Chapter 25

“Who are you accusing of lying?” Huang Qianqian’s face darkened, and she glared angrily at Lan Yun’er. Lan Yun’er scoffed, “Isn’t it you?”

“You!” Huang Qianqian clenched her fist, wishing she could punch Lan Yun’er. She ground her teeth and angrily said, “I didn’t lie! You were the one who pushed Wang Zhiqiang down the mountain! I saw it with my own eyes!”

“Fine, if you insist that you saw it, then let’s say you did. But I want to ask you, when did you see me push him down? Can you tell me the time?” Lan Yun’er was calm, even sounding somewhat relaxed.

Huang Qianqian was momentarily confused. How could she know the exact time? She had just made up a lie. Now, how could she explain it? She glanced at Wang Zhiqiang and Zhou Mingyeu, hoping they would help her.

Zhou Mingyeu’s eyes were dark. She looked at Lan Yun’er and tried to speak on Huang Qianqian’s behalf, “Qianqian said she…”

“Hey, I didn’t ask you! Can you stop interrupting? What, does Qianqian know, and you don’t?” Lan Yun’er interrupted Zhou Mingyue, not giving her a chance to speak.

Everyone around focused their attention on Zhou Mingyue. That’s right, they were asking Huang Qianqian, so why was she so eager to answer?

Zhou Mingyue’s face turned a little ugly. Lan Yun’er was really hard to deal with. She looked at Huang Qianqian, hoping she wouldn’t be so foolish as to let Lan Yun’er manipulate her.

“Alright, tell me, when did you see me push him down the mountain?” Lan Yun’er asked again, her tone still relaxed.

Huang Qianqian gripped her fingers tightly. She lowered her head and thought for a moment before answering, “It was… it was around three o’clock in the afternoon, I think.”

“Three o’clock in the afternoon?” Lan Yun’er smiled mockingly. “At three o’clock, I was in the fields picking garlic sprouts. Miaochun and Gu Shaoli were there with me, and many other villagers saw me. But you’re saying I pushed Wang Zhiqiang down at three? Heh, Huang Qianqian, your lie… is falling apart.”

At three o’clock, Lan Yun’er had indeed been in the fields picking garlic sprouts. Not only Miaochun and Gu Shaoli saw her, but several other villagers also witnessed it. Miaochun nodded and squeezed through the crowd, saying, “That’s right, I saw Mrs. Huo the fourth in the afternoon. She was picking garlic sprouts, and the time was about three o’clock.”

“Yes, that’s right, it was three o’clock. I saw her and went back home. I checked the clock at home, and it was three-oh-six. So, the time was about three when I saw her,” said Gu Shaoli, the team leader’s wife, speaking with certainty.

Several other villagers corroborated Lan Yun’er’s story, confirming they saw her at three o’clock.

Now, there was no need for Lan Yun’er to say anything further. Everyone knew Huang Qianqian was lying.

Huang Qianqian became flustered. Her face turned red, and she frowned as she tried to justify herself, “I must have remembered wrong. It was… maybe around two-thirty. It should have been two-thirty when Lan Yun’er pushed Wang Zhiqiang down.”

Huo Jinchen’s gaze turned cold. He stared at Huang Qianqian and said in a low, chilling voice, “Are you still going to lie? Huang Qianqian, you better tell the truth! Tell me why you’re helping Wang Zhiqiang make a false statement!”

“I… I didn’t make a false statement. I’m telling the truth! Lan Yun’er did push Wang Zhiqiang down the mountain! She did!” Huang Qianqian felt more and more desperate. She didn’t know how to explain herself, so she started blaming Zhou Mingyeu.

Zhou Mingyeu looked at Huang Qianqian’s behavior with disgust. She cursed inwardly, thinking, this fool is being manipulated by Lan Yun’er, and now she wants to marry my cousin and move to the city? Dream on!

She sighed and turned to the crowd, saying, “Qianqian must have been very flustered when she saw my injured cousin. It’s natural to misremember the time in such a state. Haven’t you all been in a panic and made mistakes before?”

The villagers listened to Zhou Mingyeu’s explanation and thought it made sense. When Wang Zhiqiang was so severely injured, Huang Qianqian must have been panicked, and it was normal to mix up the time.

So, they understood and no longer thought Huang Qianqian was lying. Huang Qianqian relaxed a little, relieved that Zhou Mingyeu was so clever.

Zhou Mingyeu looked back at Lan Yun’er and said, “Lan Yun’er, stop denying it. No matter how much you deny it, the truth is out. I don’t think you need to pay 300 yuan. Just pay 200 yuan to cover my cousin’s medical bills.”

It sounded like Zhou Mingyeu was being lenient toward Lan Yun’er.

Lan Yun’er smiled with a hint of mockery, looking at Zhou Mingyeu. She slowly said, “Mingyeu, your tongue is really sharp. In just a few words, you turned Huang Qianqian’s lie into something trivial. With such a gift, you should consider storytelling for a living.”

If she paid for Wang Zhiqiang’s medical bills today and admitted to pushing him, he could later claim any illness was due to this incident and keep asking her for money! Even if Wang Zhiqiang had no health problems, he could always invent one and keep coming back to her. She would be a fool to admit it.

Besides, she didn’t push Wang Zhiqiang!

Hearing Lan Yun’er’s words, Zhou Mingyue became even more irritated. She glared at Lan Yun’er, ready to argue, when suddenly a voice from outside the courtyard interrupted, “I can prove that Lan Yun’er didn’t push Wang Zhiqiang down the mountain. I can prove that Wang Zhiqiang fell by himself!”

Everyone froze. They all turned to look outside.

A woman in simple clothes, with a clean and delicate appearance, entered. She looked about 20 years old, but her face had a trace of weariness. She was known in the village as the widow Hou.

Hou’s husband had died shortly after they married, and they never even got his remains. They said he died in another place. People often say that widows are prone to trouble, but Hou had no such reputation. She was gentle, kind, and always helped others in the village. As a result, everyone liked her.

Her words created a huge stir among the villagers. Someone asked, “Hou Yushan, are you serious? Wang Zhiqiang really fell by himself? Did you see it?”

The villagers, including Zhou Mingyeu and Wang Zhiqiang, all turned to look at her.

Zhou Mingyue gritted her teeth. What was Hou Yushan doing here? Had she really seen it?

Hou Yushan walked into the courtyard, glanced at Wang Zhiqiang, and said calmly, “I was picking firewood on the mountain when I suddenly heard a panicked shout. When I stopped and looked, I saw Wang Zhiqiang fall down the mountain. There was no one else around, so it’s clear that Wang Zhiqiang fell by himself.”

“I wanted to save him, but before I could, I saw Huang Qianqian. Although she’s small, she’s quite strong. She carried Wang Zhiqiang back to the village. When Wang Zhiqiang saw her, I heard him tell her that he had fallen by himself. Yet, he insisted on saying that someone else had pushed him.”

Huang Qianqian’s face turned pale.

The villagers were all shocked. Everyone trusted Hou Yushan. She had always been honest and had never lied. If she said Wang Zhiqiang fell by himself, then that was the truth.

Someone in the crowd muttered, “My God, how could Wang Zhiqiang and the Zhou family do this? He fell by himself, but they tried to blame Lan Yun’er!”

“The Zhou family must be after money. Didn’t Qi Huifang ask Lan Yun’er for 300 yuan before? They must have been trying to extort money from her from the start.”

The villagers began murmuring in disbelief.

Zhou Mingyeu gritted her teeth and looked at Hou Yushan. This woman was causing trouble at the worst moment!

Meanwhile, Lan Yun’er smiled as she looked at Zhou Mingyue, saying, “Mingyue, you’ve gone to great lengths to frame me and extort money. But thank heavens, the heavens are watching, and they sent someone to clear my name. If not for her, your plan might have worked today.”

Zhou Mingyeu’s face darkened as she tried to argue, but before she could, a middle-aged woman rushed up to Huang Qianqian and grabbed her ear, scolding, “You little brat, why are you helping others make false statements? Did the Huang family teach you this? You’re doing evil, and evil will come back to you!”

This woman was Huang Qianqian’s mother. Huang Qianqian, in pain, dared not resist and quickly said, “It’s Zhou Mingyue’s fault! She asked me to do it. She begged me so pitifully that I agreed. I didn’t want to do this!”

She didn’t dare implicate Wang Zhiqiang, as she still hoped he would take her to the city.

Zhou Mingyue almost laughed in anger.

This fool, in the end, knew how to shirk responsibility!

I have to talk to you,” said the team leader’s wife Gu Shaoli, not pleased. “You’ve gone too far today. How could you come to frame Mrs. Huo the Fourth, and even have Huang Qianqian help you lie? Aren’t we all from the same village? Can’t you be a bit more friendly?”

Zhou Mingyue’s behavior had angered the villagers. Some even whispered that she was a troublemaker, causing harm to the village.

Miao Cuihe, standing beside Gu Shaoli, joined in, “You tried to frame Mrs. Huo the Fourth yesterday. She was kind enough not to hold it against you, and now you’re back at it today! If it were me, I would have grabbed a knife and dealt with you!”

Zhou Mingyue’s actions had indeed upset the villagers. They could no longer tolerate her manipulation and lies.

Someone in the crowd added, “She’s got a wicked heart, truly.”

Zhou Mingyue’s mother, Qi Huifang, couldn’t even speak in her defense. The criticism was overwhelming.

Then, Yao Guizhi, picking up a broom, approached Zhou Mingyue and shouted, “Get out! Get out! A woman like you is disgusting! The Hou family never did anything to you, yet you’ve caused so much trouble. Get out of here, or I’ll break your legs!”

Zhou Mingyue narrowly avoided the broom and tried to explain, “Auntie, it’s all a misunderstanding, I…”

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?” Yao Guizhi’s anger erupted, “You’re a liar, and now you’re trying to say it’s a misunderstanding? Get out, you’re tainting this place!”

Zhou Mingyue stood there, teeth clenched, her hands tightening into fists. She didn’t know what to say next.

Then, something truly unexpected happened…