These words were like an invisible slap, landing hard on Old Man Weng's face!
Inside and outside the courtyard, there was utter silence.
The people of Wengjia Village were completely stunned!
The situation they envisioned has completely spiraled out of control!
Instead of being divided, the other side, due to the "unexpected" awakening of the women, has united into an even stronger force!
Moreover, the other party was holding onto the "rules" personally promised by Weng Laojiu, which cornered them!
The village chief and his entourage felt much more at ease and confident.
The village chief stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Jiang Chan. His voice was steady yet carried an undeniable authority, "Steward Weng! You keep your word! Please open the gate! There's no need to prepare food or water! We'll leave immediately! We won't bother you at all!"
"You...you...you!" Old Man Weng pointed at Jiang Chan and the village chief, trembling with anger, his lips quivering, but he couldn't utter a single word.
The men from Wengjia Village behind him looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion, panic, and hesitation!
"Ninth Brother...this..."
Skinny Monkey looked at the dark mass of people opposite him, all united in their hatred of the enemy, his palms sweating as he gripped the axe.
The women realized their situation at that moment, and their immense fear and relief turned into tears of grievance.
Looking at the eyes of those opposite them burning with anger and grief, and then at their own comrades who were clearly demoralized and whose eyes were darting away, the people of Wengjia Village felt a chill rise from the soles of their feet.
Old Man Weng's face turned from ashen to deathly pale, and then from deathly pale to a purplish-red like pig liver.
He clenched his teeth, veins bulged on his forehead, and his hand gripping the machete trembled violently from the force.
Fight? The enemy outnumbers us too! A direct assault is simply impossible!
Our morale is low! If a battle breaks out, the outcome is unpredictable, and the casualties will be heavy!
Let it go? The cooked duck has flown away!
I can't swallow this insult!
The immense frustration and helplessness almost made him vomit blood!
Aunt Zhang watched in disbelief as the group of women, who should have been fast asleep, came running over, their eyes practically popping out of their sockets!
She lunged at Old Man Weng, her voice shrill and distorted: "Ninth Brother! Ninth Brother! This...this isn't right! The water! That bucket of water! I saw them drink it all! Not a drop was left! Even that damned girl who was distributing the water drank the bottom of the bucket! How could they still be awake?!"
Suddenly, as if she had just realized something, she pointed sharply at Jiang Chan, her eyes like poisoned knives, "It's her! It must be that bitch! She divided the water! She definitely tampered with it! I wonder what method she used!"
Old Man Weng was taken aback at first, then a sinister and venomous gaze was fixed on Jiang Chan!
All the previous setbacks—water was ineffective, cakes were ineffective, lies were exposed—all the anger instantly found an outlet!
"So it was you who was pulling the strings behind the scenes!" Old Man Weng gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse and distorted with extreme hatred. "Fine! Very well! Want to leave? Fine!" He surveyed the crowd of Willow Village members in the courtyard, his facial muscles twitching with rage. "I keep my word! Those who are awake, take your families and get out! But this wretched girl..."
His blade was firmly locked on Jiang Chan. "She must stay!"
Sister Zhang immediately chimed in shrill voice, "That's right! Keep her here! I know her parents died long ago! She's just a lonely ghost with no relatives! What does she have to do with your Willow Tree Village? Is she worth you risking your lives for?!"
Everyone in the courtyard was instantly stunned, their gazes turning to Jiang Chan, who was being pointed at by a knife, with complicated expressions.
The crowd in Liushutun instantly stirred!
Fear, hesitation, and struggle flashed across everyone's face.
Seeing his opportunity, Weng Lao Jiu immediately applied pressure, his voice filled with both temptation and threat: "Leave her behind! In exchange for your safety! Isn't that a worthwhile deal? She's not related to you, just an orphan! Is she worth risking your lives for?!" His gaze swept over the wavering villagers, "Think about your families! Otherwise... Hmph! Nobody will get away with this today!"
Several people's expressions changed, and their grip on the sticks tightened and loosened.
The atmosphere was extremely oppressive, as if an invisible rope was tightening around everyone's throat.
Xiao Tao clung to Jiang Chan's waist, crying loudly, "Don't let Sister Jiang stay! Don't!"
"Bullshit! Dream on!" Aunt Zhao was the first to roar, standing firmly in front of Jiang Chan like a mother hen protecting her chicks. "If it weren't for Jiang girl, we would have been drugged by you long ago! She is our savior!"
“Exactly! Don’t even think about it!” Madam Wu stood next to Jiang Chan, glaring angrily at Old Man Weng.
However, a jarring mutter rang out from the corner: "What the village chief... Steward Weng said... seems... to make some sense..."
It was Wu Lao Er, who had been refused a cart loan by Jiang Chan earlier. He shrank back, his eyes darting around. "Using her alone... to exchange for the safety of so many of us... this... this deal... doesn't seem like a bad one..."
He had barely finished speaking when two or three faint echoes rang out from the side:
"Yes...yes..."
"She...she's all alone..."
"It's better than dying here..."
"Wu Lao Er! You motherfucking stinking bull!" A thunderous roar erupted!
The village chief, his hair and beard bristling, trembled with rage as he pointed at Wu Lao Er and his companions, cursing, "Ungrateful bastards! If it weren't for Jiang Yatou being the first to notice something amiss and warn me! If it weren't for her finding a way to protect the women, you would all be their 'fat sheep' by now! Your bones would be chewed up! Now, to save your own lives, you want to push your saviors out to their deaths?! Have you lost your conscience?! Bah!"
The village chief spat in Wu Lao Er's face, his eyes fierce as a wolf's: "If anyone dares to say another word about abandoning Jiang Yatou, I'll break their legs first! Tie them up and throw them to these human traffickers!"
Jiang Chan stood there, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and her nails dug deep into her palms.
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