The two visitors saw that Liu Duo was looking at them from inside the house, bearing no expression. She was neither joyful nor angry. Perhaps she chose to spite them that way?
They were aware of Hei Xiaomeng, the large dog by the door. As expected, the two did not cross the threshold and step into the courtyard.
“Duo Er, I’m not here to beg you to withdraw charges. I’m just asking you to talk to government offices. Can you please ask them not to give your Brother Qing such a harsh sentence? His life is finished if he stays in there for eight years!”
Liu Qing was currently in his twenties. By the time he was released from jail, eight years later, he would be in his thirties. That would be more or less his whole life.
Ye Yang came out of his room to check on things when he heard Grandmother Liu’s voice.
He did not want Liu Duo to face them alone.
And a little while after that Ye Ling had finished doing the dishes and came out too. He looked across the yard and asked, “Why are they here again?”
Startled, Liu Duo looked at Ye Ling, wondering what he meant by ‘again?’
Could it possibly be that, when they had heard Hei Xiaomeng bark the last time she was ‘doing it’ with Ye Yang in the room, it was because of them?
Liu Duo did not react much to the thought. She yelled across the court, “I’m not going to do that! You should just leave!”
Liu Qing had tried to run but he eventually got caught. What did his eight-year sentence have to do with her? He deserved it.
Ye Yang and Ye Ling were not surprised to know that Liu Qing had been sentenced to eight years in prison. Li Wazi had told them about it.
It was then that Liu Quanyan knelt down on the ground with a thump. “Duo Er, I beg of you, help Qing Er. Please, I beg of you…”
He was a father who would do anything for his son, including kneeling before the younger family members again. This time, Liu Duo was actually a bit moved by his act. It showed he really had fatherly love towards Liu Qing.
But he did not have a single shred of family love towards her, her parents, or Liu Ran.
He treated them like unpaid ‘slaves’ all the same!
Grandmother Liu was in tears too, deeply regretting not stopping Liu Qing from doing the deed in the first place.
Why had she sold off Liu Duo? Why had she treated her youngest son’s family differently? In the end, all family ties were shattered because of her…
“Liu Duo, your uncle and I are desperately begging you right now. In the past, we have wronged you. But could you please save your Brother Qing now? With your word, he could spend a shorter time in prison…”
Liu Duo rolled her eyes right there and then. This was not up to her to decide! It was not like she was the emperor!
She stood up and beamed at them. “I’ll say it again, I’m not going!”
And then she turned away from the scene towards the stairs, off to get some paper to practice writing with Ye Ling later.
Grandmother Liu saw her reaction and shouted for her, “Duo Er, please don’t be so ruthless. Your uncle and I are really begging you…”
Ruthless?
She found the statement hilarious as she made her way upstairs. Her? Ruthless? Who was the ruthless one the last time they performed a series of cold-hearted deeds? And now they had the gall to call her ruthless?
She shook her head, deciding not to bother, as she disappeared from Grandmother Liu’s line of sight.
The two crying their hearts out by the entrance seemed really pitiful. Ye Ling frowned, finding the scene unbearable. He turned around, not wanting to look at them.
Ye Yang saw that and told them off. “Go cry somewhere else!”
What were they thinking, bawling like that in front of their house? This had seriously affected everyone’s mood, especially Liu Duo’s!
He did not want Liu Duo to be in a bad mood because of this.
Grandmother Liu and Liu Quanyan only wailed louder when Ye Yang told them off. What should they do now? Liu Duo didn’t want to help at all…