Chapter 20: I Won't Be Wronged for Nothing!

Village Chief Bai was stunned upon hearing this. "Mistress Zhang is missing? How did that happen?"

"Grandfather Village Chief, I am just as confused!" Bai Ruyu replied, her face full of frustration. "Dagou and Erya came knocking at our door first thing this morning, demanding that my father release Mistress Zhang, claiming he had locked her away."

As she spoke, her eyes began to redden, and she choked back tears. "Mistress Zhang is missing—what does that have to do with my father? Before he could even say a word, Erya started kneeling and kowtowing. The villagers who saw it must have thought my father was bullying her."

Village Chief Bai furrowed his brows, feeling a headache coming on. "There is such a thing?"

Bai Ruyu sobbed, "Indeed! It is truly heart-wrenching. My father has been an honest man his entire life. Only after finally restoring our lineage and returning to the ancestral home are we now being bullied at our own doorstep."

Her sallow, thin face was full of grievance, enough to make anyone watching feel a pang of pity.

Bai Ruzhu, who had just approached and heard their conversation, rushed to say, "Grandfather Village Chief, no, that’s not it, I..."

Before she could finish, Bai Ruyu trembled, her eyes red as if she had suffered a grave injustice. "Erya, even if your family resents us for taking back what is ours, you don't have to put on such a performance to frame us, do you?"

"No, that's not it! I didn't! My grandmother is really missing!"

"Is that so? If someone is missing, go report it to the authorities! Why come to my house to look for her?"

Hearing this, Bai Ruzhu’s expression changed. Report to the authorities? Absolutely not! If she reported it to the officials and they investigated the root of these matters, how would she ever marry into a good family in the future? How would her uncle ever pass the imperial examinations? But if she couldn't find her grandmother, her status in the household would plummet.

Bai Ruzhu pursed her lips, a dark glint flashing in her lowered eyes. "You—you say my grandmother isn't in your house, but do you dare let us search?"

Bai Ruyu lowered her eyes and replied, "Why wouldn't I dare? But why should I let you search?"

In any case, no traces had been left behind; they could search all they wanted. However, they would have to offer her some compensation. She couldn't be framed for nothing! Mistress Zhang certainly wasn't in her house; she was likely already in a coffin with her new lover, preparing for burial.

"What do you want for us to be allowed inside to look for her?" Bai Ruzhu clenched her hands inside her sleeves, her eyes filled with hatred.

"Nothing special. Words are empty. Let’s have something practical. If you don't find Mistress Zhang, proving you have slandered our family, then you must offer a formal apology and compensation."

[Ceiling of Pure Love: The streamer seems to be hinting at us, what should we do!]

[Don't Supplement Zinc: If she's hinting, she's hinting. Gifts are a matter of mood and one’s own pocket.]

[Light at the End of the Tunnel: Oh, finally caught up! What’s going to happen now?]

...

After speaking, Bai Ruyu bowed to Village Chief Bai. "Grandfather Village Chief, I ask that you be our witness. Our family cannot be falsely accused for no reason."

Village Chief Bai nodded and was about to speak when a booming voice echoed from not far away.

"Little Yu, Grandfather Clan Elder is here to support you!"

Looking toward the sound, it was the Great Clan Elder who had presided over their family separation and the restoration of their status in the genealogy. At this moment, he walked over with a serious expression and a stride as vigorous as a man in his thirties.

Bai Ruyu hurried forward to meet him. "Grandfather Clan Elder, why have you come?"

She held a certain level of respect for this elder.

"I heard that someone came to your door early this morning to cause trouble. I want to see who dares to bully you."

The Great Clan Elder’s gaze swept over everyone present, his face stern. The previously noisy scene quieted down. Bai Ruzhu had no choice but to trot over. She curtsied to the Great Clan Elder, her tone submissive. "Grandfather Clan Elder, how could anyone bully Big Sister’s family? We are just here to look for Grandmother."

The Great Clan Elder held the most authority in the entire Bai clan. Even her uncle, a scholar, had to be cautious around him, let alone her.

"Are you certain your grandmother is in Little Yu’s house?" The Great Clan Elder didn't give her a pleasant look, asking coldly.

Bai Ruzhu hadn't expected him to be so cold to her, and the hatred in her eyes deepened. "Grandmother said she was coming to Big Sister’s house to apologize, so I assume she must be here."

"Heh, 'assume'?" The Great Clan Elder snorted. "Fine, search then. If you don't find her, you will obediently apologize to Little Yu’s family and behave yourselves from now on."

[Old Age Has Support: Wow, so this is what it feels like to have someone backing you up?]

[Century Egg and Lean Meat Porridge: An elder in the house is like a treasure! My grandma often stands up for me!]

Bai Ruyu glanced at the stern little old man and felt she completely agreed with the netizens. Just the fact that he came to stand up for her family made this a relationship worth maintaining.

"Well? Bai Ruzhu, are you going to search or not? If you are, hurry up."

Seeing Bai Ruyu’s unperturbed demeanor, Bai Ruzhu began to waver, her eyes filled with conflict. Could it be that her grandmother really wasn't here?

"Sister, are they just pretending to be calm? Isn't there a term for bluffing?" Bai Feijing came to her side, whispering his thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Bai Ruzhu’s eyes brightened. That was certainly possible. The other side must be saying this on purpose because they didn't want them to search!

"I’m sorry, Big Sister, but I need to find my grandmother." Bai Ruzhu bit her lip, eyes brimming with tears as she bowed to the crowd. "Dear uncles and aunts, please help me go inside and look for my grandmother. There will be a generous reward afterward."

"What reward? It’s only right to help neighbors," the man with the sharp face said first.

"Let’s go! Let’s all go in and search to see what kind of tricks they’re playing."

The group swarmed into the Bai family courtyard, turning everything upside down. Chickens flew in panic, and the items inside the house were dragged out and thrown onto the ground.

"Little Yu, this..." Madam Jiang and Bai Xiuming watched with pained expressions as their belongings were thrown about and trampled.

Bai Ruyu stood to the side, calm and composed. "It’s fine, let them throw things. Our family was due for an upgrade anyway. We will calculate the damages later."

After a while, Bai Ruyu glanced at the lady’s watch on her wrist; they had been searching for over half an hour. The courtyard and the house were a chaotic mess. They hadn't even spared the outhouse, tossing the manure scoop outside.

Glancing at the two people sitting on the steps, their faces pale and covered in sweat, Bai Ruyu walked up to the Great Clan Elder and the Village Chief. "Grandfather Clan Elder, Grandfather Village Chief, I think that is enough time."

The two men, sitting on chairs brought out by Bai Xiuming, checked the sky and nodded at each other.

"Stop! Mistress Zhang is not here. You could tear this place apart and it wouldn't make a difference!" Village Chief Bai stood up and shouted to the crowd still busy inside.

"No, that's impossible! Impossible! Grandmother said she was coming here!" Bai Ruzhu shook her head frantically, her face pale.

"She also said my father was her child! Can you believe anything she says? Perhaps she went off to enjoy herself somewhere else?" Bai Ruyu offered with a kind, helpful tone.