Chapter 381 Kneel Down
Liu Zhi cried, "Old Master, please understand. Hu Xin'er has been acting strangely these past few days. If she had nothing to hide, why would she go out in the middle of the night?"
The eldest old lady agreed, the second old lady refuted, and Lord Liu's family couldn't help but stand up and speak for Hu Xiner.
Old Master Liu looked at everyone in the room and felt that there seemed to be something suspicious about each of them.
Who framed whom? Was this a case of theft of calligraphy and painting? Or a false accusation against Hu Xin'er? Or perhaps both?
With the birthday party approaching, he could only suppress his suspicions and choose to end the chaos as soon as possible.
He asked in a deep voice, "Where is the longevity peach?"
Hu Xin'er immediately replied, "It's on the table in the room."
At the signal of Old Master Liu, the butler brought over the birthday peaches.
Upon seeing this, Liu Zhi immediately pinched Uncle Wang. Uncle Wang said in a trembling voice, "Yes, it's just such a birthday peach, Old Master. It was she who sneakily brought the birthday peach to the study last night!"
"If I really poisoned the longevity peach, how could I leave it in the room?" Hu Xiner retorted.
Uncle Wang was stunned by the question. Although it was late autumn, he was already sweating profusely.
Liu Zhi cried, "Who knows what evil thoughts you have? Old Master, now that we have witnesses and evidence, you must stand up for my husband!"
Seeing that she was still making trouble, Hu Xin'er almost sneered, "Make the decision? You clearly mean to make the decision for me. There are so many loopholes in your testimony, I'm too lazy to point them out one by one. Just look at Uncle Wang's expression and you know that your eldest wife is the one crying thief, right?"
She pointed at Uncle Wang, and everyone's eyes immediately focused on him. Uncle Wang couldn't bear such pressure and was shaking with fear: "I... I..."
This good-for-nothing! Liu Zhi spat inwardly, knowing that something bad was about to happen.
Originally, she wanted to take advantage of the old man's anger and put the blame on Hu Xiner for this matter.
But no one expected that Hu Xiner remained so calm when being suddenly framed, and quickly found the flaw.
The biggest flaw is Uncle Wang
Everyone looked at Uncle Wang's guilty expression and couldn't help but whisper, "If Uncle Wang has nothing to hide, why is he shaking like this?"
"Yes, it's strange that the young lady went to throw away the birthday peaches, but it's even more bizarre that the prince-in-law went to the study in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. How could he dare to go to the study when he's so timid?"
…
Even Butler Liu whispered, "Old Master, I'm afraid you've wronged the young lady this time."
The old lady and Liu Zhi couldn't help but tremble in their hearts.
If their false accusation against Hu Xiner is proven true, not only will Uncle Wang be punished, but the first wife will definitely not have an easy time either.
"Dad..." Liu Zhi's hands were shaking slightly. She was so scared that she couldn't think of any good excuse to refute him.
At this moment, she did not regret letting Uncle Wang steal the calligraphy and paintings, but she hated Uncle Wang for being so useless and hated Hu Xin'er for not being framed obediently.
The old lady was also in despair.
Liu Qingyi nervously pinched the corner of her clothes. She looked at Uncle Wang with a face full of resentment. It was all the fault of this useless father. Not only did he go out to steal calligraphy and paintings, but he also dragged their entire family into suffering.
The people in the second house felt happy and relieved. Even the housekeeper had spoken. They believed that the old man would definitely give Hu Xiner justice and let the first house receive the punishment they deserved.
But at this moment, Old Master Liu spoke.
He looked at Hu Xin'er sharply: "Do you think this birthday peach is okay?"
Hu Xiner was stunned for a moment and nodded.
Old Master Liu said majestically, "Then take a bite to prove that it's not poisonous."
"This..." Chen uttered a small exclamation, "This is inappropriate, Old Master. This is a birthday gift Xin'er prepared specially for you! Ever since she made you angry last time, she has been practicing her cooking skills. I don't know how many blisters she has gotten on her hands just because of the birthday peaches..."
Everyone was deeply moved when they heard Hu Xiner's painstaking efforts.
But Old Master Liu said coldly, "Why are you saying these useless things? If it's a birthday gift for me, shouldn't you test it to see if it's poisonous?"
The implication was that he suspected Hu Xin'er was going to poison him!
Hu Xin'er looked at him in disbelief.
The eldest wife's frame-up was so obvious, and she had pointed out such obvious flaws that even the servants spoke up for her.
But Old Master Liu, who had shown a preference for his granddaughter from the very beginning, actually doubted her?
A grievance overflowed from the bottom of her heart, because the trust she had placed in Old Master Liu was completely betrayed.
She had always felt that although Old Master Liu was serious, he at least favored her, but she had never expected to be questioned.
She didn't care about being framed by the first wife's people and making a fool of herself in front of everyone, because she had never trusted the first wife.
But she couldn't help feeling aggrieved when questioned by Old Master Liu.
She took a deep breath, suppressed her tears, and asked softly, "Grandfather, do you really suspect that this longevity peach is poisonous?"
Old Master Liu kept silent.
Originally, this unique birthday gift would become an opportunity for the grandfather and grandson to repair their relationship.
But now, the frame-up by the eldest wife and the suspicion of Old Master Liu have obviously hurt Hu Xin'er even more deeply.
Chen clutched her handkerchief tightly, feeling extremely anxious. She was afraid that Hu Xin'er would not be able to bear the questioning and would say angrily that she wanted to sever ties with the Liu family like last time.
In this world, how difficult is it for an orphan to survive? Hu Xin'er has no parents to begin with. If she loses the favor of Old Master Liu, she will once again become a laughing stock among the women of the capital.
A hint of triumphant smile flashed across the old lady's eyes. She thought secretly that Hu Xiner's personality was exactly the same as Liu Se's!
Didn't Liu Se flee from the Liu Mansion because he couldn't stand the injustice?
She narrowed her eyes and waited quietly for Hu Xiner to break up with Old Master Liu. She even thought about how to behave gentle and docile in front of the old man later.
But Hu Xiner's rationality was beyond everyone's imagination.
Facing Old Master Liu's questioning, she tearfully said, "Grandfather, I made this birthday peach myself to celebrate your birthday. It doesn't matter if I'm framed, but if this birthday peach is destroyed, how can I find a birthday gift like this for you?"
Then, without waiting for anyone to react, she bent her knees and knelt down heavily!
Since coming to this ancient time, Hu Xiner didn't like to kneel. She knelt today not because she was wronged, but because Old Master Liu's suspicion of her was beyond her imagination.
She must take this opportunity to dispel Old Master Liu's suspicion, otherwise she will not be able to get the key to unlock Liu Se.
Old Master Liu's pupils shrank. He didn't expect Hu Xin'er to kneel down.
He slowly closed his eyes, as if trying to determine the truth in Hu Xiner's words.
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