Chapter 48: Farewell

  At Ye's gate, a group of aunties and wives were blocking the entrance, shouting loudly to drive away Qi Zhen'er and her brother.

  Ye Lao San and his family had retreated to the west wing long before the crowd gathered at the door, and they didn't come out no matter how loudly the argument raged outside.

  They were all women, and Ye Shiwei, a big man, didn't want to show his face, so he accompanied Old Man Ye to find the village chief to discuss a solution.

  Mrs. Mao reminded Ye Baiwei to take good care of her pregnant daughter-in-law Du Yun, while she herself was socializing with the villagers at the door.

  "I've told you all, Zhen'er's brother is not here now, why are you still entangling yourselves?" Ye Baiji roared. Early in the morning, when she got out of bed, Zhen'er was not on the bed, and even Hu Zi was not there. Their luggage and backpacks were gone too. Ye Baiji thought that Zhen'er had packed her clothes yesterday, what else couldn't be understood? They must have left! It's all because she was too careless and negligent. Obviously, Zhen'er packing her clothes was suspicious, but she still believed her excuse about learning to sew, she was just a fool!

  "You said she's not here, so we'll go take a look. Maybe she's hiding and just told us she left." said Lian Jie, Jiang's good sister.

  Ye Bai Ci stared at her with wide eyes, as if she wanted to slash a few knives on her body. "What? Auntian Lian wants to search our house?"

  Lotus sister heard Ye Baiji say that, and suddenly poked at her heart, feeling a bit ashamed and annoyed. Seeing the few people she had stirred up looking at her with strange eyes, she hurriedly stuck out her neck and said: "Who said that? I just said it casually, after all, only your family saw that evil star leave, others didn't see it at all. We want to investigate, isn't that justified? You guys say, is that right?"

  The people around her heard what she said and thought it made sense too, so they nodded in agreement.

  "Lian, what you said is not right." Mrs. Mao spoke up, her tone still calm and composed, yet always able to make people listen attentively, "Regardless of whether Zhen'er's siblings have left or not, before finding a solution in the village, you don't have the right to chase them away. And even more so, you don't have the right to block our family's door and speak to us in this tone!"

  The last sentence of Mr. Mao was severe in tone, and the first few people who were questioned looked down with shame.

  They were also urged by Lotus Sister to rush over, but they didn't think so much. This Ye family is the main family, and Old Master Ye's generation is relatively high, and when their masters see them, they have to call out "Third Grandfather" and "Third Uncle". If this gets too awkward, they will definitely be scolded by their own masters when they get back.

  The Mao family saw that several people had some intention to retreat, and continued: "Our Ye family has always been known for its benevolence and filial piety. Even if there are no outstanding figures or memorable achievements, who can't praise our Elms Village Ye family as a family of benevolence and filial piety? Today you recklessly broke into the home of your elders and want to drive away this pair of orphaned children. Have you considered what consequences this will bring? Have you thought about how others will view our Ye family? Have you thought about how your sons and daughters will make a name for themselves in the future?"

  Mao's father was a scholar, and she had been influenced by him since childhood. Her words and actions were all tinged with literary flair. As this series of rhetorical questions came to an end, the crowd's faces turned red, and they seemed to be filled with shame.

  At this time, Qizhen'er brought Huizi to the front of everyone, and everyone just made way for them to enter the door, but they didn't dare say anything about them.

  From a distance, Qizhen saw someone blocking the entrance of the Ye family home. Without thinking, she knew it was related to her siblings. She feared they would say something unpleasant or take some extreme action that would hurt the Ye family members. Taking Huizi with her, she hurriedly ran towards them. As they approached, she just happened to hear a speech from Mrs. Mao, and suddenly felt much warmer in her heart.

  The Mao family did not start with Qi Zhen's miserable life experience, letting everyone sympathize with them and accept them. Instead, they started from the great righteousness, from the words passed down by the Ye family, making the daughters-in-law or daughters of the Ye family feel ashamed. This is the real good strategy, clever people.

  The yard in front of Ye's house was silent because of Mao's words and Qi Zhen'er's sudden appearance. The silence was broken by Ye Baiji.

  As soon as Qī Zhēnér pulled Hǔ Zǐ out, Yè Bái Jí's eyes widened in fear that they would disappear again at any moment. When she confirmed that her siblings had really returned, she couldn't hold back her emotions and rushed over to beat Qī Zhēnér, crying and laughing at the same time.

  "You sneaky little thing, you just left without a word, do you know how worried I was about you? You didn't even tell me, and yet you said you'd repay my kindness with gratitude, are you taking advantage of me?"

  Zi Zhen'er let Ye Baiji count herself down, and only when she had cried enough did she manage to break free from her grasp.

  "Eldest maternal aunt, aunts, I took Hu Zi to the market this morning without telling you, making you worry, sorry."

  "Back is good, next time out of the door said a word, lest everyone worry."

  Zi Zhen'er hadn't spoken yet, when Lian Jie, who had just calmed down, started stirring up trouble again. "I'm telling you, sister-in-law, this Zi Zhen'er sibling is a jinx! If you keep them in Yu Shu Village and they bring harm to people in the future, what then? Our village is kind and righteous, but we can't keep someone who might harm us at any time by our side, right?"

  Although the crowd did not speak, their facial expressions also revealed their thoughts, and they thought so too.

  Mao was seen by them as being furious, just about to speak, but was preempted by Qi Zhen'er.

  "Aunts and sisters-in-law, I just forgot to say that I came back to collect my things."

  Everyone was shocked by Qizhen's words, and after a moment of silence, she continued: "Before, my brother and I were bitten by a snake and rescued by the kind Dr. Ye. He pitied our orphaned state and took us in, caring for us with great kindness. My brother and I will always remember the great virtue and benevolence shown to us by Dr. Ye and his family. We have no way to repay them, but we had planned to live near them as a token of gratitude. However, due to our circumstances, we cannot be accepted by society, and my brother and I do not wish to add trouble for the kind doctor, so we have decided to leave Yushu Village."

  She deliberately made the sentence a bit more elegant, so that they would be a little intimidated. Because most rural people have not read any books, they have a kind of worship for scholars, and Qi Zhen'er's words and deeds have the air of a scholar. Even if they are afraid of her evil star rumors, they will still look at her with admiration. Moreover, they will guess whether their sister and brother are from a wealthy family as rumored. By doing so, she can make the villagers fear her, and in the future, she won't bother the Ye family when she leaves. On the other hand, it will also prevent them from spreading rumors that her siblings are evil stars, which would bring endless trouble to them.

  "I hope that everyone's misunderstandings or resentment towards my sister and brother can be dispelled with their departure. Moreover, Dr. Ye is a kind-hearted doctor who I believe everyone respects; in the future, think thrice before doing something like blocking someone's door!"

  Zhen'er said, then knelt down to Máo Shì and Sūn Shì. Hǔ Zǐ followed his sister and also knelt down. "Zhen'er and my brother Hǔ Zǐ would like to thank both aunts for taking care of us during this time. We siblings have no way to repay you, please accept our kowtow." After saying that, he ignored Máo Shì and Sūn Shì's attempts to stop him and knocked his head on the ground with a loud thud.

  Among the people surrounding Ye's house, there were also those who were sentimental and saw Qi Zhen'er and her brother like this, their eyes reddened, and they secretly felt that they had gone too far. These two siblings have been in Yushu Village for so long, and nothing big has happened in the village. They look clean and tidy, and don't seem to be unlucky people. If no one spread rumors, it would be impossible to tell that they were orphans, let alone being jinxes. Of course, this reputation as a jinx is not clear where it came from. The village isn't without children who have lost their parents, but no one has been driven away before? This must be someone who can't stand them and wants to drive them away with despicable means.

  Everyone thought so, and then looked at the three houses of the Ye family. Except for Ye Lao San's family, both Eldest Sister-in-law Mao and Second Brother's wife Sun came out to speak for Qi Zhen'er. The closeness or distance is obvious at a glance. Moreover, it is likely that they spread the rumor too. After all, except for the Ye family themselves, Qi Zhen'er and her brother had no contact with others, so they must not have offended anyone else.

  Ye Baiji couldn't bear to part with Qi Zhen'er and her siblings, but she also knew that she couldn't keep them from leaving. The villagers had all blocked the entrance to their home, and if she didn't let Zhen'er go, it would be like declaring war on the entire village. How could the Ye family survive in the village after that? Thinking about not being able to see Zhen'er again, Ye Baiji's tears, which had just stopped, flowed once more.

  Just as Ye Baiqi and Qi Zhener were bidding each other a reluctant farewell, the atmosphere at the Ye family gate was filled with a sense of sorrowful parting. At this moment, Ye Luyuan rushed over, panting, bringing shocking news.

  "What are you people blocking the Ye family's gate for? Hurry up and go to the ancestral hall, someone is coming to smash it!"

  Everyone was shocked and rushed to the temple.