Niley and Mier were quietly eating when they suddenly heard Jiang Yu crying outside the door.
"Tsk." Niley clicked her tongue. They had finally gotten a break from Jiang Yu's yelling and beating, and now she was crying instead. Seems like even after breaking her arm last night, she still hadn't learned her lesson.
"Wife…"
Mier squinted slightly when he heard Jiang Yu's voice. He then looked at Niley with concern.
He regretted not being cruel enough last night to make Jiang Yu mute with poison. That way, Niley wouldn't have to deal with her anymore.
Afraid that Mier was worried, Niley reassured him, "It's fine, let's go out and take a look."
Outside the door, after Jiang Yu's loud wailing, she didn't even care if Niley and Mier had come out. She dragged Jiang Lan and the village doctor with her, demanding they speak up for her.
It turned out that after Niley broke Jiang Yu's arm last night, Jiang Yu had been scared for quite a while. But once Niley left and she no longer heard any noise from the next room, the pain in her broken arm became unbearable.
She couldn't take it and went out in the middle of the night to find the village doctor.
She couldn't accept becoming a cripple!
Luckily, she arrived in time. Her arm could still be saved. Otherwise, how would she make money in the future? She still had to earn back the money she lost at the gambling den!
Right now, her priority was to make Niley pay her. Niley had broken her arm and just walked away. Even if Niley was her son's wife, she couldn't get away with it. What, did she think Jiang Yu was that easy to bully?
If she didn't stand up for herself now, then all these years in Zhukeng Village would have been for nothing.
The more Jiang Yu thought about it, the more she felt she was right. She waited until daytime, when the villagers were all up, and then went to the village head. She even dragged along the doctor who treated her arm. After all, her arm was really broken — this wasn't something she could fake.
Besides, this village doctor had a soft heart. Normally, when someone had a cold or a headache, she'd treat them without asking for any money. Jiang Yu always looked down on people like that — poor for life! Still, she was obedient and useful today.
So Jiang Yu told everyone she met on the way what Niley did to her last night. By the time she reached the door of the house, almost the whole village had followed her. She didn't believe she wouldn't get money out of Niley.
Just as she was thinking this, Niley and Mier opened the door and came out. Jiang Yu cleared her throat, then turned to the village head and the others with a pitiful look.
"Everyone, please take a look!"
She stretched out her uninjured arm and pointed at Niley. But the moment Niley looked her way, she quickly pulled it back, afraid the other arm would get broken too.
"It was her! Last night she came to my house and broke my arm!"
"And my good son! He's been with her for such a short time, yet he's already talking about poisoning me mute!"
"Village head, you've got to do something for me today! Otherwise, how can I feel safe staying at home?"
The crowd had seen the drama at Jiang Yu's place just yesterday. Now she was stirring things up again, and no one sided with her.
After all, what kind of decent person would sell their son to a place like that?
It's not like the family was starving — just a bit poor. But that was because Jiang Yu refused to do honest work. Any spare money she had was spent on food, drink, prostitutes, and gambling.
Even rich families couldn't withstand someone like Jiang Yu!
"Jiang Yu, you just got five taels of silver yesterday. It's already gone?"
"Of course it is! We all saw her leave the village with it yesterday. If she didn't go gamble, I'll walk on my head!"
"Exactly. She probably lost it all and now she's trying to scam more money!"
As soon as they said this, the whole crowd got excited. Everyone believed they'd figured out Jiang Yu's plan.
And to think she even broke her own arm just to scam money — she really hadn't changed her gambling ways at all!
—
When Mier came out, he was still thinking about how to stop Jiang Yu from clinging to Niley. But he didn't expect the villagers not to believe Jiang Yu at all.
He smirked. Well, it's her own fault. She'd never treated people well, so of course no one would take her side.
Let's see how she gets out of this one.
"What nonsense are you people talking?!"
Jiang Yu's face turned red with anger. She grabbed the doctor who had been quietly standing by and barked orders at her.
"You tell them! Didn't I come to you last night to fix my bone? Wasn't my arm broken?!"
Jiang Qing frowned as Jiang Yu yanked her over.
She pulled her sleeve back from Jiang Yu's grip and looked around at the people waiting quietly for her to speak. When her gaze landed on Niley, she paused for a second, then looked away.
"Say something already!"
"You really want me to talk?"
Jiang Qing's dark eyes swept over Jiang Yu, who was growing impatient. Her stare made Jiang Yu uneasy.
Earlier, Jiang Yu had thought this poor doctor was easy to manipulate and obedient enough to help her. But now, she wasn't so sure.
Seeing that everyone was waiting for Jiang Qing to speak, Jiang Yu stepped forward and threatened her in a low voice, "You know my reputation. Think carefully before you speak."
A hint of worry flashed across Jiang Qing's face.
The others didn't hear Jiang Yu's threats, but Niley caught every word. She crossed her arms and stared coldly at Jiang Yu.
Mier also noticed Jiang Yu whispering to the doctor and started to feel anxious.
He had lived with Jiang Yu for almost twenty years and knew exactly what kind of person she was — she was probably threatening the doctor again.
But…
Jiang Yu's arm really was broken, so why was Jiang Qing hesitating?
After a long silence, just as the crowd was getting restless, Jiang Qing finally spoke. "Jiang Yu did come to me last night for treatment."
As soon as she said this, Jiang Yu started jumping up and down, crying to the village head.
"Village head, you heard her, right? And all of you heard it too! It was Niley—"
"But I'm not sure who broke her arm. It could've been someone else."
Jiang Yu: …
Crowd: …
Mier: ?
He glanced at Niley, who remained calm, and finally let out a breath.
She really had him worried for nothing.
Thinking about it, he stepped forward, greeted the crowd, and said, "It's true that my wife and I went home last night. She was just worried my dad hadn't eaten, so she brought him dinner. As for what my mom said… you all know what kind of person she is. You can't take her seriously."
He and his father had heard Jiang Yu screaming last night. But by the time he went out, her arm was already broken. Who knew if she did it on purpose or not?
And even if Niley had done it, it was to stand up for him. Jiang Yu deserved it. A broken arm was getting off easy!
Mier's eyes were full of hatred as he looked at Jiang Yu.