Shen Qiqi's heart tightened, and an ominous premonition came to her mind.
She took a deep breath, walked quickly to the group of villagers, and asked in a firm tone, "Aunties, what are you talking about?"
When the villagers saw Shen Qiqi, their expressions varied. Some avoided, some hesitated to speak, and some looked gloating.
"Chen Qiqi, you...you should listen to it yourself." An old lady said hesitantly and handed a crumpled piece of paper to Shen Qiqi.
Shen Qiqi took the note and saw a few lines of crooked words written on it: "Shen Qiqi is bewitching people, disregarding village rules, intending to occupy the mountains and forests, and corrupting the village spirit!"
Seeing these words, Shen Qiqi felt a surge of anger from the bottom of her heart. She clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.
It's obvious that someone is deliberately spreading rumors to slander her!
At this time, Lu Qing also came over, and when he saw the note in Shen Qiqi's hand, his face instantly darkened.
He held Shen Qiqi's hand and gave her silent support.
"Who wrote it?" Lu Qing's voice was low and intimidating, like a lion about to erupt.
The villagers looked at each other and didn't dare to speak.
At this moment, a sarcastic voice rang out from the crowd: "Is there any need to ask? It must have been written by that old bachelor Wang Lao Er! He has disliked Shen Qiqi for a long time!"
Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing looked at each other and already had the answer in their hearts.
They ignored the chattering villagers and turned to walk towards the small square outside the village.
At this time, Wang Lao Er was standing in the center of the square, proudly proclaiming Shen Qiqi's "crimes" to the villagers, his saliva flying and his words vividly described.
Seeing Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing coming over, Wang Laoer's voice stopped abruptly, and a trace of panic flashed across his face.
"Wang Laoer, what nonsense are you talking about here?" Shen Qiqi's voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the square.
Wang Lao Er stammered, "I...I'm not talking nonsense. What I said is all true!"
"Facts? What evidence do you have?" Shen Qiqi pressed on step by step, with an imposing manner.
Wang Lao Er dodged Shen Qiqi's gaze, his eyes flickering: "I... I saw it with my own eyes! You... you just want to occupy the mountains and forests!"
"You saw it with your own eyes? Then tell me, when and where did I occupy the mountains and forests?" Shen Qiqi sneered, her tone full of sarcasm.
Wang Lao Er was shocked by Shen Qiqi's aura, and beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead.
He stammered and couldn't speak, his eyes darting around as if looking for a chance to escape.
"What? You can't say it?" Shen Qiqi pressed on, "Since you can't say it, then you are spreading rumors and slandering me! I will make you apologize to me in front of the whole village today!"
Wang Laoer's face turned red, like a trapped beast forced into a desperate situation.
He gritted his teeth and said with his neck stiff, "I...I won't apologize! You..."
"What do you mean?" Shen Qiqi interrupted him harshly, "How long do you think you can keep quibbling? Let me tell you..." Shen Qiqi paused, looked around, and her eyes fell on several villagers, "I have witnesses here!"
As soon as Shen Qiqi finished speaking, several women walked out of the crowd, their expressions firm and their eyes clear.
"We can testify that Chen Qiqi is not someone who occupies the mountains and forests!" A burly aunt spoke first, her voice so loud that it made Wang Laoer's eardrums buzz.
"She led us to open up wasteland so that everyone could have food to eat!"
"That's right, I've seen it too. Shen Qiqi is so tired every day that she can't even straighten her back. What's that for? Isn't it for our village?" Another woman echoed.
Wang Laoer's face turned pale in an instant, like a piece of paper that had been drained of all its blood.
He didn't expect that his carefully fabricated lies would be easily exposed by these simple women.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word. He could only watch as the villagers who once bowed and scraped to him were now staring at him with contempt.
He felt like a clown, stripped naked and exposed to the sun, with nowhere to hide.
A complex mixture of emotions, including shame, anger, and embarrassment, made his face as red as a ripe persimmon.
He wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into and never come out to see anyone again.
Seeing Wang Laoer's miserable appearance, the villagers began to criticize him.
"Wang Lao Er, how could you do this? Talking bad about others behind their backs is so wicked!"
"That's right, Shen Qiqi has done so much for the village, and you still framed her. It's so abominable!"
The women were even more excited. Their trust and admiration for Shen Qiqi was like a surging river, endless.
They seemed to see hope and the possibility that they could also have dignity and power.
Amidst the clamor of the crowd, Lu Qing stood silently beside Shen Qiqi, holding her hand tightly like a guardian angel.
His eyes were filled with heartache and pride.
Feeling the warmth of Lu Qing's palm, Shen Qiqi's heart gradually calmed down.
She turned to look at Lu Qing
This heartwarming scene was seen by the surrounding villagers, and envy arose in their hearts.
At this moment, a sharp voice broke the harmonious atmosphere: "What are you making so much noise for? Be quiet!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Old Lady Lu standing behind the crowd with a cane and a sullen face, walking towards Shen Qiqi angrily.
She kept muttering, "This is outrageous! This is truly outrageous!"
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