Chapter 776: Seeking Justice

Beggars fleeing famine?

Gu Jinli’s brows slightly lifted as she signaled Xiao Ji with her eyes, and the clever Xiao Ji slipped away.

Yuanyuan was angry upon hearing this and said to the young girl, "Sister Yue, how can you say such things? Apologize to Sister Xiao Yu right away!"

Shang Xiu Yue laughed and said, "Why should I apologize? Isn’t her family one that fled from famine? I’ve heard that those who flee from famine all become beggars, kneeling and begging for food to survive. Those who can’t find food even beg for swill, eating the leftovers that pigs would eat, and they’re thrilled to have it."

Shang Xiu Yue laughed arrogantly, lifting her chin as she looked at Yuanyuan and said, "Yuanyuan, you are the young mistress of the Scholar’s Family, and also the niece of Lord County Captain. Your status is noble. Don’t degrade yourself by playing with a bunch of beggars who have fled famine."

Yuanyuan was almost furious, pointing at Shang Xiu Yue and saying, "Get out, don’t come to my house!"

Sister Xiao Yu was her favorite person, who had also saved her life, her lifesaver. Shang Xiu Yue dared to speak about Sister Xiao Yu in such a manner... Yuanyuan was so upset that she almost cried, but she held back her tears and said to Gu Jinli, "Sister Xiao Yu, I’m sorry, it’s Yuanyuan’s fault for not hosting you properly."

Gu Jinli said, "Yuanyuan need not apologize; this is not your fault. It is some people who can’t seem to recognize their place, always seeking trouble. Rest assured, such a bad girl will not end up well."

Don’t say she’s bullying children; it was Shang Xiu Yue who was looking for trouble. Even if she’s young, she wouldn’t go easy on such a child seeking her own demise.

Shang Xiu Yue was not stupid. Hearing this, she angrily said, "Who are you saying won’t end up well?"

Gu Jinli looked at her with a smiling face and said, "Talking about you, of course."

She pressed further, "What does your father do? Surely, he’s not a Scholar, is he?"

This question made the other children from the Shang Family Clan laugh.

A girl about the same age as Shang Xiu Yue said, "Her father’s just a farmer. He even sold half of the family’s paddy fields to take a concubine. Now, their household is struggling. Uncle Shang didn’t even invite her father today; she just tag along with her grandmother to scrounge for a meal."

Gu Jinli laughed and said, "Turns out to be someone who comes to her relatives’ homes in the clan to leech off them. And here I thought she was some rich young mistress, putting on quite an air."

What Shang Xiu Yue hated most was others saying that her family relied on mooching to get by. Angered and forgetting her grandmother’s instructions, she pointed at Gu Jinli and said, "So what if that’s the case? My family bears the Shang surname, and yours the Gu. Do you think just because the Gu Family pays respects to Uncle Shang as a master, you can get Uncle Shang’s property? Pah, keep dreaming! My father said, since Shang Wen Yuan doesn’t have a son, when he dies, all his assets will become the clan’s. Then, the clan will distribute his property to those families with sons!"

Shang Xiu Yue held her head high, pleased with herself as she said, "My family has three brothers and a younger brother, plenty of male heirs. We will at least get four portions of Uncle Shang’s assets!"

Gu Jinli heard this and laughed, asking her, "Young girl, do you know what it means to ’seek death’?"

Shang Xiu Yue frowned, not understanding Gu Jinli’s words, and retorted, "Stinking beggar, hurry up and leave Uncle Shang’s house. Don’t even think about taking a share of Uncle Shang’s assets; it belongs to my Shang Family, to my brothers!"

The girl’s voice was shrill, and Gu Jinli simply flexed her ears but paid no mind to Shang Xiu Yue. Instead, she took Yuanyuan’s hand and comforted her, "Yuanyuan, don’t be angry. Let’s go, this matter will be handled by your parents."

Xiao Ji had already called Mrs. Jiang and the others, and Mrs. Jiang, having heard Shang Xiu Yue’s words, was trembling with rage. She immediately said to Nanny Wen, "Nanny, take these girls from the Shang Family with you. Let’s go to the front courtyard to find Village Chief Shang! I really want to ask him if the Shang Family People are bandits. Wenyuan is not even dead yet, and they’re thinking of dividing his assets, more ruthless than strong bandits, not to mention they’re fellow clan members."

She had long known that some people in the Shang Family Clan harbored ill intentions, but she never expected it was so serious. To say such things in front of Yuanyuan meant they did not take Yuanyuan seriously at all!

Shang Xiu Yue was finally scared and cried out, "I won’t go, I won’t go, I came here with my grandma to attend the feast, let me go!"

But Nanny Wen and Lianhe, these servants from the Jiang Family, were already beside themselves with rage, how could they possibly let her go?

Lianhe wrapped her arms around Shang Xiu Yue and headed towards the front courtyard.

Ms. Jiang was already holding Yuanyuan and shedding tears, even though her elder brother was a County Magistrate and her husband a Scholar, but because she could not bear a son, she still had to suffer. This was the reason they were unwilling to settle down in Shang Family Village before Yuanyuan was born.

Mrs. Jiang said, "Stop crying, take Yuanyuan and come with me, if the Shang Family Clan does not give an explanation to the Jiang Family today, this matter will not rest."

The mistresses from the Shang Family Clan humiliated Yuanyuan like this, saying in front of her that they wanted to split the assets of Wenyuan’s Family, as Wenyuan’s in-laws and Yuanyuan’s maternal family, the Jiang Family must secure justice for Yuanyuan.

Though Ms. Jiang was delicate, Shang Xiu Yue had gone too far, and there were many people in the Shang Family Clan who shared the same mindset as Shang Xiu Yue’s family; she could not retreat today. If she did, Yuanyuan would surely be devoured to the bone by the evil men of the Shang Family Clan in the future!

Ms. Jiang apologized to Mrs. Cui and, holding Yuanyuan’s hand, followed Mrs. Jiang to the front courtyard.

Yuanyuan was a bit scared and turned back to look at Gu Jinli.

Gu Jinli said, "Yuanyuan, don’t be afraid, just tell the truth, you did nothing wrong."

Yuanyuan nodded after hearing this and smiled at Gu Jinli, then turned her head and followed Ms. Jiang out of the inner courtyard.

Yuanyuan had lived in Shang Family Village for several years, during which she also played with the children of the Shang Family Clan. During the New Year’s ancestral rites, her dad would also take her to kowtow outside the ancestral hall, but she was never allowed inside.

She didn’t understand at first, but later was mocked by the children in the clan a few times, "Your family has no male heirs, it’s childless, so your family cannot enter the ancestral hall to kowtow to the ancestors."

She was still young at the time and only faintly understood upon hearing this. Now she’s older and after hearing and seeing many other families with brothers or younger brothers, she had come to understand what ’childless’ meant, and felt extremely sad.

But Sister Xiao Yu said it wasn’t her fault, and since it wasn’t her fault, then she didn’t need to be sad, and should become formidable like Sister Xiao Yu, protect her family’s assets, and not let the evil people take them away!

...

Mrs. Jiang, with Ms. Jiang, Shang Yuanyuan, Shang Xiu Yue, and the five young girls who were present, came to the front courtyard, in front of all the guests, and laid out the matter.

Finally, she directly asked Village Chief Shang, "Village Chief Shang, Yuanyuan also carries the Shang name, now that she is being insulted like this by the Shang Family People, will you help her seek justice?"

Jiang Dahu was always protective of his own, and he had tolerated the ill-intentioned people from the Shang Family Clan for many years. This time, he made it clear to Village Chief Shang, "Village Chief Shang, you must give us, the Jiang Family, an explanation for today’s incident, otherwise we, the Jiang Family, will not let it rest."

Wenyuan is not even dead yet, and they want to split his assets, he had never seen such a rush.

What’s the big deal with having no heirs? They could simply take in a son-in-law for Yuanyuan; there are plenty of ways. Since when did the same clan relatives like Shang Xiu Yue’s family, who are several branches removed from Wenyuan’s Family, have the right to divide the assets?