3. Slander

One of the eldest brothers from the Jiang family and a young man from the Li family were ultimately left stranded on the mountain, while among the three who managed to escape, one had injured his leg and still limped to this day.

When the villagers gathered to search the mountain, they found only bloodstained, torn clothing and a single shoe belonging to the young man from the Li family—there was no trace of a body at all.

That girl’s luck was truly... such a golden opportunity wasted. Who knew if there would be another chance next time.

But looking at her sorrowful expression, as if mourning her mother, perhaps she truly had suffered something terrible.

The thought of what she might have endured stirred a fierce malice in Jiang Dani’s eyes, excitement bubbling within her as she stepped forward.

Whether or not it had happened, she was determined to make it so.

Jiang Ruo was such a proud person; she surely could not bear the whispers and judgments of others. It would be satisfying to disgust her a little.

It was just a waste of all the subtle guidance Jiang Dani had given her these days.

Jiang Ruo cared deeply for Jiang Sanjun and had long sought a ginseng root for her brother. Recently, an old villager had dug up a twenty-year-old ginseng on the mountain, and Jiang Dani had seized the opportunity to mention this casually, planting a seed of thought in Jiang Ruo’s mind.

Today, Jiang Dani deliberately did not wait in the courtyard as usual. As expected, the girl was tricked and sneaked up the mountain.

What puzzled her was why the tiger from the previous life hadn’t appeared.

Suppressing the anger in her heart, Jiang Dani approached with a face full of guilt and grasped the hand of the weeping Jiang Ruo. Feeling the difference of her fragile, boneless hand, a flash of jealousy and hatred crossed her expression.

With reddened eyes, she spoke, “Ruo Ruo, it’s all my fault. I didn’t know you went out without me. If I had followed you, it would have been better. Are you hurt anywhere?” Her eyes roved over Jiang Ruo’s body attentively.

Then… she suddenly exclaimed.

“Ah... grandparents, look quickly! The clothes on her leg... and the heel of her shoe is torn... no... it can’t be, she couldn’t have been dragged by someone…”

As if recalling something terrible, Jiang Dani suddenly covered her mouth, shaking her head repeatedly, giving off a strong sense of hiding the truth.

“No, no, I was mistaken, I was mistaken, everyone don’t think too much…”

The more she said that, the more it provoked speculation. Curious women flocked around.

“Oh my, it’s true! There are clear drag marks on her pants, and the shoe looks quite new, but the heel is badly worn—looks like fresh damage...”

An overly eager aunt exclaimed dramatically, her eyes sparkling with gossip.

“Poor girl, could she have really encountered something dreadful?” an older woman said sympathetically, gazing at Jiang Ruo.

No wonder the child was crying so hard upon her return.

“But wait, although the marks look fresh, if she really had an accident, it wouldn’t be this clean,” said a perceptive elder, prompting everyone to examine more closely.

“The folks from the Shanhe family are right. If something serious had happened, it wouldn’t look so clean.” Many nodded in agreement.

Even if she had stumbled in the woods, some dirt would have stuck to her. Clearly, they were overthinking.

“Probably just a careless scratch,” someone suggested.

“Looks like it…” His words sparked many voices of agreement.

Young people were lively and often climbed and scrambled about, so this kind of thing was quite normal and nothing unusual.

Everyone chatted animatedly about their observations, oblivious to the increasingly darkening face of Granny Liu.

As the crowd surrounded them, Granny Liu instinctively wanted to intervene, but it was her obedient grandson who gently pulled her back, calming her down before she could act.

Though anxious inside, she maintained a calm exterior. She knew well as the grandmother that the outfit on the little one was newly made this year, and the shoes were put on just this morning. They had been perfectly fine when dried yesterday. To see the heel so badly damaged in such a short time made her heart race with worry.

Yet her face showed no sign of this anxiety—only displeasure at the other villagers’ idle gossip. Her temper was fierce, but she had learned patience, knowing it was better to let things flow rather than block them. Besides, the sharp-eyed ones had already dismissed the rumors before anyone spoke.

“Alright, alright, Ruo Ruo must have just been scared by something. Everyone, don’t crowd her,” said Granny Sun, a close friend of Granny Liu’s, stepping forward to disperse the crowd.

Embarrassed, many realized what they had done.

Discussing a child’s troubles right in front of her family was rather shameful.

Liu Erxiu was fiercely protective and spirited. Offending her would mean enduring days of curses around the village. So everyone hurried to make amends.

“Big Sister Liu, we didn’t mean anything by it. Please don’t take it the wrong way!”

“Yes, yes, sister-in-law, we were just concerned about the child. It’s good if she’s fine.”

“My dear is certainly fine. If we have time to worry about others, we’d better hurry home and cook for our husbands. What, are you tired after a long day and not hungry?”

Granny Liu snorted heavily but said nothing harsh. After all, everyone had helped search for her granddaughter out of kindness.

“Yes, yes, it’s getting late. My husband is waiting for me…”

With the path cleared and their faces saved, most left quickly.

“Little sister, it’s late. We’ll head back too. The child is still young; just guide her gently and don’t get upset,” a few close friends of Granny Liu advised, glancing at Jiang Dani before departing.

That girl... they shook their heads inwardly.

Granny Liu pressed her lips, suppressing the anger swirling within. Though her tone was clipped when she said “Go home,” in front of her precious granddaughter, her stern wrinkles softened instantly, her harshness vanishing as if her face changed.

“Dear, don’t be afraid. Let’s go home first. Grandma’s here for you.”

“Mm-hmm…” Jiang Ruo, having stopped crying, nodded.

She had heard everything but was too busy sorting through her own emotions to care. These were people she barely knew; no need to take their words to heart.

As for Jiang Dani, Jiang Ruo’s eyes flickered calmly in her direction. She was fine. The fleeting happiness of having something reclaimed was already spoiled, and a faint, inscrutable smile curved her lips.

If it were the proud yet tender-hearted Jiang Ruo, she might really have been outmaneuvered.

What a pity...

Obediently holding her grandmother’s hand, she walked home, the voices of her uncle and brothers filled with concern drifting to her ears.

Apart from a few, this family seemed quite alright!

Jiang Ruo sniffled and thought happily.

Once home, Granny Liu ordered her son to bolt the front door tight.

The eldest daughter-in-law, sharp as ever, quickly fetched water and poured a cup of sweetened boiled water for the little niece.

For the elders, it was plain boiled water—the only difference was that the niece’s water could have sugar added. If Jiang Ruo dared add sugar on her own, she would face the fury of her grandmother-in-law’s roar—something she had no courage to risk.