"Yes, yes, Your Excellency, you are wise. I was just trying to be kind. Poor Yunduo is a little girl who has been abused by her parents and brothers. Being beaten and scolded is more common than eating and drinking. She can't even walk yet, but she is forced to do chores. Anyone who knows about this will say that little Yunduo is pitiful. I also feel sorry for her."
"But I am just an outsider after all. What can I do if I feel sorry for my child? Parents hitting their children is not something we outsiders can interfere with."
"Who knew it would be such a coincidence? His eldest son, Yun Shuisheng, has taken a fancy to my family's daughter, Da Mei, and insists on marrying her. I thought that since he chose her himself, he would surely treat me well. I could take this opportunity to bring Yun Duo to my home to raise. I don't expect her to repay us when she grows up. As long as she remembers this kindness and helps take care of my youngest son, I will be content."
"Yang Youfu, you're talking nonsense! Have you no shame? You're throwing all sorts of filth and stench at us, while you're pretending to be a big shot. Can you even keep up the act?" Among the Yun family, Zhao Cuifen was the first to react. Hearing Yang Youfu's words, she didn't care whether she should interrupt or not, and rushed to the front to shout.
Normally, if someone interrupted him like this while he was asking questions, Cao Limin would definitely be angry. Of course, he was indeed a little angry at this moment, but thinking of his plan, he suppressed his anger and looked at Zhao Cuifen who rushed up to him, saying, "Alright, stop swearing. Let's talk this out. I'm not one to believe everything I hear. If you think Yang Youfu's words are untrue, then tell me the truth. I will verify the facts and distinguish right from wrong."
"Your Excellency, I am innocent!" Upon hearing Cao Limin's words, Zhao Cuifen followed Yang Youfu's example, first crying out her innocence, and then said, "It was clearly Yang Youfu's family who spread the word that they would exchange their eldest daughter for their youngest son's marriage, and then they sent their shameless eldest daughter to seduce our Shuisheng, which made Shuisheng have designs on her and cause a scene at home."
“Your Excellency County Magistrate, you don’t know, Shuisheng’s father dotes on Shuisheng the most. As for me, I’m just a stepmother and it’s not easy for me to advise him. Shuisheng has been bewitched by some little vixen and is causing trouble at home. We really had no choice but to come to their door to discuss a marriage exchange.”
“Your Excellency, Yunduo is a piece of my own flesh and blood. Sending her to the Yang family for a marriage exchange is no different from tearing my own flesh out! If it weren't for the Yang family's ill intentions, sending that little vixen to bewitch my Shuisheng, how could I bear to part with her…”
As she spoke, Zhao Cuifen glanced twice at where Yun Duo was, making sure she couldn't get past the outsider (Zhang Yang). After hugging Yun Duo, she used her sleeve as a handkerchief to cover her eyes and pretended to cry: "Duo'er, my darling, I really have no choice. Your brother is bewitched by that vixen. Even though I hate to part with you, I have no choice but to send you away..."
She wailed again, "Your Excellency County Magistrate, being a stepmother is tough..."
Yun Youliang also snapped out of his anger, fearing that he would be arrested and imprisoned. Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhao Cuifen's behavior of "only caring about exonerating herself", he still came over and chimed in, "Yes, County Magistrate, my wife is right. We have no choice."
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