Chapter 038: Lin Siyan Became Everyone’s Least Favorite Person

Song Qiang covered her mouth in surprise, then said shyly, "Mother, has my mouth been blessed with prophecy?"

Old Madame Gu chuckled. "It seems my daughter-in-law has a talent for investigative work."

"Mother, I was just speaking blindly."

Old Madame Gu knew this, of course, but she viewed her daughters-in-law as her own children, and there was no harm in offering a little praise to brighten their spirits.

However, no one paid them any mind; everyone’s attention was fixed on Lin Siyan.

"Brother Yuan, I don't know anything about any man. There is no man; I only have you!" Lin Siyan was visibly panicked. She clutched Li Yuan's sleeve, but he pulled his hand away.

"It was her, it was her, she did all of this!" Lin Siyan pointed at Li Mumu. "Don't you all think there is something wrong with this silly girl?"

Zhang Xiang sneered. In his eyes, this was merely Lin Siyan lashing out wildly. "Aside from being a little slow and incapable of lying, what could possibly be wrong with her?"

"Officer, I swear, I swear to the heavens, it really wasn't me! It was her! She framed me!"

This time, it wasn't just Zhang Xiang who laughed; everyone else stared at Lin Siyan as if she were an idiot.

Liuzi couldn't help but chime in, "This rice weighs twenty or thirty catties—it’s almost as heavy as the child herself. How could you possibly expect her to carry it that far and throw it into a dry well?"

"I... then it must have been that man who did it."

Madam Zhao looked at her with contempt. "Mumu is only three years old. Regardless of whether she's 'silly' or not, where would she even meet a man? Everyone she knows is right here."

The Li family knew that in order to protect Li Mumu, Gu Yuru rarely took her out. There had been one time, but Li Mumu had been bullied by a group of children who pointed at her nose and called her a fool. Since then, Gu Yuru had rarely attended banquets, and even when she had to go, she never brought her daughter along.

"Third Brother, it’s not that I want to speak out of turn, but this woman’s brain isn't even as good as Mumu’s. She can't even pick the right person to frame, and just because Mumu told the truth, she’s trying to bite her back," Li Ye said, adding fuel to the fire. He didn't care that Li Mumu was being wronged; he simply thought the woman was a catastrophe.

Though she had some beauty, one only cared about carnal desires after being well-fed and warm. When everyone was on the verge of starvation, who had the energy to think about their lower halves?

"It wasn't me, it truly wasn't me. Brother Yuan, you have to believe me."

In truth, Li Yuan's act of pulling his hand away had already made his stance clear, but Lin Siyan refused to give up. Throughout this long journey, she could afford to fall out with anyone, but not with Li Yuan. Her entire future happiness depended on him.

Li Mumu watched with great amusement. To kill the heart is the ultimate punishment—this was exactly what she wanted. Of course, she was well aware that her "scum father" would never admit to being cuckolded. Whether their love story would remain as grand, moving, and inseparable as they claimed, however, remained to be seen.

"Officer, since the items have been found, let's just leave it at that. Sorry for the trouble," Li Yuan said in a deep voice to Zhang Xiang, not even glancing at Lin Siyan.

Zhang Xiang looked at Lin Siyan. "You little harlot, you've got quite the tricks. If you were craving a man, why go mess around with outsiders? Don't we have plenty of men right here?"

Truth be told, Lin Siyan’s beauty was far superior to that of Li Rong or Li Fengzhu. Even if she were only average, these men had grown tired of the same old fare and were eager for a change of pace.

Hearing this, Li Mumu felt a prickle of worry. She wondered if the deterrent power of Liang Long and Ling Yunhe would be enough to keep Zhang Xiang in check throughout the journey. If they couldn't, the women of the Gu family would be in grave danger. She could not let that happen; she had to make preparations early.

Now that Lin Siyan was meat on the chopping block, waiting for Zhang Xiang to taste it, it was only fitting that she experience the same pain she had brought upon her mother.

While the bailiffs were eating breakfast, the two families prepared their own food. Old Madame Li watched the recovered food with eagle eyes; if Lin Siyan even dared to glance at it, she would be scolded for a long time.

The "disaster star" incident had already made the Li family despise Lin Siyan, and now, with the revelation of this "man," Li Yuan no longer had the heart to protect her—at least, for the moment, his anger remained.

Lin Siyan acted submissive and tried to coax Li Yuan with endearments, but all morning, Li Yuan's face remained as dark as a storm-laden sky.

Gu Yuru had initially wondered if this had something to do with her daughter, but then dismissed the thought. Even if her daughter was no longer "silly," she still couldn't possibly know men from the outside. Could it be Ling Yunhe? But upon reflection, that seemed impossible. He was a man of integrity and truth; he would never do such a thing. Furthermore, he held a government post, and leaving the capital without permission was a crime that would cost him his position.

Of course, it wasn't Ling Yunhe. He was incapable of such things, and Li Mumu really didn't know anyone else—except for that fortune teller.

However, the fortune teller hadn't stolen the goods. Her current small body would indeed find it difficult to carry such weight, but she had her spatial dimension. She had used the space to transport the items and had simply made an agreement with the fortune teller to come to the inn at night, cause a commotion to get people's attention, and then run away. The fortune teller hadn't asked questions; as long as he was getting paid, why bother with the details?

The Li family was a group of the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. Since they had bought so many things, someone had to carry them. But since they could barely walk, no one was happy about having to carry weight for long.

Especially when they saw Lin Siyan standing there empty-handed, Madam Zhao became indignant. "You had plenty of strength when you were stealing yesterday! You hauled thirty catties of rice without making a sound. Now that it's daytime, you're pretending you can't carry this or that? Who would believe that?"

Lin Siyan bit her lip. She was now the eyesore of the entire Li family; just two days ago, it hadn't been like this. If she ever saw that fortune teller again, she would skin him alive.

"Sister-in-law, it really wasn't me. My body is heavy and it's not convenient. It's not that I don't want to carry anything, but what if I hurt the child in my womb..."

"A disaster star, it would be better if it were gone; it would save us from being cursed," Madam Zhao sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And don't call me sister-in-law. You, who are neither a proper concubine nor a proper outsider, don't deserve to address me that way."

Lin Siyan pouted. "Brother Yuan, I... I have a stomachache. I think I was frightened this morning."

In the past, Li Yuan would have been anxious, but now, he remained unmoved. "Yuru gave birth to four children and was never as delicate as you."

Gu Yuru, Gu Yuru—it was always Gu Yuru. Why was she like a ghost that wouldn't dissipate?

Lin Siyan clenched her fists, but before she could say anything else, Madam Zhao shoved a sack of rice onto her. "It's been several days, you haven't done a lick of work, and yet you eat more than anyone else. Here, this is for you."

"I... it's so heavy," Lin Siyan hurriedly begged Li Yuan for help.

Li Yuan only felt a splitting headache. In the past, Gu Yuru had never caused friction with the family, nor had she ever caused him this much trouble. As for Lin Siyan, she had only been with the family for a few days, and already they were in total chaos. Moreover, the matter of the man outside... it might not be a lie after all.