Seeing that Lan Yamei had nothing to say, Lord Liu then said to Hua Yuhe, "Manager Hua, I am handling this case impartially. Please answer my questions truthfully."
"Yes, sir. I will tell you everything I know, so as to clear Hua Manlou's name. Please ask me whatever you want, Lord Liu," Hua Yuhe said innocently.
"Very well! I ask you, did you give this child a potent poison and instruct him and his grandfather to murder everyone at the barbecue restaurant?"
"Absolutely not! Hua Manlou is incredibly busy, with a multitude of matters to attend to. How could I possibly have time for such underhanded things? Murder is either for money or out of personal vendetta? I don't think I, Hua Yuhe, would need to be jealous of a barbecue restaurant's business, so money doesn't make sense to me! And personal vendetta is even less likely! Manager Mei and I are adoptive mother and daughter. Although we had some unresolved grievances decades ago, I am magnanimous, and Manager Mei returned the family business. I have no reason to be so ruthless as to damage our adoptive mother-daughter relationship. We've lived peacefully all these years, as you have witnessed. So please, sir, judge for yourself, I truly have not done any of these things." Hua Yuhe spoke eloquently.
Shopkeeper Mei was furious at the sight of this two-faced woman; she couldn't see any respect in her at all. Lan Yamei noticed Aunt Guan's emotional turmoil and put her arm around Aunt Guan's shoulder to comfort her.
"Very well! I ask you, since you and Meilin Pass are adoptive mother and daughter, and you don't hate her, why didn't you take the initiative to show goodwill to your adoptive mother in court? Is it really as you say, that the past is the past?"
"Your Honor, this is a courtroom, and I dare not disrupt the order of the proceedings, which is why I did not offer my greetings privately. I originally intended to wait until you finished your questioning before catching up with my foster mother. Since you find my actions suspicious, I will now greet my foster mother." Hua Yuhe was truly full of lies, yet she was also adept at yielding. She stepped forward and curtsied towards Meilin Pass, saying sincerely, "May my foster mother be well!"
Meilin Guan didn't speak, he just turned his head away and ignored him.
"Stop talking nonsense! Aunt Guan doesn't have an adopted daughter like you! Where were you, this rich and powerful adopted daughter, when she was shivering in the cold on the street? Go be your flower shopkeeper! We wouldn't dare to be related to you." Lan Yamei couldn't stand it and said a few words to vent her anger on behalf of Aunt Guan.
Hua Yuhe wasn't angry. She tilted her head back and said, "So that's why my foster mother has been growing distant from me. It turns out it was you, you little brat, who was behind it all. I, Hua Manlou, earn a fortune every day. How could I not be able to feed a single person?"
Seeing that the matter was getting further and further off track, Lord Liu slammed his gavel and said, "Given the complexity of the case and the conflicting accounts from both sides, I cannot deliver a verdict in court today. Gather your evidence immediately, and we will proceed with the trial tomorrow. Court adjourned!"
After leaving the hall, Hua Yuhe turned and left. Lan Yamei and Aunt Guan helped Wang Fengyang up, saying, "Child, let's go."
The three of them hadn't gone far from the yamen when Lord Murong, dressed in purple finery, caught up with them. He cupped his hands in greeting to Granny Guan and said, "Manager Mei, my name is Murong Xingchen. I have some private matters I'd like to ask for your help with." He then bowed respectfully, showing none of the arrogance one might expect from a court official.
Aunt Guan had always harbored hatred towards the Murong family, but seeing that the person before her was extraordinary and had helped everyone today, she said, "Lord Murong, please speak."
"Manager Mei, I have a younger sister who is 8 years old. A few days ago, she suddenly lost her speech and her eyes became dull. We have consulted many famous doctors, but none of them could do anything. I have long heard that Manager Mei is a miraculous doctor who has saved countless lives. I have been searching for her for a long time but could not find her. I never thought that I would be so lucky to meet her today. I beg Manager Mei to treat my sister."
“This… young master, could you please wait a while?” Aunt Guan did not refuse, but she had nowhere to stay at the moment, was embroiled in a lawsuit, and had not yet settled and buried Wang Fengyang’s family. She really could not concentrate on treating the patient.
"Manager Mei, please don't refuse. My sister's condition is worsening every day, and I'm really worried," Murong Xingchen said earnestly.
“Young Master Murong, we really have something to attend to right now. Once the case is settled and Wang Fengyang’s family is taken care of, Aunt Guan will definitely help you. Please believe us. You helped us at this critical moment today, so Aunt Guan will not abandon your sister out of kindness or reason. Please wait patiently for two more days,” Lan Yamei explained.
"Alright! I'll come again tomorrow. However, you probably can't win this deadlocked case. There's a serious lack of evidence and witnesses. You can't convict the other party based solely on the child's accusations. Even if Hua Manlou instigated it, who can testify for you? So don't have too much hope. I'll take my leave now." After saying this, he respectfully cupped his hands, then mounted his horse and left.
The three returned to Grandpa Ouyang's house, where Grandpa Ouyang, Tie Tou, Er Gou, and the others were all waiting expectantly at the door. Once inside, the three recounted the events that had transpired in the main hall.
Before leaving, Aunt Guan asked, "Ouyang, did you invite Murong Xingchen?" Looking at this group of people, only the Ouyang family could speak with the Murong family.
"I was afraid that the magistrate was incompetent, so I went to the Murong family to ask for an audience. The Murong family didn't want to get involved, but luckily I ran into Murong Xingchen on my way out and asked him about it, which is how they got help. When my parents and brother were still alive, the Murong family would give the Ouyang family some face. Now, I have never done anything for the Murong family, so it's understandable that they treat me this way." Ouyang sighed and explained the ins and outs of the matter.
"Murong Xingchen told us that the chances of winning are slim, and we should be prepared to lose," Lan Yamei said.
"What? Even Wang Fengyang's testimony isn't enough?" Tie Tou asked.
“How can one side’s story be enough! If I say you committed murder and there’s no one else to testify, it could be considered a frame-up. So let’s discuss what to do next,” Lan Yamei said.
After arguing for a long time, everyone agreed that it was more important to develop and strengthen themselves first, and only when they had a voice and social status could they take revenge!
The group of people were exhausted from yesterday until the afternoon of the second day, so Grandpa Ouyang ordered a meal outside.
After the meal, Tie Tou and a few of his brothers went to keep watch at the barbecue restaurant to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos. Lan Ya Mei gave Er Gou's family three days off; they were good people and she didn't want to involve them, so she let them go back to the village to rest.
The rest of the people ate and went to bed early. Wang Fengyang was sullen, his eyes were swollen, and he didn't have much of an appetite. The three of them comforted him for a while before he managed to eat half a bowl of rice.
Lan Ya Mei felt sorry for this strong child. The family had gone through so many hardships, but in the end they could not escape the clutches of life. All that was left was a lonely, thin figure sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
"Don't worry, your sister, grandma, and grandpa will all be your family from now on. And Uncle Tietou, Uncle Ergou's family, we are all your relatives. You will live with us from now on, don't be afraid of the child." Lan Yamei gently patted the child's back to comfort her.
"Thank you, sister." Wang Fengyang forced a grateful smile onto his small face.
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