Chapter 124 : Court Opening  

When Yu Xiaopang heard Han Weiping’s question, he ran over excitedly and asked, “Mom, Aunt invited me to her house for chicken. What should I bring?”  

“Last time, Aunt brought sandwich cookies for me and my brother,” he added.  

Han Weiping didn’t need to guess this “Aunt” was clearly Fang Xiaoluo.  

“We have sweet potatoes, potatoes, cabbages, and radishes at home,” she replied.  

Yu Xiaopang frowned. “Is that all? Don’t we have any eggs? Even white flour will do.”  

Han Weiping teased, “We have one fat little boy at home. Maybe ask Fang Xiaoluo if she wants him instead!”  

Yu Xiaopang grabbed her pants and pleaded, “Mom, you always say we shouldn’t eat for free.”  

Sighing, Han Weiping said, “I just bought some glutinous rice sticks. You can take a few, but leave some for your father, he loves them.”  

Overjoyed, Yu Xiaopang found a bag and began packing the glutinous rice sticks. Remembering his father’s fondness for them, he left two behind.  

“Mom, I’m heading out!” Yu Xiaopang called out as he dashed off, bumping into his brother, Yu Feixu, on the way.  

“Brother, I’m going to Xiaxia’s house for dinner,” he announced.  

Seeing how many rice sticks Yu Xiaopang had packed, Yu Feixu grinned. “Wait for me, I’ll come too.”  

Without even stepping back into the house, Yu Feixu followed his younger brother to the Shen household.  

Realizing what had happened, Han Weiping ran to the door and shouted after them, but the two boys were already gone.  

“Traitors!” she muttered under her breath.  

At the Shen house, Yu Xiaopang proudly called out, “Xiaxia, Xiaxia, look what I brought for you!”  

Shen Jinxia had just finished washing her hands and came running over. “What is it?”  

“Glutinous rice sticks! My mom just bought them,” Yu Xiaopang replied enthusiastically.  

Fang Xiaoluo approached and teased, “Xiaopang, are you planning to move your whole food here?”  

“No, no, I left some for my dad,” Yu Xiaopang quickly clarified.  

At that moment, Yu Feixu chimed in, “Aunt, I’m here too.”  

Smiling warmly, Fang Xiaoluo said, “Welcome, welcome. Go wash your hands, dinner’s almost ready.”  

That evening, Fang Xiaoluo’s large dining table was packed. She had not only stewed two chickens but also prepared several other dishes.  

The children sat together, their lively chatter filling the room.  

Fang Xiaoluo noticed Yu Xiaopang picking food for Shen Jinxia, including placing the first large chicken leg into Jinxia’s bowl.  

Meanwhile, back home, Yu Xinzheng returned and asked, “Weiping, did you buy some glutinous rice sticks like you said you would?”  

Han Weiping handed him the bag, and he opened it to find only two rice sticks and a few scattered candies.  

“What kind of shopkeeper sells just two sticks? Didn’t they yell at you for asking?” Yu Xinzheng joked.  

Han Weiping shot him a glare. “Your son brought the rest to the Shen family. These are what he left for you.”  

Yu Xinzheng: …  

—

The next morning, it was time for the court trial of Fang Xiaoluo’s lawsuit against Xu Zhigang and others.  

Shen Zheng was unable to accompany her due to work, but his concern for her was evident.  

“Don’t worry,” Fang Xiaoluo reassured him. “Xu Zhigang and Zhao Lihong are definitely under police surveillance. Nothing will happen to me.”  

When Fang Xiaoluo arrived at the courthouse, Zhang Xinyan, Fang Shijun, and Fang Qiang were already waiting for her.  

On the defendant’s side, Xu Zhigang and Zhao Lihong had been brought in by the police and stood guard throughout the proceedings. Xu Yaqiu had arrived alongside them.  

Fang Xiaoluo glanced at Xu Zhigang and Zhao Lihong. Both looked noticeably thinner and dispirited, their expressions reflecting deep exhaustion and sorrow.  

In contrast, Xu Yaqiu seemed full of energy. Her gaze was filled with hatred as she stared unrelentingly at Fang Xiaoluo, her eyes never wavering.  

Since the court staff had already gone to Honghe Village to collect testimonies, and some villagers were willing to testify on the day of the trial, the entire process went smoothly.  

The final verdict sentenced the defendant to five days of administrative detention and a compensation payment of 180 yuan to the plaintiff.  

Xu Zhigang and Xu Yaqiu were seething with hatred, but there was nothing they could do about it.  

Xu Yaqiu had never imagined that insulting the family of a soldier would lead to such serious consequences, five days of detention!  

Xu Zhigang and Zhao Lihong, who had already been held for criticism and education for several days, were set to be released in half a month. Now, their detention was extended by five more days.  

As they exited the court, Xu Yaqiu glared at Fang Xiaoluo and sneered, “Are you satisfied now?”  

Fang Xiaoluo shot her a cold look, too disinterested to respond.  

Zhao Lihong, on the other hand, looked pained. “Xiaoluo, after all these years, how did we end up like this?”  

Fang Xiaoluo, now in control of the original owner’s body, couldn’t forget how poorly Zhao Lihong and Xu Zhigang had treated her.  

Even putting everything else aside, the original owner’s high school tuition had been earned entirely through her own embroidery work.  

Still, Fang Xiaoluo couldn’t shake her puzzlement. Although the original owner had been blinded by love, her academic performance had been stellar. How did she fail her college entrance exam last year?  

Thinking this over, she decided to probe, “I just want to ask, where is my admission letter from last year?”  

Zhao Lihong froze, her gaze flickering with unease.  

Xu Zhigang turned his head away, avoiding her eyes altogether.  

“What are you talking about, Xiaoluo? What admission letter?” Zhao Lihong stammered.  

Fang Xiaoluo felt her suspicions solidify, but she lacked concrete evidence. She needed to investigate further.  

If it turned out the original owner had indeed been admitted to university, but Zhao Lihong and Xu Zhigang had intentionally hidden the letter, it would make their actions even more unforgivable.  

After all, a college admission letter was incredibly valuable, it represented an entire future that they had cruelly snatched away.  

Fang Xiaoluo’s voice turned icy. “You both know exactly what I’m talking about.”  

Zhao Lihong’s face went pale. Determined, Fang Xiaoluo resolved to visit the original owner’s high school and uncover the truth.  

As they left the court, Zhang Xinyan asked anxiously, “Xiaoluo, do you really think they hid your college admission letter?”  

“I’m just guessing for now, but it seems almost certain,” Fang Xiaoluo replied. “I’ll look into it.”  

Zhang Xinyan, who had been in a good mood earlier, now felt a deep ache in her heart. The thought that her daughter might have been denied a chance at higher education because of her adoptive parents was devastating.  

Nearly a year had passed, even if they found the letter, it might be too late to enroll.  

Sensing their distress, Fang Xiaoluo reassured them, “It’s okay. Look at how well we’re living now.”  

Changing the subject, she added, “By the way, we should send some gifts to thank the villagers who helped us testify.”  

“That’s the right thing to do,” Zhang Xinyan agreed.  

Fang Xiaoluo bought eggs, malted milk, canned goods, and peach cakes, packing five portions of each. She personally delivered them to five households.  

The recipients were thrilled to receive such thoughtful gifts in return for their testimonies.  

Others who hadn’t testified felt a pang of regret. If they had known Fang Xiaoluo would be so generous, they would have gladly spoken up as well.  

Watching all this unfold, Wang Hongfang grew even angrier.  

The Fang family was clearly doing well financially. If that was the case, why couldn’t she marry Fang Qiang?