CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: TESTING FOR POISON

Yang Chuxia scrambled off Old Lady Hua and saw Yang Qingtong leading Land Officer Yang in by his hand.

She quickly thought on her feet, pinched her left and right arms hard, and immediately had tears streaming down her face. Then, she took several rapid steps towards Land Officer Yang and knelt down before him with a thunk.

She cried out loud, "Grandpa Land Officer, please save me! My grandmother told my aunt to poison me to death. She wants to poison me to death!"

Land Officer Yang looked around the Yang Family’s courtyard and saw bruises on everyone’s faces, Old Lady Hua’s mouth corner broken, Ms. Liu being supported by her two daughters and gasping for breath, and Ms. Wang with disheveled hair, her eyes staring viciously at Ms. Liu.

A knot formed in Land Officer Yang’s heart as he had never seen Ms. Wang like this before. He thought that she was always amiable, and it seemed that she must have been bullied quite severely this time.

As a result, Land Officer Yang’s heart swayed a little. Seeing Yang Chuxia crying loudly, his inner balance tilted even more.

"Good child, don’t cry. Tell me what happened, and grandpa will stand up for you."

A happy smile flickered in Yang Chuxia’s heart; she had been waiting for him to say this.

She wiped her tears with both sleeves and, like a spilling bag of beans, quickly recounted the entire story before anyone else could speak.

"You’re talking nonsense... That was just alkali powder... Not poison at all..." As soon as Yang Chuxia finished her story, Ms. Liu was desperate to defend herself.

She could not accept such an accusation, for it would affect her daughters’ marriage prospects.

"Even if it was alkali powder, why did Aunt intentionally put it in my bowl? Doesn’t Aunt know that adding too much alkali would make the porridge bitter and undrinkable?"

In fact, after hearing the entire story, Land Officer Yang already believed Yang Chuxia. He now listened to Ms. Liu’s weak defense and was immediately angered.

"Bastards, all of you are bastards! You’re a family, yet you’re trying to harm each other!" Land Officer Yang angrily pointed with his tobacco pipe. He then looked at Old Yang squatting in the corner smoking and shook his head helplessly.

Old Lady Hua became a little frightened when she saw Yang Qingtong bringing Land Officer Yang, but she still tried to hold her ground, "Lord Land Officer, it’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. What Eldest put was just alkali powder. She didn’t put it in Xiaxia’s bowl but in the pot. She forgot to add alkali during dinner and remembered to add some later. But that was misunderstood by Qingrui. So, it caused this chaos, and you had to make a trip here for nothing. Really, Qingrui, you misunderstood. Don’t you owe your aunt and Grandpa Land Officer an apology for the trouble?"

After finishing her speech, Old Lady Hua stared at Yang Qingrui, expecting him to speak. Her cold, piercing gaze resembled that of a venomous snake. Yang Qingrui, held in the embrace of Ms. Wang, trembled upon catching her eyes.

"Hmph, whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, we’ll know after we get Uncle Cai to check. If it turns out to be a misunderstanding, I, Yang Chuxia, will personally apologize to my aunt and Grandpa Land Officer. For now, stop questioning my younger brother. Just now, Aunt kicked him in the chest, so he can’t move. We have to wait for Uncle Cai to come and treat him." After Yang Chuxia spoke, she snorted coldly and, speaking to the now-curious neighbors who had gathered in the courtyard, she added, "Could any uncle please help get Uncle Cai?"

"No need to call, I’m here."

Uncle Cai, carrying a basket on his back, seemed to have just returned from picking up medicine outside. Surprisingly, Yang Xiayun followed him from behind, catching Yang Chuxia off guard.