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In the Shen family, upon hearing the Dazhu’s Wife’s words, everyone widened their eyes. They knew she was usually difficult, but living as neighbors, and with plenty of children and grandchildren in the Shen family, they had never felt the need to confront the couple. However, her blatant disregard for neighborly relations, openly intending to shift blame onto them, left them considering evicting her.
Wang Shi frowned and remarked, “Dazhu’s wife, Physician Huang already confirmed Xiaohua is fine. Even my Fourth Brother’s wife attests to her normal state. If you still doubt, do we need to summon the Imperial physician to examine her? Are you making it unnecessarily difficult for everyone?”
Shen Zhu added, “Even if the Imperial physician were to come and find her with a headache, they wouldn’t mention a brain issue. They might claim she was simply frightened.”
Dazhu’s Wife interjected, “There is indeed that possibility.”
Shen Zhu felt indignant under the shamelessness of Dazhu’s Wife’s gaze, wondering if they were truly going to use her words against her as a means of shifting blame. How had she inadvertently provided them with a strategy?
Sun Shi stated, “Physician Huang, you’ve seen it. This family is resorting to deceit. You must testify for us. I am also injured, feeling dizzy now. Please come and check on me. I won’t pretend like her, genuinely feeling unwell.”
Physician Huang observed this drama with a sense of resignation, pondering why the Shen family seemed to be constantly embroiled in such distressing incidents recently, causing unrest in the household.
Li Shi turned to Su Zhi and asked, “Fourth Sister-in-law, do you have a solution?”
Before Su Zhi could respond, cries from outside interrupted. Recognizing the wails as coming from Aunt Li(Granny Zhao), she realized that things were about to get even more chaotic.
As Aunt Li entered and rushed to the bedside, grabbing Zhao Xiaohua’s hand and bursting into tears.
“My precious daughter, how did you end up like this after being fine earlier? They say the Shen family is righteous. How could they let you come to this state? Today’s events demand an explanation! Xiaohua, don’t worry. Mother will take charge, and you will be fine,” Aunt Li exclaimed tearfully.
Su Zhi remarked to Aunt Li, “Look, it’s her own mother after all. Despite Aunt Li’s pulling and tugging, she doesn’t seem to feel a thing. I barely touched her, and she reacted as if her bone was broken.”
Upon hearing this, Wang shi quickly separated Aunt Li’s grip from Zhao Xiaohua’s hand, advising her not to hurt Zhao Xiaohua. Surprisingly, she managed to pull Aunt Li’s hand away effortlessly. Clear red marks were left on Zhao Xiaohua’s wrist.
The Zhao family felt embarrassed, especially Zhao Xiaohua, feeling frustrated. When Su Zhi had gripped her earlier, it had truly hurt, yet no marks were left. However, with just one tug from her mother, visible marks appeared. This made it seem like her mother had a strong grip, although she hadn’t cried out in pain. Seeing the disdainful looks from the Shen family and Physician Huang’s observations, they likely believed she was pretending earlier, leaving Zhao Xiaohua feeling unjustly accused. She inwardly protested, insisting that she had genuinely been in pain earlier!
Aunt Li was unaware of the unfolding events, genuinely concerned for her daughter and instinctively considering how to leverage the situation to implicate the Shen family. Her inherent desire to take advantage of situations led to her earlier burst of tears. Now restrained, she braced herself to seek justice for her daughter.
“I’m telling you, Shen Youfu, Shen family, what do you plan to do about my daughter’s severe injury under your care? I’ve called the villagers to come and judge this matter!” Aunt Li demanded, preparing to fight for her daughter’s rights.
Shen Ziju had entered the room by this point and informed Shen Youfu that many villagers were gathered outside. Without needing further prompting, Shen Youfu and the others could see the villagers standing at the open door.
Feeling irritated, Shen Youfu and Shen Zhang Shi realized that this situation couldn’t be resolved peacefully. Since the Zhao family intended to escalate matters as a form of threat, they couldn’t just sit back and wait to be threatened.
The Village head also arrived, followed by Shen Zian. Upon hearing that his wife had been summoned here, he rushed in and found her standing there composed. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Daliang was taken aback by the crowd outside and the presence of the steward, realizing that the situation had escalated far beyond his intentions. He had only aimed to pressure the Shen family for something, not to blow the matter out of proportion. He considered the implications of severing ties with the Shen family and hoped to maintain their relationship.
“Village head, you’re here. It’s a misunderstanding by my mother. It’s just that my younger sister hit her head here, feeling dizzy and nauseous. There might be some issue with her brain. That’s why we urgently called my mother. She might have misunderstood, thinking that Xiaohua was being mistreated here. In reality, it’s just a misunderstanding. Xiaohua was simply bumped by Shen’s third wife as she was leaving, not intentionally harmed.”
Although the Shen family listened to Zhao Daliang’s explanation, they weren’t entirely satisfied. Despite his attempt to clarify that Zhao Xiaohua wasn’t intentionally harmed by the Shen family, his words unintentionally shifted blame onto Sun Shi, indicating that it was her responsibility for bumping into Zhao Xiaohua, causing the head injury. This narrative made it seem as though the Shen family had erred, impacting how outsiders viewed the situation.
Sun Shi immediately protested, exclaiming, “Zhao Daliang, you can’t lie like this! What do you mean I bumped into her? It was clearly her who bumped into me, causing both of us to fall to the ground. I hit my head, feeling dizzy now! There’s a bump on my head, and my leg is bruised! Just because she lies there doesn’t mean she’s right. I was being considerate, allowing her to lie down. And this girl is a liar! Village head, ask Physician Huang. Earlier, Zhao Xiaohua even falsely accused my Fourth Brother’s wife!”
Upon seeing Su Zhi being mistreated by the Zhao family again, Shen Zian immediately took her hand, inspecting her for injuries, and asked, “What happened to you? Are you hurt? Tell me quickly.”
Su Zhi felt a sense of satisfaction internally but displayed a distressed expression on her face, saying, “I’m physically fine, just not very happy. I lightly touched Xiaohua, and she claimed it hurt. Even Physician Huang saw that I didn’t apply much force. When Aunt Li came, she left bruises on her, but she didn’t complain. Both Physician Huang and I concluded it was just external injuries, not internal, but they don’t believe us, accusing me of favoring my family.”
Shen Zian glanced at the Zhao family, causing them to shrink back, especially Zhao Xiaohua, who had been admiring Shen Zian’s appearance until he looked at her. Dressed in blue, he appeared striking and handsome. Her heart had been racing, but his stern gaze made it feel as though her heart had stopped, leaving her feeling dejected and despondent.
Village head asked Physician Huang, “Physician Huang, is what Su Zhi said true?”
Physician Huang confirmed, “Madam Zhao’s account is entirely accurate. Both she and I believe that Xiaohua only has external injuries. However, she insists on feeling dizzy and nauseous, refusing to trust our diagnosis. She believes there might be serious underlying issues and insists on holding the Shen family responsible.”
Sun Shi interjected, “Folks, don’t you see it? They are trying to pin this on our Shen family. They envy our prosperity, wealth, and talent. They failed before, but now they’re at it again! Shameless! They caused me harm, and now they refuse to let it go!”
With these words, everyone understood the situation. Whether the Village head or onlookers, aware of the Zhao family’s tendency to shift blame, they recognized that the Shen family had unfortunately been targeted.
Shen Youfu turned to the Village head and said, “Village head, your timing is perfect. We need your judgment on this matter. Today, Daliang brought his sister here, leading to this incident with the Zhao family girl. I didn’t want to witness this, but Sun Shi was also injured. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law claim it’s the Zhao family girl’s fault, while she blames my third daughter-in-law. It’s become a tangled mess. I intended to treat their injuries first, but Zhao’s refusal to trust Physician Huang and my daughter-in-law’s diagnosis has complicated things.”
Shen Youfu’s words maintained a semblance of politeness, yet his expression betrayed his underlying anger, evident to all present.
Shen Zhang shi added, “Village head, our Shen family upholds principles of righteousness. Despite Sun Shi’s injury, we brought Physician Huang here upon realizing that Xiaohua was hurt in our premises. Unfortunately, the situation has escalated. This matter must be addressed; otherwise, such incidents will tarnish our village’s reputation. We can’t allow Riverbank Village to be subject to unwarranted accusations.”
The Village head nodded, acknowledging the delicate situation. Aware of the potential repercussions of having such troublemakers in the village, he considered the implications for Shen Ziju’s future in politics and the favorable relations between his wife and daughter-in-law with Shen Zi’an’s wife.
“Xiaohua, both Physician Huang and Su Zhi have examined you and confirmed you’re fine. Don’t scare yourself unnecessarily. It’s common to feel dizzy and nauseous after hitting your head; it will pass. Don’t let this incident strain the longstanding relationship between your families. These minor issues shouldn’t lead to irreparable rifts,” the Village head advised, aiming to diffuse the tension and prevent further conflict.
Upon sensing the Village head’s inclination towards the Shen family, Zhao Xiaohua trembled internally. She contemplated standing up but hesitated, aware of the numerous onlookers who might mock her. Observing Shen Zi’an nearby and Shen Ziju not far off, recalling their earlier words, she felt a flicker of doubt. Ultimately, she remained resolute.
“Mother, my head hurts so much, I feel like I’m seeing two of you. Am I dying?” Zhao Xiaohua cried, simultaneously pressing Aunt Li’s hand twice, indicating to her mother that she was fine, subtly seeking her support.