“I didn’t even find what I was looking for, and I fell in the process.”
“All day long, I’ve been lying in bed, dazed and dizzy.”
“Zhao Shi tried to take my life while I was sick, bringing that Lin Dahu to snatch the children.”
“I… I had no choice but to fight back with a stick.”
“If I hadn’t resisted, tell me, would I even have survived?”
Damn it, Su Manman had originally only intended to act. But the tears seemed to flow freely on their own.
Little Man, and the older and younger children, seeing her cry, couldn’t help but cry as well.
For a moment, the four of them were weeping miserably.
The villagers, seeing the collapsed thatched hut and the four crying pitifully, compared with the tall, burly figures of Zhao Shi and her sons and daughters-in-law, could immediately tell who was strong and who was weak.
Their eyes turned to Zhao Shi and her group, full of reproach.
Zhao Shi was furious.
After all these years dealing with Su Manman, she had never suffered such a major loss.
“You vile woman! And now you’re pretending! You just hit me with a stick!”
“Enough,” Gu Baoshan said sternly.
“Zhao Shi, back when you drove Su Manman and her children out, your families were already severed from each other. Now you come here to cause trouble—what exactly do you want?”
Zhao Shi opened her mouth to argue but was cut off by Gu Baoshan.
“Don’t pretend you’re not here to stir trouble. I’m not blind—this is Su Manman and the children’s home.”
Caught in the situation, Zhao Shi, realizing Gu Baoshan would side with Su Manman, resorted to whining.
“Village Chief, even if relations were severed, blood relations can’t be broken. Da Bao and Xiao Bao are Tianye’s children. No matter what, my old man is still their grandfather—can’t I at least see my grandchildren?”
If anyone else had said it, Gu Baoshan might have believed it. But Zhao Shi had lived in the village for decades, and Gu Baoshan knew her well. If she truly cared for her grandchildren, she wouldn’t have rushed to throw the postpartum Su Manman out when Gu Tianye ran into trouble.
In the past, he had wanted to help Su Manman, but she could barely stand on her own. Today, seeing her transformed, he was more than willing to lend a hand.
“Of course you can see your grandchildren—but are you really here to see them?”
“Everyone knows what kind of man Lin Dahu is.”
Zhao Shi, seeing the Village Chief continually support Su Manman, grew furious.
“Village Chief, this is an injustice! I really came to see Da Bao and Xiao Bao! It was Su Manman who hit me! I just had my son and daughter-in-law come help because I was angry!”
Su Manman snorted coldly, showing no fear.
“Village Chief, since she says she’s here to see the children, then let’s report it to the authorities. The magistrate will naturally uncover the truth.”
Gu Baoshan glanced at Su Manman. Before, her voice was barely audible, and she never dared to look up. Today, she not only dared to lift her head but seemed fearless, even threatening to report it to the officials.
“Su Manman, don’t report every small thing to the authorities. If possible, let’s try to resolve matters within the village.”
Su Manman said, “If the village could handle it, I wouldn’t want to report it. But Village Chief, as you can see, Zhao Shi still refuses to admit anything. She’s crying thief while accusing me of disrespecting my mother-in-law.”
“My children have already lost their father. I can’t let them also have a mother with a bad reputation. Even if I must take this to the capital, I will seek justice for myself today.”
Su Manman lifted her head, speaking with passion, shaking the onlooking villagers.
So this was the grown-up Su family. Most had never really seen her face since she usually kept her head down.
Gu Baoshan understood—today, Su Manman was determined to make Zhao Shi admit her wrongdoing.
“Zhao Shi, today you are at fault. Apologize to Su Manman.”
Zhao Shi was incensed.
“Village Chief, you can’t favor this vile woman! She hit me, and now you want me to apologize? Where’s the justice?”
Gu Baoshan, tired of Zhao Shi making excuses and causing trouble, thought to himself that if it weren’t for the village’s reputation, he would happily let Su Manman report her to the authorities to have her arrested.
“If you refuse to apologize, then report it. Let the magistrate judge the case, and accept whatever verdict they issue. Don’t come begging me later.”
Hearing that the matter might go to the authorities, Zhao Shi felt a twinge of fear. This wasn’t something she could ignore. But apologizing to Su Manman, the “little vile woman,” was out of the question.
Su Manman’s voice rang out again:
“Village Chief, Zhao Shi destroyed my home and terrified me and my children. A mere apology isn’t enough.”
Gu Baoshan glanced at her meaningfully.
“And what do you want?”
Su Manman said, “An apology and fifty taels of silver.”
At the mention of fifty taels, the surrounding villagers gasped. In this era, a family saving even two or three taels a year was considered good—most were heavily in debt.
Zhao Shi, hearing this, was furious. Asking for an apology was already too much; now she demanded fifty taels as well? Ridiculous!
“You little whore! You’re crazy for silver! Fifty taels? Why don’t you just sell yourself? Open your legs and the silver will come naturally.”
The villagers gasped. After all, Su Manman was the widow of Gu Tianye. Who could speak of her daughter-in-law this way?
For Su Manman, hearing Zhao Shi’s venomous words was nothing new. Compared to being insulted, getting tangible silver was far more important. Life without money was unbearable, second by second.
“If you don’t want the silver, then go to the authorities. Ask the magistrate whether the government cares when a martyr’s family is mistreated. Compensation for the martyr’s wife and children is denied, given only to the parents—does that follow the law?”