kvmb Chapter 516 You've asked the wrong person!
Chapter 516 You've asked the wrong person!
Uncle Yu waved his arms wildly, slapping them frantically in the air.
With red eyes, Zhang glared angrily at Uncle Yu and shouted, "I'll fight you to the death!"
"Mother!" Seeing this, Xiu Niang quickly went to stop her, but Lu Yangyang pulled her back.
Lu Yangyang pulled her behind her, took a few steps over, grabbed Zhang Shi, pulled her away, and stood in front of Uncle Yu.
When Uncle Yu saw her, he instinctively froze for a moment, took two steps back, and showed obvious fear on his face.
Lu Yangyang took a step forward, and Uncle Yu took a step back. After a couple of steps, they both fell to the ground.
Lu Yangyang glanced at the onlookers, then looked down at Uncle Yu, who was so frightened he had fallen to the ground, and asked loudly, "What are you afraid of?"
Uncle Yu's lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.
What was he afraid of? Of course, he was afraid of the girl in front of him!
He vividly remembered the foolish things he almost did when he harbored wicked intentions. How could he not be afraid? He had witnessed how this girl dealt with those Taoist priests at the Immortal Temple! Besides, she was quite familiar with the prefect!
He was terrified that Lu Yangyang would realize what was happening and come after him!
At this moment, Lu Yangyang stood there, and with just one sentence, Uncle Yu Liu came to his senses. How foolish his madness had been! It was this girl who saved Xiu Niang, and now that Xiu Niang had this girl backing her up, no matter how much he argued, it wouldn't matter!
He was terrified and sweating profusely. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He scrambled to his feet, knelt down, and cried out, "My lord, my lord, spare my life! I beg you, please let me take my daughter back! My family is poor, and I was forced to send her away in marriage. I promise I will treat them well from now on. Please give them back to me, I promise..."
"You beast, you're talking nonsense—" Zhang was so angry that she wanted to step forward and hit him.
Lu Yangyang nodded: "Okay!"
Uncle Yu looked up in surprise, staring at Lu Yangyang in disbelief.
Everyone looked at Lu Yangyang.
Lu Yangyang met Yu Liubo's eyes: "But you've asked the wrong person."
Uncle Yu's mouth was slightly open, and his breathing gradually became rapid.
“First of all, they are not my servants. I have no right to interfere with their choices. It’s not up to me to decide whether they want to go back with you. What are you up to by begging me? How did I, a doctor, get accused of abducting women for no reason? Ask the people here. Is that appropriate?” Lu Yangyang said.
The onlookers, who had been engrossed in watching the spectacle, began to discuss the matter after hearing the details. Some felt the mother and daughter shouldn't have gone back with them, while others argued that Uncle Yu, as the head of the family, had already pleaded so earnestly, yet his wife and daughter treated him this way, which was truly unfair. However, because Uncle Yu had brought many people with him, even those who felt sorry for Xiu Niang and her daughter dared not speak out, as it was, after all, someone else's family matter.
However, after Lu Yangyang said this, some people echoed her sentiments.
"Leaving aside this family's affairs, what this girl said makes sense. Since she didn't sell herself into slavery, how can she beg them to release her? Isn't that just being unreasonable?"
"I feel sorry for this mother and daughter. I heard that the Immortal Temple was shut down because those Taoist priests did something inhumane. They abused many young girls under the guise of forced labor. I saw them this morning. All those Taoist priests were arrested by the soldiers! This girl is also unlucky. She doesn't even look like she's of marriageable age yet. She was sent away like that. If she hadn't been rescued, she wouldn't be alive."
"Absolutely! If we go back, we'll just be sold again. How pitiful, how pitiful!"
"You can't say that. This girl is really too heartless. After all, he's her own father, and she's doing just fine. I think she's just climbed up the social ladder and doesn't want to acknowledge her old father in the countryside anymore! Unfilial, unfilial!"
"Pah, my friend, that's not a very kind thing to say. If it weren't for this girl's good fortune, she would be dead by now. And you call her filial?"
"That's right, I think this girl is right. She was almost killed, but she didn't say a word of hatred or that she would disown her father. How is she unfilial? I don't think there's another girl as insightful as her. It's just that her life has been a bit unfortunate!"
A group of people started talking amongst themselves. Even those who hadn't been saying anything before started speaking up for Xiu Niang and her daughter, their words reaching the ears of Uncle Yu Liu and the villagers of Yu Family Village.
Some villagers couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to try to persuade Uncle Yu: "Uncle Yu, let it go. Xiu Niang is so young. She has already sacrificed herself once. From now on, just consider her dead. Originally, she was going to die anyway..."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Yu completely broke down, roaring, "I didn't! I didn't! This is my only daughter, my son is gone. If it weren't for the village, for you all, would I have done this? Would I have done this?!"
She burst into tears in an instant.
Those who were gossiping couldn't help but sigh when they saw him like this, feeling that he was truly pitiful.
Lu Yangyang spoke up: "Do you find it difficult to choose? You would never do this unless you had no other choice, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Uncle Yu almost shouted.
Lu Yangyang nodded: "You're nearly forty, the village chief. Your decisions and experience have put you in such a difficult position, and in the end, you even chose to send your own daughter to her death. You feel it's difficult, you feel pain. So what do you want your thirteen-year-old daughter, who has only done housework at home for a few years, to choose? To let her bear your difficulties and your responsibilities? You're shameless enough! Or do you think you can't bear your responsibilities and want a thirteen-year-old girl to bear them? If that's the case, you, as her father, will do it for her, and you, as her village chief, will do it for her too. What do you think?"
Uncle Yu was completely stunned. His face turned visibly red and even turned dark purple.
Someone in the crowd clapped and shouted, "Well said!"
It turned out to be Prefect Ling walking over.
Those who recognized Prefect Ling bowed in greeting.
Prefect Ling raised his hand and then announced loudly, "Fellow villagers, regarding the case of the Immortal Temple's Elixir, seven days from now, on New Year's Eve, I will announce the verdict publicly on the execution platform! Tomorrow morning, notices will be posted throughout the city informing everyone of the whole story! Justice is clear, and I hereby promise that I will not let any guilty person go unpunished, nor will I allow any innocent person to suffer injustice. All those implicated will receive compensation from the government!"
"Furthermore, the young women who have been implicated in this matter are pure and innocent. I will not allow anyone to tarnish their reputations or force them to return home! I hereby grant them special permission, respecting their wishes, to establish separate households for them and register their household registration!"