The two old women who had been kicked down the steps were now clutching their stomachs and groaning in pain.

"Murder! The Li family has killed someone!"

"Harboring runaway slaves and then beating and killing them—there's no law at all!"

Uncle Zhao and the others were furious. In broad daylight, how could they distort the truth like this? Weren't they afraid of being struck by lightning?

The old woman hadn't said a word until now, when she gave the mean woman a wink.

The mean-spirited woman immediately shouted, "Cheng Huiniang on the steps is a runaway slave of our Yan family. Today we have come to arrest her, but your Li family insists on protecting her and refusing to release her, is that it?"

Before the Li family could speak, she called over the old women and maids and ordered, "Smash it! Let these ungrateful lowly people know that the Yan family is not to be trifled with. Anyone who dares to harbor our Yan family's runaway slaves should know what will happen to them!"

The maids and servants immediately picked up the sticks in their hands and started smashing things in all directions.

Small earthenware jars for holding water, wooden buckets for drawing water, jars in the corner, stoves...