The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Gu Jingzhe rushed out from the crowd and knocked the bottle away.

Tong Huaqiong picked up the bottle and held it in her hand.

Everyone exclaimed.

"It's pesticide."

Did Xiaoxue drink it just now?

"Quick, go get some mung bean water."

Because it happened so fast, no one knew whether Gu Xiaoxue had actually drunk it or not.

At this moment, Grandma Gu finally cried out in distress, "Xiaoxue, did you drink it or not?"

Wei hurriedly ran out to get mung bean water.

Ignoring the old lady, Gu Xiaoxue said to Tong Huaqiong, "Auntie, just let me die. Brother Qingsong drank half a pot of medicine, he can't live, so I won't live either."

After saying that, tears streamed down her face.

Since she returned to Qinghe Bay, Liu Qingsong has treated her the best. She thought that Liu Qingsong liked her only because she was pretty, but she never expected that Liu Qingsong would risk his life for her.

This was the first time in Gu Xiaoxue's life that someone had treated her like her own life.

Liu Tielian nearly fainted upon hearing this.

Grandpa Gu's face was ashen. If Liu Qingsong died, Xiaoxue would be handed over to the Liu family for them to deal with as they saw fit.

Whether he is drowned or buried with Liu Qingsong, it doesn't matter.

Tong Huaqiong looked at the medicine bottle calmly and said, "Xiaoxue, this medicine bottle looks so familiar to me. Did you take it from my cotton field?"

Gu Xiaoxue suddenly raised her head.

That's right. In the summer, Tong Huaqiong asked her to try out the loom, and she secretly took it from the edge of the cotton field.

She didn't want to drag Tong Huaqiong into this, after all, the old lady had been really good to her.

Tong Huaqiong opened the bottle, smelled it, and smiled.

He said to Liu Tielian, who was about to collapse, "Village chief, this bottle doesn't contain pesticides, it's brown sugar water. Qingsong is fine."

This bottle contains cola that Tong Huaqiong had Man'er take out of her spatial storage. She placed it at the edge of the cotton field, and didn't even notice that one bottle was missing.

Gu Xiaoxue's eyes widened.

Tong Huaqiong said to Gu Xiaoxue, "Xiaoxue, it's alright, it's alright, Qingsong won't die."

Thinking back to the time on the riverbank, everyone held Liu Qingsong down and forced him to drink mung bean soup and soapberry water. Liu Qingsong was pale and weak because he was being tortured.

Liu Tielian wiped his sweat and asked again, "Great Heat Mother, is my Qingsong really alright?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "It's really nothing! If you don't believe me, smell it; it's brown sugar water."

Liu Tielian indeed took the bottle, smelled it, and his brows instantly relaxed.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Liu Qingsong was alright.

Especially the Gu family, since none of them wanted Gu Xiaoxue to die.
At this point, Xu Dabao started causing trouble.

Gu Xiaoxue was prepared to die with him and Gu Ruinian. Why did Liu Qingsong rush out, snatch the water bottle, and pour it down her throat? Was he trying to save her and Ruinian? Xu Dabao knew he wasn't a good person, and apart from the Xu family, no one was willing to trade their lives for him.

The only reason was that Liu Qingsong had taken a liking to Gu Xiaoxue, and he didn't want Gu Xiaoxue to die.

Liu Qingsong is not dead now, and Gu Xiaoxue is clearly trying to kill him because she doesn't want to marry him.

With Tong Dajiao backing her up, Gu Xiaoxue might have to call off the engagement.

How could he swallow this insult?

Xu Dabao said, "Since that's the case, I won't pursue the crime of Gu Xiaoxue trying to poison her husband. Anyway, I don't have anything to do with myself."

Gu Xiaoxue glared at Xu Dabao with hatred.

Xu Dabao, Grandpa Gu, and others said, "Xiaoxue tried to poison me, but I won't hold it against her. Ten days from now is our wedding day. I will come to the Gu family to pick her up then."

Gu Xiaoxue said coldly, "I would rather die than marry you."

Xu Dabao stared fiercely at Gu Xiaoxue, and Gu Xiaoxue met his gaze. Old Master Gu sighed.

He realized that this marriage would drive Xiaoxue to her death.

Xu Dabao said nonchalantly, "Fine, then when you die, you'll be a ghost of the Xu family."

"Gu Xiaoxue said she won't marry him, can't you understand human language?"

Liu Qingsong arrived at the council hall at some unknown time.

When Tong Huaqiong said that the bottle did not contain pesticide, a member of the Liu family ran to Liu Tielian's house and told Yi and others the news.

Yi cried her heart out. Liu Qingsong, having narrowly escaped death, disregarded the fact that his legs were weak from being forced to drink water and forced himself to run to the council hall to support Xiaoxue.

He was afraid his father would send Gu Xiaoxue to the authorities.

Liu Tielian was furious. What did the Xu and Gu families have to do with his stupid son? Why did he have to interfere?

"Qingsong, this is none of your business." If his son hadn't been so pale, Liu Tielian would have taken off his shoes and given him a beating long ago.

Liu Qingsong was willing to drink poison to stop Gu Xiaoxue from killing someone. Even the most blind and heartless villagers could see that he was in love with Gu Xiaoxue.

Although the village did not strictly adhere to the separation of men and women, Liu Qingsong was the second person, besides Gu Dashu, to openly express his affections for someone without his parents' consent.

Liu Qingsong stood stubbornly, looking at Gu Xiaoxue.

Gu Xiaoxue didn't look at him and said, "Brother Qingsong, this is a matter between me and the Xu family."

Liu Qingsong opened his mouth, but Old Master Gu said, "My daughter cannot be betrothed to two families. A marriage that has already been promised cannot be reneged on."

This is because they disagree with Gu Xiaoxue and Xu Dabao breaking off their engagement.

Grandpa Gu felt that this was for the sake of the Gu family. Judging from Xu Dabao's words just now, Xu Dabao would not let Gu Xiaoxue go.

Madam Yu said, "We can't afford a wife who poisoned her husband. You can keep her as a nun in the Gu family. We'll settle the five hundred taels of silver between us."

When Jia heard that she still had to pay back five hundred taels of silver, she started arguing with Yu.

Prefect Yao listened outside the council hall for a while, then couldn't help but come in and said, "What kind of case are you adjudicating? The more I listen, the more confused I get. The so-called murder of her husband—how could there be a husband when the woman hasn't even entered the family yet? The so-called marriage between the two families—isn't it forced by one side if the woman doesn't agree to the marriage? And the so-called debt of five hundred taels of silver—what kind of logic is that, forcing the girl to pay off the debt?"

Tong Huaqiong's eyes lit up; the upright and just Prefect Yao had arrived.

"None of your business!" Yu turned around and cursed.

The yamen runners around Prefect Yao twitched at the word and almost stepped forward to tie him up.

Last autumn, the villagers of Qinghewan had seen Prefect Yao once, but they were all too nervous at the time. When they heard that the prefect was coming, they only dared to raise their heads and glance at him briefly. Therefore, most of the villagers did not see clearly whether Prefect Yao was black or white. In addition, this time, Prefect Yao was not wearing his official robes as usual, but wearing a straw hat, so the villagers were even less likely to recognize him.

Tong Huaqiong stood up, curtsied, and greeted Prefect Yao.

The villagers then realized that Yu had been cursing Prefect Yao.

Old Master Gu and Xu Jin immediately knelt down to kowtow, but were stopped by Prefect Yao.

Liu Qingsong seized the opportunity to plead his case to Prefect Yao.

"Where is the injustice?" Prefect Yao asked with a friendly expression.

Liu Qingsong then revealed that Xu Dabao had forced Gu Xiaoxue to become his wife.

Of course, the poisoning scene was omitted.

Since the person didn't die, it doesn't count as poisoning.

Since it was Liu Qingsong's first time dealing with the prefect, he spoke haltingly and without any explanation of the background.

Gu Jingzhe couldn't stand it any longer, so he went up to her and told her everything: how Gu Ruinian owed the Xu family money, how the Xu family forced Gu Xiaoxue to become their wife, and how Gu Xiaoxue refused.

Of course, the trouble that Gu Ruinian caused in Pingchuan was all told to Gu Jingzhe by Gu Dashu when he went to the prefectural city some time ago.

Gu Ruinian stood aside.

Unable to use his right leg, he tried to support his body with his left leg.

Although his reputation was already tarnished throughout Qinghe Bay, being publicly exposed by Gu Jingzhe, especially to the prefect, made him feel incredibly embarrassed. (End of Chapter)