Chapter Three: Accusations of the Abuse
"What? The half-sister stole her legitimate sister's good marriage?" The onlookers gasped in unison, like firecrackers that had been set off.
In an instant, a wave of discussion arose, with everyone expressing sympathy for Qin Zhining, criticizing County Magistrate Qin and Aunt An, and some even gritting their teeth and cursing the illegitimate daughter Qin Zhiyu for her shameless behavior.
Seeing that the situation was exactly what she wanted, Qin Zhining's eyes reddened, and her sobs became even more genuine. "When I was twelve years old, my cousin pushed me into the icy river."
After finally being pulled out of the water, the old man not only didn't blame him, but instead squatted on the doorstep and, together with the old woman, pointed at me and cursed, "You jinx! You wretched slut who could drown even if she fell into the river!"
The cold wind whipped up her thin clothes, revealing her slender wrists, making her appear even more gaunt.
She sniffed, her voice trembling like a candle in the wind, "Just a month ago, shortly after my fourteenth birthday, my aunt lied to me, saying she was going to chop firewood in the back mountain, but she slipped away on a side path, leaving me all alone in the mountains."
A venomous snake bit my ankle. If it weren't for an elderly hunter who happened to be passing by and saved me, I would have been a lost soul in the mountains long ago!
"But my uncle turned around and locked me in the woodshed, not even giving me a sip of water to save my life!" She suddenly raised her voice, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
“That month, I lay in the dark woodshed, my whole body swollen like a steamed bun, and several times I felt like I was going to die…”
She suddenly pointed to Qin Xiaoxiao beside her, choking back tears and barely able to speak, "If it weren't for her—"
This homeless orphan girl, a complete stranger, secretly climbed over the wall to bring me food and water, and even brought me mountain herbs to detoxify me. I would have rotted away in the woodshed long ago!
Qin Xiaoxiao immediately cooperated by letting out a miserable "Ah ah" scream, her little hands tightly gripping Qin Zhining's clothes, her dark face full of terror, making the onlookers' hearts tighten.
"Just because she saved me—" Qin Zhining's eyes widened suddenly, her tears filled with hatred, her voice shrill like shattered glass.
"Just because she saved me, my heartless uncle and aunt grabbed her and forced her to drink a drug that made her mute!"
Look at this child, his voice is ruined, and it will be difficult for him to speak again!
If I don't seek justice for her and for myself today, where is my conscience? Where is justice? In this vast world, where can we find refuge?
Qin Zhining felt no guilt whatsoever about putting the bill for the mute medicine on the Qin family's old house.
Anyway, those people are already rotten to the core, so one more sin would only make matters worse.
"Whoa—" The crowd of onlookers completely erupted!
The clamor reached the heavens, and even the wind at the alley entrance seemed to carry anger.
A kind-hearted old lady took out her handkerchief to wipe away her tears, muttering, "What a tragedy."
Several men clenched their fists, their knuckles turning white. "This is outrageous! They torture their own daughter to death just because she has no mother to protect her? They even harm the child who saved someone's life! Has the Qin family lost all sense of law?!"
A man in shorts pushed his way forward in the crowd, his voice as loud as a gong, “County Magistrate Qin can’t even manage his own family affairs, and he’s so heartless to his own daughter. What right does he have to talk about upholding justice for the people?”
Such heartless scoundrels probably can't even sweep their own doorstep, let alone care about the people of this region!
These words were like a boulder thrown into boiling water, instantly eliciting agreement from the entire audience.
"That's right, he's not fit to be a county magistrate!"
"He even harmed his own daughter; he's a corrupt official!"
The angry shouts, mixed with the cold wind, swept through the alleyway, making the air feel scorching hot.
Qin Zhining glanced indifferently at the loud and boisterous men, noticing that while they were cheering them on, they were also stealing glances at the greasy-faced fat man next to them.
The fat man, whom the original owner could clearly recall from his memories, was Sheng Kun, the steward of the Lincheng County Magistrate's Office.
I heard that County Lieutenant Tong has been eyeing the position of second-in-command in Lincheng County for a long time, and he's so anxious he's like an ant on a hot pan, and he's even starting to have wicked ideas.
Seeing his appearance, Qin Zhining understood perfectly.
This old bastard is trying to use her affair to muddy the waters, bring down County Magistrate Qin Youming, and make room for his master.
hehe……
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
In any case, as long as Qin Youming is brought down, that's all that matters.
She wanted to sever ties with Qin Youming, her adoptive father, and having more people support her was a good thing.
A cold wind swirled with snowflakes, and the anger and hatred that Qin Zhining had accumulated over two lifetimes grew wildly in her weakened body like poisonous vines entwining a flame.
"Hmm? Something's not right with my body?"
Standing on the stool, Qin Zhining suddenly felt a strange warm current flowing through her body.
She quickly circulated her inner energy to mobilize this power.
A few breaths later, she was so surprised she almost cried out.
Oh my god—
That's amazing!
Amidst the hatred and rage of two lifetimes, she unexpectedly broke through the bottleneck of her inner strength, and her slender body awakened wood-type and lightning-type supernatural abilities!
Hahaha……
With two more superpowers by her side, what did Qin Zhining have to fear in this unfamiliar territory of the Great Qi Dynasty?
That rabble in the county magistrate's office is just waiting to be dealt with!
Suppressing her overwhelming joy, she breathed warm air on her hands, which were red from the cold, and said softly to Qin Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao, get up, don't sit on the ground and get cold."
Qin Xiaoxiao obediently got up and stood firmly behind her mistress, holding back a surge of anger. She thought, "If anyone dares to touch my mistress, I'll punch them and turn them into mincemeat."
"Squeak—"
The side gate of the county magistrate's office slowly opened amidst the murmurs of the crowd.
Old Liu, wearing a dark blue satin jacket, peeked out, her triangular eyes darting over Qin Zhining, her lips twisted into a deep frown.
"Where did this wild girl come from, causing trouble in front of the mansion gate? Aunt An said that the master is having breakfast with the eldest young lady and has no time to see you, you beggar. Get out of here!"
"You little bitch, daring to impersonate my young lady, you're really tired of living. Let me give you a piece of advice: if you don't want to die, go back to where you came from. Get lost!"
"Go back to where you came from" is an implication that Qin Zhining should hurry back to her ancestral home and stop causing trouble, or else she'll be in big trouble.
The wind and snow intensified, swirling through the alley and wailing like ghosts crying.
Qin Zhining tightened her grip on the rope, but did not react immediately.
"Oh, the young lady wasn't lying after all. Everyone, look at how far this Magistrate Qin has gone in favoring his concubine over his wife!"
Qin Zhining remained calm, but someone spoke up for her. Sure enough, Sheng Kun, the county magistrate's steward, slowly began to speak again, "Look, everyone—"
The eldest daughter of the principal wife returned but was not allowed to enter the mansion; instead, an old woman was sent out to drive her away. What respectable family would treat their eldest daughter so harshly?
"Qin, the county magistrate, always seems so refined and cultured. How could he have done something so foolish? It's a disgrace to scholarship!"
In order to bring down Qin Youming, this butler really didn't bother to hide anything.
When Granny Liu saw everyone criticizing her master and Aunt An, she was so angry that she jumped up and down and cursed, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"That little slut is just a beggar, pretending to be my young lady to extort money! Hey, you little beggar, you'd better get lost, or I'll have you thrown in jail and flogged!"
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