"A young lady like you, why such filthy thoughts? How could we have been involved before marriage? Women like you are only fit for scumbags like Zhang Changhe." Liu Baishi began to speak without restraint, his chest heaving, clearly angered by Wu Caiwei.
"It seems Changhe has made you suffer quite a bit lately, driving you to anger." Wu Caiwei added fuel to the fire, as if it wasn't burning hot enough.
"Enough, I've understood what you wanted to convey. This place is surnamed Liu, not Li. Please get out." Liu Baishi had seen it clearly. This daughter was destined to be his enemy. He couldn't let her stay any longer, or he wouldn't see the sun tomorrow; he'd die of anger.
"Alright, you can stay here for a while. I heard that the Ouyang family has arrived in Yangcheng and intends to accuse your wife of murdering her husband. The county magistrate will summon you soon, so it's best to prepare early."
Watching Wu Caiwei's expression of feigned benevolence, Liu Baishi trembled with rage. However, he didn't have time to argue with her in detail. The thought of the Ouyang family arriving here made his heart pound. For so many years, he had thought that matter was forgotten, but unexpectedly, they were now coming to undermine him.
This was clearly instigated by someone, and the person behind it was likely Wu Caiwei, who had just left his house. After all, they hadn't even known about the Ouyang family's arrival in Yangcheng, yet Wu Caiwei was the first to find out and deliberately informed him. It was obvious she had ill intentions. Now, it was too late to do anything.
Indeed, barely fifteen minutes later, the county yamen's men arrived. Liu Baishi thought he was mentally prepared, but seeing them, his legs felt weak. If not for the young servant supporting him, he would have fallen to the ground in front of everyone.
"Master, what should we do now?" Ren Jiajia, hearing the commotion, came behind Liu Baishi, her hands trembling with anxiety as she clutched his arm.
"The county magistrate is merely summoning us, and you're already this flustered. It's understandable to be out of sorts when dealing with officials for the first time, but don't let these gentlemen laugh at us. Since we've been summoned, let's go see what's happening. We've always lived in Yangcheng as law-abiding merchants. There must be some misunderstanding. We'll be back shortly." Liu Baishi patted her hand meaningfully.
These words were meant for his servants, to calm their hearts, and also to help Ren Jiajia compose herself, lest they reveal themselves before the magistrate even asked them anything.
Ren Jiajia immediately understood and tried to act indifferent, but as she saw the imposing gates of the county yamen, her legs still couldn't help but tremble.
Upon reaching the main hall, she saw a person so familiar she couldn't bear it, and immediately knelt on the ground. Her失态 made Liu Baishi frown. This woman was usually mature and steady, but in the face of a major crisis, she was useless. He calmly knelt beside her, deliberately shielding her with his body.
Not far away, Old Madam Ouyang looked at the vicious woman with hateful eyes. Thinking of her deceased son brought tears to her eyes. For so many years, she had believed her son had died of illness, but recently, someone had brought evidence to them, and only then did they realize their youngest son had met a tragic end.
The reason was that he had married a wicked woman who colluded with outsiders to harm him. When Ren Jiajia was in their family, although she hadn't been doted upon, she had never been treated harshly. Her son cherished her like the apple of his eye, showering her with all the good things. Even though she had only given birth to one daughter after so many years, she hadn't harbored any ill intentions.
Their family might not have been as wealthy as the Liu family, but their son was ambitious and shrewd. They believed that in a few years, he would amass a great fortune, and then they could have another son. Wouldn't life be harmonious and beautiful? Before her son's accident, she had been most at ease with them, never expecting such a calamity. They had fainted twice from grief. The thought of her eldest granddaughter, who had already married, still missing her mother, made her heart ache.
Their trip to Yangcheng had been kept from her. After all, the perpetrator was her own mother. Although she had made a mistake, it didn't affect her image in her granddaughter's heart. Her granddaughter had her own family, and though her son-in-law wasn't very wealthy, he cared for her. They were satisfied with this and didn't want to disturb her peaceful life.
When the evidence was presented to Ren Jiajia, she found herself unable to speak. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The thought of being convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment or execution in the autumn sent shivers down her spine. Sudanshuwang
At this moment, she truly regretted her actions. She had thought she had covered her tracks perfectly and that no one would ever discover them. She never expected the Ouyang family to appear when she had almost forgotten about it.
"Your Honor, the Ouyang family accuses us of conspiring to harm their son. I have many questions, and I request permission to inquire." Liu Baishi, though outwardly calm, was internally panicked. The evidence showed that he had gone to the pharmacy to buy the medicine and then handed it to Ren Jiajia. Although he could swear to the heavens that he hadn't bought the medicine himself, someone had to believe him, and some things couldn't withstand scrutiny.
"Granted. Ask." The county magistrate looked at him calmly. Liu Baishi had visited the county yamen several times recently. The magistrate felt that although they appeared honest on the surface, they had done many wicked deeds in secret. Now, retribution had arrived.
"This matter happened over twenty years ago. If you truly have this evidence, why didn't you present it earlier? If I recall correctly, the doctor at Baohetang was already old back then and must have passed away years ago. Where did you get this evidence?" Liu Baishi listened to his pounding heart and tried to find some flaws in the evidence to exonerate himself.
"Reporting to Your Honor, a maidservant in our family died of illness a while ago. On her deathbed, feeling guilty, she revealed the truth. She was a young girl over twenty years ago and accidentally saw Ren Jiajia pouring some powder into my son's medicine. At the time, she feared for her life and dared not speak out. Upon learning of this, we immediately launched an investigation. The old doctor at Baohetang did pass away a few years ago, but before his death, he had told his son about it, which led to this evidence." Old Madam Ouyang was extremely grateful to the person behind the scenes as she spoke. Although she didn't know their motive, she would do anything to find the murderer of her son.