I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 38: Public Outrage Arises Due to Gu Meiyu's Smear Campaign

Gu Meiyu roared, "Why? It wasn't me who smashed it!"

Dongfang Jin looked at her with a half-smile: "Whether you smashed it or not, I will attribute it to you, because if you hadn't told them, if you hadn't fanned the flames, my family wouldn't have suffered."

"Gu Chenglin, let's go to the yamen to report this! How dare they smear me and vandalize my house! I can't tolerate this!"

Lin Lizheng stepped forward to stop her: "Chenglin, what do you think?"

Dongfang Jin looked at him as he stopped her, her face devoid of any emotion: "Lin Lizheng, you can see for yourself, is this house still habitable?"

I won't let anyone get away with this today. If I let it go this time, it will happen again.

Lin Lizheng was also somewhat annoyed. He was also angry after hearing those words. His Lin family also had many unmarried women, but this matter could not be left unresolved.

"This matter still needs to be considered in the long run."

Dongfang Jin looked at him, then at the villagers, and said solemnly, "Everyone here can now go to the county to inquire about this."

No matter how much Gu Meiyu and I argued at Jinyulou, or how unreasonable she was there.

Ask those people if I ever mentioned the name Lingwu Village!

Trying to smear me? You think I'm easy to bully? Get out of Lingwu Village!

Do you really think our family of four can't survive without this place?

Gu Chenglin has severed ties with the Gu family, leaving with nothing and losing his entire clan.

Logically speaking, since Gu Meiyu argued with me, caused me trouble, and ruined my reputation in the county, I shouldn't have shown her any leniency.

But, village head, Gu Chenglin is from Lingwu Village, and he has two children. Did you not think before you listened to what she said?

Since you don't want to deal with this here, I'll go to the county to report it. It's getting dark, and I just wanted to ask, where do our family of four live?

When Old Lady Gu saw that she was determined to report to the authorities, and then looked at her youngest daughter, she realized that this was the surprise she had promised her.

I'll settle the score with her when we get home. Useless! More trouble than she's worth.

She glared angrily at Dongfang Jin, pointing at the cartload of things: "Yesterday you said those things were bought with your dowry money, so where are these? And what about what this bastard is wearing? Where did the money come from?"

Dongfang Jin was amused by her ability to change the subject: "Heh, old woman, do I need to report to you when I spend money? Who are you?"

Old Mrs. Gu, hands on her hips, shouted, "You're spending my son's money?"

Dongfang Jin sneered, "Your son? Who is your son? Gu Chenglin? He has already severed ties with the Gu family and been expelled from the clan. He is no longer your son."

Besides, does Gu Chenglin even have money? Or did you give Gu Chenglin money? I earned all this money, okay? I spend my own money, understand?

Your son? If your son were capable, he would have been living in the county long ago. How could he have ended up in this sorry state?

"You want your whole family to live in this wretched place with him? Going hungry every day?"

Old Mrs. Gu was embarrassed by her retort and angrily said, "How could a jinx like you possibly make money?"

Dongfang Jin shook her pleated skirt and said quietly, "If I, this jinx, go to the county and sweep with a broom, piles of silver will fill my pockets."

"How about it? Want to be a jinx too? Hmph! Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't make any money."

Seeing this, Li walked over, her face full of anger: "Fang Jin, who are you trying to fool? If you could make money, would you be with his uncle like this?"

As she spoke, she gave Gu Chenglin a look of disdain.

Dongfang Jin looked at Li Shi, sized her up and down, and said indifferently, "Li Shi, what's wrong with Gu Chenglin? He has a great figure and a great height. Although he's not good-looking, he's obedient."

I told him to go east, and he wouldn't dare go west.

Tell me, with such an obedient man, how could I not try to make money? Why wouldn't I spend my money on him?

Gu Chenglin: "..."

Gu Jingye: "..." My dad is indeed obedient.

Don't think she didn't see that "bucket-like" man. She had seen him before when she pushed Li. He was Gu Yaozong.

So what if the Li family is rich? Just look at what these two are wearing, and you can tell that this Li woman can't control her husband.

Li was provoked by her words: "Then why don't you go and earn money at the Fang family's place?"

Dongfang Jin looked at her and smiled, "Mrs. Li, your family are business people, right? The Fang family isn't my biological parents, why should I earn money for them to spend?"

If they had been even a little bit nicer to me, I wouldn't have done this, understand?

Among the people here, are there any who married into Fangjia Village? Tell me, have you ever seen me in Fangjia Village?

I was brought back to the village by the Fang family when I was five years old, and they never let me walk around in front of others.

A woman in the crowd called out, "No, this is the first time I've seen you. I only knew that Fang Yingying had a younger sister, but we've never met her."

Dongfang Jin said, "Because when I was five years old, I came back with their family and took on all the work in their Fang family."

I do all the work myself, except for the tasks that require me to leave the hospital.

If things go wrong, the family won't give them food, won't let them sleep in the house, and they'll often have to take the blame for Fang Yingying in exchange for a beating.

Think about it, who would want to earn money for someone who abuses them every day? I'm not that generous.

"Really? We're not allowed to leave the house?"

"why?"

"Who knows, maybe he's not their biological child."

"That shouldn't be the case either."

"Otherwise, why would we hand her over to Gu Chenglin?"

……

Gu Yaozong looked at Gu Chenglin with disdain and contempt: "Brother, no matter how much we quarrel, we are still brothers. Even if we break bones, the tendons are still connected, right?"

Now that you have money, shouldn't you be taking care of your parents? I heard you brought home two truckloads of stuff yesterday, and another one today.

No matter what, you should at least be filial to your parents; you shouldn't only think about your own little family.

Gu Chenglin looked at him coldly: "Are we brothers? From childhood to adulthood, when you had food, did you ever think of your starving brother?"

When you're sleeping well and dressed warmly, have you ever thought about me, your brother who's freezing and has nowhere to sleep?

Filial piety? Have you ever cultivated even an acre of your family's land? I'll take your corvée labor. I'll take my third brother's military service, and I'll even continue my fourth brother's marriage. Then tell me, what does filial piety mean?

Gu Yaozong said, "But it wasn't me who told you to do that."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Jin retorted sarcastically, "Yes, so what are you babbling about? To make yourself look fat? Or to make your head look big and your neck thick?"

Gu Yaozong angrily rebuked Dongfang Jin: "Get out of here, men shouldn't have women interrupting them."

Dongfang Jin looked at him with disdain and sneered, "You want the things I paid for, and you still complain about what I say?"

That's really interesting. I'd say the Gu family's antics are quite amusing.

What? You think you can just change the subject? Forget it. You'll have to pay for anything that damages my stuff. Trying to dodge the question? Dream on!

"you……"

"Wow! What's all this commotion?" Master Xu and Ah Dong dismounted and walked over. It was Master Xu who spoke.

Everyone looked at the newcomer. He came on horseback? This must be a big shot.

Lin Lizheng saw the person who had come and hurriedly stepped forward, bowing and asking, "Master Xu, what brings you here?"

The village head's address of "Master Xu" left everyone bewildered.

Master Xu looked at him bowing and said with a smile, "Hehe, we've come to your village to invite people."

"Oh...who is it?" Lin Li was stunned and curious. Did their village have such a person who asked the clerk to invite him?

Master Xu pointed to Dongfang Jin and said with a smile, "There she is, that girl."

Lin Li looked in the direction he was pointing and asked, "Xiao Jin?"