When Old Mrs. Ding celebrated her birthday, Ding Huizhu brought her two-year-old son, Xie Li, to the event.
At that time, Ding Huizhu and Xie Sidu had only been married for two or three years and were still deeply in love. The Xie and Ding families had a very good relationship, and according to the rules of Linjiang City, even cousins had to visit each other.
Xie Lin and his mother were also among those invited, and came especially to celebrate Mrs. Ding's birthday.
At that time, Ding Huizhu had to take care of Xie Zi'an, who was less than a year old, and had no time to look after Xie Li, who was able to run and jump.
He then handed Xie Li over to Xie Lin to take care of, and asked the servants to keep an eye on him from time to time.
Not long after Ding Huizhu handed Xie Li over to Xie Lin, the child went missing. Meanwhile, Xie Lin, being mischievous, ran out to play and fell into the hotel's fountain, getting his little suit and dress soaked. This greatly embarrassed the Xie family.
If a child gets lost, it's Xie Lin's fault, because he didn't take good care of the child and was only concerned with playing.
However, the Xie family angrily accused the Ding family, suspecting that the Ding family had deliberately lost the child.
This incident caused a great uproar back then, and the Xie family even called the police and directly identified the Ding family.
After investigating the scene, the police withdrew their charges against the Ding family, citing insufficient evidence and no evidence pointing to the Ding family as the perpetrators.
In the end, the incident could only be classified as an accident. Xie Li was unsupervised, and, being playful, ran out of the hotel and got lost.
...
In short, outsiders almost unanimously sided with the Ding family in this matter.
After all, the Ding family had no reason to lose their granddaughter; there was simply no evidence.
The Xie family's accusations are simply baseless, fabricated, and malicious slander.
The two families fell out over this and refused to have any contact for many years, even avoiding formal visits during holidays.
Because Xie Lin and his mother were not immune to blame, they simply moved out of the Xie family home.
...
Chinese people have always valued harmony. No matter how you look at it, the Xie family was being rude and picking a fight. Over the years, the Ding family has suffered enough grievances. It was only with Xie Ziyuan growing up that the relationship between the Ding and Xie families gradually eased.
Xie Li actually went to the Ding family again and said such things, and he did so with absolute certainty. Was he determined to frame the Ding family to death?
The voices of condemnation quickly garnered a chorus of agreement.
They are relatives of the Ding family, so naturally they are not afraid to meddle in other people's business. In fact, they should do more to prevent their relatives from being bullied so badly.
"You got lost back then, and it's all your own fault for being so playful! By the way, you were too young and didn't understand things, but your cousin was already a big kid back then, and he was the real culprit!"
"Is this how you treat your elders? Instead of showing proper respect to your grandmother, you come up here and start throwing mud at her. Have you wasted all your education?"
"I think she's a troublemaker. The moment she came back, she turned the Xie family upside down, and now she's stirring up trouble even more. If the relationship between the Xie family and the Ding family deteriorates, it'll all be your fault! Don't you have any conscience? How can you treat your own family like this?"
"Sidu, what's wrong with you? The child is being unreasonable, but aren't you unreasonable too? Apologize to your mother-in-law right now!"
...
Xie Sidu pulled Xie Li behind him, remaining silent as the elders scolded him.
Those who dared to speak were all his elders. In the past, there was a strict hierarchy between elders and juniors, and filial piety was of paramount importance. He really couldn't be rude.
This is also why he didn't let Xie Li come over.
"Wait, she can't leave!"
Xie Li suddenly pushed through the crowd and grabbed Aunt Feng again. This time, she held her hand tightly and did not let go.
This assertive approach truly surprised these elders.
The Ding family is a scholarly family, and everyone here is very particular about manners and etiquette. We have never seen such a bandit-like behavior before.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
