Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Stealing the Child Again_l
Translator: 549690339
After Shao Family sold the golden earrings, she showed the silver coins to her mother-in-law: “I sold them for seven and a half taels.
Tang Family was overjoyed and laughed, “Store the money well when you get back. It’s your private stash for the future. Don’t spend it unnecessarily. After all, public funds are used for food and clothing so don’t lend it to anyone.
Yaoyao will need money when she grows up.”
“I understand, mother.” The Shao wife gave Yingbao a smile, took back her son from her mother-in-law’s arms, and went home with him.
Yingbao watched the mother and son leave, feeling inexplicably sorry for them.
Because next year, Tang’s son will return from the battlefield with a broken leg and die not long after.
Grandmother Tang, overcome with grief, will also pass away within a few months, leaving this mother and son in the Chen Family.
The Clan Leader of Chen had prestige outside, but wasn’t always fair within his own home.
After his second wife passed away, his daughter-in-law was widowed, so he didn’t intervene much in the affairs of the fourth house. Hence, the Shao wife and her son, living under the rule of the first wife, didn’t have a good life.
After that big flood, Yingbao never saw them again.
Yingbao hopped off the railings, let her two younger brothers down, and went for a walk outside with Xiaolu.
Youyou nudged Yingbao’s with its head, gesturing for her to climb on.
“There are three of us, you can’t carry us all.” Yingbao patted its neck and led it outside.
The active Xiaojie and Xiaowu were like wild horses let off the reins once they got outside, even dogs couldn’t catch up with them.
“Slow down! Don’t run too far, or I won’t bring you out to play next time!”
Yingbao had no choice but to threaten them.
As expected, the twins obediently ran back.
“You are Yingbao, aren’t you?” An old woman popped out from behind the haystack and squinted with a smile.
Yingbao turned to look and was startled.
So, Chen Changping’s mother had come here at some point.
And the Han Family’s Han Juniang was also with her.
Yingbao looked around and seeing no one paying attention, called her two younger brothers to her side and asked guardedly: “Are you here to kidnap children?”
Chen from the Feng Family stiffened, quickly shaking her hand: “No, no, I am…” she thought for a moment, struggling to find the right words to introduce herself.
Han from the Han Family stepped forward, a forced smile on her face,
“Yingbao, I am your biological mother, and she is your grandmother…”
Before she could finish, Yingbao screamed loudly: “Dad! Mom! Someone’s kidnapping children! ”
Chen from Feng family was shocked and Han Family was also panicked. They hurriedly tried to cover Yingbao’s mouth.
The sight of someone bulling their sister incensed the twin boys who promptly rushed to attack them, crying out, “Bad people! Bad people!”
Jiang Erlang dashed out of the house ahead of others, followed by a crowd of villagers.
“What’s happening!”
Jiang Erlang rushed forward, protectively hiding his daughter and son within his embrace and yelled in anger, “Again from the West Village! You can’t stand us East Villagers having a good life, can you? Come with me to Lizheng’s place, let’s sort this out properly.”
The previous incident of Chen Ergou’s daughter-in-law kidnapping children and throwing them into the river had just taken place. That woman was eventually sentenced to exile, whether she was dead or alive no one knew.
Now, Chen Ergou’s relatives – Chen Laoshuan’s old wife and second daughter-in-law were here. They were definitely hitting out at him, Jiang Erlang.
“Yes! Bring them to Lizheng’s place. This is outrageous. I think the people of West Village have all gone mad, one after another, how come they like to kidnap children so much?”
“Exactly, if Lizheng dares to tolerate them this time, we will take this to the
County Government and seek justice.”
“Tie them up! Attempting to kidnap even in our village, who will dare to let their children go out in the future?”
The villagers were indignant and critical; a few even rushed over to kick Feng and Han violently.
Chen from Feng Family was almost paralyzed with fear and kept protesting,
“No, I didn’t mean to kidnap the child, we are…”
Jiang Erlang gave her no chance to explain, handed his children to Chunniang, and with a few villagers, tied up Chen from the Feng Family and Han. They gagged their mouths with old cloth and began to drag them away.
Jiang Dailang, Jiang Erlang, and old man Jiang also wanted to follow, but Jiang Erlang stopped them, asking them to go back and look after Zhou Mao and the others.
In such a manner, a large group of people from East Village headed off to town, hunting down Sun Licheng.
Sun Licheng was fretting about collecting the remaining tax silver, when he was confronted with a child theft case. Upon enquiry, it turned out to be from the West Village again.
“Darn it! Summon the Village Chief of West Village! And also bring over the heads of the households of these two women.
He was curious to see if this was some sort of uprising!
So, Chen Changsheng arrived, Chen Sanyou too, along with Chen Laoshuan, the husband of the Feng Family’s Chen.
Upon seeing her husband, Chen Feng quickly called out, “Father! Come quickly and save me, oh my arm, it’s practically broken…”
Chen Laoshuan looked grim and said to Sun Licheng, “It’s a misunderstanding by Jiang Sanlang. How could my wife steal a child?”
A villager angrily retorted, “If not for child theft, what were you doing in East
Village? And you strangled Yingbao, were you trying to murder her?”
Chen Laoshuan quickly looked at his wife, asking what was happening.
Chen Feng repeatedly shook her head, “I didn’t…didn’t strangle her. I just…just wanted her to stop shouting…”
“Oh, finally speaking the truth?” Jiang Sanlang sneered, “Why didn’t you want her to shout? You say you didn’t want to steal the child, but how did her shouting at her own doorstep bother you?”
Feng was at a loss for words and her speech became increasingly garbled. “Because she said we were flower-smackers…we..we weren’t, so naturally, we couldn’t let her shout…”
Jiang Sanlang bowed to Lizheng, “Lizheng, you heard it, my daughter thinks they are flower-smackers.”
Lizheng sternly said, “In that case, we will bring them to the authorities first thing in the morning.”
Chen Laoshuan was taken aback and began to explain hastily, “That’s not how it is, Jiang Sanlang, you misunderstood…you misunderstood!”
If Feng and Han were sent to the authorities, there would be no hope for their second son to take the imperial examination.
From the side, Han suddenly said, “Yingbao is my biological child, we went to recognize her, not to steal her.”
The crowd was in an uproar.
The brothers, Wang Ke and Li Dayong, were the most furious.
“Shameless! Failed at smacking flowers, and now claiming Yingbao as your child. How daring of you!”
“You crazy woman, do you have a mental problem? I think you’re delusional.” Jiang Sanlang sneered, “How did my daughter become your biological child?”
Sun Licheng also chimed in, “Yes, Han, if you say the child is your biological child, is that enough? Everything needs evidence, understand?”
Before pinching herself to force a tear, Han quietly said, “Lizheng, Yingbao really is my biological child, if you don’t believe me, ask everyone, isn’t that child picked up by Jiang Sanlang.”
Chen Sanyou snorted, “You’re really something. Who in the village doesn’t
know Yingbao was picked up by Sanlang, but that doesn’t mean anyone can
claim Yingbao as their biological child. Hold back your dirty thoughts, do you think we don’t know what you want to do?”
The crowd laughed, “Yeah, since you can’t have a son, do you want to take
Yingbao back to gift you one?”
Everyone in the village knew that Yingbao was the incarnation of a fairy child, and Chen Laoshuan’s family dared to dream of kidnapping the child from East
Village.
Li Dayong spat, “You are really shameless!”
With her face turning red, Han was now shedding real tears, “That’s not true,
Yingbao really is my biological child.”
Chen Laoshuan, standing to one side with a loss of face, told Lizheng, “Old brother Sun, that child is indeed from the Chen Family.”
Even if it weren’t true, it had to be now. Otherwise, he would lose his face in the village.
“Is the moon in the sky also yours?” Jiang Sanlang sneered, “Everyone is claiming Yingbao as their own, and you are already the eighth.”
“…” Chen Laoshuan was speechless.
Sun Licheng pulled over a chair and sat down, stroking his beard and said slowly, “I’ll say it again, everything relies on evidence. Chen Laoshuan, do you have any proof that the child is yours?”
Chen Laoshuan was dumbfounded and turned his gaze to his wife, Chen Feng.
Chen Feng blinked and turned to her daughter-in-law, “Han, the child was borne by you.. Do you have any proof?”
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