Upon hearing her father's voice, Shen Congxin suddenly sat up in bed and ran out the door without even putting on her shoes.
Seeing his daughter's pale face and the gauze on her forehead, Shen Qianhe was furious. He pointed at the village chief and shouted, "If you can't explain how my daughter got hurt, I'll take you to the authorities!"
Upon hearing that they were to see the village chief, Jiang Ling broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing that the time was ripe, she gave Shen Congxin a wink and said, "Master Shen, please don't make things difficult for the village chief. Please come inside. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you privately!"
As she spoke, Jiang Ling gave Madam Shen behind her a meaningful look. Madam Shen became uneasy when she saw Jiang Ling's look, but she dared not say anything with Shen Qianhe present.
Shen Qianhe nodded and led Shen Congxin and Jiang Ling inside. When Lightning Girl saw Master Shen, she quickly lowered her head and ran out.
Now only Jiang Ling, Shen Congxin, and Shen Qianhe remained in the room.
“From your heart, tell me everything!” Jiang Ling said.
Shen Congxin nodded and told Shen Qianhe everything about how her stepmother framed her, how she was forced to marry Wang Xiu, how Wang Xiu wrote a dowry list, and how she was almost defiled by Lu Youren.
Shen Qianhe grew angrier and angrier as he listened, until his features were almost contorted in anger. He slammed his hand on Jiang Ling's table and nearly burst into a tirade.
Just then, Madam Shen rushed in, embracing Shen Congxin tightly and saying, "My son, how could you be so badly injured without telling your mother! It breaks my heart!"
Jiang Ling grinned. If Madam Shen were in modern times, she would definitely win an Oscar for Best Actress.
Shen Congxin pushed Madam Shen away with a look of disgust, but Madam Shen was not giving up. She hugged Shen Congxin again and cried, "My son, my son, I have been searching for you so hard while you were missing. You must have suffered a lot in this poor and remote mountain village! Look how thin you have become! Oh dear, how can I let you wear such coarse linen clothes? What if they break your skin!"
Madam Shen pinched Shen Congxin's sleeve and said with a look of disgust.
Shen Congxin shoved Madam Shen away and, encouraged by Jiang Ling's gaze, said to her, "Stop with your crocodile tears! You know perfectly well what you've done to me!"
Madam Shen was displeased, but the next second she put on a heartbroken expression, patting her chest as she said, "My child, how could you have become like this!"
"Speak! Did you drug her heart? That's why she's like this!" Madam Shen suddenly pointed at Jiang Ling with her eyebrows raised and scolded her angrily.
With a forced smile, Jiang Ling reached out and slapped Madam Shen's greasy hand hard, saying coldly, "Put your paws down! I hate it when people point at me!"
"Don't be ridiculous! She is a lady! How can you overstep your bounds like this!" Shen Qianhe shouted sternly.
Madam Shen was displeased. She looked down on Jiang Ling from the bottom of her heart. She was just a peasant woman. Even if she was granted the title of Lady, what difference would it make? She would still have to stay in this dilapidated place with her face to the yellow earth and her back to the sky.
With Shen Qianhe present, Madam Shen couldn't show her disdain for Jiang Ling even if she did. She pouted and said to Shen Qianhe in a coquettish tone, "I...I understand!"
Hearing this voice gave Jiang Ling goosebumps. Shen Qianhe coughed awkwardly and said to Jiang Ling, "I'm sorry, my wife is not like this usually!"
Jiang Ling ignored Madam Shen and gestured for Shen Congxin to continue. Shen Congxin composed herself, pointed at Madam Shen with a resolute expression, and said, "It's her! It was this woman who forced me to marry Wang Xiu!"
Madam Shen inwardly cried out in alarm, but she still managed to wake herself up. Although that bitch Shen Congxin said such things, she had no evidence. Although Shen Qianhe doted on her daughter, her influence through her pillow talk was still extremely effective.
She smiled and said to Shen Congxin, "Congxin, look at you, you're so suspicious. I never wanted you to marry Wang Xiu!"
“She’s a distant relative of mine. Her name is Congxin. Are you sure you didn’t mishear?” Madam Shen explained to Shen Congxin with a kind expression.
"You hypocrite! I won't even mention how you always favor your younger siblings, but as soon as my father passed away, you rushed to marry me off. You just wanted to kick me, the legitimate daughter, out! Then the entire Shen family would be yours!" Shen Congxin said angrily.
Madam Shen immediately put on an innocent look and looked at Shen Qianhe pitifully, saying, "Master, listen to what our daughter is saying. I cherish this daughter as the apple of my eye. How could I possibly marry her off to that old man Wang Xiu? Putting aside everything else, he's old enough to be Congxin's grandfather!"
Madam Shen's words made Shen Congxin feel nauseous. She gritted her teeth and said again, "You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin, will you? Fine! You just wait! Auntie can take out her things now!"
Jiang Ling nodded after hearing this. She bowed to Master Shen and said, "Master Shen, could I borrow your carriage? I need to go to Pingxi County to retrieve some things!"
Shen Qianhe nodded generously, "Go ahead and use it!"
Jiang Ling nodded and whispered to Jiang Yaojie beside her, "Take Master Shen's carriage to Pingxi County. Go find Lord Duan and tell him you need to get my things back, understand?"
Jiang Yaojie nodded and ran out.
Madam Shen also saw Jiang Ling and Jiang Yaojie whispering to each other, but she couldn't hear what the mother and son were saying even with her ears strained, so she gave up.
Seeing that Jiang Yaojie had already left, Jiang Ling said to Shen Qianhe, "Master Shen, please wait here patiently for a while. The truth will come out when my son brings the things back!"
Shen Qianhe nodded, his gaze falling on his daughter's forehead. The blood seeping through the gauze on her fair face was particularly glaring. He pointed at Shen Congxin and asked Jiang Ling, "What happened here?"
"That bastard Lu Youren slandered Shen Congxin's innocence with his words. Congxin was so anxious and angry that she fainted and accidentally bumped into him!" Jiang Ling's explanation was like adding fuel to the fire, which made Shen Qianhe furious.
"Where is that Lu guy? Take me to see him!" Shen Qianhe said through gritted teeth.
Jiang Ling walked to Shen Qianhe's side and said to him, "Master Shen, I suggest you wait patiently. Lu Youren only came to my house to steal silver. He was discovered by Cong Xin and subdued by us, which is why he tried to frame Cong Xin. Fortunately, the matter has been temporarily resolved. I suggest you wait a moment!"
After listening, Shen Qianhe thought about it carefully and felt that what Jiang Ling said made some sense. He then nodded and sat back down.
About an hour later, the sound of approaching hooves suddenly came from outside the door, followed by Jiang Yaojie's familiar voice reaching Jiang Ling's ears.
"Mom, I've brought the things back!"
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