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When Sun Shi learned that the Zhao siblings were visiting, she engaged in a brief conversation with Zhao Daliang before discovering Zhao Xiaohua’s presence in Shen Zhu’s room. Curious to eavesdrop, Sun Shi was known for her nosy nature, always keen to listen in on conversations behind closed doors. This time was no different; she stood at the door, eager to catch snippets of the girls’ conversation. However, as she leaned in to listen, she became so engrossed that she ended up pressed against the door, inadvertently eavesdropping on Zhao Xiaohua mentioning Shen Zi’an and Shen Ziju, along with a dream she had.
As Zhao Xiaohua opened the door, Sun Shi unexpectedly lunged forward, catching Zhao Xiaohua off guard and causing them both to tumble to the floor.
“Ouch! Oh my goodness! You’ve crushed me!”
Zhao Xiaohua hit the ground hard, landing first on her buttocks and then her back and head, the impact echoing sharply. The pain was excruciating, causing her to wail in agony, feeling as if her body had been dismantled, with darkness creeping into her vision and stars dancing before her eyes. Under Sun Shi’s weight, she struggled to catch her breath, calling out in pain, tears and mucus streaming down her face, a pitiful sight.
Sun Shi, despite cushioning her fall with a person underneath, also felt the impact, experiencing intense knee pain and aching wrists that seemed on the verge of breaking. Following Zhao Xiaohua’s cries, Sun Shi’s own wails resonated even louder.
“Ouch! My hand feels like it’s broken! Zhu’er, please help!”
Sun Shi cried out for Shen Zhu’s assistance, genuinely in pain and not acting.
Initially stunned by the sudden turn of events, Shen Zhu quickly regained her composure. She rushed to assist Sun Shi, lifting her up, and then turned her attention to Zhao Xiaohua. Despite her reservations about Zhao Xiaohua, Shen Zhu understood the importance of tending to a guest’s injuries, especially in her own home. Concerned about the loud impact of Zhao Xiaohua hitting the ground, she feared the worst.
“Xiaohua, are you okay? Where does it hurt? Sit down, let me massage it for you!”
Shen Zhu helped Zhao Xiaohua up, intending for her to sit in a chair. However, she found Sun Shi occupying it, prompting a disapproving glance from Shen Zhu. She then guided Zhao Xiaohua to another seat, only to witness her immediately lie back on the bed. Shen Zhu’s eyes briefly betrayed a hint of disdain as she noticed the pillow that had supported Zhao Xiaohua’s head — she disliked others sitting on her bed, and now with the possibility of dirt and even blood from Zhao Xiaohua’s recent fall.
“Xiaohua, are you okay?” Shen Zhu inquired again, observing Zhao Xiaohua lying there with closed eyes, groaning in pain. She felt helpless, shot another glare at Sun Shi, then turned to leave to fetch assistance.
“What happened just now? I heard shouting and wailing.”
As Shen Zhu turned to leave, Shen Youfu entered with Shen Zhang shi and Zhao Daliang, followed by several others outside, including Shen Zifu and Shen Zigui.
Seeing Zhao Xiaohua lying on the bed, Shen Youfu furrowed his brows deeply. His gaze shifted towards Sun Shi, who was massaging her arms and legs, wearing a pained expression. It was evident to him that she was up to no good.
Zhao Daliang quickly rushed to the bedside, worry etched on his face as he examined Zhao Xiaohua, asking, “What’s wrong, Xiaohua? Weren’t you fine just now? Zhu’er, can you tell me what happened to my little sister?”
Seeing Zhao Daliang sitting on her bed, Zhao Xiaohua struggled to keep her brows from furrowing but couldn’t hide the stiffness in her expression, already planning to change the bedsheets once they left.
Shen Youfu and Shen Zhang shi also inquired urgently about the situation. Seeing Zhao Xiaohua lying on the bed, they grew anxious, knowing Shen Zhu’s aversion to others touching her bed. The sight of Zhao Xiaohua in such a state only heightened their concern. Any potential financial costs were secondary to the risk of jeopardizing their son’s future prospects.
Pointing towards Sun Shi, Shen Zhu explained, “It’s all because of Third Aunt! Xiaohua and I were chatting in the room, and when Xiaohua said she wanted to leave, Third Aunt suddenly burst in from outside and knocked Xiaohua over.”
Shen Ziping also arrived on the scene and, upon hearing the situation, promptly scolded Sun Shi, saying, “I’ve told you before to knock before entering my sister’s room. You can’t treat Zhu’er like that. You just barged in without consideration, and now look what happened! You knocked someone over!”
Despite Sun Shi feeling bodily discomfort, her head was unharmed. Witnessing Zhao Xiaohua’s dazed state moments earlier, she grew concerned that something serious might have occurred due to the fall. Sun Shi was determined to shift the blame to avoid any financial liability. She refused to take responsibility; after all, if it wasn’t her fault, then she wouldn’t have to pay anything, right?
“It’s not my fault! At home, we just walk in without knocking. I heard the conversation inside and assumed Xiaohua was still sitting. She suddenly walked out while talking, and I thought she was just coming towards me. We didn’t intentionally collide, but she grabbed onto me, and we fell together. It’s not my fault! I’m in pain all over, and after losing my child not long ago, my body is already sensitive. How am I supposed to cope after this fall?”
Sun Shi’s explanation shifted the blame onto Zhao Xiaohua, making it seem like she had caused her own fall by pulling on Sun Shi. This twist of events now placed the fault on Zhao Xiaohua rather than Sun Shi. Sun Shi managed to shift the blame onto Zhao Xiaohua.
Feeling unhappy upon hearing this, Zhao Daliang was torn. Without witnessing the incident himself, he couldn’t accuse Sun Shi of lying. Moreover, he didn’t want to offend the Shen family. Frustrated with his sister lying there groaning without speaking, he approached Zhao Xiaohua.
“Xiaohua, wake up! Did what third Aunt said happen? If you indeed caused her to fall, you owe her an apology! If not, we can’t bear that heavy responsibility!” Zhao Daliang pinched Zhao Xiaohua firmly, knowing she was conscious, hoping to snap her back to attention.
In reality, Zhao Xiaohua had been fully aware the whole time. She chose to lie there, contemplating that she couldn’t let the fall go unnoticed. Even if the Shen family didn’t compensate her, they should at least show her some courtesy. She understood the Shen family’s emphasis on maintaining appearances and felt that if they apologized to her this time, they would treat her with respect in the future.
Driven by her thoughts, Zhao Xiaohua continued to groan, escalating her cries upon hearing more people entering the room. She envisioned them scrambling to apologize to her, perhaps even scolding Sun Shi and Shen Zhu. That scenario seemed ideal to her.
However, Sun Shi shamelessly shifted all blame onto Zhao Xiaohua, even going so far as to claim that Zhao Xiaohua had caused her fall by pulling on her.
Angered by Sun Shi’s audacity, Zhao Xiaohua was just about to find an opportune moment to ‘regain consciousness’ and expose Sun Shi’s deceit. Before she could act, her brother’s pinch caused her to yelp in pain, adding an extra touch of misery to her distress.
“Xiaohua, what’s wrong? My poor sister, you’re suffering so much!”
Startled by Zhao Xiaohua’s sudden cry, Zhao Daliang realized he couldn’t let Sun Shi’s accusations slide. He resolved to shift the blame onto the Shen family, unwilling to foot any medical bills if Zhao Xiaohua had indeed been injured. Associating the incident with the Shen family, especially since they had Shen Zi’an’s wealth and Shen Ziju’s promising future, seemed advantageous.
As Zhao Daliang’s calls grew louder, he pinched Zhao Xiaohua again, hoping she would snap out of it to avoid potential financial repercussions.
Finally, Zhao Xiaohua opened her eyes, clutching Zhao Daliang’s arm as if seeking comfort. In reality, she was trying to prevent further pinching. She recounted the events, describing how Sun Shi had collided with her despite her attempts to move away, leading to her painful fall.
“Brother, my head hurts… I was trying to leave, but Third Aunt suddenly lunged at me. I couldn’t push her away, took several steps back, and still ended up falling. Brother, it hurts so much!”
Although Zhao Xiaohua only spoke a few sentences, she cleverly shifted the blame away from herself. She claimed that Sun Shi had toppled her, that she had tried to evade Sun Shi, not pull her, and even mentioned taking several steps back, implying that Sun Shi’s force had been too strong. This account contradicted Sun Shi’s claim of merely pushing the door open, as such force wouldn’t have been necessary.
The Shen family members were aware of Sun Shi’s habit of eavesdropping by the door. Upon hearing Zhao Xiaohua’s version of events, it became clear that Sun Shi had likely been listening in on their conversation once again.
The Shen family members glared at Sun Shi, especially Shen Zhu, who detested people eavesdropping on her conversations. Standing outside the door and listening in was a behavior she found utterly unacceptable. Sun Shi’s actions had truly crossed a line.
Sun Shi, feeling anxious, retorted, “I don’t have that kind of strength. Everyone in the village knows I lack energy. Xiaohua, it was clearly you who pulled me. You need to think about it. You pulled me, and when I tried to grab you, you pulled me back several steps. My body had no strength to hold you back, which led to us falling. Xiaohua, I know you’re hurting from the fall and feel like I crushed you. But you can’t blame me. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have fallen. My hand… I can’t move it now. I don’t know if it’s twisted… It hurts so much!”
When it comes to arguing, Sun Shi is no less skilled than Zhao Xiaohua; being a few years older, she could even be considered more adept.
Getting flustered upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaohua retorted, “You clearly charged in; I didn’t pull or tug you! Everyone in this village knows you love gossip and eavesdropping. You were probably eavesdropping today, trying to listen in on my conversation with Shen Zhu. Because I was speaking while walking away, you couldn’t dodge in time, leading you to barge in. Don’t try to shift the blame onto me. Brother, I’m telling the truth; my head hurts so much, it feels like there’s a bump!”