Chapter 17: Confrontation with Aunt Li

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Confrontation with Aunt Li

"How old are the children? How can you trust what they say? They’ve always had issues with me, so of course they’ll speak ill of me!" Aunt Li quickly said, trying to preemptively set the notion that the kids wouldn’t speak favorably.

Fu Xiaoxiao glanced at Aunt Li, who was anxiously interrupting. She didn’t realize the more she acted this way, the more it seemed she was at fault.

The children hadn’t even spoken yet, how could she be sure they would say something bad?

"It’s okay, let’s hear what the kids have to say first!" Liu Hongjun glanced at Aunt Li. He preferred to believe the children’s words; how big a lie could kids tell?

Aunt Li’s attitude already made the onlookers suspicious; she was too anxious.

Fu Xiaoxiao patted Lu Lin, encouraging him. "Go ahead! Speak the truth, let everyone judge for you."

Lu Lin nodded, stepped forward, and straightened his chest. "Aunt Li did make meals for me and my brother for a few days at first, but when Dad went on a mission for a long time, she saw no one was watching her, and gradually went from making two meals to just one meal. When my brother and I got hungry, we went to the back hill to find food. We wanted to tell Dad, but when Dad was about to come back, she started making meals again, then complained to Dad that my brother and I were misbehaving, always running off, and said we were bullying her..."

Lu Lin spoke very calmly, as if these were not their experiences.

In contrast, Lu Chen next to him had a look of fury, glaring at Aunt Li as if he wanted to pounce on her.

"If she hadn’t refused to make us meals, my brother wouldn’t have fallen while trying to get bird eggs for me from a tree. Though my brother grabbed onto a branch and didn’t fall, still..." Lu Chen’s eyes turned red; he was terrified at the time, if his brother had fallen from such a height, he wouldn’t have had a brother anymore.

Liu Hongjun gasped, stepped forward to scrutinize Lu Lin, looking at Lu Lin’s scars, instantly understanding how he got them, and then looked at Aunt Li with anger in his eyes.

"Aunt Li, this is what you call taking good care of the kids?" Chen Hong looked at the children’s wounds and was also furious, pointing at the guilty-looking Aunt Li to question her.

"On the day I arrived at the Lu Family’s house, the pots and stoves were cold. May I ask what you cooked for the two kids that day?" Fu Xiaoxiao questioned Aunt Li.

"I... I, I..." Aunt Li faced so many people’s questions, stammering, unable to come up with an answer.

The little ones could tell Liu Hongjun was the highest authority here, grabbing someone to file complaints.

"Aunt Li didn’t give us food and secretly took things from our home!" Lu Chen stepped forward, hugging Liu Hongjun’s leg, complaining to him.

"She also kicked over the herbs my brother and I worked hard to collect, called us bastards, said we were unloved children, eating free food, and said that once Dad marries a new mom, she would kick us out, leaving us homeless!" Lu Chen’s little mouth spoke continuously, all accusations.

Liu Hongjun’s face flushed with anger, Lu Chen’s words deeply pained his heart. Aunt Li was someone he had arranged to find, yet under his nose, she treated two kids so poorly.

"Aunt Li! How do you explain this?" Liu Hongjun’s face darkened, extremely suppressing his anger.

"He’s just a naughty kid, how can you believe what he says? They disrespected me from the first day I arrived, they’re not good kids, always wandering around, ask the family compound, everyone knows!" Aunt Li shamelessly said, refusing to admit.

The matter was at a standstill, Aunt Li wouldn’t admit it, and they had no evidence, both sides arguing.

"It’s simple, just go to Aunt Li’s house and check, she’s taken so many things, surely there are lots she hasn’t used yet." Fu Xiaoxiao looked at Aunt Li, who thought no one could touch her and was proud, but she was happy prematurely.

"Exactly, let’s go now!" Liu Hongjun was already annoyed with Aunt Li’s shamelessness, so upon hearing Fu Xiaoxiao’s suggestion, his eyes lit up.

Catch her red-handed.

Why didn’t he think of that?

"No, no, I won’t go!" Aunt Li’s face changed drastically, refusing to go, flipping to roll on the ground.

"Help! The troops are bullying an old lady! It’s too unfair, what gives..."

The crowd watched her rolling and playing rogue on the ground, full of disdain and contempt.

"I know where her house is! I’ll take you!" Lu Chen giggled, eagerly raised his hand, jumping when saw everyone hadn’t noticed him.

"Go! Pick her up, let’s go check her house now!" Liu Hongjun waved his hand, ordering the soldiers to pick up Aunt Li and take her along.

Fu Xiaoxiao took Lu Lin’s hand and quickly followed, Liu Hongjun had prepared a truck, as Lu Cheng climbed aboard and with Fu Xiaoxiao following up, didn’t say anything, tacitly agreeing to her actions.

Lu Chen enthusiastically gave directions along the way, Aunt Li struggled desperately, but the two soldiers held tight, no matter how she twisted, it was useless.

Seeing Lu Chen actually pointed out the way to her house, she cursed at him.

"You little bastard, something without a father or mother..." Aunt Li’s words changed the crowd’s faces, but due to their position, they couldn’t do anything, making Aunt Li more arrogant, cursing worse.

"Pow!" Fu Xiaoxiao didn’t care, stepped forward and slapped Aunt Li hard.

"They can’t hit, but I can! Criticizing my son in front of me for having no father or mother? You really think I’m that temperless! They’re my stepchildren, which means they are Fu Xiaoxiao’s kids! Who dares say they have no mother! You?"

"With no brains, fill it with water so the small intestines don’t take up space!"

Fu Xiaoxiao’s eyes bore fierce and cold light, if she dared to curse one more word, she’d tear her to pieces.

Faced with Fu Xiaoxiao’s sudden fierceness, everyone was startled, previously frail sister-in-law suddenly turned into a decisive female general.

But... damn it, she was cool.

Lu Lin stared blankly at Fu Xiaoxiao, Lu Chen leaned over the small middle window, gazing at Fu Xiaoxiao brightly, if he wasn’t sitting in front, he’d surely rush over to hug her.

Aunt Li was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, slapped by Fu Xiaoxiao, facing her fierce gaze, she lowered her head in fear, not daring to look at her, remaining silent for the rest of the trip.

Liu Hongjun snorted coldly, being oppressed by such a person.

The military vehicle entered the village, attracting attention, many villagers came out, curious why the troops were visiting their village.

When Aunt Li was escorted off the vehicle, the village’s aunts immediately smelled gossip, gathering around.

"Oh my, officer, what’s going on here? Did Aunt Li commit a crime?" The bolder ones couldn’t wait to ask.