Chapter 37 Things are in chaos. She's been wrongly accused. Does anyone believe her?

Le Jin stamped her foot in frustration, "When did I start pulling them all to my side one by one?"

When Madam Wu heard her say that, she shook her head, as if she thought Le Jin was beyond redemption.

Madam Zhang was embarrassed for a long time before she finally got a word in edgewise. She cleared her throat and pulled Le Jin away from Meng Cizhang.

“Isn’t that young man surnamed Feng one of them? When Young Master Meng saw him off, he was right outside the temple gate, and many people saw it.”

"see?"

Did Meng Shutai get into a fight with him when he was escorting someone?

"Seeing Meng Langjun see him off to his carriage, he told him to give up any thoughts of you from now on, and said that he would forgive your past philandering, only telling Feng Langjun to behave himself from now on..."

Meng Shutai...

That loudmouth!

She kept saying she felt this whole thing with Feng Yu'en wasn't over yet, and here she was!

Does Meng Shutai feel particularly honored to be cuckolded? Who goes around telling everyone about their mistress showing up at their door? He may be shameless, but she is!

Even the most uncouth people in the countryside know to avoid embarrassing situations, so how could Meng Shutai, who is more cunning than a monster, not know this?

Le Jin's simple moral values ​​were shattered by Meng Shutai's generous and open-minded manner, and her legs went weak, almost causing her to sit on the ground.

She now seriously doubts whether the infamous "Le Jin" in the original book is due to her own arrogance or someone else's instigation...

"Sister-in-law...you have a lover? My brother knows about it?"

Before she could catch her breath, Meng Cizhang, displaying all the cleverness typical of the Meng family, used his connections to his advantage, resorting to shocking and outrageous statements to try and force her to her death.

"This... I... can I explain it to you when we get back?"

Meng Cizhang's brows were furrowed, and his youthful face was full of anger, like a baring leopard.

He adored his elder brother Meng Shutai, so how could he accept that his future sister-in-law was an immoral woman?

Le Jin is on the verge of a breakdown.

Even if she didn't treat him harshly or bully him, in his heart she was still a "vicious" sister-in-law.

This fate is so cruel...

“‘Brother’? Then who is this…” Zhang Niangzi was the most perceptive and immediately realized that Meng Cizhang’s identity was unusual.

Le Jin gave a pale smile, her large eyes reflecting a lifeless lake, with her own body floating in it—the body of a sister-in-law who had lost all face in front of her brother-in-law and drowned herself.

"He is Meng Shutai's younger brother, Meng Cizhang, the young master of the Meng family..."

Wu Niangzi's eyes widened as she realized what foolish things she had just said. Startled, she stood up abruptly, causing the embroidery hoop on her lap to fall to the ground.

Everyone in Luojing knew that the young master of the Meng family was carefully cared for by the entire Meng household because of his eye disease. Moreover, because his elder brother was shrewd and capable, and had everything under control, he could support the Meng family independently without his younger brother having to manage the economy. As a result, this young master became a well-known wealthy idler in Luojing, rarely going out or socializing.

She actually dared to expose this family scandal in front of others, and even falsely accused him of flirting with his future sister-in-law...

Heavens above! She was so focused on flattering the Meng family that she cared about Le Jin's love affair, but she ended up tripping up here instead!

Madam Wu felt a sharp pain in her head and fell backward, but fortunately Madam Zhang caught her.

She took a deep breath and quickly said with a forced smile, "I'm so clumsy with words! I deserve to be hit!" As she spoke, she lightly slapped her own face twice, and continued to explain with a smile, "No wonder Madam Le is so lucky. She hasn't even entered the family yet, but she and her brother-in-law are already like family. I thought..."

Mrs. Zhang was so frightened by her best friend that her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She slapped her on the back and yelled, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

She turned to Le Jin with a beaming smile, intending to smooth things over for her sister, but the smile froze on her own face.

Behind Le Jin and the other person, at the end of the corridor in the courtyard, a tree with lush, verdant leaves twisted and turned under the blazing sun, as if it were alive. Red pomegranate flowers perched among the green branches like butterflies, seemingly suffocating under the weight of the swirling green, and one by one they drooped listlessly, as if their heads had been cut off.

Amidst the fallen petals, a figure in blue robes slowly approached, his black hair reaching his waist, adorned with two jade hairpins. Pomegranate blossoms landed on the hem of his flowing robe, resembling a splatter of blood.

“Young Master Meng…”

Zhang Niangzi's lips moved, and Wu Niangzi's legs went weak and she sat down.

Le Jin was furious when she turned around and saw the culprit. Without saying a word, she rushed to Meng Shutai, and the two faced each other in the corridor.

With both hands pressed against his broad chest, Le Jin pushed him away, saying, "Who told you to see someone off at the main gate?"

The force was neither clear nor strong; she didn't really intend to do anything to him. But Meng Shutai's eyes trembled, a hint of joy flashing in them. He took two steps back, following Le Jin's strength, as if he were no match for her.

Le Jin pushed him away again with one hand, cursing, "Why don't you announce this to the world!"

She suddenly leaned closer and said in a low voice that only Meng Shutai could hear, "I'm so embarrassed! What will people think of me?!"

To announce it to the world? Did she think he didn't want to? If he could, Meng Shutai would even have written an imperial edict to announce that Le Jin had been caught in a secret rendezvous by her fiancé.

Let the whole world know how fickle this foolish fox is, and how tolerant and magnanimous her husband is.

They all despised her and abandoned her; she had nowhere to go but here with them.

Marriage is too vulgar. She needs to feel that she has no one to rely on, that she is all alone, and that her heart is completely lonely before she can truly belong to him and never run away again.

After being struck twice by Le Jin, Meng Shutai swayed unsteadily, leaning weakly against a pillar in the corridor. He lowered his head, furrowed his brow slightly, and let out a soft, surprised "Ah..."

Le Jin looked at her hands in surprise: Am I that strong?

"What are you doing! Stop!"

An anxious voice sounded from behind, and Meng Cizhang appeared beside Meng Shutai in a flash, asking him anxiously, "Brother, how are you?"

He glared at Le Jin, realizing he had misjudged her, his voice cold and flat, like an ice cube, "Sister-in-law, how could you push my brother?"

"I……"

Le Jin had no words to express her suffering. She opened her mouth wide but just stared blankly at Meng Shutai, her eyes fixed on him as if she wanted to bore two holes through him.

Does anyone believe she's been wrongly accused?

Meng Shutai grasped his younger brother's hand and said, "Cizhang, don't speak to Lady Le like that. Apologize."

Meng Cizhang raised his eyebrows in surprise. He knew his older brother was kind-hearted, but kindness had to be directed at the right person! Based on what he had just heard and Le Jin's actions, Meng Cizhang was absolutely unwilling to apologize to such a person.

"Raccoon slave."

Here we go again. Every time he disobeys, Meng Shutai coldly calls him "Li Nu," his elder brother's imposing aura hidden within.

Meng Cizhang blinked dejectedly, glared at Le Jin angrily, and mumbled, "I'm sorry, Lady Le."

"No...it's nothing."

Le Jin was so frustrated and helpless; their good relationship had vanished in the blink of an eye. When she crossed out the wooden doll, she wasn't worried about Meng Cizhang disliking her because she could always make amends. But now?

She was seething with anger, glaring at Meng Shutai. She really wanted to hit him now.

Meng Shutai released his younger brother, grabbed Le Jin's sleeve with one hand, and pitifully asked, meeting her resentful gaze, "Shutai just heard Madam Wu praising you and Cizhang as being like family at the door. Why is Madam Le angry?"

Is that what I'm angry about? I'm clearly angry because you've slandered me!

His question was somewhat of a fallacy, as if she was angry because she was mistakenly thought to be a couple with Meng Cizhang.

What's even worse is that Le Jin couldn't explain why she was angry in front of all of them, because in the end, it was still because of her ex-lover.

It was truly a case of swallowing a bitter pill. Knowing she couldn't win an argument with Meng Shutai, Le Jin didn't answer him and ran away, bypassing the two brothers.

If I can't afford to mess with them, can't I at least avoid them?

Watching Le Jin's departing figure, Meng Cizhang couldn't understand why she acted so self-righteously when she was the one who was shameful.

He thought of Le Zhao, who was recuperating in the villa. He was such a steady, reasonable, and upright person. Every time he mentioned his sister, he had a peaceful and joyful expression on his face, which made him think that his future sister-in-law was someone of the highest order. But was it really like this?

It's really not worth it for Le Zhao. His own fluttering joy... wasn't worth it either.

——

As summer approached and the heat swelled like waves, even a simple vegetarian meal held little appeal. Meng Cizhang waited with his hands cupped around his cheeks for Meng Shutai to join them for the meal, sighing repeatedly.

The chess player, standing to one side, chuckled upon hearing the sound: "Young man, you're usually so optimistic and easygoing, why are you looking so troubled today?"

In Qisheng's memory, the most cheerful person in the entire Meng family was this young master. Unless the sky were to fall, he would not even frown.

Meng Cizhang drew circles on the table with his finger, thinking that it wouldn't be good to tell Qisheng that his sister-in-law had feelings for two people, so he changed his words and said, "I saw my sister-in-law push my brother, twice, and then she left without saying anything..."

"Ah?" Qi Sheng exclaimed in surprise, startling Meng Cizhang.

"She still dares to lay a hand on my husband?"

"return?"

Qi Sheng's face flushed red with anger: "Last time I slapped my husband and kicked and shoved his legs, making him suffer from pain while walking for almost half a month!"

"What?!" Meng Cizhang slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "How could she do this?"

"Isn't that how she is? But her husband is kind-hearted, doesn't hold it against her, and protects her in everything..."

Seeing that there was no one else around, Qisheng decided to tell Yuejin everything he had done.

"Young Master, can you see that the temple's lantern hall is under renovation?" Qi Sheng nodded his chin towards the outside. "That's the one who set the fire."

"She dared to set fire to this place? This is a national temple!"

Meng Cizhang's vision went black; he had no idea that his brother's future marriage was so bleak.

"No, no, I have to talk to my brother and make things clear. This kind of woman can't be the head of the Meng family!"

Meng Cizhang was about to leave the table when Meng Shutai stepped through the door and came face to face with him. Seeing his younger brother's angry face, he asked with a gentle smile, "What are you making such a racket about?"

"Has she been bullying you?"

Meng Shutai's gaze flew to Qisheng beside him, and Qisheng immediately lowered his head and pursed his lips.

"You don't need to blame Qisheng for being talkative; I can see it myself."

Meng Cizhang never held back in front of Meng Shutai, and spoke directly: "Brother, how could such an arrogant and dissolute woman be worthy of you? How could she be worthy of the Meng family?"

Meng Shutai gave him a deep look, as if he were looking at a mischievous child. But with just that one look, one could easily appreciate the kind of forbearance that lay behind that maturity.

“This is not something you should say. Alright, don’t mention it again.” He made his younger brother sit down, then put a piece of braised vegetarian chicken on his plate, trying to cheer him up like he used to peel lotus seeds for him when they were children: “Try it. You rarely leave the house, so you don’t know that the vegetarian food here is exceptional.”

Meng Cizhang poked the vegetarian chicken with his chopsticks and asked sullenly, "Why isn't she coming over to eat?"

Meng Shutai turned to look at Meng Cizhang, smiling faintly: "Coming to interrogate me?"

“No.” Meng Cizhang shook his head vigorously. “I’m just worried that she’ll be hungry.”

Although he was angry, he wouldn't argue with a mere woman.

Put aside personal character and conduct for now; it's time to eat.

“I take care of her dietary freedom.”

Meng Shutai explained calmly, then suddenly paused with her chopsticks, revealing a bright smile as radiant as a peony.

"Are you so concerned about her because Madam Wu praised you as a good match for her today?"

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Author's Note: Le Jin opened her indictment, which was filled with Meng Shutai's scribbles and drawings.