In front of the Wu residence, the noblewomen were still demanding justice for themselves, their shouts echoing continuously.
There were many of them, one after another, each with their own task of shouting in front of the door. They had enough time to rest, but their shouting did not diminish at all.
During the rest period, the four old women that An Shi had invited also realized that these were all prominent ladies in the border town.
They were afraid of being exposed, so they dared not get too close to the noblewoman.
But this very fact made the wealthy ladies think that the women were very rich and arrogant, and they didn't want to get involved with them.
Now a different group of people have arrived, and Madam Qiao sees the Wu family mansion's gates tightly shut, while more and more people are watching the spectacle.
She lowered her head, covered her face with a handkerchief, and walked to Madam Zhang's side, saying, "Sister Zhang, what should we do if the Wu residence doesn't open its doors?"
Mrs. Zhang was also getting anxious; if the door remained closed, they would have to return empty-handed.
Their troubles at the Wu residence would inevitably reach the ears of their master, and he wouldn't be able to hide it no matter what.
Now that things have come to this, there's no way forward or backward, so all we can do is grit our teeth and persevere.
Madam Zhang stared intently at the dark gate of the Wu residence, and said with determination, "We won't leave until this gate is opened."
Let's just endure it and see who can outlast whom!
Madam Zhang's determination reassured Madam Qiao, who was genuinely afraid that Madam Zhang might back down, which would leave her with no face to explain to her husband.
Just as Madam Qiao was about to return to the group, she turned her head and saw Madam Wan standing to the side.
Madam Qiao sized her up, then moved closer to Madam Zhang and asked, "Sister Zhang, why didn't you call out to Madam Wan from the west of the city?"
Does she care about saving face, but we don't?
As she spoke, she became somewhat indignant. After all, everyone present was delicate and precious, so why was she the only one who was treated differently?
Madam Zhang glanced at Madam Wan before comforting her, "Madam Wan comes from a prominent family and is different from us. Madam Wu has treated her with courtesy before."
It's already quite kind of her to have abandoned all social conventions and come here with us; please don't be too harsh on her.
"It's almost your turn, hurry up and get in line."
“Oh,” Mrs. Qiao nodded, flicked the silk handkerchief in her hand, and obediently went to queue up.
The four old women gathered together, and since the ladies arrived, they had had time to rest.
With them leading the way, the ladies, who were initially hesitant, have gradually gotten into the swing of things.
And now they're actually spouting insults quite convincingly.
The old woman in red said, "Look at the one on the far left, she has a very loud voice. Of all these ladies, she's the most formidable."
The old woman in yellow chimed in, "That's right. I thought only the poor and destitute could curse loudly, but I didn't expect these rich ladies to be just as good at cursing."
Upon hearing this, the four people standing together chuckled, hands clasped in their pockets.
Hehehe...
Just as they were chatting, there was a commotion at the gate of the Wu residence.
"Look! The gates of the Wu residence are open!"
"The door is open! The door is open!"
"Haha, this is going to be interesting."
The neighbors who had been watching the spectacle, as well as the pedestrians who had been blocked from passing through, all reached the peak of their curiosity as they watched the gates of the Wu residence slowly open.
The ladies, seeing the gates of the Wu residence open, all felt a sense of relief and triumph, their faces beaming with joy.
Lu Qiqi was in the teahouse, and after eating her fill, she was almost falling asleep listening to the noise downstairs.
Now that the gates of the Wu residence are open, it's even more effective than giving her a stimulant; her drowsiness vanished instantly.
He said happily, "Finally, the door is open! If it hadn't been open, I would have thought Wu Guangping was a coward in his past life."
She straightened her back and looked downstairs; if she weren't afraid of being discovered, she would have almost stuck her head out of the window.
Seeing her looking so uncomfortable, Song Yanqing couldn't help but smile and then followed her gaze.
The gates of the Wu residence opened, and Wu Guangping was naturally the first to step out.
Among the onlookers, someone shouted something.
"They're out, they're out."
Wu Guangping was dressed in a dark green robe. As a military general, he was tall and strong, and had fought on the battlefield for many years. Countless people had died under his blade.
Therefore, the mere sight of him standing outside the gates of the Wu residence was enough to instill fear in people.
The lady standing outside the door, despite her earlier loud cursing, couldn't help but swallow hard and shrink back half a step when Wu Guangping actually stood in front of her.
However, they quickly calmed down, and when they realized that they were the victims, they became much more assertive.
Wu Guangping glanced at the crowd indifferently, not finding anyone suspicious, and then raised his voice, "Ladies, do you know what the punishment is for insulting an official of the imperial court?"
These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among the onlookers.
"Insulting an official of the imperial court is punishable by thirty strokes of the cane for minor offenses, and imprisonment for serious offenses."
Do you think these ladies will get arrested?
"Who knows? We'll see."
Upon hearing the accusation, Madam Qiao began to panic. She went to Madam Zhang's side and whispered, "Sister Zhang, what should we do? If we are really accused, how will our children find husbands?"
No respectable family would arrange a marriage between their children and such a family.
Madam Zhang did not reply, but stepped forward and said, "General Wu, there is no need to frighten us women like this. If it weren't for your mistress Ning, who cheated us out of our money..."
We women will not become the victims, losing face and demanding justice in the street.
These words reassured all the ladies present.
Hearing the impassioned voice, Lu Qiqi raised an eyebrow and said to Song Yanqing, "This lady is quite composed in the face of danger, she does have some spirit."
Song Yanqing said, "Indeed."
The activity is still ongoing downstairs.
When Wu Guangping realized he couldn't intimidate the women, he understood the situation. Being naturally suspicious, he immediately suspected that Song Yanqing had arranged this.
They were certain that Song Yanqing was backing them up.
Otherwise, even if these women had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare to shout and curse in front of the general's mansion.
If that's the case, then don't blame him.
Wu Guangping said, "Since you claim to be the aggrieved party, you have come to the wrong person."
You keep saying that it was Aunt Ning who cheated you out of your money.
But now, she's so angry because that wicked woman, Aunt Xiang, absconded with the money that she's fallen ill and can't get out of bed!
This statement caused an uproar among the crowd.
I never expected this!
These words reached Lu Qiqi's ears without missing a single one, instantly freezing her expression as she watched the drama unfold.
Then, she slammed her hand on the table and cursed, "You dog of a man! You've turned black into white, causing my aunt so much suffering, and now you're even blaming me!"
Slinging mud!
If it weren't inconvenient for her to show herself, she would definitely have gone down and flipped Wu Guangping's skull open!
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