Zhu Lei, who was standing in front, asked angrily, "I'm telling you, if anything happens to my sister, I'll definitely skin you alive."
Hearing the threats, Lan'er rolled her eyes inwardly. A peasant boy, daring to show off in front of her, seemed to be fed up with life. Lan'er narrowed her eyes and said, "If you don't believe me, come with me to ask the neighbors if I went out today and if Man Niang came to see me. I haven't seen Man Niang in the past few days, let alone made an appointment with her today. I swear to heaven, if I'm lying, I'll be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"
After the oath was issued, the two Zhus were speechless. Afterwards, they asked several families near Lan'er's house, and they all said that they had not seen Lan'er go out today. Zhu's mother apologized to Lan'er embarrassedly, and Zhu Lei returned home with Zhu's mother in a bad mood. When they reached the village entrance, Zhu Lei looked at the mountain next to the village and suddenly felt uncomfortable, but was interrupted by Zhu's mother.
Seven days later, the Zhu family was working in the fields when the village chief approached with a shocking news. By the time the Zhu family reached the cliff, it was already afternoon. Zhu's mother stumbled over and, seeing the same clothes as her daughter, she threw herself to the ground and burst into tears. Zhu Lei clenched his fists, his eyes red. Zhu's father looked at his mother and asked, "Is it Man Niang?"
Zhu's mother nodded while crying and said, "That day, Man Niang wore this dress when she went out. I know the material. It was from my dowry."
Father Zhu wiped his face and told Zhu Lei, "Take off your coat and take Man Niang's body back."
Upon hearing this, Zhu's mother cried even harder. Zhu Lei silently took off his coat and squatted down to pick up the broken body.
By the time Zhu's father and Zhu Lei had finished picking up the bodies nearby, Zhu's mother had already fainted from crying. On the way down the mountain, Zhu's father carried Zhu's mother on his back while Zhu Lei held Man Niang's body.
Because she died young, Zhu Manniang didn't even have a funeral; she was hastily buried in a thin coffin. When Lan'er heard about this, it was already three days after the burial.
Lan'er, sitting in the yard embroidering, listened intently as several villagers discussed Zhu Manniang's situation. Zhu San's aunt chatted with the other women for a while, then turned and saw Lan'er. She asked, "Lan'er, I saw Manniang come looking for you a few times before. Can you tell me why Manniang ended up in the mountains behind our village?"
Lan Er looked up and calmly replied after licking her thread, "Auntie, Man Niang has only been to my house once, but she's been there several times. She came to get the pattern and hasn't returned it to me yet." After a pause, Lan Er continued, "Auntie, tell me why Man Niang went to the mountains."
Zhu San's aunt came close to Lan'er and said excitedly, "We've thought about this. We think he was kidnapped by human traffickers and accidentally thrown off the cliff."
Looking at Zhu San's aunt with admiration, Lan'er praised her admiringly: "Aunt, you are the ones who can do this. Others can't think of this even if they rack their brains."
Hearing Lan'er's compliments, Zhu San's aunt grinned from ear to ear and said to Lan'er with a smile, "Of course not. Let me tell you, there is nothing in this village or outside that I don't know. From now on, come and ask me if you have any questions."
Lan'er nodded and continued embroidering without saying anything else.
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