Chapter 220 Making a Big Trouble
It wasn't fully light outside yet, and the group of people were standing in the dark, making it hard to see clearly. The village chief didn't take a close look at the crowd behind Jiang Xia, only lowering his head to recognize Jiang Xia, the clever second daughter of the Jiang family. His tone was like that of someone coaxing a child, "Jiang Xia, why were you knocking on the door so early? Did something happen at home?"
Jiang Xia shook her head, looked up at the village chief, and pointed to the people behind her. "Uncle Village Chief, we encountered Mr. and Mrs. Sun sneaking around on the mountain, and we don't know what they were doing. My mother and I decided to bring them to see you, but they were unwilling and even wanted to hit me and my mom! If it wasn't for my mom dodging in time, and Mr. Sun tripping over a rock, I don't know what would have happened to us."
Jiang Xia spoke with increasing grievance, her little face scrunching up like a bitter melon. The people around her started to murmur among themselves after hearing this.
Only now did the village chief notice that the entrance to his home was crowded with people, among whom Sun Li was tied up with his hands behind his back.
Sun Li glared at Jiang Xia, thinking that this little girl's ability to twist the truth really was something she inherited from her father! In reality, Zhou Lan was very capable, and Sun Li was at a complete disadvantage during their dispute. He was the one who was wronged. Yet, after Jiang Xia's words, it seemed like he was the one bullying others.
The villagers nearby couldn't stand to watch after hearing this. Since the Sun family started causing trouble for the Jiang family after they split, no one doubted the truth in Jiang Xia's words.
A woman, holding a hoe in her hand, pointed at Sun Li and scolded, "You're lazy and eat a lot as it is, and now you dare to raise your hand against a woman. What kind of man are you!"
"You're talking nonsense! You believe whatever this little girl says!" Sun Li wasn't good with words and couldn't out-argue the gossipy women of the village. His wife, however, snapped back at them.
This woman wasn't specifically targeting the Sun family; she was just used to sticking her nose into everything and chipping in her two cents. It was clear that the Sun family was bullying Zhou Lan and her daughter, Jiang Xia, who was on the verge of tears, clearly having been bullied badly.
People generally were inclined to stand on the side of the weaker party, regardless of right or wrong.
The woman scolded, "This little girl wouldn't lie. You have no shame, bullying a child like this!"
Zhou Lan was satisfied with everyone's reaction. She had been upset with the Sun couple and was now very relieved to see them getting scolded by the villagers and unable to talk back.
Seeing that the arguing was getting out of hand, the village chief raised his hand to calm everyone down. When the crowd was silent, he turned to ask Zhou Lan, "Zhou Lan, tell me, what happened?"
Zhou Lan then recounted the situation when they encountered the couple on the mountain. After listening carefully, the village chief turned to the Sun couple, "What were you two doing going up to the mountain in the middle of the night?"
At this point, someone chimed in, "We didn't see them at all during the day yesterday, and their house was locked up tight. They might have already gone up to the mountain yesterday. What were they doing, sneaking up the mountain without telling anyone in the village?"
Sun Li's wife stubbornly replied, "What's it to you? Is there a rule in the village that says we can't go to the mountain? Or a rule that says we have to tell everyone in the village when we do? We didn't commit a crime, so why were we being interrogated?"
"If you didn't do anything wrong, then what were you afraid of? Just tell everyone what you were doing on the mountain to prove your innocence," a villager retorted.
At this time, the sky was already bright. Everyone saw the evasive gaze of the Sun Li's wife, and nobody believed her claims of innocence.
At this moment, Jiang Chuan rushed over with Xiao Wu.
Jiang Chuan stayed up all night waiting for Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia to return. Instead of waiting for his wife and daughter, he heard that they had gone to the village chief's house. Not wanting to delay, he asked his neighbor Xiao Li to look after Jiang Gu, and he hurried over to the village chief's house with Xiao Wu.
Seeing the commotion, Jiang Chuan didn't bother asking what happened but ran to his wife to inspect her up and down. After confirming she wasn't injured, he finally relaxed and listened to the villagers' arguments.