Duan Yunwan hugged the old lady's legs, as if grasping at a life-saving straw, having long ago cast aside gentleness and gentleness.
"Grandma, please save your granddaughter, mother is going to kill me and silence me!" Without giving the old lady time to react, Duan Yunwan told the story in one breath that the eldest lady Qiao ordered her to push Kou Qingqing off the cliff.
The fear of almost losing her life made her unable to care about anything. There was only one thought in her mind: Cousin Qing was right, her aunt would not let her go, and it was better to be punished than to lose her life!
"My mother was afraid that I would leak the news, so she just sent someone to kill me to silence me! Grandma, please make the decision for your granddaughter!"
Duan Yunwan's cries echoed in the room, and the old lady's forehead veins jumped as she slowly glanced at Xin You.
Xin You pursed her lips tightly, astonishment, panic and anger flashed in her eyes.
The old lady's lips moved, and she didn't know what to say for a moment. Her eyes swept across her face and landed on Duan Yunling.
Duan Yunling's face was pale, and his trembling lips had no trace of blood.
The old lady looked at Mrs. Zhao: "She is -"
After all, she was a rough lady, so the old lady only felt a little familiar.
"She is Mother Zhao in the mother's courtyard!" Duan Yunwan looked at Mrs. Zhao's face and remembered the pair of big hands in the pool that pressed her head down again and again.
The feeling of suffocation came over her, making her face paler and her whole body shaking: "Grandma, it wasn't enough for her to push her granddaughter into the pool. She also pressed my head into the water with her hands..."
In the room, in addition to serving the old lady closely, there were Xin You and Xiao Lian, Duan Yunling, her personal maid Ning Cui, and Mrs. Zhao who was kneeling on the ground.
Except for Mrs. Zhao, the perpetrator, everyone else showed fear after hearing Duan Yunwan's words. Especially those who witnessed the murder scene with their own eyes, their expressions became even more ugly.
The old lady looked at everyone in the room with a heavy face, and ordered the maid: "Go to Yaxinyuan and call the eldest lady."
"yes."
The old lady then ordered her confidant to go to the Yamen to report to Duan Shaoqing.
Originally, matters in the inner house were either handled by the old lady or Mr. Qiao, and would not easily disturb the men on duty outside, but things were different today.
It involved the head of the house murdering her concubine, and it was even revealed that the aunt had murdered her niece for money. The matter was so serious that the head of the family had to be called back.
The eldest wife, Mrs. Qiao, had already known the situation in the garden. When the maid from Ruyi Hall came over, no matter what she was thinking, her face had calmed down.
"It's because the daughter-in-law didn't discipline her well enough that the evil slave actually murdered her master." Mrs. Qiao apologized as soon as she came in and glared at Mrs. Zhao, "Explain clearly to me, why did you harm the eldest girl?"
So many people saw Mrs. Zhao committing the murder. Mrs. Qiao knew that there was no defense, so she could only push Mrs. Zhao out.
She knew very well that Mrs. Zhao did not dare to confess her. After all, Mrs. Zhao and her family were all in the palm of her hand.
"Yes... I remember that the old lady once reprimanded me. Today I saw the eldest girl alone by the pool, and I suddenly had the murderous intention..." Mrs. Zhao lay on the ground, crying bitterly.
"You are talking nonsense. I have never reprimanded you -" After a moment of anger, Duan Yunwan looked at Mrs. Qiao, "Don't you find it ridiculous that Mother Zhao made up this reason? You must have ordered me to push my cousin Qing off the cliff. , will she be like Mother Zhao, forced to say it’s because I’m jealous of Cousin Qing, right?”
Qiao's face darkened: "Where are your rules? You talk to me like this!"
In fear and despair, Duan Yunwan's sanity was on the verge of collapse, so she risked her life: "My mother forced me to become a murderer, and she also ordered Mother Zhao to kill me to silence me. I just told the truth, so I have no rules? Mother?" , I am also a human being, the same person as my second sister!"
Hearing Duan Yunwan mention Duan Yunhua, Mrs. Qiao's expression changed drastically: "Shut up! Never did I ask you to hurt your cousin? Old lady, I think the eldest girl is hysterical. It's better to ask a doctor you know well to take a look."
"Madam." Xinyou spoke.
Only then did Mrs. Qiao realize that the cousin had remained silent since she came in and started arguing with the concubine.
"Qingqing, don't listen to your cousin's nonsense. In my aunt's heart, you and the girl in the house are the same." Mrs. Qiao forced a smile.
Xin You stared at Qiao's opening and closing mouth and found it funny.
Confusing right and wrong, calling a deer a horse, she finally saw it today.
"Is it the same as the girl in the house?" Xin You chuckled, "But cousin Hua just almost died in the pool. I also almost died not long ago. If you look at it this way, then we are indeed the same."
As soon as these words came out, both Mr. Qiao and the old lady's expressions changed. Duan Yunling, who was standing in the corner, had a change of expression, his eyes full of struggle.
"Qingqing, what do you mean? Do you doubt your aunt?" Mrs. Qiao looked disappointed and unbelievable.
Disappointment is false, disbelief is true.
Is this still the thin-skinned cousin who would rather suffer than lose face?
Xin You smiled and said, "Compared to Mother Zhao wanting to kill the master just because she was scolded by Cousin Hua, Cousin Hua's words are more reasonable. What does the eldest lady say?"
Mrs. Qiao's face turned green and white, and a fierce flash passed in her eyes.
“Qingqing, what you say makes my aunt so sad——”
"Then report it to the official." Xin You said calmly, not bothering to watch Qiao continue to pretend.
"What report?" Duan Shaoqing, who was rushing home in a hurry, stepped in and his expression suddenly changed after hearing this.
Xin You knelt down to Duan Shaoqing and said concisely: "Today, Mother Zhao in my aunt's courtyard pushed cousin Wan into the garden pool. Cousin Wan said it was my aunt who killed me because she ordered her to push me off the cliff. Big aunt. My aunt said that these were all Cousin Wan's words, and that Mother Zhao harmed her cousin because she had scolded her. Which one do you think is more credible, uncle?"
"This -" Duan Shaoqing's expression was a little stiff. He obviously didn't expect that his well-behaved and docile niece would ask such a straightforward question. He forced a smile to appease her, "Qingqing, this matter is important, so we still need to find out."
"Sir, the eldest girl is talking nonsense. Are you going to let her talk nonsense and insult me as a mother?" Mrs. Qiao looked at Duan Shaoqing intently.
Duan Shaoqing gritted his teeth and suppressed his anger.
He is not stupid, the truth is self-evident, but no matter how angry Qiao is, he cannot let his wife, the mother of his children, and the head of the Shaoqing Mansion be charged with murder.
Mrs. Qiao noticed Duan Shaoqing's subtle reaction and glanced at Duan Yunwan and Xin You.
You two are really stupid girls. It will be easier for you to get through this hurdle!
At this moment, her eyes were so cold and poisonous. Duan Yunling felt his blood surge and blurted out: "I heard it!"
Many eyes were cast on her, pushing this little girl who had always wanted to protect herself wisely but had an uneasy conscience to the forefront of the storm.
She was scared, but knew there was no way out, so she shouted again: "I heard it!"
