Chapter 338 Jiang Hongling's Complete Defeat
"Madam, is everything you're saying true?"
Jiang Hongling looked incredulous. "Did Yingluo really come here today with ulterior motives?"
Despite being overheard, Min Qiao and her companions felt no guilt whatsoever.
Because these words were deliberately said to Jiang Hongling.
Wen Xiu had already spotted Jiang Hongling returning and gave a signal to Min Qiaoshi and A Shuang.
Therefore, they worked together seamlessly to steer the conversation toward Jiang Yingluo and carefully explained her actions that day.
The purpose was to make Jiang Hongling see through Jiang Yingluo's sinister intentions hidden beneath the sisterly affection.
They could have simply ignored it, but since Jiang Hongling was set on Wen Xiu and Zhen Huan, and Madam Min Qiao didn't dislike the girl, they decided to lend a hand. First, they wanted to help her see the true colors of her stepmother and sister.
Madam Min did not answer directly, but sighed and said calmly, "Whether Jiang Yingluo has ulterior motives or not, you can find out by asking around about the rumors outside."
If there are no rumors outside about Jiang Yingluo being bullied at the Qiao residence, then it means that everything is just their slander.
Conversely, this would prove that Jiang Yingluo's visit was indeed motivated by ulterior motives.
"Okay, I'll look into it."
Jiang Hongling nodded seriously, then forgot the purpose of her return and quickly left.
After leaving the Qiao residence, Jiang Hongling sent someone to inquire about the news that Min Qiao had mentioned.
Sure enough, before she even returned to her residence, she received a report from her servants that the news that the second young lady of the prefect's family had been wronged by Madam Min Qiao and had run away from the Qiao residence in tears had already spread throughout the streets and alleys.
Although Jiang Hongling was still unwilling to believe it, the facts were right in front of her.
Moreover, Jiang Hongling still trusted the character of Min Qiaoshi and her subordinates.
Especially a master like Master Wenxiu would never stoop to lying or deceiving.
Therefore, the truth must be that Jiang Yingluo wanted to scheme against her and Min Qiaoshi.
So, Jiang Hongling returned to the manor full of resentment and went straight to Jiang Yingluo's courtyard, ready to have a good talk with her.
Instead, she was greeted by Jiang Yingluo, whose face was swollen like a pig's head, her stepmother Xiao Qianshi who was crying and sobbing, and her father Jiang Fu who was furious.
"You still know how to come back?" Jiang Fu berated Jiang Hongling as soon as he saw her. "You good-for-nothing! Your second sister is in such a state, how can you, as her older sister, take care of her?"
"Where did you come from? Was it the Qiao residence?"
"Tell me, was your second sister beaten like this by Old Madam Qiao from the Xuanping Marquis's mansion?"
"You ungrateful scoundrel who can't tell the difference between inside and outside, hurry up and tell the truth."
Jiang Hongling dodged Jiang Fu's raised hand and looked at Jiang Yingluo on the bed with curious eyes.
At this moment, Jiang Yingluo's entire face was swollen like a pig's head.
Jiang Hongling stared in astonishment. When she left the Qiao residence, there was only a not-so-obvious handprint on the left side of her face.
How did it become like this?
Before Jiang Hongling could figure out what was going on, her stepmother, Madam Qian, grabbed Jiang Fu's arm and scolded, "What are you doing? Do you want to hit Hongling?"
"What does this have to do with Hongling? It was clearly Old Lady Qiao who bewitched Hongling first and then injured Yingluo. If anyone should be held accountable, it should be Old Lady Qiao."
Xiao Qian's words were full of protection for Jiang Hongling.
If it were in the past, Jiang Hongling would have pounced on Xiao Qianshi and hugged her, then triumphantly provoked her father.
But now, Jiang Hongling paid no attention to the defense in Xiao Qian's words, and instead heard clearly what Xiao Qian said to slander Min Qiao.
Just as she was about to retort, Jiang Yingluo on the bed spoke up at the opportune moment: "Father, this is not my sister's fault. It's all Old Madam Qiao's fault! She's the one who had me beaten like this!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Hearing Jiang Yingluo spouting nonsense, Jiang Hongling could no longer hold back and retorted loudly, "My little master only lightly slapped you, how could he have beaten you like this?"
"Besides, I remember you were perfectly fine when you left the Qiao residence!"
"What does your current injury have to do with Old Madam Qiao?"
"Don't make false accusations!"
These words immediately provoked public outrage.
Madam Qian looked at Jiang Hongling with a pained expression, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Hongling, how could you side with outsiders? Yingluo is your own sister!"
"Yingluo went to the Qiao residence with you today because she heard that you were bullied, so she went there specifically to help you get justice!"
How could you treat her like this?
As Ms. Qian spoke, tears streamed down her face.
She pounded her chest with the handkerchief in her hand, looking heartbroken, and cried out, "It's all because I'm a bad stepmother that you harbor resentment towards your sister!"
"I know you resent me for taking your mother's place and resent your sister for taking the marriage from the Min family."
"But back then, it was your own mother who, on her deathbed, held my hand and begged me to marry into this family to take care of you!"
"You absolutely refused to agree to the marriage with the Min family. Your father and I had no choice but to ask your sister to take your place!"
"How can you be so unable to distinguish right from wrong and harbor resentment towards us?"
"I've taken care of you so diligently for sixteen years, and this is the reward I get?"
"Waaaaah... My life is so miserable..."
Jiang Hongling was momentarily at a loss for words. "I...I didn't. Mother, I don't blame you, nor do I blame my second sister. Really, I've never resented either of you."
"I just don't want to hear my second sister slandering Madam Qiao. Her injuries were clearly not inflicted by Madam Qiao, so why is she blaming her?"
As soon as Jiang Hongling finished speaking, Xiao Qian's wailing instantly rose eight octaves, "Oh dear, my life is so miserable! My daughter, whom I raised for sixteen years, actually talked back to me for an outsider!"
Jiang Yingluo also started wailing, "Waaah... Mother, my face hurts so much! Will I be disfigured?"
"Waaah... I want to see my aunt! Mother, I want to see my aunt!"
"Alright, alright, I'll send someone to the Min family to invite your aunt back." Madam Qian quickly stopped crying and sat back down by the bed to comfort her daughter. "Don't worry, the doctor said that these are all superficial injuries and won't damage your appearance."
"When your aunt arrives, I'll have her tell you personally that your marriage to Yongmao will not change."
"Waaah, Mother..." Jiang Yingluo cried uncontrollably.
Jiang Fu personally ordered someone to go to the Min family to fetch people, then turned around and slapped Jiang Hongling across the face.
"You ungrateful wretch who can't tell the difference between your own people and your own! You said it yourself, that Old Lady Qiao's people beat your second sister, so there can't be any truth to that, right?"
"How dare you still claim that your second sister is slandering them?"
"Would you rather believe a stranger you've only known for a few days than your own sister?"
"You good-for-nothing, look how angry you've made your mother and sister."
"Go back inside and reflect on your mistakes. You are not allowed to step out of your yard without my permission!"
Jiang Hongling slowly raised her hand to touch her slapped cheek. After a long while, she looked at Jiang Fu in disbelief, "Father, you hit me!?"
This was the first time her father had hit her in sixteen years!
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