The third watch, asking for pinks.
...
"Alright, let’s go over there now, let’s go right away." Luo Xiaoyan got up and hurriedly said, urging Erlang and Luo Xiaoying to co with her.
Erlang and Luo Xiaoying hadn’t reacted yet, both considering that even while they were there, Lian Shouyi could fabricate such accusations against them. If they left, who knew what else Lian Shouyi might say. While they were present, they could defend themselves, but once gone, they couldn’t.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, they noticed that Lian Shouxin’s expression turned unpleasant upon seeing Lian Shouyi. This was obvious to everyone. Throughout this ti, Lian Shouxin also wore a gloomy face and said little. This made them even more anxious, fearing that Lian Shouxin might believe Lian Shouyi’s words.
The two of them understood clearly that after all, Lian Shouyi was Lian Shouxin’s brother, whereas Luo Xiaoyan was just a niece-in-law, and not a particularly favored one. By comparison, they were more afraid that Lian Shouxin might heed Lian Shouyi’s words and make a decision unfavorable to Luo Xiaoyan.
Therefore, neither of them wanted to leave much.
"Let’s first go pay our respects to Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, Brother Wu Lang, and Sister Manman and then co back quickly..." Luo Xiaoyan noticed their hesitation and hurriedly signaled them with her eyes and urged them.
"Well..." Erlang still hesitated, wanting to say a few words in defense of Luo Xiaoyan.
Luo Xiaoyan quickly stepped forward, took Erlang by one hand, and Luo Xiaoying by the other, smiled apologetically to Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, Wu Lang, and Lian Manman, and hurriedly left.
Lian Manman saw Luo Xiaoyan leaving with Erlang and Luo Xiaoying and realized she’d understood the underlying ssage in her words, she felt a bit relieved, and then looked at Lian Shouxin.
Lian Shouxin hadn’t spoken up for a reason; partly because he was infuriated by Lian Shouyi’s appearance and actions, and partly because he considered Lian Shouyi’s reputation, which he wasn’t keen on tarnishing in front of Erlang and the Luo Xiaoyan siblings.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely about Lian Shouyi’s reputation. In Lian Shouxin’s mind, at tis like this, Lian Shouyi’s face was also, to so extent, the face of the Lian Family.
Even if he were to reprimand Lian Shouyi, he wanted to preserve so dignity for Lian Shouyi in front of the younger generation so they could continue to live together, and so that Luo Xiaoyan and the Luo Family wouldn’t look down on Lian Shouyi and Lady He.
Thus, Lian Manman first sent Luo Xiaoyan and the others away. At first, Luo Xiaoyan misunderstood and thought she wasn’t welco, but she went happily once she understood the situation.
As for Lian Shouxin, seeing Luo Xiaoyan and the others have left, his expression turned even sterner.
"Second Brother, did you really co all the way here from the Luo Family Village like this?" Lian Shouxin asked, this being the first thing he said.
"Yes." Lian Shouyi, seeing Luo Xiaoyan and the others had left, noticed that Lian Shouxin’s deanor had not improved but rather worsened. He also realized that Lian Shouxin’s question was sowhat accusatory in tone, which made him sense trouble. But still, he responded.
"Old Fourth, you don’t know how I’ve been living these days." Lian Shouyi continued bitterly, "It’s simply not a way for people to live — nothing to eat, nothing to drink, nothing to wear. If you hadn’t co back, I would have been hard by that Luo Xiaoyan’s whole family!"
"When you all were around, they at least behaved temporarily; the mont you left, they changed..." Lian Shouyi laid it on thickly, embellishing stories about how Luo Xiaoyan’s family mistreated him, beat him, stole his money, and so on, "Old Fourth, you have to stand up for . I am far from incapacitated, I have a house, land, and money, I don’t need anything from them, yet they still treat this way. How will it be when we are old? They might just throw us in the ditch, and leaving us unburied would be the best they’d do."
"Still supporting us? That’s impossible, they’d throw us in Yanggou and leave us there, burying us alive would be considered kind compared to what they’re capable of."
"Old Fourth, Erlang’s wife is not as good as the Old Zhao family’s previous one. Say what you will about her, she brought a good dowry, was sharp-tongued but never laid a hand on us. This one, on the other hand, eats our food and drinks our drink while skimping on us to support her whole family... She acts as if we’re not human."
"The way she beats and mistreats , it’s like she doesn’t even have the Lian family’s esteed status in her eyes. This woman truly has a ruthless heart. Our Old Lian Family cannot tolerate such a person."
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