Chapter Twenty-Three: Turning the Tables
"What?"
The others, unaware of the details, all looked at Zhang Jinhua upon hearing this.
"Sister-in-law Lu, what exactly happened?"
Zhang Jinhua was surprised that someone would say such a thing. His eyelids twitched, and his brows furrowed immediately: "Lao Hai, Lao Hai's wife, what are you saying?"
"How did Xiaoyu get bullied?"
What happened last night was not a good thing for Xu Haiyu, so she kept the truth to herself.
I never expected to be criticized by the people on the island.
And judging from what they said, it seemed like she was biased towards Xin Li and was bullying Xu Haiyu along with her?
Isn't this a fabricated charge?
She almost had a falling out with Xin Li last night because of Xu Haiyu!
Why are these people causing trouble without even knowing the facts? How can they say such things?
"How come she wasn't bullied? Did this woman bully Xiaoyu last night? That's why Xiaoyu felt sad and ran away to hide. At first, we thought Xiaoyu was just being childish and causing trouble at such an old age, but we never expected that Xiaoyu was being bullied so badly that she had no choice but to hide."
"Sister-in-law Lu, you're an elder who watched Xiaoyu grow up, how could you treat her like this?"
Zhang Jinhua was completely dumbfounded.
"I didn't bully her!"
If she were bullying Xu Haiyu, would she have gathered people to confront her so early in the morning?
"So what exactly happened last night? Tell me, Xiaoyu is usually such a sensible child, why would she suddenly run away and hide?"
“This…” Zhang Jinhua hesitated.
If she tells the truth, everyone will definitely be very angry and disappointed with Xu Haiyu.
But if I don't tell the truth, how can I explain what happened last night?
"See, you can't say it now, can you? Sister-in-law Lu, you're just feeling guilty!"
Old Hai and his wife pointed at Zhang Jinhua and said, "We thought you were genuinely worried about Xiaoyu, but now it seems you're just crocodile tears! I know this Xinli has been eating at your house these past few days and has given you a lot of nice things, hasn't she? You've been bribed by her!"
"Sister-in-law Lu, you're too short-sighted. You bully the young girl who's lived with us on the island for so long just for those things. You bully Xiaoyu today, but tomorrow will you make us suffer for the sake of an outsider like her?"
"We used to think you were the most fair, just and righteous person who hated evil, but we never expected you to do something like this!"
Upon hearing what Lao Hai and his wife said, the others realized something, and their faces turned grim.
"No wonder. I saw Sister Lu cooking meat all the time. The aroma was so strong that my house could smell it. I was wondering if Sister Lu had brought out all the New Year's treats she was going to eat to satisfy her cravings. I never imagined that all of those things were given to her by Xin Li."
"Then I understand, you're beholden to those who feed you and accept gifts from you."
"No wonder Xiaoyu was so angry that she hid herself away. If an elder who was so good to her suddenly took the side of someone else, I wouldn't be able to stand it either."
"This woman is really cunning. As soon as she arrived, she knew to send gifts to win people over. She's also very perceptive. She knows to try to win over Sister Lu. Of course, people like us who aren't capable can't catch her eye."
Upon hearing this, Xinli finally understood what these people were up to.
To put it bluntly, Xu Haiyu's disappearance was just a trigger. These people probably had long disliked her getting too close to Zhang Jinhua, so they deliberately used this as an excuse to express their dissatisfaction.
The sourness in that person's words was practically spitting out at Xinli's face.
It is not scarcity that is a concern, but inequality; such is human nature.
After marrying He Mingzhou, she did not visit anyone else because He Mingzhou was not on the island.
He only got close to Zhang Jinhua.
I felt bad about always going to freeload meals, so I brought out the real deal.
This is perfectly normal, but in the eyes of these people, it is as if Xin Li is opportunistic and knows that Sister Lu has a say on the island, so she is doing everything she can to please Sister Lu.
Xu Haiyu's disappearance today is the result of the reward she received for trying to please Sister-in-law Lu.
Sister-in-law Lu chose her over Xu Haiyu, whom she had raised, because she had received benefits from her.
Xu Haiyu couldn't accept this, which is why she disappeared heartbroken.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"The things that Xinxin gave me were her food. She was embarrassed to always eat at my house, so she brought her own food. I was just helping to cook."
"It's not like what you're saying, as if we've made some shady deal."
No one believed Zhang Jinhua's words.
The more they looked at Xinli, the stronger the envy and jealousy in her eyes became.
Compared to their dusty and dirty appearance, Xin Li was as clean as a fairy from heaven.
Especially when they saw that the fabric of her clothes was different from theirs, some women felt it was unfair.
"Isn't that right? Then tell me why Xiaoyu disappeared!"
"If you hadn't bullied her, why would she have run away?"
Zhang Jinhua clenched her fists, never expecting that one day she would be besieged by the people on the island.
She's always been a kind person, and now, faced with this situation, she couldn't get angry. Her face flushed red, and her eyes were filled with disappointment and anger.
How do we know why she ran away?
"It's not even certain whether she's really missing. Are you questioning us now because you think we've harmed her?"
Xin Li stood in front of Zhang Jinhua. Although Zhang Jinhua was biased, he had always taken good care of Xin Li.
She looked at the islanders, her brows furrowed, and an undeniable air of authority emanated from her: "If it really is because of what happened last night, I remember that Sister Lu didn't tell anyone. How did you know something happened last night?"
"Logically, only a few of us involved should know what happened last night. Sister-in-law Lu was with you and didn't say a word the whole time. I went out to look for her on my own. Mingzhou is still out looking for her and hasn't returned yet. So, from whom did you find out that Xu Haiyu went missing because she was wronged?"
"Did Xu Haiyu tell you? So you found Xu Haiyu but didn't tell her?"
Everyone followed Xin Li's gaze and looked at Lao Hai and his wife.
The elderly couple had never imagined this would happen, and were momentarily stunned, unsure how to explain.
Some people present also realized what was happening and looked at Lao Hai and his wife in confusion: "Yeah, what exactly is going on?"
"We've been busy all morning and still don't know why Xiaoyu went missing. How did you find out?"
The elderly couple exchanged a glance, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence.
Just then, He Mingzhou walked over with his men, and everyone hurriedly asked him what had happened last night.
He Mingzhou didn't mince words; he just told the truth directly.
This caused an uproar among the crowd.
"So... Xiaoyu tried to frame her sister-in-law but ended up feeling wronged and disappearing?"
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