Cheng You and San Leng, holding Song Yulian firmly, descended the mountain. They happened to encounter Cheng Tianhua opening the door, and Cheng Tao and Zhao Yunlin walked out from inside in a sorry state.
Both of them hung their heads, wishing they could disappear into a crack in the earth.
Cheng Tao, in particular, was terrified of facing their gazes, fearing they would spit on her or throw rotten eggs. Though it was a new era, she knew her identity as the third party would always make her an object of scorn.
"Oh! Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and all the grown-ups are here. Since everyone's gathered, let's discuss today's matter!" Cheng You smiled and gestured to San Leng, who then pushed Song Yulian forward.
Song Yulian and Cheng Tao clung to each other, trembling.
Cheng Tianhua's face was ashen. "This is our old Cheng family's private affair, so you don't need to bother everyone..."
"Private affair? Tianhua, with the things Cheng Tao and Zhao Yunlin have done, you call it a private affair? Is it the Cheng family's affair, or the Zhao family's affair? Why aren't any Zhao family members here?" Aunt Six scanned the crowd.
Zhao Lifang, who was trying to sneak away, was caught. She covered her face, feeling utterly ashamed and indignant. With her own brother doing such a thing, how would she ever get married?
"Sixth Grandmother, my father is accompanying my mother back to her maiden home and isn't in Wujing Village."
Aunt Six snorted, "Even if they aren't here, you are. Consider yourself a witness." She then turned to Cheng Wenyu, "Wenyu, tell us what happened today."
Cheng Wenyu stood tall and straight, his expression stern. "It is true that I confined Cheng Tao and Zhao Yunlin together, and it was I who deliberately turned on the loudspeaker."
Hearing this, Cheng Tianhua was furious and raised his hand to slap him. Cheng You blocked it, a cool smile on her face. "Dad, if you want to hit someone, there will be plenty of opportunities later. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Aunt Six nodded, "Tianhua, even if you must hit him, wait until the child has finished speaking."
Cheng Wenyu's words flowed smoothly, and he finished explaining the entire incident in a few sentences. He had long suspected Cheng Tao and Zhao Yunlin's affair, and Cheng Tao had tried to frame Cheng You and Qi Chengyan. Enraged, he decided to retaliate and set a trap for Cheng Tao.
After finishing, Cheng Wenyu looked regretful. "I didn't intend to do this. We are family after all, and any issues should be resolved privately. My sister never really liked Zhao Yunlin, and if he had acted like a man and proposed a solution, we wouldn't have objected. But he was sinister and greedy, shifting blame and crying wolf. That's why I couldn't help but fight back."
Having only attended school for a few years, Cheng Wenyu had now used all the idioms he had learned from books. He lowered his head, appearing dejected. "Dad, I know you dote on Sister Cheng Tao the most, treating her like your own. If you want to punish me for this, then punish me!"
Cheng Tianhua's face was extremely grim. He didn't just want to hit him; he wanted to beat him to a pulp. Indeed, he was his son, learning to scheme at such a young age.
But before he could speak, he heard someone next to him say, "If I had a son like this, I would dote on him, cherish him with my life! Tianhua, no matter how much you treat her as your own, some people are not your biological children. You can't be foolish and hurt Cheng You and Wenyu's feelings."
This remark struck a raw nerve with Cheng Tao. How she wished she could retort righteously, "I, Cheng Tao, am also Cheng Tianhua's biological daughter." But she dared not. If she said it, it would be truly over.
Cheng Tianhua clenched his fists, his muscles tensing. Yes, he had to endure.
Aunt Six sneered, "Cheng Tao, Zhao Yunlin, do you have anything else to say in your defense?"
Cheng Tao gritted her teeth, shrinking her shoulders in fear. "What he said isn't true. Zhao Yunlin and I didn't..."
"Pah! Didn't? Do you think we're all deaf? The loudspeaker broadcast it all. You won't deny those were your words, will you? You even gave yourself to him, and everyone heard it loud and clear!" San Leng interrupted her indignantly.
Cheng Tao sobbed and turned to look at Zhao Yunlin, hoping he would say something. She couldn't believe Zhao Yunlin was such an irresponsible man.
The next moment, she heard Zhao Yunlin's voice, "Actually... Cheng Tao was the one who seduced me! The day Cheng You fell into the water, I was very worried and went to her house to check. I found Cheng Tao crying and throwing herself into my arms. Cheng You, I'm sorry to you, but I'm a man, and I couldn't control myself..."
If a woman threw herself into his arms, as long as she wasn't too unsightly, he naturally couldn't resist. Moreover, he hadn't intended to marry Cheng Tao at that time.
Cheng Tao trembled with rage and slapped him fiercely. "Zhao Yunlin, you're not a man at all!"
Cheng You raised her head, her eyes red, as if on the verge of tears, looking utterly heartbroken. "You don't need to explain anything to me. I don't want to hear how you two secretly had an affair. If you truly liked my sister, I could step aside. After all, this was just a childhood betrothal. But you can't be hypocritical and then try to pin the blame on me! Why? Why should you both betray me and ruin my reputation!"
Cheng You's tears fell as she spoke. She felt it was not worth it for the past Cheng You, and not worth it for her mother. She had once thought Song Yulian and Cheng Tao were sincere towards her. If not for that dream, she would still have been in the dark, unaware of her tragic fate.
Most of these accusations came from the heart. If Song Yulian and Cheng Tao had shown even a shred of sincerity, Cheng You would have readily given up Zhao Yunlin if she had asked for him. However, if they had truly cared, why would they have set their sights on your fiancé?
Song Yulian still tried to maintain her composure, stubbornly saying, "I didn't wrong you about you and Qi Chengyan! Qi Chengyan must have gone up the mountain too. You two were in the woods. My daughter and Zhao Yunlin's affair was mutual love, but you're no saint either!"
Cheng You forcefully wiped her tears, took two steps forward, and met her gaze with clear eyes. "Who says I couldn't go up the mountain just because Qi Chengyan did? If you go up the mountain again and there's any man with you, will I be able to say you were in the woods?"
Song Yulian's face contorted with rage, and she gritted her teeth. "Anyway, you were in the woods with Qi Chengyan!"
Sun Xiaowan, who had just arrived, overheard this and rushed forward, slapping Song Yulian several times. "What filthy lies are you spouting! Are people from our educated youth point something you can slander? Song Yulian, it seems you haven't learned your lesson from last time!"
Song Yulian's mouth was split by the blows, and blood began to seep out. She spat viciously, "Even if you hit me, I'll still say that Cheng You and Qi Chengyan are definitely having an affair!"
Cheng You sneered, "Is spreading rumors free of cost these days? You can slander someone with just empty words? I think we should stop talking and head to the police station. Qi Chengyan and I are innocent and have no affair. But whether that will be the case in the future is hard to say, as there's no rule against dating, is there?"