpa—how did Cousin Qianhua fall into the river?”
“She’s still a child! How could she know anything? Children’s words can’t be trusted,” Chen tried to smooth things over. With Liang Shigui away, she didn’t want to offend the eldest brother’s family.
“Children’s words are the truest,” Old Liang said, coaxing Wenjie. “Come on, tell Grandpa what you saw.”
“Grandpa, this afternoon Eldest Cousin called Qianhua to the river to play. I wanted to go too, but she wouldn’t let me. I followed secretly. At the river, I saw Eldest Cousin standing behind Qianhua and push her in. She was really scary! I was afraid she’d notice me and push me in too, so I ran back and told Tiedan next door to get people to save Qianhua.”
Though only ten, Wenjie was clever and spoke logically.
Old Liang’s face darkened. “And you still have something to say?”
“Grandpa, I didn’t do it on purpose! I really didn’t mean to…” Cuihua stammered, her hands shaking. The truth was undeniable, but she continued insisting it wasn’t intentional.
Liang the First saw that Cuihua had indeed caused the incident and worried.
His second brother treasured Qianhua, and now she had been pushed into the river, lying in bed with her life uncertain. How would Liang the Second react to Cuihua?
Old Liang also hated family members hurting each other.
Quickly, Liang the First stepped forward, slapped Cuihua across the face, and shouted, “You careless child! You pushed your cousin into the river and nearly caused her death. I should beat you to death!”
Her father raised his hand as if to strike again, but Zhu quickly ran over to shield her daughter. “She didn’t mean to! Do you really want to kill her?”
Cuihua clutched her reddened face and cried. Liang the Second had intended to scold her, but seeing his elder brother strike her, he held back.
Mrs. Liu, however, was furious.
She pointed at Cuihua, trembling with rage, unable to speak.
Liang the Second, seeing his elder brother punish Cuihua, had calmed somewhat, but now hearing Cuihua slander his daughter, blood rushed to his head. He wanted to storm over and punish her, but thinking of his elder brother’s usual fairness, he restrained himself.
Old Liang also glared at Cuihua. “Explain to me—how did Qianhua seduce your cousin? How could a young girl say such shameless words?”
Cuihua, desperate, lashed out. She had always liked her cousin. Having overheard her mother mention arranging a marriage with him, she considered him hers. Her mother had delayed action, so she arranged to meet him herself, but he said he liked Qianhua. She blamed Qianhua for this.
“I was going to be engaged to him, but he said he liked Qianhua! If Qianhua hadn’t seduced him, he wouldn’t have loved her!”
Qianhua listened, speechless. This was sheer nonsense.
The “cousin” Cuihua referred to was Zhu Wu, her mother’s family’s nephew. The original Qianhua had never been involved—he had simply visited the Liang household occasionally to play. Yet in Cuihua’s mind, it was all Qianhua’s doing.
“Your cousin doesn’t like you but likes Qianhua, so you resent her and push her into the river? How can a child think so wickedly?”
Old Liang shuddered, astonished at the malice of his eldest granddaughter.
Old Madam Liang, thinking of the three taels of silver that could have been used for Wenyong’s marriage, felt her heart ache.
She rushed forward, beating Cuihua and shouting, “You useless girl! You’ve caused harm—three taels gone! Your brother’s bride price is lost! You troublemaker! Tonight I will punish you severely!”
Cuihua screamed as she was beaten. Zhu, knowing her daughter had done wrong but still a piece of her own flesh, knelt, begging: “Mother, stop! She didn’t understand, it was a mistake.”
“Have the nerve to plead for her! If it weren’t for your poor teaching, the money for Wenyong’s marriage wouldn’t be lost. If you plead again, I’ll hit you too!” Old Madam Liang snapped.
She couldn’t listen to Zhu. She wanted to strike her as well, but considering Zhu had given the family two sons, she restrained herself, venting all her fury on Cuihua instead, beating and scolding her relentlessly.