The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 111 Turning the Tables [Seeking votes]

Shi Tou laughed and said, "Uncle, true love is rare, and I don't think anyone will stop you two from being together. When are you having your wedding banquet? You must invite me to have a drink and give me your blessings."

Lu Chengjing paused for a moment, then decided he couldn't fall behind.

He said, "Although I am not good at drinking, I would like to offer water instead of wine to wish you both happiness."

Everyone: "..."

So you've decided to hold a banquet?!
Grandma Gao and Madam Gui were so stunned by the sudden revelation that they forgot to cry and watched the spectacle in a daze.

Seeing that Shang Wan and the other three were talking so fast that they were trying to pin the blame on him, the man was so angry that his veins bulged and his eyes were practically spitting fire.

So angry, I didn't know what to say in response.

Faced with the villagers' suspicious and disdainful gazes, he felt a sweet taste in his throat, spat out a mouthful of blood, closed his eyes, and fainted.

"Why are you so happy you've fainted?" Shi Tou kindly stepped forward to support the man, pinching his philtrum hard. "Uncle, wake up, your happiness is just ahead."

The man had just been choked awake, but then fainted from anger at Shi Tou's words.

"It seems my uncle is too excited and won't wake up for a while."

The stone loosened its grip, and the man's head slammed to the ground with a thud. He seemed not to hear it and called out to the villagers.

"Please, brothers, lend me a hand and take my uncle back home. He still needs to pursue his happiness once he wakes up."

The two people who were called by the stone came forward and helped carry the person away.

Of course, the nonsense spouted by Shang Wan's family also dutifully reached the ears of the man's family, causing quite a commotion and attracting a lot of onlookers.

Meanwhile, back at the wooden shed, the villagers, still digesting the big news, had almost forgotten why they came there. They were itching to share this good news as soon as possible.

"Mother!" Gui Shi secretly pinched the soft flesh on Old Madam Gao's arm, reminding her not to forget the important matter at hand!
Old Lady Gao secretly sized up Shang Wan with her cloudy old eyes; this woman was even more troublesome than she had imagined.

She straightened her face and questioned, "Scholar Lu, what's your explanation for the assault?"

"Wife, did you hit someone?" Lu Chengjing looked at Shang Wan in surprise.

Shang Wan shook her head decisively, "No."

Gui pointed to her face, "Everyone saw it, you can't deny it!"

"Auntie, don't make false accusations." Shang Wan blinked and scanned the crowd. "Who saw it? Step forward so I can see."

Everyone looked at each other.

They only heard Gui's shouts; they didn't actually see Shang Wan make a move.

Gui became anxious, "If she didn't hit me, how could I have hit myself like this?"

"Auntie, the way you're saying that makes it sound like I'm the only living person in the village who can breathe." Shang Wan's expression grew cold. "I've never had any grudge against you, Auntie, and I've always treated everyone politely. If you insist that I hit you, please provide evidence. Don't blame me for turning against you for making baseless accusations!"

Where can the Gui family produce evidence?
She had no choice but to turn to her mother-in-law for help.

Old Lady Gao snorted, "My daughter-in-law is honest and kind, and she has never lied since she was a child. The injury on her face couldn't have appeared out of thin air. Why doesn't she say that someone else hit her, but instead insists that it was you, the scholar's wife?" The villagers thought there was some truth to what she said.

Faced with everyone's suspicious gazes, Shang Wan sighed softly and looked at Gui Shi, saying, "Auntie, I kindly covered for you, but you turned around and accused me. Now don't blame me for breaking my promise."

"Xiao Huan, roll up your sleeves and show everyone."

Xiao Huan obediently rolled up both sleeves and stretched them out for everyone to see.

"Wow—" Everyone gasped.

His once fair arms were now covered with bluish-purple bruises, which, judging from their shape, were likely caused by being whipped with a stick.

“Auntie, I saw Gao Qi hitting you and kindly stepped in to stop him, but I didn’t expect Gao Qi to hit me too.” Xiao Huan said with tears in her eyes, “You cried and begged me not to tell anyone else, saying that Gao Qi is not married yet and that we shouldn’t spread rumors that he has a habit of hitting people.”

"I thought about how hard it must have been for you, Auntie, and since you pleaded with me so many times, I softened and agreed. I'll pretend this never happened and I haven't even told my family."

Crystalline tears streamed down her face as Xiao Huan sobbed, her voice trembling, "Auntie, I helped you after all, how could you repay kindness with enmity?"

That statement contains a lot of information.

Some villagers were skeptical, while others were curious.

"Miss Gui, could it be that Gao Qi also inflicted this injury on your face?"

"I bet it's true. His own mother was beaten, so Gao Qi should at least stand up for her and demand justice, right? Now he's nowhere to be seen. Who knows where he went to sleep after beating her up."

"That scoundrel even dared to hit his own mother! Why didn't you say so sooner, Gui Niangzi?"

Everyone was talking at once, so much so that Gui Shi didn't have a chance to interject.

Seeing that the time was right, Shang Wan reached out to wipe away Xiao Huan's tears and sighed softly to everyone:

“My sister is a bit naive. She’s not only soft-hearted, but also very honest. She believes whatever people say. She didn’t even tell me or her brother-in-law when she was beaten. I had to find out what was wrong and interrogate her a few times before she finally found out.”

She glanced at the Gao family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, "I never expected that my good intentions would be so ingratitude. Not only do some people not appreciate her kindness, but they also want to tarnish her reputation and push her into a pit of fire."

The implication of this statement should not be too obvious.

"It was clearly this little slut who seduced my son!" Gui cried out in defense, addressing the villagers, "Don't believe their lies, my Gaoqi is the most filial son. He even shares his bird eggs with me when he climbs the tree to steal them. How could he possibly lay a hand on his own mother?"

"If Gao Qi were truly filial, why would he idle away his days at home, sponging off his parents?"

Shang Wan looked at Gui Shi with sympathy. "Auntie, I know what you're planning. You want to frame me for the injuries Gao Qi caused you, and then use what happened by the river to force me to marry my sister into your Gao family."

"You're talking nonsense!" Gui looked like she'd seen a ghost. How did this woman know about her and her mother-in-law's plans?
Once Xiao Huan's reputation is ruined, whether she likes it or not, she'll eventually fall into her son's hands. Then, all the beatings she suffered at Shang Wan's hands will be taken out on her daughter-in-law, Xiao Huan!
"You know perfectly well whether I'm lying or not." Shang Wan looked at a pitiful, stubborn person with sympathy in her eyes, but her tone gradually turned cold.

"Auntie, you've got a good plan, but we're not pushovers. We'll take this to court. I'm still furious about this. I'm going to sue Gao Qi for harassing a woman and attempting rape!"

Stone chimed in, "If this charge is proven, the minimum sentence is eighty strokes of the cane. Tsk tsk, his buttocks will be ripped open. In more serious cases, he'll be hanged, and his life will be over there."

(End of this chapter)