Chapter 245: Reporting To The Officials Is a Waste
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tian Sanzhuang is now treading carefully, trying not to provoke anyone.
Apart from showing off in front of his family, he dares not cross anyone’s path.
As October arrived, with the crisp autumn air, Ling’er would take her pony out for a ride every afternoon.
Tian Sanzhuang finally saw his opportunity. This time, he brought a bowl from his home and filled it with water, which made him feel more at ease.
He knew that Ling’er enjoyed going out in nice weathers. So, he waited not far from Tianshui Town to intercept her.
Upon seeing Tian Sanzhuang, Yue Hong and Yue Xia looked alert. “What do you want?”
“Nothing much. I just felt that the blood test that day wasn’t accurate. I wanted to retest it.” “Absolutely not.”
“Could it be that you’re hiding something?”
Tian Sanzhuang locked his gaze on Ling’er. “Miss Ling’er, look at us, we look so much alike. Not recognizing me as your father doesn’t sit well, especially since your mother holds a grudge against my family. What do you think?”
Yue Hong and Yue Xia quickly tried to dissuade her. “Miss, don’t listen to him. That day, we confirmed the parentage with a blood test. You are not his daughter.”
Ling’er looked at Tian Sanzhuang’s face and finally relented. “Alright, this is the last time. If it doesn’t match again, you better stop bothering me.”
“Miss Ling’er, you’re truly just and fair.”
Yue Hong and Yue Xia concurred. As servants, they had to obey their mistress’s wishes.
Tian Sanzhuang gleefully took a needle and pricked himself and Ling’er, collecting the blood in the bowl. However, he was disappointed that the blood still did not match.
What was going on? They looked so much alike, and he felt an inexplicable closeness to her. Why was it not matching?
No, he wasn’t willing to accept it!
In his moment of distraction, Yue Hong and Yue Xia rushed to take Ling’er back home.
As soon as they arrived home, they reported the incident to Qiao Mai in the backyard.
“Mistress, that man, Tian Sanzhuang, is relentless. He stopped Miss Ling’er on the way, and they retested their blood.”
Qiao Mai put down her book. “He doesn’t give up, but I know now. You can leave.”
“Yes.”
After Yue Hong and Yue Xia left, Qiao Mai stood up, clenching her fists. If she didn’t teach that scoundrel a lesson, he’d continue to pursue Ling’er.
That very evening, she went to Peach Blossom Village. Her hunch was correct; after his failure, Tian Sanzhuang had brought some food and wine to the Tian family.
“Father, mother, what should we do?”
“Did that woman meddle with it?”
“I tested it again, and it’s still the same. It’s not my child. I’m troubled.” “If she’s not yours, make it so. Consult a doctor to ensure the blood matches.” “No, if something goes wrong, I’ll lose my livelihood. Better be safe than sorry.”
“Then let’s get someone to acknowledge the parentage. I heard the girl appear before the Qiao family, and her bedding was all new. Her family seems to be doing well. Once we acknowledge her and the blood matches, we’ll have her in our control. If Qiao Mai wants to keep her, she’ll have to listen to us.”
“Father, mother, you’re being too optimistic. Qiao Mai is not the same as before. She’s wealthy and powerful now. And cunning. Let’s think carefully.” Qiao Mai overheard the conversation and couldn’t bear it. How could they even contemplate setting up her precious child? The Tian family had worn out their welcome.
With a flick of her fingers, she extinguished the oil lamp in the room. She had night vision. She could see everyone inside, even in the darkness.
Rushing inside, she began to assault them relentlessly.
Since they had separated households, this particular courtyard was only occupied by Tian Sanzhuang’s parents. He visited occasionally but stayed at the main house.
Qiao Mai began by knocking out Tian Sanzhuang, and then, using her experienced techniques, she went after Tian Sanzhuang’s parents.
She didn’t spare anyone. Their screams echoed through the night, drawing the attention of the neighbors.
When they lit oil lamps, they found the three of them lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
“What happened to you?”
They were in too much pain to respond immediately. People rushed to carry them onto the bed and sent for a doctor. Even if they had a low opinion of the Tian family, they couldn’t afford to underestimate them with Tian Sanzhuang being an official.
After the doctor arrived and examined them, it turned out that Tian Sanzhuang’s arm was broken, Old Tian’s leg was broken, and his wife’s cheek had been severely bruised because of her earlier remarks.
“Sanzhuang, did you see who it was? Did you recognize the assailant?”
Tian Sanzhuang’s face darkened, and he shook his head. “The person came in and started attacking us immediately. We had no strength to resist.”
“Shouldn’t we report this to the authorities?”
“There’s no need. We didn’t see who it was. It’s pointless.”
Village Chief Liu hesitated. He wanted to ask if they had done anything immoral recently. Why else would karma befall them?
In recent years, Village Chief Liu regretted not extending a helping hand to Qiao Mai. If he had, Peach Blossom Village might have benefited from her prosperity.
Just as he wanted to protect the Qiao family when the Tians repeatedly harassed them, Tian Sanzhuang made another appearance, making the situation even more complicated.
However, he felt compelled to offer some advice to the Tian family.
“Live a peaceful life. Don’t think about anything else all the time. What’s meant to be yours will come to you, and what’s not won’t, no matter how much you scheme.”
With those words, Village Chief Liu left. Old Tian called after him, “Brother, can you help us with the medical expenses? We’ll repay you once we can move again. ”
Village Chief Liu was exasperated but agreed to help with the medical costs. As he was about to leave, Old Tian called out to him again.
“Brother, please deliver a message to our eldest and second sons and tell them to come and take care of us.’ “What if they don’t want to come?”
“I’ll pay them. Thirty coins per day.”
Village Chief Liu left the Tian family feeling quite frustrated with the situation. Qiao Mai returned home, sat in the courtyard, and sipped tea. She gave them mercy, as she intended to keep them on the bed for a month.
The quickest solution would be to eliminate Tian Sanzhuang, but she didn’t want him to find relief so easily.
She liked to take her time to let them see how much she had improved and how far Yuan Jiaqi had risen. They couldn’t do anything to her.
When Tian Sanzhuang’s wife noticed he hadn’t returned for several days, she immediately brought their maidservant and returned to Peach Blossom Village.
When she saw his condition, she decided to stay and take care of him, ensuring that he was well-fed and well-cared for.
Tian Sanzhuang was deeply moved. He thought she had abandoned him long ago, but it turned out he still held a place in her heart.
It must be said that he hit the mark on the spot. The fact that his wife could come was thanks to her father’s efforts. He had heard that his son-in-law was injured, so he instructed his daughter to take good care of him.
She wouldn’t have stayed otherwise.
Raised in luxury, she was pampered and had no experience with compassion or taking care of others.
Lying alone in bed, Tian Sanzhuang wondered if Qiao Mai was behind this attack. He had heard she left the Tian family and had been practicing martial arts.
He had just gone to find Ling’er, and right after that, he was attacked.
Could she have attacked him? If it were true, then Ling’er’s origins must indeed be questionable.
With her reluctance to let him get close to Ling’er, one could argue that Ling’er might indeed be his daughter.
But if she was Ling’er’s mother, why wouldn’t the blood test match? It had not matched twice now, and even Qiao Mai’s blood did not match. It was truly baffling.
However, one thing was clear to Tian Sanzhuang. Ling’er was his daughter, and he needed to establish control over her.
The more Qiao Mai tried to stop him, the more determined he became to reach his goal.
He believed that someday, Ling’er would acknowledge him as her father. Time was on his side; Ling’er was only seven years old. There was no need to rush.
On the other hand, sometimes, after finishing her lessons, Ling’er would fall into a daze, thinking about that man and the words he said. But she was still young, and thinking about it gave her a headache. So she decided to stop thinking about it. After all, her mother didn’t like the man’s family, and she
didn’t like them either..
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