CHAPTER 373: CHAPTER 373: FIGHT BACK

"Furthermore, you can’t teach her well either. If you could, she wouldn’t have turned out this way today," Gu Jinli bluntly stated.

Gu Dafu’s face turned bright red with embarrassment... Xiao Yu was right; he truly couldn’t teach Sister Mei well, even though he had tried his best. He had no idea what was wrong with this child; she just couldn’t get rid of her bad habits.

She still hasn’t adapted, and she still remembers the old days when her family was the village chief’s house, wanting to continue showing off her status among a few families.

Third Grandma also followed, and upon hearing Mo Chunyue’s words, she was far from pleased. Last time she had felt sorry for Gu Yumei, thinking she was beaten too harshly, but now it seemed that the beating wasn’t harsh enough.

"Dafu, Xiao Yu is right. There’s no such thing as wronging others and getting off scot-free. Bring Sister Mei inside."

She’s already the oldest daughter; if she isn’t disciplined properly now, and doesn’t learn the rules of the world, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll create in the future.

Recalling the beating she received, because of Gu Jinli, which left her dangerously ill last time, Gu Yumei couldn’t help but tremble subconsciously at the sight of Gu Jinli, tears streaming down as she said, "This time it’s not my fault, it’s Ms. Xu Wang. She wants to cling to my father, hoping to marry into our family and split the Silver."

"Shut up, Sister Mei. You have truly disappointed Third Grandma. Such talk is unbefitting of a lady like yourself," Third Grandma’s face turned grim when she heard Gu Yumei’s accusation about Ms. Xu Wang cling to Gu Dafu.

A young woman should not be meddling in her father’s affairs, especially in matters concerning her father taking a wife. She shouldn’t be afraid of people gossiping her to death if this gets out.

"Dafu, drag Sister Mei inside!"

Seeing the Third Grandma getting angry, Gu Dafu dared not protect Gu Yumei anymore. He immediately pulled her to the workshop, whispering, "Don’t make a fuss anymore. If you keep it up, you’ll only suffer more, and your father won’t be able to protect you... Our family has signed a pledge. What if Xiao Yu gets angry and drives us out of the workshop? How will our family live then?"

Gu Dafu understood his daughter well; this girl valued her pride and wished for status – one can’t seek status without money. Being the daughter of the workshop owner, she feared most being driven out of the workshop.

Gu Yumei dared not make trouble anymore and followed Gu Dafu into the workshop.

Gu Jinli and Third Grandma, fearing that Ms. Xu Wang might be in trouble, rushed to the main room of the workshop first. Seeing Ms. Xu Wang lying unconscious on the ground, they hurried over to take her pulse and ordered everyone in the room, "You all go out first. Don’t crowd around here; Aunt Xu needs to breathe."

"Yes, yes, let’s get out of here quickly." He Dazhuang’s wife hurriedly ushered those who were grinding spices out of the main room.

Ms. Wang Ma and Xu Qing didn’t leave. Seeing Ms. Xu Wang still out cold, Ms. Wang Ma anxiously asked, "Young Master, how is my sister?"

Choked up, Xu Qing asked, "Sister Xiao Yu... Young Master, will my mother wake up?"

Xu Qing was very scared, afraid that his mother, like his father, would fall asleep and never wake up, to be buried in the ground, never to be seen again.

Gu Jinli said, "It’s alright, your mother just fainted from mild heatstroke, combined with anemia and overexertion."

He Dazhuang’s wife and the others had cooled down Ms. Xu Wang, and her symptoms of heatstroke had subsided. After Gu Jinli pressed on the acupoints on Ms. Xu Wang’s body for a moment, Ms. Xu Wang woke up.

But she was very weak, seeing double when she tried to look at people.

"Sister, sister, you’re awake. Don’t talk, drink some water first, drink slowly," Ms. Wang Ma fed Ms. Xu Wang the unfinished water.

After drinking half a bowl of water, Ms. Xu Wang finally felt somewhat better.

Gu Jinli said, "Close your eyes for now, and only open them when you’re not feeling so dizzy anymore. You’re seeing double right now, keeping your eyes open will make you vomit."

Ms. Xu Wang hurriedly closed her eyes, lying on top of Ms. Wang Ma.

Gu Jinli was pressing on her head’s acupoints, trying to relieve her dizziness quickly.

After a short while, Gu Jinli stopped pressing the acupoints, and Ms. Xu Wang’s dizziness had significantly reduced, allowing her to open her eyes and see people.

"Mother..." Xu Qing cried out in grievance, yet dared not to cry out too loud, afraid of being scolded by the Dong Family.

When Ms. Xu Wang saw Xu Qing, she embraced him in her arms, and mother and son wept silently.

But Ms. Xu Wang didn’t cry for long, and quickly dried her tears, afraid that others would see and think her ill-fated.

Gu Jinli said: "We’ve heard about what happened today. Rest assured, I will certainly seek justice for you."

She called out to the door: "Uncle Dafu, please come in."

Gu Dafu hurriedly brought Gu Yumei into the workshop’s main room. After glancing at Ms. Xu Wang, his face turned red with shame, and he awkwardly apologized to Ms. Xu Wang: "Sister, don’t be angry. The fault lies with Sister Mei today. I’ve brought her here to apologize to you. Whatever punishment or scolding you desire is fine."

Hearing this, Gu Yumei felt very angry inside, open to be hit or scolded? Did her father really want this servant to strike her, the Dong Family’s daughter?

Ms. Xu Wang was still weak and hadn’t had the chance to speak when Mrs. Wang Ma coldly snorted and said: "Apologize? How can you make up for this? My sister has always been honest and now, because of her, her reputation is tarnished, how can she face anyone in the future?"

"Mrs. Wang Ma, hold your tongue. Third Grandma Gu and the Young Master will decide on this matter." The speaker was Wang Yongfu.

He was supposed to guard the workshop overnight and was catching up on sleep at home. After learning about the incident, he rushed over immediately and now asked loudly: "Young Master, Third Grandma Gu, may I come in?"

Third Grandma said: "Yong, come in."

Wang Yongfu hurried into the main room, bowed to Gu Jinli and Third Grandma Gu, and asked: "Third Grandma Gu, could you allow Uncle Dafu to recount what happened today?"

"If it is my sister’s fault, I will not spare her. But if my sister is innocent, I implore Third Grandma Gu to stand for our family."

"Although our family has sold ourselves into servitude, we will not suffer false accusations in silence. Moreover, we were sold to the Young Master’s family, and if there were any wrongdoing, it should be for the Young Master’s family to punish, not for Uncle Dafu’s daughter to take matters into her own hands."

Everyone present could tell that Wang Yongfu was fiercely determined to seek justice for Ms. Xu Wang.

Gu Yumei was fuming but was glared back by Mrs. Chen.

This reckless girl better behave. If she dares to speak up again, she’ll once more bring trouble to the family.

Gu Jinli said: "Uncle Wang, if Aunt Xu has been wronged, we will naturally seek justice for her."

She looked at Gu Dafu and said: "Uncle Dafu, since the incident started because of you, please tell us what happened today, so we can see who is right and who is wrong."

Gu Dafu, ashamed, had been keeping his head down. Upon hearing this, he recounted the events of the day, emphasizing: "I merely saw Ms. Xu Wang faint and helped her by holding her back, I never embraced her. It was Sister Mei who misunderstood. I apologize to all of you. Children are ignorant; we are truly sorry."

Gu Jinli said: "Now that the truth of the matter has been clarified, the appropriate punishment should be given, and those deserving reprimand should be reprimanded. Apologies alone are not sufficient."