Zheng Feiyu hurriedly dodged, but Ye Hong still slapped his shoulder, making him wince in pain and unable to resist pushing her away.
Ye Hong stumbled and fell flat on her backside.
She simply sat on the ground and refused to get up, slapping her legs and wailing, "Help! The Zheng family and the Liu family conspired to kill my daughter! And now they're bullying me, a widow! There's no justice! There's no justice at all!"
Hidden in the shadows, Zhou Ying's eyes were bloodshot as she stared at Zheng Feiyu with hatred, wanting to show herself and kill him, but she was afraid of Nan Yuanman and Zhang Shimian and dared not appear.
Zheng Feiyu was stunned. He apologized awkwardly at first, then couldn't help but say, "Auntie, please be reasonable and stop spreading rumors! How could our Zheng family possibly kill your daughter?"
"How could it be impossible! Old Master Zheng took advantage of my ignorance and helped that bastard Liu Hanfei arrange the marriage! He caused my daughter's death!"
With tears in her eyes, Ye Honghong said bitterly, "If it weren't for Old Master Zheng acting as matchmaker, I would never have married Zhou Ying to this beast!"
Having been scolded time and time again, and even lost face in front of outsiders, Liu Hanfei's face couldn't help but darken: "Aunt Ye, you need to have evidence to support your claims!"
He said with an upright expression, "I am an honest and upright person, and I would never do such a thing as harming others!"
He stared at Ye Hong, his voice softening but carrying a hidden warning: "Ying'er is dead. You are her mother. You don't want her to have a peaceful death, do you?"
"Before she left, she was still thinking about you and her younger siblings."
Ye Hong was honest but not stupid. She heard the warning in Liu Hanfei's tone. Thinking of her deceased eldest daughter and her three children, the grief on her face deepened.
She didn't dare to continue the confrontation. She staggered to her feet, pointed at Liu Hanfei and Zheng Feiyu, and said in a shrill voice, "You, you will be punished! You will definitely be punished!"
After saying that, Ye Hong covered her face and stumbled away.
Liu Hanfei looked at Zheng Feiyu with a slight apology: "I'm sorry, my mother-in-law was traumatized by my wife's death and is a little mentally unstable. I apologize for offending you."
His polite and courteous attitude softened Zheng Feiyu's expression slightly: "It's nothing."
Liu Hanfei observed Zheng Feiyu and Jiang Lixuan without showing any emotion: "You're all from the Zheng family who's here to pay your respects to Old Master Zheng, right? Why don't you come over together?"
Zheng Feiyu initially wanted to refuse, but remembering what Ye Hong had just mentioned about acting as a matchmaker, he changed his mind and agreed: "Okay."
After watching the play, Nan Yuanman didn't plan to go with them and turned to go back to the courtyard.
She had barely taken a step when her collar was grabbed and she was lifted up: "???"
Yuanman looked at Jiang Lixuan with a completely bewildered expression: "What are you doing?"
"I am your uncle, your guardian. To prevent you from causing trouble at the Zheng family, you will stay with me today," Jiang Lixuan said righteously.
Nan Yuanman protested unhappily, "I'm not a bad kid! How could I possibly cause trouble?!"
"You don't get to decide," Jiang Lixuan chuckled. "After all, Aunt Zheng said you're a kid with a 'criminal record.'"
"Come on, come with us."
With that, he subdued the struggling Nan Yuanman and took her to the Zheng family.
Nan Yuanman had a sullen face, crossed her arms over her chest, and pouted angrily, ignoring Jiang Lixuan the whole way.
Zheng Feiyu subtly probed Liu Hanfei's words: "By the way, what did Aunt Ye mean when she said that my grandfather was going to act as matchmaker for you and Zhou Ying?"
"It's nothing. I just went home to pay respects to my ancestors and fell in love with Ying'er at first sight, so I asked Grandpa Zheng to help me act as matchmaker."
Liu Hanfei: "At the time, I thought that Grandpa Zheng was a highly respected person in the village, and having him act as matchmaker would show how much he valued Ying'er. I never expected..."
He sighed sadly, "Ying'er is gone, and Grandpa Zheng is gone too. Life is so unpredictable."
Zhang Shimian looked at Liu Hanfei with a troubled expression: "Judging from your bone age, you're already thirty-five, right? Zhou Ying is only a few years old, not even twenty yet. You really are..."
Putting aside Liu Hanfei, this old man Zheng is also muddle-headed.
How could a thirty-year-old man introduce himself to Zhou Ying, who is not even twenty? Isn't that like an old cow eating young grass?
This is really unethical!
Liu Hanfei chuckled: "Men become more caring as they get older."
Jiang Lixuan chuckled but didn't say anything.
Nan Yuanman curled his lip, his face full of disdain.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Lixuan couldn't help but pinch her cheek again: "What's with that expression?"
“A look of disdain.” Nan Yuanman lowered his voice: “This man is burdened with karmic obstacles and lies all the time. Zhou Ying’s death is inextricably linked to him.”
Zhang Shimin's ears twitched. He subtly slowed his pace and asked her in a low voice, "How did you figure that out?"
He looked at Liu Hanfei's face and saw nothing particularly wicked or evil about him, except that his marital palace was indeed sunken.
He looked at Nan Yuanman with surprise, not realizing that this five-year-old child could already tell fortunes.
Nan Yuanman looked at him, puzzled: "Just look at it like that, is it that hard?"
Is it difficult?
Zhang Shimian: "..."
He hates the talent monster!
During their conversation, Nan Yuanman and his group visited the Zheng family's mourning hall again.
As the night passed, the Zheng family's mourning hall returned to its original state, and the Zheng family members who came to pay their respects seemed unaware of what had happened the previous night.
Only Aunt Zheng's face looked rather pale.
Nan Yuanman didn't say anything more. He broke free from Jiang Lixuan's grasp, found a corner to squat down, and tried his best to hide himself.
Jiang Lixuan followed her closely.
Zheng Feiyu took Liu Hanfei to pay their respects.
Liu Hanfei kowtowed to Old Master Zheng and took three incense sticks to stick them in, but two of the incense sticks suddenly broke in the middle.
Aunt Zheng and Zheng Feiyu's expressions changed abruptly.
Liu Hanfei's expression also turned somewhat grim. He forced himself to remain calm and said:
"I guess the old man is upset that I didn't come back in time to offer my condolences. I'm sorry, Grandpa Zheng, I'm late."
He dared not offer incense to Old Master Zheng anymore, and only bowed to him.
After offering his condolences, Liu Hanfei didn't linger and turned to leave the Zheng family.
Zheng Feiyu wanted to follow, but for some reason, he felt that Zhou Ying's death was definitely related to Liu Hanfei!
Aunt Zheng reached out and grabbed him: "Feiyu, come and help."
"Auntie, I have something to say." Zheng Feiyu was anxious and struggled to pull his hand away, but Auntie Zheng gripped it tighter and tighter.
"Nothing is more important than your grandfather! Come quickly and make a few gold ingots for him yourself! So he'll have money to spend down there!"
Zheng Feiyu had no idea where a country woman got such strength. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free, so he had no choice but to follow Aunt Zheng.
He wasn't stupid; he had also noticed that Aunt Zheng didn't want him to get close to Liu Hanfei.
Left with no other choice, he could only look to Jiang Lixuan for help.
Jiang Lixuan frowned, got up and went out to look, but Liu Hanfei's figure had already disappeared.
He turned back and shook his head at Zheng Feiyu.
Zheng Feiyu could only hold back for now and find another opportunity to interrogate Aunt Zheng later.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
As soon as he left the Zheng family, Liu Hanfei, feeling uneasy, couldn't help but dial a number on his phone. After the other end answered, he eagerly asked, "Master, are you sure the Zheng family doesn't know about Zhou Ying?"
Liu Hanfei came back this time because he heard that Old Master Zheng, who usually keeps a low profile, has a son who runs a company in S City.
That company is very large; compared to it, his company is insignificant.
He felt uneasy, which is why he came back specifically to check on things, fearing that Zhou Ying's affair might be exposed.
A slightly aged male voice came from the other end: "Don't worry, we've kept this extremely secret, the Zheng family won't find out."
"Besides, that old man has already taken your 'tribute,' so he has to bear part of the consequences. Even if he finds out, there's nothing he can do."
Liu Hanfei felt a slight sense of relief. He seemed to remember something, and asked in a low, somewhat uneasy voice, "Then... could Old Man Zheng's death be related to Zhou Ying...? She's only been dead for a little over ten days, and Old Man Zheng is dead too..."
The person on the other end of the phone chuckled: "Who knows?"
"You don't need to worry too much. You have the protective amulet I gave you. Even if Zhou Ying comes after you, she can't do anything to you."
Liu Hanfei: "That's good."
After hanging up the phone, Liu Hanfei felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason. He didn't dare to look back, gripped the Buddhist amulet in his hand tightly, and said with a gloomy look in his eyes, "Don't blame me, Zhou Ying."
"Every man for himself, or he will be condemned by heaven and earth."
-
As night fell, a fog had risen outside, creating a hazy, dreamlike, and eerie atmosphere.
To ensure the safety of the Zheng family, Zheng Feiyu stayed behind to keep vigil today.
He shamelessly grabbed Nan Yuanman, begging her to stay: "Yuanman, tonight's dinner is your favorite fried chicken legs, so please stay."
"Can I go and deliver food to Grandpa Nan for you?"
Having witnessed the powerful little scarecrow that Nan Yuanman threw out last night, Zheng Feiyu now only believes that she can protect his life.
He didn't really trust Zhang Shimian.
Jiang Lixuan was speechless, but couldn't help but retort, "Is it really necessary? Nan Yuanman is only a five-year-old child. What can she do if she stays?"
Nan Yuanman, who had already gotten off the stool, sat back down upon hearing this and grinned at him: "I can see how you die. Perfect, you can pay for your coffins now, and I'll collect your bodies when you die."
"I guarantee you'll be buried in a place with excellent feng shui!"
Jiang Lixuan's face darkened: "Nan Yuanman! Are you cursing your uncle to die?!"
Nan Yuanman snorted, showing extreme resistance: "You're not my uncle!"
Zhang Shimian glanced at Jiang Lixuan speechlessly. "Tell me, why did you go and flirt with her? Did you get scolded?"
Amidst the commotion, the surroundings suddenly fell completely silent. The chirping of insects, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the whispers of conversation in the courtyard all vanished.
In the vast mourning hall, only the breathing of the four of them could be heard.
Nan Yuanman realized something and suddenly looked towards the door, her little face slightly serious: "Sister Zhou Ying is here!"
The surrounding temperature suddenly dropped, and Jiang Lixuan felt so cold that his hair stood on end. He subconsciously moved closer to Nan Yuanman.
Zhang Shimian held the talisman in his hand, his face serious.
With a loud thud, a dark figure was suddenly thrown in from outside and crashed heavily to the ground.
Zheng Feiyu stared intently and couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap! Isn't this Liu Hanfei who just appeared today?! How did he end up looking like this?!"
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