However, Qi Chengyan was proud and rarely spoke to others, so how could he easily show his wound to everyone?
It was only because Song Yulian had pushed him too hard today that he did so.
Qi Chengyan pulled down his pant leg and looked at Song Yulian with a stern gaze, his imposing aura pressing down.
"Is that enough?"
Song Yulian lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.
Qi Chengyan's gaze was icy, chilling anyone to the bone with a single glance.
Sun Xiaowan clapped her hands, "Alright, alright, the truth is out. No one will suspect Brother Chengyan now, right?"
Everyone chimed in with agreement.
"Young educated youth Qi is clearly an upright person, how could he do such a thing?"
"Right, right, I never suspected him or Cheng You."
"I wonder which black-hearted person spread those words. Truly inhumane."
Sixth Aunt stepped forward with a grim expression, "Everyone disperse! Aren't you supposed to be working?"
As soon as she spoke, everyone began to disperse.
They dared not disobey Sixth Aunt's words.
Song Yulian, pulling Cheng Tao along, tried to slip away, but Sixth Aunt stopped her. "The matter isn't resolved yet, where do you think you're going?"
Song Yulian chuckled, "Aunt, it was all a misunderstanding, it's fine now that it's cleared up."
Sixth Aunt sneered, "Cheng You's matter is cleared up, but yours isn't."
Cheng Tianhua was about to speak when he heard Sixth Aunt's furious reprimand, "If you shield them again this time, I'll write a report of your actions and submit it!"
Cheng Tianhua's movements froze, and he dared not speak further.
"Song Yulian, Cheng Tao, this isn't the first time you've slandered Cheng You! Don't talk about being family, even if you weren't, you shouldn't have done this! Your actions are creating internal conflict among the people and disrupting collective stability!"
Zhao Yunlin, indignant, wanted to speak up for Cheng Tao but was shot down by Sixth Aunt, "Don't rush, I haven't even spoken to you yet! As a man, have some backbone. Wavering between the daughters of our Old Cheng family, what do you take our Old Cheng family for?"
Sixth Aunt lightly exposed the fig leaf between him and Cheng Tao.
Before the parties involved could feel awkward, Sixth Aunt continued, "Without rules, nothing can be done properly. If slandering others in the future requires no punishment, won't our Wujing Village fall into chaos? Tianhua, don't you agree?"
Cheng Tianhua reluctantly nodded, "Aunt is right, Yulian and Cheng Tao misunderstood this time."
Sixth Aunt snorted, "You don't need to rush to cover for them. Whether it was a misunderstanding or malice, everyone knows. Tomorrow morning, Song Yulian and Cheng Tao will go to the broadcast station to write a thousand-character self-criticism!"
Song Yulian and Cheng Tao's faces turned ashen.
If they truly had to do a self-criticism, wouldn't their faces be completely lost?
"What, do you have objections?" Sixth Aunt raised an eyebrow.
Cheng Tianhua quickly said, "No objections! I'll make them write the self-criticism tonight, and they'll go to the broadcast station tomorrow!"
The broadcast station was the village's loudspeaker system, used to announce important village matters.
For people like Song Yulian and Cheng Tao to do a self-criticism there would be heard in neighboring villages once it was broadcast.
This would be truly embarrassing.
Sixth Aunt glared at them impatiently, "Making you write a self-criticism is giving you a chance. If you try any more tricks, I'll drag you to the Women's Federation office for criticism!"
Song Yulian shrank her neck, no longer daring to entertain any ideas.
With that said, Sixth Aunt looked at Cheng Tianhua, "People's hearts are biased, there's no one in this world who isn't biased. But you still need to have some sense of proportion! To trample on your own flesh and blood for an outsider, this is the first time I've heard of it."
After exhaling sharply, Sixth Aunt left with Cheng You.
Upon returning home, Cheng You gave Sixth Aunt a thumbs-up.
"Grandma Liu, you're the best."
Sixth Aunt shook her head, "Your father just told me today to have you go home. You've now completely broken ties with them, and your future days will surely be difficult."
Living in fear in one's own home would be too meaningless.
Cheng You smiled, "I'm not afraid of them!"
Sixth Aunt said no more, it wasn't a matter of fear or not.
Filial piety was paramount and could be life-threatening.
"In any case, you be careful and try to have fewer conflicts with them."
If you can't afford to offend them, stay far away.
Cheng You smiled but said nothing. That was unlikely.
Cheng Tao dreamed of marrying into the Old Zhao family, how could she easily let go?
...
When Cheng Tao returned home, she couldn't hold back her tears and burst into loud sobs.
To make her do a self-criticism in front of the entire village, how humiliating would that be!
"Mom, I won't go, I don't want to go!"
Song Yulian glared at her impatiently, "You don't want to go, do you think I want to?"
She was almost forty years old, didn't she have any dignity?
"It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be this humiliated! Cheng Tao, giving birth to you was like collecting a debt!"
Cheng Tao lowered her head dejectedly, a wound still fresh on her face, causing unbearable pain.
Cheng Wenyu ran in from outside, "Sis, I heard people say... what happened to your face?"
Cheng Tao cried with a whimper, "It's still Cheng You!"
"Cheng You hit you? I'll settle the score with her!"
He took two steps before Cheng Tianhua's furious roar was heard, "Go where? Shut up!"
Cheng Wenyu frowned unhappily, "Dad, you're being too biased. Cheng You beat my sister like this!"
Cheng Tianhua coldly looked at him, "What Cheng You? She's your sister, your biological sister!"
"Pfft, I only have Cheng Tao as my sister!"
Cheng Tianhua instinctively raised his hand to hit him, but Cheng Tao stopped him.
"Dad, given that I've already been beaten today, please don't hold it against Wenyu."
Cheng Wenyu snorted indignantly.
Cheng Tianhua let out a cold snort and left with a sweep of his sleeve.
Cheng Tao felt a surge of warmth, "Wenyu, I truly haven't doted on you in vain."
She was determined to repay today's humiliation to Cheng You.
But this strike should be delivered by Cheng You's closest brother to inflict the most pain.
Cheng Wenyu looked heartbroken, "Sis, should I go find Uncle Li for some medicine?"
"No need, Sister still has to write a self-criticism and go to the broadcast station tomorrow. Cheng You has won over Grandma Liu, and we can't afford to offend her now."
Cheng Wenyu spat, "That sycophant!"
Song Yulian sighed deeply, "Wenyu, just say these things in front of us, but don't let Cheng You hear them."
"I'm not afraid even if she hears me!"
Cheng Tao cried with a whimper, "You're not afraid, but I am! Wenyu, I truly didn't mean to harm Cheng You, but she misunderstood me so much, I'm truly heartbroken. She likes Young Educated Youth Qi, it's something everyone can see. Why doesn't she admit it? If she openly breaks off the engagement, she and Young Educated Youth Qi can be together forever, wouldn't that be good?"
"Sis, I believe you, I only believe you! Don't worry, I'll teach Cheng You a lesson for you sooner or later!"
Cheng Tao gave him a coquettish look, and wiping her tears, said, "Teach her a lesson? We're doing this for her own good. However, there is something I need your help with, are you willing?"
"Willing, how could I not be willing?"
Cheng Tao smiled slightly, "Besides you, I don't know who else I can turn to."