Chapter 677: Chapter 677: Unable to Prove Herself
Second Uncle of the Li Family got up from the ground, stumbled inside, unlocked the door, and took out the jewelry.
The pain, the unbearable pain.
Li Mingxiu accepted the jewelry, running her fingers carefully over the flowers on the hairpin, feeling an urge to cry.
This was the last memory her mother left for her.
At the age of six, it was forcibly taken away by her second uncle and second aunt when they discovered it.
Since Li Mingxiu asked Second Uncle for the jewelry, her eldest aunt had been eyeing him intently.
She had coveted this set of jewelry for a long time, always thinking Li Mingxiu had hidden it, not expecting it to have been sneaked off by the second household.
The second couple was also a pair of fools, not knowing to pawn or sell the jewelry, hiding it like a landmine in their house.
They deserve it; the things the main house can’t get, the second house shouldn’t even think about getting.
Li Mingxiu established her own household, took what she should, and did not linger in the Li Family Manor for long.
Before leaving, she asked her grandmother, "Do you want to live with me?"
Grandmother thought for a while and shook her head, "The Li Family is my home."
Li Mingxiu understood that her grandmother couldn’t bear to leave her children and grandchildren.
Seeing her grandmother’s evasive eyes, Li Mingxiu couldn’t help but think that her grandmother had always known what her uncle and second uncle did to her, and when they mistreated her, grandmother would always protect and love her, and she stood up when they were going to sell her to an old widower.
But when her house and land were occupied, and the jewelry her mother left for her was snatched away, her grandmother didn’t stand up to take justice for her.
Maybe in her grandmother’s heart, it was unnecessary to argue among family.
Maybe in her grandmother’s heart, she was a girl and would belong to someone else’s family sooner or later, and the things her parents left were for the Li Family and had nothing to do with her.
Grandmother loved her but chose her offspring for core interests.
The owner pointed this out to her when grandmother hesitated whether to establish her own household, and thinking of this made Li Mingxiu a bit sad.
But she quickly stopped feeling sad, kowtowing thrice to grandmother, considering it fulfilling their bond as grandmother and granddaughter.
From then on, her Li and the Li Family’s Li Family were no longer the same Li.
After kowtowing, Li Mingxiu left Li Family Manor without looking back, following Gu Taohua and Su Qing.
Second Uncle of the Li Family didn’t realize until the three were completely out of sight that his wife had given Su Qing fifty taels of silver to buy a favorable position as an embroiderer.
Given Su Qing’s support for Li Mingxiu today, this matter seemed likely to fall through.
Second Uncle of the Li Family regretted it so much his teeth hurt; at this moment, he hadn’t realized it was a trap, still thinking that if the position was lost, the silver would naturally be returned.
Though they couldn’t enter the weaving workshop, the silver was still theirs.
The closer to Qinghe Bay, the more indescribably happy Li Mingxiu felt; from now on, the world was wide and open, and she had nothing to do with the Li Family anymore.
Second Aunt of the Li Family had been waiting at the entrance of Qinghe Bay Village; she didn’t know the Li Family had already turned upside down.
When the three arrived at the village entrance, Second Aunt of the Li Family immediately spotted Su Qing.
She stepped forward and grabbed Su Qing, saying, "Miss Su, wasn’t there a mistake in the embroiderer recruitment list? Why isn’t my Niu Sanmei’s name on it?"
Su Qing brushed away Second Aunt’s hand, saying, "Who is Niu Sanmei? How dare she question the weaving workshop’s recruitment list?"
Second Aunt of the Li Family smiled apologetically, "Niu Sanmei is me."
Su Qing looked at Second Aunt and suddenly laughed, saying, "What are you joking about? You didn’t even attend the embroiderer recruitment exam, naturally, your name isn’t on the list."
"No, Miss Su, didn’t we have an agreement?"
Second Aunt of the Li Family got anxious, blocking Su Qing.
She thought maybe Gu Taohua was there, so Su Qing avoided talking for fear of suspicion, and forced a smile, saying, "Miss Su Qing, let’s talk privately."
Su Qing said coldly, "What do you want to say? Isn’t it about your asking Mingxiu to plead for a place as an embroiderer in the workshop? Haven’t you thought that our workshop recruits strictly by merit, not by relationships?"
"Furthermore, what relationship do you and Mingxiu even have?"
Second Aunt of the Li Family was dumbfounded.
She hadn’t expected Su Qing to change her face so quickly, even with Young Master Gu Taohua there, she dared to speak like this, not afraid her acceptance of silver would be exposed.
Since Su Qing was so ruthless, she couldn’t blame her for retaliating.
Second Aunt of the Li Family said viciously, "You took my fifty taels of silver; you must return what you collected from me."
Su Qing frowned, "What fifty taels of silver?"
Second Aunt of the Li Family was shaking with anger, realizing this was an attempt to swallow her silver.
"Taohua, Su Qing was deceitful, selling me an embroiderer’s position for fifty taels of silver. You must investigate her properly; who knows how many other lucrative positions she’s exploited from the weaving workshop?"
"Su Qing must return my silver, or I will spread the word that the weaving workshop demands silver to even get a job."
Second Aunt of the Li Family looked at Gu Taohua, threateningly.
Gu Taohua showed no anger, smiling, and asked Second Aunt, "You say Su Qing took your fifty taels of silver, who can testify?"
Second Aunt of the Li Family was stuck because bribery naturally happens in private, how could someone see it?
"Two days ago, I went with my son to deliver the money to her," said Second Aunt.
Gu Taohua said, "What kind of witness is your son? He will surely side with you. Your claim that the weaving workshop requires silver to get a job is a fabrication. Go ask around and find which weaver didn’t get in by merit? Claiming entry by silver is a joke, tell it to others, let’s see who believes it. Beware I charge you with defamation."
Second Aunt’s hands and feet turned cold; she hadn’t expected that even after seeing Su Qing exposed, Gu Taohua wouldn’t believe it.
By then, a crowd of people gathered to watch.
Gu Taohua said loudly, "Let’s be reasonable, this aunt says our weaving workshop hired embroiderers through the back door by silver, and that everyone entering our workshop does so. Ladies, if anyone here or your family works in my weaving workshop, speak up if it’s true."
The crowd buzzed instantly.
Slandering the workshop is slandering them.
Everyone knows entering the workshop relies on true merit.
"Auntie, don’t smear someone without evidence; my sister-in-law got into the workshop through three rounds of exams by pure merit."
"If you can’t pass the exam, don’t slander others. What good does slandering others do you?"
"If entry required silver, why wasn’t Gu Family’s young lady Honglian allowed in despite endless pleas?"
"Sister, are you corrupt yourself and expect everything requires silver, thus imagining the workshop does?"
Everyone chimed in with comments.
Second Aunt had no way to justify; she wanted to say she indeed gave Su Qing fifty taels of silver.
But Su Qing didn’t admit it, and her witness was her son, putting her in an inescapable deadlock.
Li Mingxiu said, "I see Second Aunt is envious of my earnings at the weaving workshop. Without the ability to pass the exam, you try this way to slander the workshop. At home, you begged Su Qing for entry, Su Qing rejected you, and bearing a grudge, you accuse her of accepting your silver."
"Fifty taels, you really can fabricate. If we sold your entire family tied together, would it even amount to fifty taels?"
Second Aunt shook with anger, lips trembling.
Those were her fifty taels of silver, clearly pocketed by Su Qing.
Su Qing stood by Gu Taohua like a pure white flower, making Second Aunt wish to tear apart Su Qing’s facade.
Comments