Chapter 234: Looking for Trouble
Editor: Atlas Studios
Her voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear.
Right now, there were many people in the village. Because Liu Ting did not hide anything and spread Mu Yangling’s words in the village, many families decided to plant some winter wheat like the Liu clan.
Seeing that there was a show to watch, they stopped what they were doing and looked over excitedly.
Mu Yangling couldn’t help but stop in her tracks. She turned around and asked, “Third Great-aunt, are you talking about me?”
Madam Fang-Liu spat and said, “So you get it.”
Mu Yangling said, “It’s because you behave like this that I have to avoid your house.”
As soon as she said this, the people who came to watch the commotion laughed. Madam Fang-Liu’s face turned red. Just as she was about to speak, Second Great-aunt Liu had already taken a step forward and stood in front of Mu Yangling. She sneered and said, “I don’t know if you committed any sins in your previous life, but I know that you’ve committed many sins in this life.”
“Second Sister-in-law,” Liu Daqian said disapprovingly.
Second Great-aunt Liu said with red eyes, “Uncle, don’t stop me. There are some things that I’ve been holding in for too long. If I don’t say them, I’m afraid I’ll fall sick in the future.”
“Big Brother, let her speak. I want to hear what Second Sister-in-law has to say.” Madam Fang-Liu stared at her fiercely and said, “How did I get in your way? If you hadn’t sowed discord from the side, would my relationship with my second brother be so bad? I want to hear what you’re slander about me now.”
“Slander you? Do you think I’m as good-tempered as Eldest Uncle and Eldest Sister-in-law and will simply let you say whatever you want? I’m going to set aside work today to argue with you.” Second Great-aunt Liu simply threw away the things in her hand and walked towards Madam Fang-Liu.
Xiuhong ran over and pulled Mu Yangling back. She said in a low voice, “Cousin, let’s go and watch the commotion.”
Madam Liu-Zhao only glanced at them. Mu Yangling tapped her forehead, but she still pulled Xiuhong to the periphery. Liu Ting and the others stopped working and surrounded them. Those who had originally been embarrassed to go closer walked in when they saw this. Some simply sat cross-legged on the ground and watched.
Liu Ting and the others followed suit and sat on the ground. Mu Yangling looked around and felt that she looked too conspicuous standing, so she sat on the ground as well.
Coincidentally, there were a lot of weeds growing on the ground, so it shouldn’t dirty her pants. Mu Yangling let her imagination run wild.
Liu Daqian was so angry that his beard curled up. However, he couldn’t teach his sister-in-law a lesson in front of outsiders, so he turned to look at his brother.
Unexpectedly, Liu Erqian himself was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Seeing that her father-in-law was about to explode, Madam Liu-Zhao came over and said in a low voice, “Father-in-law, if we don’t make this clear, we will implicate Ah Ling. She’s already 10 years old and will be 11 after the new year. It’d soon be time to discuss her marriage.”
Liu Daqian immediately stopped talking. Madam Liu-Zhao gave her sister-in-law, Madam Liu-Zhang, a look. Madam Liu-Zhang stood behind Second Great-aunt Liu and planned to support her when Madam Fang-Liu made a scene.
Standing at the side with her son in her arms, Madam Liu-Sun wiped her eyes with her sleeve and tears streamed down her face. She secretly pinched her son under her clothes. Liu Ying was still young, so he burst into tears immediately.
During these few seconds, Second Great-aunt Liu walked up to Madam Fang-Liu and heard her grandson crying. She started to ask, “Let’s just talk about what happened today. Why did you snatch the breakfast my grandson brought to us? To think that you’re a great-aunt. Aren’t you embarrassed to bully a five-year-old child?”
Madam Liu-Sun added at the right time, “If you wish to eat pancakes, I’ll squeeze them out of my mouth to show my filial piety to you later. Why did you have to snatch them from Ah Ying? You even beat the child up like this.”
Madam Fang-Liu opened her mouth and scolded, “Who snatched his things? There’s no justice in this world. Are you framing me because I’m a widow?” However, in the end, her eyes flickered slightly due to guilt.
“You don’t have to howl. It’s easy to find out if you did snatch it from him. Sister-in-law’s basket and plates are all marked. Find Xizi and ask him. Ah Ying said that your grandson was at the side when you snatched the food from him,” Second Great-aunt Liu said.
Madam Fang-Liu choked. Seeing that Madam Liu-Zhang had really gone to look for evidence and her grandson, she gritted her teeth and said, “It’s just a joke between children.” Her intuition told her that something was wrong. She had come to seek justice from Mu Yangling, not to quarrel with her elder brothers’ families. She instantly turned to look for Mu Yangling and said to her, “Ah Ling, let me ask you, is your Mu family planning to disown me? We’re all biological relatives, so why are you favoring one over the other? It was fine when we were in Nearhill Village in the past, but now that we’re in trouble and everyone’s lives aren’t easy, you exclude me from everything. Do you still treat me as your great-aunt?”
Mu Yangling was stunned. She didn’t know why she was involved again. Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Mu Yangling asked in a daze, “Third Great-aunt, weren’t you the one who didn’t acknowledge my family back then? My father even said that my grandmother cried for a long time over this matter and even fell seriously ill. Before my grandfather passed, he left a message not to let my father acknowledge you as his aunt…”
“Nonsense. Your grandfather won’t care about this. It’s just that your grandmother was petty and evil. I’m her biological sister…”
“Shut up!” Liu Erqian shouted. “Third Sister, don’t make me say anything unpleasant. Second Sister has a good temper, while Eldest Sister is magnanimous and won’t argue with you. Do you really think that means we’ll give in to you in everything?”
Liu Erqian and Liu Erniang were close in age, so their relationship was the best. It was also because of this that his relationship with Madam Fang-Liu was the worst. He looked at his third sister with a sharp gaze and said, “The Mu family and the Fang family haven’t interacted much even back in Nearhill Village. Rocky only addresses you as Aunt because you’re older. Otherwise, do you expect him to even look at you? His father doesn’t acknowledge you as his relative, so Rocky naturally doesn’t acknowledge you. Ah Ling can’t acknowledge you either. If you have any objections, go look for Second Brother-in-law and confront him.”
Stunned, Madam Fang-Liu sat on the ground and cried, “What sin have I committed? My biological brother actually cursed me to die!”
Sneering, Second Great-aunt Liu said, “You must’ve come crying after seeing that Ah Ling gave our two families roe deers and didn’t give you any, right?”
Madam Fang-Liu stopped crying, and Second Great-aunt Liu became even more certain. She looked at her coldly and said, “You’re so thick-skinned. Who from Nearhill Village doesn’t know that you don’t have a good relationship with the Mu family? Back then, wasn’t Rocky forced to leave all thanks to you? If you ask me, he’s already done enough for you, his aunt. Back then, when he went hunting in the mountains, Ah Ling didn’t leave your Fang family behind. When we had to flee from the village because of the Hus invasion, they also brought you along. What else are you not satisfied with?”
Madam Fang-Liu only cried, “We’re all biological relatives…”
Madam Liu-Zhang couldn’t help but purse her lips and say, “Great-aunt, do you want Ah Ling to send a roe deer to your house too? Or do you want Ah Ling to help your family plow the fields?”
Madam Fang-Liu wiped her tears and looked at Mu Yangling. “We’re all relatives. Even if you’re biased, you can’t be this biased. I’ve never seen anyone who doesn’t give gifts to their relatives. When you came to the village, you only gave your two great-uncles gifts and ignored me. What’s the meaning of this?” She was just short of outright asking Mu Yangling to send some prey to her, too.
With a smile, Mu Yangling looked at her innocently. “I simply don’t want to acknowledge you as my great-aunt.”