Chapter 44: Those who act without propriety will inevitably bring harm upon themselves.

Chapter 44: Those who act without propriety will inevitably bring harm upon themselves.

"Uncle Xie."

Her voice was mournful and pleading, tugging at the heartstrings, her beautiful eyes filled with a thousand emotions that could break one's heart.

Xie Yan felt a chill, his voice cold as frost and snow, "If you have something to say, say it; otherwise, shut up."

By selling herself into servitude at the Sun's, she learned nothing but these disgraceful tricks.

Qi Rui was not discouraged, her tearful eyes glistening, her red lips lightly bitten, "Uncle Xie, I really mean no harm."

Xie Yan found it unnecessary to even glance at her again, the coldness in his gaze almost solidifying, "The second young master of the Sun family."

"Qi Rui says she means no harm, does that mean you are the real culprit?"

"Never to buy a single grain of rice or a bag of flour again?"

"Begging for your favor to repay and serve you?"

"The second young master of the Sun family really has a big mouth, committing misdeeds and acting like he can cover the sky of Changhe County, leaving no way out for us ordinary folks."

The second young master of the Sun family: Isn't this how spoiled rich kids usually talk tough?

Xie Yan sneered, meticulously wiping the long bench by the table, leading Lu Mingchao to sit down, then continued, "If the second young master of the Sun family doesn't give my wife an explanation today, I'll take this matter to the authorities."

"If the second young master of the Sun family can cover the sky of Changhe County, can he cover the entire sky of Daqian?"

"If the county magistrate dares not accept, I will go to the prefecture, to the capital."

Hearing this, the second young master of the Sun family turned green and his legs turned to jelly.

His wet hair soaked his clothes, the cold wind blowing through the door crack, making him shiver.

The second young master of the Sun family wished he could slap himself, not holding the warm and soft beauties of the brothel, but coming to the countryside to suffer, and getting into trouble.

Xie Yan didn't carry himself like your average hunter, who knows if he has some influential relatives.

Merchant families have this kind of insight.

If he really caused a big trouble for the family, his father could ruthlessly break his legs and drive him out to beg.

"Don't listen to that lowly maid's nonsense."

"She means no harm? The one with the most malice is her!" The second young master of the Sun family pointed fiercely at Qi Rui.

"It was Qi Rui, this lowly maid, who told me that a beauty had come to Changxi Village, even the top courtesan in the prefecture city couldn't hold a candle to her. It's true that I am lustful, but I am not at the point of dying under the peony to be a ghost and still romantic."

"Qi Rui said the beauty married a hunter who is clueless about romance and spends his days wandering in the deep mountains and old forests, the beauty is lonely and empty, as long as I use a little trick, stay at the beauty's house to flirt with her, ruin her reputation, the beauty would willingly serve me."

"She said I was saving the beauty from her misery."

"Qi Rui stirred me up, got my blood boiling, and I immediately followed her to Changxi Village under the guise of visiting relatives."

"Hunter Xie, Brother Xie, I swear to the heavens, not a word is false, and I have not taken any advantage, not even a hair on sister-in-law's head."

Noticing Xie Yan's murderous gaze, the second young master of the Sun family hurriedly corrected himself, "Sister-in-law, it's sister-in-law, I didn't even touch a single hair on sister-in-law's head."

"I was indeed out of line in offending sister-in-law."

"But the real culprit is Qi Rui. She wanted to use me to destroy your wife."

As the cold chilled him to the bone, the second young master of the Sun family's mind raced.

Especially since Lu Mingchao had already given him a hint.

Xie Yan glanced at Qi Rui with disgust, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Qi Rui cried, her tears streaming down her face, sobbing, "It's not like this."

"Uncle Xie, it's not like this."

"We've known each other for years, how can you not believe me?"

The servant boy A Xing, standing at the door, spoke up decisively, "I can vouch for the second young master."

The second young master of the Sun family nodded eagerly, adding, "Yes, not just A Xing, but all the trusted servants in my courtyard know about this."

"How could you be sure I wouldn’t be home?" Xie Yan asked coldly.

The second young master of the Sun family exclaimed, "Qi Rui said it would be best if you went into the mountains. If you didn't, she and her grandmother would find a way to get you out, creating an opportunity for me. By the time you returned, it would be too late, and the deed would be done."

"Mingchao, do you have the brush and ink?" Xie Yan's cold gaze softened into tenderness when it met Lu Mingchao's.

Lu Mingchao lowered her brows, her mind quickly guessing Xie Yan's intentions.

"Of course, I brought them."

Lu Mingchao pulled the brush and ink from her cloak and set them on the old wooden table.

Xie Yan bent down, tore a piece of cloth from the second young master of the Sun family's robe, spread it flat, dipped the brush in ink, and handed it to him, "Write."

"Write down every word you just said, exactly as you said it."

The second young master of the Sun family trembled as he took the brush, ink dripping onto the cloth, spreading into a stain.

"Second young master of the Sun family, I've read a few books and know some characters," Xie Yan reminded him sternly.

"Hurry up, don't dawdle."

Under Xie Yan's gaze, the second young master of the Sun family's scrawled handwriting gradually appeared on the cloth.

"Remember to press your fingerprint," Xie Yan kindly reminded.

The second young master of the Sun family looked around, muttering in confusion, "There's no ink pad."

Seeing this, Lu Mingchao took out a dagger and made a cut on the second young master of the Sun family's fingertip, "Now there is."

"No need to thank me; I’ve rediscovered my helpful nature."

"Second young master of the Sun family, if the blood dries, you'll have to make another cut."

The second young master of the Sun family, ignoring the pain, quickly pressed his bloody fingerprint onto the cloth.

Xie Yan glanced at the servant boy, who wailed, "I don't know how to read!"

"Your second young master can write for you," Xie Yan remained unmoved.

The second young master of the Sun family raised his bleeding finger, "I'm injured."

Xie Yan said nonchalantly, "Then I don't mind writing the complaint with your blood."

Instantly, the pain in the second young master of the Sun family's hand vanished.

The servant boy dictated, and the second young master of the Sun family recorded.

Finally, the servant boy, quick on the uptake, cut his own hand and pressed his fingerprint.

"Is... is that enough?"

The second young master of the Sun family rubbed his sore wrist and asked pitifully, appearing weak and helpless.

Xie Yan's expression remained indifferent. "Helping someone means seeing it through to the end, like sending the Buddha to the west. I still need the second young master of the Sun family to do me one more favor."

Xie Yan found a bundle of rope and swiftly tied up the second young master of the Sun family, the servant boy A Xing, and Qi Rui together.

Holding the rope in one hand and guiding Lu Mingchao with the other.

"Uncle Xie, please spare me this time."

"Are you trying to push me to my death?"

Qi Rui's voice grew sharp and urgent, losing the pitiful fragility she once had.

"How is this any different from a public shaming?"

If word gets out, how will she ever marry into a respectable family?

Qi Rui couldn't help but resent her grandmother in her heart.

"Those who act improperly will inevitably bring harm upon themselves."

"Please explain this to her, second young master of the Sun family," Xie Yan said without turning his head.

The second young master of the Sun family: Did he look like the kind of person who was so cultured?

"Qi Rui, stop your wailing. You brought this on yourself, and now you're dragging me down with you."

Probably something like "you reap what you sow."

The second young master of the Sun family wasn't entirely sure either.

Qi Rui seethed with hatred, nearly grinding her teeth to dust.

Xie Yan knocked on the village chief's door, demanding that the chief uphold justice and that the Qi family give an explanation.

"Give my wife justice."