Chapter 72 - Truth
When Ouyang Lian was singled out, his face turned pale, “I... I didn't...” At that moment, his heart was filled with resentment, but he couldn't say anything.
Zhang Xiuyun sneered, “Looking at you, you seem guilty. Ah Yao, this must be his doing.”
“I didn't! Don't accuse me!” Ouyang Lian retorted, his face flushed with anger.
He knew his second sister-in-law was very much against him. How could he do something so despicable? His pride wouldn't allow it.
Zhang Xiuyun was about to say something, but Xiang Qixuan interrupted, “Second sister-in-law, you need to show proof. Don't blame Lian without evidence.”
“Third Brother, people can be deceptive. Besides, he was the one who took Doggie out in the first place,” Zhang Xiuyun said with a curled lip, thinking that this scholar's words were overly idealistic, making them unpleasant to hear.
Xiang Bagui shouted loudly, “Alright, everyone quiet down. Kid, gently ask Doggie what happened, and everyone else is dismissed.”
As the head of the family, his words carried weight, so even if they were uncomfortable, no one said anything.
Doggie was so scared that he began to cry but quickly wiped his tears, thinking he was too old for that.
Xiang Qirong looked at his son with a pained expression. Even though he was usually mischievous, he would never do something so wicked. He felt deep resentment toward whoever had influenced his son, thinking they were trying to ruin his future.
The village chief started the investigation. He feared that once they found the child, they wouldn't have a good explanation. He couldn't let this tarnish his reputation.
Lv Suyun shared his husband's concerns. He took a deep breath and held the child close, “Doggie, don't be scared. Ah Yao is here. Ah Yao won't hit you. Just tell Ah Yao who told you to do that.”
In the countryside, food is very important. Even though this was a small matter, it was a bad habit that must not be encouraged.
Doggie still remained silent.
Xiang Bagui seemed a bit distracted, “Take the child back inside; maybe we can ask him tomorrow.”
If their son-in-law hadn't noticed something was wrong, they wouldn't have known their child had done such a thing.
Lv Suyun and Xiang Qirong said nothing as they brought the child back inside. Once there, the former started crying, “What are we going to do? If they find out, they'll have to report it to the authorities.”
“If the child doesn't say anything, there's nothing we can do,” Qirong sighed heavily. The most likely suspect was his younger brother, but Doggie's silence suggested it wasn't him.
Lv Suyun glanced at her husband and then recounted everything that had happened in the room to everyone present, causing them to widen their eyes in disbelief, “If it weren't for this candy, I wouldn't have thought of Third Brother, and this candy must have been left over from Third Brother's wedding; only my little brother's house has it.”
Zhang Xiuyun was the first to speak, “Third Brother, to think that you're an Elementary Scholar, yet you did such a shameless thing.” He had already pieced together everything from Doggie's words. No wonder Lin Yuxing said you were a beast in human form—it turned out to be true; I almost got fooled.
Xiang Qixuan's face turned pale, but he still asked calmly, “Big brother, sister-in-law, are you accusing me based on your own assumptions?”
“Doggie wanted some sweets, so it's normal for Lian to give him a few. This Doggie likes to play and cause trouble, but he remembered what his master told him to do. Sister-in-law's imagination is truly rich.”
Lv Suyun sneered, “Third Brother, are you saying that my husband and I have wronged you?” She really couldn't believe that this Third Brother was such a hypocrite.
The grudge between him and Lin Yuxing had nothing to do with them, and the marriage deception was due to his greed. Seeing that the other side had gained good rewards this time, and even let their child cause trouble, it showed how petty this person was.
“I didn't say that; I'll follow Dad's decision.” Xiang Qixuan knew that his dad was on his side, especially since Doggie only looked shocked and never actually said he did it.
Xiang Bagui looked at his grandson and gently asked, “Doggie, did your aunt give you this candy?” Some things didn't need to be asked directly.
Doggie nodded, then shook his head, confusing everyone present.
“Doggie, don't be afraid. Ah Yao is here, tell me the truth.” Lv Suyun squatted down, touched her son's face, and said gently.
Doggie looked at Xiang Qixuan timidly, as if he wanted to shrink into himself.
Everyone in the hall saw Doggie's expression, making the atmosphere tense. Zhang Xiuyun then mocked, “Dad, Ah Yao, Doggie's expression says it all.”
“Third Brother told him to do this. We, who have always lived in the countryside, understand the importance of food, and such a thing has never happened in Xiang Village. I never expected it to be...” He didn't finish, but the disdain in his eyes was clear.
“Dad, Ah Yao, aside from you two, my big brother and the others have always had opinions about me studying. But now they're actually throwing mud at me. My son has nothing to say.” Xiang Qixuan acted as though he was being bullied by everyone.
Lee Xiuyu treated Qi as her little darling, and seeing his expression, she loudly cursed, “Are you all mad? How could Qi do such a thing? This Doggie was just being playful and accidentally mixed sand with the grains, and now you're blaming the only Elementary Scholar in the family? I think you're all tired of living!”
Xiang Bagui's eyes flashed, clearly agreeing with his wife's words, while Lv Suyun looked at her husband, who then spoke in a low voice, “Ah Yao, do you think we should treat Third Brother like this?” All these years, all of Third Brother's food expenses had been painstakingly earned by him and his second brother.
“You're related by blood, of course not, but your family's teachers are hard to say...” Lee Xiuyu clearly acted as if she was making things difficult for them.
“Good! Very good!” Lv Suyun didn't wait for others to speak and roared, “I'm going to find the village chief right now and explain everything!”
“How dare you!” Lee Xiuyu's face filled with anger as she looked at her son-in-law.