bookcurios Chapter 3 Clearing Suspicion
Chapter 3 Clearing Suspicion
Yao Shanyun, who had been standing next to Shan Qiyu, was wiping away tears when she heard this and immediately exploded.
He launched into a tirade—
"If you can't talk about it when he's alive, and you can't talk about it when he's dead, then when can you talk about it?! If you don't talk about those outrageous things he did, does that mean he didn't do them?! Yes, he's dead, and his daughter almost went with him!"
Your daughter was beaten like that, and you're not going to hold the perpetrator accountable? Even tigers don't eat their cubs; he beat his own daughter so badly, calling him worse than an animal is too lenient!
Yao Shanyun was known for her shrewishness in several surrounding villages. Everyone in the village knew this and dared not easily cross her. Moreover, she brought up Meng Fuqing, who was lying in bed, so the old man could not say anything more.
Shan Qiyu straightened her back and looked at the clan chief Meng Bochang. "Clan chief, I will make things clear today—I hate him, but I care more about my child."
Qingqing was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. I was too busy treating her injuries and getting her medicine to think about Meng Shaoyuan.
Meng Ranran added loudly, "My mother didn't harm anyone! She went to buy medicine for my older sister's injuries!"
Meng Ali was already sobbing, huddled next to Yao Shanyun, his mouth never stopping, "My mother didn't do anything bad, she didn't... sob sob sob sob—"
Meng Lin lowered her relaxed eyelids and said no more.
For a moment, the only sound in the main room was the child's crying.
A dignified voice suddenly rang out, "Doctor Zheng is on his way. Once he has come to see him, he will know how Shao Yuan got there."
Village chief and clan head Meng Bochang paused for a moment, then said, "According to the two children, Shao Yuan's family went out to buy medicine for their injuries, while Qing'er was seriously injured at home. Who could possibly lay a hand on a grown man? Or do you think those two little kids have that kind of ability?"
His serious gaze swept over everyone, and the room fell silent.
Meng Fuqing curled the corners of his mouth. This village chief is not bad; he understands things clearly.
A short while later, an old man's grumbling voice came from the courtyard: "People come to me when they're alive, and they still come to me when they're dead. Do they think I'm a coroner? Where are they?"
Meng Fuqing knew immediately that this was the eccentric Doctor Zheng.
The group walked outside. After a commotion, Meng Fuqing heard Doctor Zheng speak again, "It can't be poisoning. Look at all that wine he's vomiting. It's most likely an acute abdominal pain. Bleeding from both inside and outside, wouldn't he die quickly?"
Someone asked, "How did he get his head injured?"
Dr. Zheng scoffed, "Is it rare for someone to trip and fall after drinking? You pig-brain! Don't ask me how you fell, I'm not a coroner. Anyway, you died of acute abdominal pain, believe it or not!"
He spoke frankly, and no one dared to ask any further questions.
Meng Bochang said, "I heard it all. Any good thing that passes by is deadly. Doctor Zheng never lies."
He asked Meng Cheng'an, "Second son, what do you think?"
As Meng Shaoyuan's younger brother, Meng Cheng'an lived in his brother's shadow since childhood. After the passing of Meng's parents and the marriage of his sister, the two families had little contact after they separated.
He stepped out from the crowd and bowed respectfully. "The village chief is absolutely right. I have nothing to say."
After the conversation outside came to an end, everyone began to discuss Meng Shaoyuan's burial arrangements.
Meng Fuqing was very satisfied with this outcome. After listening to what they had said, Meng Fuqing felt that the original owner's mother was also quite clever.
Today's events are too coincidental. If we don't clarify things now, once the villagers realize what's going on, the rumors alone will disturb our family's peace.
In addition, Shan Qiyu had a good reputation in the village, and many people felt sorry for her, which is why things went so smoothly.
After a while, footsteps came from outside, and Meng Fuqing closed his eyes again.
Shan Qiyu leaned forward and whispered "Qingqing" a few times, "Doctor Zheng is here, Mother asked him to take a look at your injury."
Meng Fuqing opened his eyes and nodded gently.
Facing a room full of women and children, Dr. Zheng, who had been so defiant outside, took her pulse and examined the injury to the back of her head. He shook his head and said, "This fall was quite severe. I'll prescribe some herbal medicine to help her recover. It's best to take good care of her, otherwise, she might develop a chronic condition."
Shan Qiyu readily agreed.
After prescribing the medicine, Doctor Zheng left. Shan Qiyu went out to see him off, and Meng Ranran and Meng Ali cautiously approached. Meng Ranran was holding a bowl containing sorghum cakes that had been broken into small pieces and soaked in water.
As soon as she opened her mouth, Meng Ranran's eyes immediately reddened. She put down the bowl, raised her arm and wiped her eyes hard before reaching out to help Meng Fuqing up.
"Sister, are you starving? Eat something..."
Meng Fuqing took the bowl and looked at the bowl of water-soaked sorghum cakes. He couldn't help but miss the compressed biscuits from the post-apocalyptic world.
Aside from being a bit dry, everything else is pretty good.
She ate a bowl of water-soaked flatbread in big mouthfuls, and her stomach, which had been aching slightly, finally calmed down a little.
As she handed the bowl to Meng Ranran, she suddenly met two pairs of eyes that were staring at her expectantly. Meng Fuqing paused for a moment and said softly, "You did very well just now."
In my memory, both children were very sensible.
When the original owner was a child, the Meng family received financial assistance from the Shan family, and life was quite good.
As Shan Qiyu said, the original owner almost didn't make it through when she was born, and her body was severely weakened, so she couldn't conceive for several years.
Meng's parents and Meng Shaoyuan both wanted a boy and had some reservations about Shan Qiyu. Under these circumstances, Meng Ranran's birth was like adding fuel to the fire.
Only protected by her mother and eldest sister, Meng Ranran developed the personality of a little wolf cub. She was fearless and dared to challenge her father even as a child. She was stubborn and would not back down even after being beaten.
Compared to the original owner who had lived a good life and Meng Ali, whom Meng Shaoyuan was reluctant to harm, Meng Ranran was the one who suffered the most among the three children but never complained.
The two little ones were surprised to be praised by their older sister, and their faces turned a little red.
Meng Fuqing reached out and patted the shy little girl's head. Before he could touch Meng Ali, who was leaning in for a pat, a few more people entered from the outer room.
Several women entered this time, and at a glance, they all matched the images in Meng Fuqing's memory.
The elderly woman at the head of the group was the clan chief's wife, Meng Xueshi. She had a kind face and smiled before speaking. Even in a famine year, she had a double chin, which showed that her family was doing well.
The woman described later as straightforward and spirited is Yao Shanyun from the family where Meng Ranran borrowed the pancakes; she is also the one who has been speaking up for Shan Qiyu.
Before Meng Fuqing could even get a good look at everyone, Shan Qiyu stepped forward and touched her face, "Does your head hurt? Are you still hungry?"
The warm touch made Meng Fuqing feel a little uncomfortable. She said stiffly, "I'm fine, don't worry."
Dan Qiyu took a deep breath, feeling a lump of cotton stuck in her throat, making her feel choked and uncomfortable.
She often felt that it was a mistake to have given birth to three children who suffered with her, but without the children, she didn't know if she could have survived until the day Meng Shaoyuan died.