Chapter 4: Why Should the Honest Be Bullied

Chapter 4: Why Should Honest People Be Bullied?

Lu Xiang demanded, "Where is Lu Zhaodi? Why isn't she here for such a serious matter?"

Her words immediately drew everyone's gaze back to her.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd: "Indeed, things are so chaotic out here. Where is Lu Zhaodi? And where is her father, Lu Dahai?"

Lu's eldest aunt wished she could tear Lu Xiang's mouth shut on the spot. Everyone had almost forgotten about this, but now it was brought up again. She had already devised a foolproof plan to shift the blame, but who would have thought the Fu family would completely ignore Lu Xiang and instead relentlessly pressure them for an explanation?

A bead of sweat trickled down Lu's eldest aunt's forehead.

Xiao Cailian declared, "Go fetch your men. How dare you pull such a shameless stunt? Bullying a widow and her fatherless children—do you have any idea how hard it's been for me to raise four kids alone? Don't even think about treating me like a pushover." Her voice was laced with anger, and tears streamed down her face.

Seeing his mother so distraught, Fu Qinhui's last shred of goodwill towards the Lu family vanished. His face cold, he stated, "You've gone too far in your bullying."

Third Brother Fu chimed in, "Exactly. Do you take me for a fool? Get your men out here. I don't hit women, but someone's going to pay." His words carried a menacing undertone, hinting at a readiness to resort to violence.

Initially, everyone had been enjoying the spectacle, but with things escalating to this point, no one could remain indifferent. Someone shouted, "Quick, go fetch the village head!" The local customs here were fierce, and if a fight broke out, their chances of being named a model village this year would be ruined.

At first, everyone genuinely believed Lu Xiang was scheming, but after hearing her speak so reasonably and logically, they couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt.

No one had ever imagined Lu Xiang possessed such courage. Her own parents wouldn't dare talk back to Grandma Lu, yet here she was, delivering one sharp retort after another.

Aunt Liu, a neighbor of the Fu family, remarked, "I saw Lu Zhaodi washing clothes by the river this morning. She was heading back towards the Lu house."

"Well, well. Isn't this interesting?"

With that reminder, the situation seemed even more perplexing and mysterious.

Did the Lu family know about Lu Xiang taking Lu Zhaodi's place in the marriage, or not?

A short while later, Village Head Wang arrived, accompanied by Second Brother Fu. "What kind of scene is this? Take this inside," he said. The villagers valued their reputation, especially when it concerned two families.

But Xiao Cailian refused. "Let's talk right here. I want to see if the Lu family can talk their way out of this."

Upon seeing the village head, Grandma Lu wailed, "I'm just an old woman who knows nothing. Now that things have come to this, how can I face anyone anymore?"

Lu's eldest aunt's mouth twitched. This old hag certainly knew how to shift blame, feigning ignorance to dump everything on her.

If shifting blame was the game, Lu's eldest aunt could play it too. She mimicked, "This girl has done such a shameless thing. I'm not her birth parent—there's nothing I can do about it."

Lu Xiang's parents were honest and simple folk, the kind who wouldn't utter a sound even if pricked by a needle. But being honest wasn't a license for others to bully them.

Lu Xiang had transmigrated into this world from a book. At this moment, an unidentifiable rage surged within her. Why should honest people be bullied?

Lu Xiang declared, "Village Head, they came to my parents and said Lu Zhaodi had fallen for someone else, so they wanted me to marry instead. My father asked them to speak plainly, and they cursed him out. I see it clearly now—I treated them as elders, but they treated me like an animal! In front of all these people, they're ruining my reputation. So what if I stay single for the rest of my life?"

Lu Xiang paused, then added, "If you won't let me live, then none of us will." With that, she lunged straight at Lu's eldest aunt.

Caught off guard, Lu's eldest aunt was knocked down by Lu Xiang, her chest aching from the impact.

"You little brat, how dare you hit me!" Lu's eldest aunt retorted, reaching to grab her hair. Lu's eldest aunt was in her forties and accustomed to farm work—how could Lu Xiang be a match for her?

Lu Xiang's action took everyone by surprise. Both families were already on edge, and her move was like lighting a fuse. Xiao Cailian also rushed forward, and the Fu family, fearing their mother would be at a disadvantage, jumped in to help.

In an instant, chaos erupted.

Fu Qinhui instinctively glanced towards Lu Xiang in the crowd. Grandma Lu was flailing wildly, trying to hit her. But although Lu Xiang wasn't physically strong, she was agile. Not only did she avoid the blows, she even managed to give her grandmother a good hard pinch.

Village Head Wang couldn't tolerate such disorderly conduct. "Stop fighting!" he shouted, but his first command was ignored.

He rushed forward and physically separated the brawling women.

The two Fu sons didn't join in—as men, they naturally couldn't fight women—but they kept a close watch on their family. Seeing that they were holding their own and not suffering any losses, they stood back like everyone else, watching the spectacle.

They saw Xiao Cailian holding a clump of Lu's eldest aunt's hair.

Lu's eldest aunt, who had never suffered such humiliation before, slumped to the ground and burst into loud sobs.

Lu Xiang stood in front of her parents. In the chaos, she had stomped hard on Lu's eldest aunt's foot, but when she turned around, she saw her mother's hand had been scratched, leaving a long, bloody mark. Her anger flared up again.

If the village head hadn't intervened, she would have loved to give that foul-mouthed aunt a couple of ear-slaps.

Lu Xiang's chest heaved with suppressed rage.

Grandma Lu and Lu's eldest aunt were furious. They had always been the ones bullying others—never had they been bullied themselves. Seeing Lu Xiang, like a knife-wielding mouse, dragging them into this whirlpool, they shot daggers at her with their eyes, as if they wanted to devour her alive.

Village Head Wang usually maintained a stern and serious demeanor. Now, he was absolutely fuming. "Disgraceful! Fighting in front of so many people—no sense of order or discipline!"

Fu Qinhui said calmly and reasonably, "Village Head, the Lu family has acted completely out of line in this matter."

Village Head Wang said, "There has never been a case of switching brides in this village. Lu family, you speak first. What exactly happened?"

Lu's eldest aunt spat, "It's this damn girl who took a liking to Fu Qinhui and stole my daughter's arranged match. Now she even has the nerve to come here and cause trouble. Pah! Trashy and shameless from birth."

Lu Xiang retorted angrily, "You're spouting nonsense and twisting the truth! Everyone sees what's really going on. My parents have always been afraid of you—they act like mice seeing a cat around you. How would they dare snatch your precious marriage? It's clearly you who's scheming. Lu Zhaodi even came home this morning—how dare you deny it?"

Fu Qinhui said, "If you refuse to tell the truth, we'll take this to court." Ordinary folks were afraid of dealing with officials, but Fu Qinhui was college-educated and well-traveled. His patience had run out with their obstinate nonsense.

As soon as Fu Qinhui finished speaking, Third Sister-in-Law Fu egged them on: "Yes, sue! Let everyone know about your dirty secrets." She was the type to add fuel to the fire without caring about the consequences. Since they wouldn't respond to playing nice, it was time to get tough.

Grandma Lu and Lu's eldest aunt had been blaming Lu Xiang earlier, but now that they heard the matter might escalate to a lawsuit, fear flashed in their eyes.