PFC Chapter 163 Holy Father, Prepare to Die (12)
Chapter 163 Holy Father, Prepare to Die (12)
“Aunties, you don’t know how miserable my life is! Before I married into this family, everyone said Li Shi was the best of everyone! But after I married into this family, I found out about his ‘charitable’ problem. If he had been born into a wealthy family, I wouldn’t have said a word about his good deeds! But he’s in the poor Li family, isn’t this obviously a pit of fire?”
“When my in-laws were still alive, there was someone to keep him in check. But ever since they passed away, he's become increasingly outrageous! He's unreliable and often gives away his own things! If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad, but I never expected him to even seduce himself! My child is still young, what are we, a widow and orphan, going to do?”
Upon hearing Xia Mingwei's tearful account, a slightly unnatural expression appeared on the faces of the aunties. This was because they were among the people Li Shi frequently "helped."
To avoid their embarrassment, the group had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue asking Xia Mingwei questions.
"Li family daughter-in-law, we know what you're saying. But what do you mean by 'sleeping off her body'?"
Xia Mingwei wiped away her tears and continued, "Some time ago, Widow Zhou came to him, saying that she was having a hard time and asked Li Shi to help her! But Li Shi had already paid back his brothers in the past two months, so where would he get any extra money? In order not to disappoint Widow Zhou, he could only choose to go into the mountains to hunt and see if he could get lucky and catch some game!"
Upon hearing Xia Mingwei's words, the aunties watching gasped in shock.
"My goodness, going into the mountains to hunt? Everyone in the village knows there are many ferocious beasts in the mountains behind the village. In previous years, some wild animals would come down from the mountains and wreak havoc on crops! If it's this dangerous down below, imagine how dangerous it is inside the mountains! Countless hunters have lost their lives if they're not careful! No one in the village would choose to go into the mountains unless they were truly desperate! Li Shi is now going into the mountains on his own initiative for money, it's like an old man hanging himself—courting death!"
“My husband went up the mountain a few days ago, and I noticed he hadn’t returned for a long time. So I went to look for him outside the mountain, and that’s how I found him! I’ve also called a doctor to take a look, and he said his bones can recover with some rest. But his throat was scratched by a wild animal, so I guess he won’t be able to speak anymore! Now that you aunties are here, you have to think of something to help me!”
As Xia Mingwei spoke, she looked at them with hopeful eyes.
Hearing Xia Mingwei's words, these people exchanged bewildered glances. They had often taken advantage of Li Shi, but now, figuring out how to deal with him was a hot potato—whoever got involved would be in trouble. They didn't want to be the bad guys and take on this problem for someone else! They were all from the same village, they'd see each other all the time! Offending others for the sake of this "useless" Li Shi was not a good idea!
After an unknown amount of time, a representative finally emerged from the crowd.
“Li family daughter-in-law, I think this is all Shiwa’s bad luck. After all, nobody wants to get into this mess! In my opinion, let’s just let this matter go! The most important thing right now is to get Shiwa back to health. What do you think?”
As the woman spoke, she took Xia Mingwei's hand and patted it gently.
After hearing these words of comfort, Xia Mingwei would have almost agreed if she hadn't been so clear-headed.
She immediately composed herself, pulled her hand away, and said coldly, "So, the aunties aren't willing to help?"
"It's not that the aunties don't help you; they all have their own difficulties!"
As soon as the woman finished speaking, the crowd erupted in discussion. All the other women present agreed with her!
Perhaps to make their faces look less unpleasant, they chose to turn their heads away.
Xia Mingwei looked at their performance and sneered, "My family is in trouble now. Although the aunties in each family are not directly related, they have certainly contributed to the trouble! I'm telling you right now, the village can't let me off without a reasonable explanation! You think you can just kick us aside after something happens? There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
After Xia Mingwei finished speaking, she gave Widow Zhou a meaningful look.
Widow Zhou inadvertently raised her head and met Xia Mingwei's intense gaze.
Thinking about the reason Xia Mingwei had given, Widow Zhou felt a pang of guilt. According to Xia Mingwei, Li Shi's injury was inextricably linked to her!
But Li Shi gave her money voluntarily! Now that this has happened, it's his own fault! She can't be blamed for his illness!
Thinking of this, Widow Zhou steadied herself. She had prepared her words in her mind, but before she could speak, Xia Mingwei noticed her hesitation and interrupted her in time.
"Widow Zhou, you're not going to say this has nothing to do with you, are you? You can't be so heartless!"
Hearing Xia Mingwei's sarcastic remarks, Widow Zhou blushed. It was obvious to everyone, and she couldn't possibly deny it and shamelessly claim it had nothing to do with her.
“Other aunties say it’s okay, and I can understand and put up with my temper! But if you say that, I won’t stand for it! If it weren’t for you, would Li Shi, a perfectly healthy man, have become like this? He used to be able to walk and jump, and now he can only lie paralyzed in this bed!”
After saying this, Xia Mingwei pretended to be sad and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Hearing Xia Mingwei's words, Widow Zhou's heart skipped a beat. It seemed Xia Mingwei's whole performance today was aimed at her!
"I don't want you to repay me in kind or use your good health to atone for your sins! You don't need to say anything about repaying our family's great kindness in the next life! Everyone knows what my family's situation is now! My request now is not high. As long as everyone can return the benefits they took from Li Shi in the past, I will let bygones be bygones!"
The aunties watching all looked distressed. Asking them to spit out the benefits they had already swallowed was worse than killing them! Not to mention what their families thought, even they themselves were 100% opposed!
Soon, dissenting voices arose from the crowd: "Hey, Stone's family, that's not fair of you! You say we took bribes from Stone, but show us the evidence! You can't just rely on your words to make things up!"
These words were quickly echoed by the crowd. They thought that with their superior numbers, Xia Mingwei wouldn't dare to do anything!
As for the benefits Li Shi gave them in the past, they can just deny them to the death! Surely she's not going to kill them, is she?