So what if Jiang Ruochu gave her a grandson?
And now she had another one growing inside her!
But the problem was, if Mother Lu wanted to openly and legitimately be called a grandmother, she had to get Shen Zhiyi to agree to divorce Lu Yusheng first. Otherwise, this child in Jiang Ruochu’s belly would end up just like the last one a bastard.
That boy, Qiangqiang, could technically be adopted by Lu Yusheng’s third sister, making him the old witch’s grandson on paper, allowing her to call him “grandson” in private and dote on him like her own.
So, demanding Lu Yusheng kneel and beg her wasn’t unreasonable.
She had them right where she wanted them. She held Lu Yusheng’s weakness and had Jiang Ruochu right by the throat.
After all, that pregnancy bump couldn’t stay hidden forever.
They were the ones desperate for her signature.
As for Lu Yusheng, if he claimed his love for Jiang Ruochu was real, then for the sake of his “beloved” woman and his sons, the saying “a man’s knees hold gold” meant absolutely nothing.
If he wanted a favor from her, he had to show the proper attitude of a supplicant.
Whether he liked it or not, he would kneel.
“No, you don’t belong here!” Mother Lu snapped coldly. “Shen Zhiyi, you are not just an ex-convict, you are a venomous woman! The Lu family upholds high moral standards. We cannot have a lawless daughter-in-law like you!”
“High moral standards?” Shen Zhiyi laughed mockingly. “If your family had any integrity, would Lu Yusheng have the audacity to flirt with other women while still married to me?”
“Mom, if your family is truly so righteous, then have Father bring out the family rules. First, flog Lu Yusheng until his skin splits open, then throw Teacher Jiang into the reservoir. If you can do that, I’ll sign the divorce papers. He won’t need to kneel.”
The faces of the Lu family and Jiang Ruochu turned as dark as thunderclouds.
Lu Yusheng was especially stunned. He couldn’t believe Shen Zhiyi would say such things about him and Ruochu in front of the entire village!
“Zhiyi, you’ve misunderstood,” Jiang Ruochu stepped forward, her eyes glistening with tears, looking delicate and pitiful. “Yusheng Ge and I are completely innocent. We grew up together, our families have always been close. That is all there is to it.”
“Is that so?” Shen Zhiyi didn’t buy it for a second. “Are you brave enough to go to the hospital right now for a gynecological exam?”
As she spoke, her eyes deliberately flicked down toward Jiang Ruochu’s stomach.
“Why don’t you prove to everyone here just how ‘innocent’ you and Lu Yusheng really are? Hmm?”
“…”
The tear hanging on her eyelashes looked heartbreakingly vulnerable, but Jiang Ruochu was instantly frozen by Shen Zhiyi’s words.
Panic seized her, her scalp tingling and her back running cold. What did Shen Zhiyi mean by saying that?
But she dared not follow Shen Zhiyi’s gaze or instinctively cover her stomach.
Shen Zhiyi had been in prison for three years. Neither Lu Yusheng nor his family had ever visited her. There was no way she could know.
This secret was known only to her, Lu Yusheng, and her own mother. She hadn’t even told Mother Lu yet.
Her mother had advised her to keep quiet for now, so they could demand a higher bride price from the Lu family. If word got out now, the price would surely be cut in half.
“What’s wrong? Scared?” Shen Zhiyi stepped closer, pressing her advantage.
Lu Yusheng couldn’t stand to see Jiang Ruochu being bullied. He stepped forward, shielding the delicate “white lotus” behind him. “Shen Zhiyi, don’t go too far! Do you know what day it is today? Are you trying to cause a scene?”
“Oh, how chivalrous,” Shen Zhiyi scoffed. “Remember when I was framed and sent to prison? As my husband, you never once stood up for me. Tell me… were you part of that frame-up too?”
“Shen Zhiyi, what nonsense are you spouting? Who framed you? There was irrefutable evidence and witnesses! You should be grateful Tongtong was unharmed. If anything had happened to her, you would have rotted in there forever!” Lu Yusheng snarled.
He was incredulous. How could she spout such blatant lies?
Did she have eyes? Couldn’t she see what kind of occasion this was?
Bringing up old grudges right in front of the whole village? She intended to strip them of all face, didn’t she?
“Is that so?” Shen Zhiyi raised an eyebrow. “Well, here we are. I’m out. In the past, no one fought for me, but now I can fight for myself.”
“Hmph, the sentence is served, you’re out. What justice is left to seek?” Lu Yusheng sneered.
He refused to believe that an ex-convict, a mere village woman with nothing to her name, had the power to change anything.
Besides, who was she going to seek justice from?
Zhou Muchuan was the one who arrested her. The judges of Nancheng were the ones who sentenced her. If she had the guts, why didn’t she go after them?
Why come here and act tough with him?
“Dr. Lu, you studied for so many years, surely it wasn’t for nothing. The villagers might be ignorant, but you should know the term ‘retrial’, right?”
“You want to reopen the case?” Lu Yusheng’s face changed drastically. He looked sharply at Zhou Muchuan. “Officer Zhou, are you actually allowing her to do this?”
“Dr. Lu, according to regulations, Comrade Shen Zhiyi has every right to file an appeal,” Zhou Muchuan replied in a strictly professional tone.
“No! Officer Zhou, how can she have the right? The evidence was solid, it was an open-and-shut case! How can it possibly be overturned?” Jiang Ruochu panicked, her face flushing red with anxiety.
“The procedure is to submit an application first and wait for approval. If the higher authorities agree to reopen the investigation, then the legal process will follow,” Zhou Muchuan explained calmly, unaware of her inner turmoil. He was simply answering a question.
Jiang Ruochu was stunned. Could a case that was closed three years ago, with everything settled, really be dug up again?
“Jiang Ruochu, regarding who exactly pushed Tongtong into the reservoir… we will discuss that slowly, another day.”
“…”
Looking into Shen Zhiyi’s cold, warning eyes, Jiang Ruochu felt a strange sensation. Despite the warm sunshine, she felt as if all the warmth had been sucked out of her body, leaving her freezing cold.
Was Shen Zhiyi still denying that she pushed Tongtong?
How could she be so stubborn?
No, she had no proof that she wasn’t at the reservoir that day. If she had any, she would have produced it three years ago.
Realizing this, Jiang Ruochu calmed down. She stopped panicking.
She refused to believe that Shen Zhiyi could overturn a verdict that was set in stone.
Besides, if she really succeeded, a lot of people would go down with her. And the first person to suffer would be Zhou Muchuan standing right beside her.
She didn’t believe Zhou Muchuan would actually let that happen.
He was probably just saying that to placate her, to stop her from causing trouble right now.
If Shen Zhiyi actually believed him, then she was just as foolish as she was three years ago.
Why should she be afraid of a Shen Zhiyi like that?