Chapter 372: Demanding Justice

"Don’t, don’t, Sister Yu Mei, don’t hit my mother, please don’t hit my mother." Xu Qing cried and shrieked, wanting to protect Ms. Xu Wang, but he was only six years old and had no strength to confront Gu Yumei.

Gu Yumei became even more furious upon hearing this: "Shut your mouth! You little bastard, who are you to call me your sister? Sister Yu Mei is not someone you can call out, your family is servile, while I’m the young lady of the Dong Family workshop."

Xu Qing was stunned by the scolding for a moment, and quickly begged for mercy: "Please have mercy, Dong Family’s daughter, please don’t hit my mother, I beg you, don’t hit her."

Gu Dafu, fearing that Gu Yumei would hurt Xu Qing, quickly went to pry Gu Yumei’s hand from gripping Xu Qing’s arm: "Sister Mei, let go quickly, Brother Qing is young and his bones are still fragile, you could injure him by pulling like that."

Brother Qing?

So, you call this little bastard Brother Qing? Could it be that there isn’t something more to it?

Gu Yumei cried out: "Wuu wuu wuu, father, you are actually taking the side of this bastard... Do you want to use the family’s money to support this mother and son? How can you do this to my deceased mother?!"

Gu Dafu hurriedly explained: "Sister Mei, you’re misunderstanding. Ms. Xu Wang was moving the prepared tofu to be fried, and it’s too hot today, she must have suffered a heatstroke and suddenly fainted. Father just happened to see and reached out to help her, it’s not what you think."

"Just by lending a hand you end up embracing her? Dad, you’re too gullible. She obviously saw you coming, deliberately feigned fainting, and collapsed into your arms to ensnare you, planning to marry into our family," Gu Yumei pointed at Ms. Xu Wang and said: "Look at her, she’s still so young. Will she remain a widow? She must have had her eye on you, thinking about how to cling to you and bring her bastard into our family."

"Who are you calling a bastard?!" Mrs. Ma had just delivered some newly-prepared spices to the Tian Family and heard these words upon her return. She was very angry and hurried over to protect Ms. Xu Wang: "Brother Qing is my young sister’s son with her husband, he has a proper name and a reputable family background, not some bastard. You might be of higher status than us, but there’s no need for such malicious words."

Because of Gu Yumei’s commotion, everyone working in the workshop had come out, but this matter was not for them to interpose in, and they could only try to persuade from the side: "Sister Mei, you must have misunderstood, Ms. Xu Wang has always been nothing but honest, she would never harbor such thoughts."

Meanwhile, Mo Chunyue had already run out of the workshop to look for help at Gu Jinli’s house.

Seeing so many people speaking up for Ms. Xu Wang made Gu Yumei even more furious as she shouted: "Shut up, this is between my family and the Wang Family, you are just workers in the workshop, you have no place to speak."

Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone in the workshop became dark as one. Although they were there to work, they were not servants. They have lived in the village longer than the Qin, Gu, Luo, and Tian families combined. When the children of these families saw them, they were always very respectful, and even Xiao Yu treated them as elders. How could Gu Yumei speak to them like this?

"Sister Mei, hold your tongue," Gu Dafu, after prying Gu Yumei’s hand off Xu Qing, dragged her toward the workshop gate: "Go back home, stop making a scene."

"Me making a scene? Dad, you’re still siding with that woman up to this point, are you so determined to abandon me and elder brother to be with that woman and her bastard?" Gu Yumei knew that Gu Dafu cared for her and her brother, and she was very afraid that if he remarried, he would treat them poorly.

If Gu Dafu stopped cherishing them, their days would become very difficult.

She also thought of the bullying Granny Gu inflicted on Gu Jinli’s family and felt even more frightened and more resentful towards Ms. Xu Wang, insistent on creating a scene: "Let go of me, I’m not leaving, today I will beat that shameless woman to death."

"Who are you trying to beat to death? Look how capable you have become; I’ll beat you to death first!" Mrs. Chen, whose home was nearby, was hurriedly informed by Mo Chunyue. She rushed over in fright, and as soon as she arrived at the workshop she heard these words and cursed furiously: "I asked you to fetch some spices, and you bring trouble upon me instead! A maiden like you, always so quick to speak of killing; do you care about your reputation at all? Do you still wish to marry?"

If these words were to spread, which family would dare to marry a girl who doesn’t regard human life?

Gu Yumei, frightened by Mrs. Chen, shrank when she saw Mrs. Chen coming over with great anger, daring not to curse too hideously. However, she still felt very wronged, pointing at Ms. Xu Wang she said, "Second Aunt, this woman wants to entangle with my father and marry into our family to divide the money, you..."

"Pah! Do you have any evidence when you say such things? Wantonly slandering a woman’s reputation is akin to murder," Mrs. Chen interrupted Gu Yumei’s words, fuming with rage: "Furthermore, it is your father’s business, is it your place, as a young maiden, to manage? If your father remarries, you’re to kneel and call her mother obediently, and if you dare not to call or show respect, you would be unfilial."

"Second Aunt..." Gu Yumei was shocked, she did not expect Mrs. Chen to say such things. She thought that Mrs. Chen, who loved money, would be on her side because if her father married a stepmother, then in the future her uncle’s family could no longer claim a larger share of the inheritance, and the household expenses would no longer be solely paid by her father, but split between both families equally.

Mrs. Chen actually wished for Gu Dafu to remarry, as only then could she separate from the family. She had had enough of Gu Yumei and Gu Dexing. If she had to endure those two any longer, she was sure to live at least ten years less.

Seeing Ms. Xu Wang still lying on the ground, Mrs. Chen, afraid that it might lead to a fatality, hurried over with Ms. Wang Ma to carry her into the workshop’s main house.

Mo Qinzi, seeing Xu Qing all alone, quickly ran over and took his hand, saying, "Don’t be afraid, the Young Master will be here soon, she’ll seek justice for your mother. Let’s go inside and see how your mother is doing."

Xu Qing, crying, followed Mo Qinzi into the house.

He Dazhuang’s wife and the others hurried to the workshop kitchen to get water and fed it to the unconscious Ms. Xu Wang.

Gu Yumei saw that everyone in the workshop was surrounding Ms. Xu Wang, which made her cry with anger... Why? Clearly, it was Ms. Xu Wang who was in the wrong, but why was everyone helping her and thinking she was the bad one?

Gu Dafu quickly pulled her out of the workshop door, "Sister Mei, your face is already sufficiently lost today, hurry up and come home with me!"

Gu Dafu was furious. He had nothing to do with Ms. Xu Wang, but because of Sister Mei’s commotion today, there would certainly be rumors about him and Ms. Xu Wang.

Gu Yumei sobbed and stopped making a scene, following Gu Dafu home.

Unfortunately, just as they left the workshop not far, they were stopped by Gu Jinli who had rushed over.

"After causing such a disaster you think you can just run away? Roll back to the workshop!" Gu Jinli roared with a gloomy face, wishing he could strangle Gu Yumei.

When Gu Dafu saw Gu Jinli arriving, he knew Sister Mei was likely to be in deep trouble and quickly apologized, "Xiao Yu, Uncle Dafu has already disciplined her. Rest assured, she knows she’s wrong and won’t trouble Ms. Xu Wang again."

Gu Jinli sneered, "Uncle Dafu, it’s not now a matter of whether Gu Yumei will trouble Ms. Xu Wang or not, but it’s about Ms. Xu Wang seeking justice from Gu Yumei. Do you understand?"

Ms. Xu Wang is a servant of our family, and it’s unacceptable for someone to wrongly accuse her and slap her four times without any consequences.