The man pursed his lips in dissatisfaction and muttered something under his breath.
"What kind of hero is someone who only uses their power to oppress others?"
The old village chief suddenly strode towards him, his brow furrowed, and asked in confusion, "Who exactly are you?"
This man had blended into the crowd, and the old village chief hadn't noticed him.
But at this moment, when Yang pulled him out, the old village chief realized that this person was quite unfamiliar and was obviously not from Fushun Town.
The man muttered, "Who am I? What right do you have to ask?"
The old village chief's face was solemn as he said sternly, "I've gathered everyone here today to discuss important matters in town, but I don't recall inviting you. You're not from Fushun Town, so what brings you here?"
The man explained, "That's right, I'm not from Fushun Town. I was just passing through and heard there was a market here today, so I came out of curiosity. Is that not allowed either?"
"Of course not. This is an internal matter of our Fushun Town, and outsiders are not allowed to interfere. You'd better leave on your own, otherwise, I will have no choice but to have someone expel you."
A look of fear and unease appeared on the man's face.
He took two steps back, his voice trembling slightly, and said, "Oh my, you village chief are truly imposing!"
His gaze swept over the crowd.
With a mocking smile, he continued, "If I hadn't been there in person, I wouldn't have known you were distorting the truth and confusing right and wrong. That Chao Wei is a repeat offender with a long list of crimes. Once Jiang Huaiyu steps into that manor, there will be no way she can remain innocent!"
The old village chief frowned and angrily shouted, "Nonsense! Quickly, throw him out!"
Two villagers immediately stepped forward, preparing to forcibly take him away.
Just then, Bai Yujing suddenly stopped them. He glanced at the man, then turned to the old village chief and said seriously, "Old village chief, this man has malicious intentions. In my opinion, we should detain him first."
The old village chief noticed the solemn look on his face and sensed something was amiss, so he nodded.
The two villagers then tied the man up with ropes.
The man panicked and protested loudly, "What are you doing! I haven't broken any laws, why are you tying me up? Is there no law anymore?"
The old village chief waved his hand impatiently and said, "Drag him away so he doesn't interfere with our business here."
The person was dragged aside.
Silence immediately fell outside the ancestral hall.
Bai Yujing said in a deep voice, "Without evidence, it is just gossip. That person just now maliciously slandered my wife, and his intentions are sinister. I will definitely interrogate him carefully and then hand him over to the authorities."
His gaze swept over the villagers present.
"Now, let's get back to business. Do any of you have any further questions about what happened to my wife?"
Everyone remained silent.
They were all somewhat uneasy. Bai Yujing and the old village chief's words were certainly reasonable, but the accusations from that man earlier weren't entirely unfounded either. Whom should they listen to?
Deng San shrank his neck and hesitated, saying, "That Chao Wei is already dead. Who can really know the truth? After all, how many girls who go to that manor come back alive..."
Although no one responded, it seemed from everyone's expressions that they all understood the unspoken message.
Madam Yang, her face contorted with rage, rebuked, "Deng San, you've lost your mind! Isn't your nephew also receiving his early education at a private school? The school has been neglected for so long, and it was my sister-in-law who stepped forward to take on the responsibility of teaching your children to read and write. She endured so much hardship, and this is what you reward her with indifference and betrayal? Do you have any humanity left?"
The villagers were speechless for a moment, and no one dared to utter another word.
After a moment, a middle-aged man broke the silence with a deep voice: "I know Bai Juren and the old village chief's character very well, and I believe them without a doubt. But even if Ms. Jiang is indeed innocent, her reputation has been damaged by her involvement in this dispute, and in my opinion, she is no longer suitable to be a private tutor."
As soon as he said this, many people nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. How can the reputation of a teacher who educates future generations be tarnished? Jiang Huaiyu is indeed no longer suitable to serve as a private tutor.”
"Yes, how can the children concentrate on their studies when she's involved in such a serious dispute?"
"The children are too young to distinguish right from wrong. If they knew about these things, it would probably affect their studies..."
This middle-aged man, a wealthy resident of Fushun Town, was named Park Guk-chang. He was known for his generosity in repairing bridges and roads, and thus enjoyed a high reputation in the town.
He bowed deeply to the old village chief and Bai Yujing, his face sincere: "Scholar Bai, old village chief, we were indeed wrong before. We believed the rumors without verifying them, which caused Madam Bai to suffer unwarranted criticism. I apologize to you on behalf of everyone. If Madam Bai still harbors any resentment, I am willing to personally visit and apologize. However, I would like to ask you both to reconsider the selection of the private tutor."
The old village chief looked troubled.
Park Guk-chang's influence in the town is not to be underestimated; once he takes a stand, the matter will likely become even more complicated.
In the old village chief's heart, he was truly reluctant to replace Jiang Huaiyu as the teacher. These days, Jiang Huaiyu had been imparting knowledge in the private school, and her teaching results were remarkable. The students benefited greatly under her guidance, and her talent and ability were already widely recognized.
"But if she is replaced, which teacher could take her place?"
"Should this jeopardize students' futures?"
A resolute objection rang out from the crowd; though the voice was soft, it was filled with unwavering determination.
Upon hearing that voice, Bai Yujing felt a surge of unease and hurriedly stepped forward to meet it.
"My lady, why have you come here?" he asked with concern.
The person standing in front of him was Jiang Huaiyu.
She smiled, a smile tinged with weariness yet unwavering in its strength. “I heard from my mother-in-law that you were here to defend me in front of the villagers, so I came to hear the truth.”
Everyone was surprised and curious when they saw Jiang Huaiyu appear.
What will she say?
Park Guk-chang saw her, bowed to her, and said, "Madam Bai, I have received a lot of care from everyone in Fushun Town and have gained some reputation. Recently, there have been rumors about you, which have caused you to be treated unfairly. On behalf of the villagers, I apologize to you and hope that you can be magnanimous and not hold it against us."
Jiang Huaiyu did not return the gift, but simply asked, "I recall that there are no children from your family in the private school, are there?"
Faced with her seemingly rude attitude, a hint of anger flashed in Park Guk-chang's eyes, but he quickly concealed his emotions and maintained a friendly smile. "Indeed, no, the children in our family are all studying at the academy in the county town."
"Then why does Master Park interfere in the affairs of the private school?" Jiang Huaiyu's gaze was like a pool of clear water, staring directly at Park Guochang, making him feel an involuntary sense of embarrassment that his tricks had been seen through.
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