CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 171: THE STRANGE CHILD WITH A BROKEN ARM (3)

Li Yuzhu ran to the Princely Heir in one breath, "Brother, Second Sister urgently needs to see you."

The Princely Heir handed the plow handle back to the Chai Family’s old servant.

He said to the old servant, "Uncle Gui, please continue plowing, I’ll be back soon."

The Chai Family’s old servant laughed, "Li Family’s eldest son, go ahead and attend to your matters, leave this to me."

The Princely Heir glanced at the Second Princess standing ahead, his brow furrowed.

His own plump little sister, who usually wouldn’t bother to cover her ears even if thunder struck, was now pacing anxiously.

Things were a bit unusual.

Li Yuzhu walked beside him.

He was tall, with long legs, and his casual strides made it hard for Li Yuzhu to keep up.

Li Yuzhu had to trot.

"It’s Second Brother, he’s been detained by the villagers." Li Yuzhu said.

The Princely Heir frowned and looked at her in surprise, "The second one? He’s clever like a fox, how could he be detained by villagers?"

When Second Young Master was in the Capital, he used his cunning mind and handsome face to mix effortlessly in various circles.

The circles of noblewomen, men, old men, literati, martial artists, and even the elderly ladies’ leaf-playing circle—he was well-known in all.

Second Young Master Li Xingsheng was welcomed everywhere he went, wherever he walked someone would greet him.

He could go out and play till evening without spending a single coin.

If Prince Luling hadn’t offended the Emperor, causing the whole family to be exiled three thousand miles away to Zhen An Prefecture, Second Young Master could have entered the cabinet and become an official.

Several cabinet scholars had even recommended him to the Emperor for an official position.

He had countless confidantes among women, yet not a single one ever spoke ill of him.

Li Yuzhu said, "Second Sister said it’s because a child’s arm got broken, and Second Brother did it."

"Given his nature, how could he have a dispute with a child?" The Princely Heir was skeptical.

"I don’t believe it either, let’s go ask Second Sister together, and then check on Second Brother." Li Yuzhu suggested.

The Princely Heir’s gaze deepened as he walked up to the Second Princess.

Being the eldest at home, he always stood up for his siblings when something happened.

"Don’t worry, speak slowly, Second Sister, everything’s handled with Brother around."

The Second Princess began speaking anxiously, "We were pushing a cart to sell pastries in Taohua River Village when a little child suddenly ran crying towards us, then he fell by Second Brother’s side.

Then a woman rushed to grab the child, and he cried even louder. Several people came running, saying the child’s arm was broken.

The woman screamed that Second Brother broke the child’s arm and demanded a compensation of a hundred taels of silver, saying she’d report him to the authorities if he didn’t compensate.

But where would we get the silver? Second Brother argued with them; ten villagers surrounded him, not letting him go. I quietly ran back."

Li Yuzhu frowned slightly, "Brother, it seems we’ve encountered a local bully, taking advantage of Second Brother being an outsider."

Second Princess added, "Oh, right, we’ve seen that child before, and the woman loudly demanding compensation from Second Brother, Third Sister has seen her too."

Li Yuzhu quickly asked, "I’ve seen her? Who is she?"

Second Princess replied, "It’s the same child who got choked when eating pastries the last time I went to the market. The woman demanding compensation from Second Brother is her. We went to the village today and passed by her house. She called for a large group of people and surrounded Second Brother."

Li Yuzhu chuckled softly, "So it’s her, Liu Da Niu’s aunt."

The Princely Heir furrowed his brow lightly, "It’s not a major issue, I’ll go have a look." He then looked at his two little sisters and said, "Third Sister, go inform Mother to prepare an extra meal for Uncle Chai, Second Sister, come with me to the village."

He calmly instructed.

The Second Princess let out a breath, "Alright."

But Li Yuzhu said, "Let me go with Brother instead. Liu Family’s Aunt claims that Second Brother broke the child’s arm, I’ll look into the truth; the arm couldn’t deceive my eyes."

The Princely Heir thought for a moment, "Alright, then Third Sister will come with me to the village, Second Sister, go find Mother and tell her to prepare an extra dinner."

The Second Princess grimaced, afraid that if she got nervous and Princess Consort Luling noticed something was wrong and questioned her, she’d end up telling the truth.

"I... I’m scared to find Mother."

The Princely Heir said solemnly, "Chai Family’s servant is helping us plow the fields, how can we let him go home hungry? I have to go to the village, I don’t have time to go into the house and find Mother, if you don’t go, who will?"

"I... I’m scared of Mother questioning me." The Second Princess let out a breath.

Li Yuzhu shook her head, "Second Sister, speak boldly, say what you need to and leave quickly, Mother won’t ask more."

The Second Princess hesitated for a moment, then gathered her courage, "Alright, I’ll go find Mother."

With a troubled face, she walked home.

The Princely Heir nodded to Li Yuzhu, "Third Sister, let’s go into the village."

"Okay."

The two of them went into Taohua River Village again.

By this time, it was already dusk.

Li Yuzhu often came to the village, and was familiar with most of the routes in Taohua River Village.

She found a passerby and inquired about Liu Laoda’s cousin’s home.

Liu Family’s Aunt was married into this village and lived relatively close to the Liu Family.

She married into one of the prominent families of the village.

However, it wasn’t her first marriage, but she was a second wife.

Because the prominent family she married into was wealthy, Liu Family’s Aunt and her family were quite satisfied with the marriage.

Liu Family’s Aunt proved her worth by having children after getting married.

She took care of her own children, as well as those from her husband’s previous marriage.

It was said that she was well-liked in her husband’s family, and her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and husband all doted on her.

Arriving at the courtyard gate of Liu Family’s Aunt’s house, Li Yuzhu and the Princely Heir indeed saw a group of people gathered around the Second Young Master, discussing something.

Mu Yuanxiu was standing next to the Second Young Master.

Although there were many people gathered, they were not, as the Second Princess had said, aggressively threatening to fight.

On the contrary, everyone was calmly talking things over.

Li Yuzhu hurriedly squeezed through the crowd, "Second Brother." She nodded to Mu Yuanxiu, "Mu Yuanxiu?"

The Second Young Master stood with his hands behind his back, looking surprised at her, "Third Sister, why are you here?"

"Second Sister said you were in trouble, so Big Brother and I came together." Li Yuzhu looked around, "Where’s that child with the broken arm?"

"Li Yu En, that meddler! Do you think I could be bullied? Am I not perfectly fine here?" The Second Young Master snorted, "Oh, you mean that child, right here?"

He pointed to the child standing next to Mu Yuanxiu, "Hey, kid, does your arm hurt?"

The child looked at him timidly, saying nothing.

The Princely Heir also squeezed in, "Second Brother, Yuanxiu? What exactly is going on?"

"There’s nothing going on, Big Brother, Yu En must’ve been making things up, that little scaredy-cat." The Second Young Master chuckled.

Mu Yuanxiu said, "It was just a misunderstanding."

"Indeed, a misunderstanding," Liu Family’s Aunt awkwardly pulled the child aside, "Next time, watch where you’re going, don’t run into things blindly."

The child’s face still had traces of tears, lips quivering, seemingly wanting to cry but holding back.

"Well, as long as the child is okay, that’s good. It’s getting dark, you all should head back." It was Liu Family’s Aunt’s mother, Liu Da Niu’s grumpy Aunt, who spoke.

She waved at the people around her, and a few of the younger ones turned and left.

Some others exchanged a few idle remarks and then also left.

"We’re leaving, you should go back too. Yuanxiu, go home, it’s not good to be out when it’s dark." Liu Family’s Aunt smiled at Mu Yuanxiu, waved, and walked away with the child.

The child sobbed intermittently.

The arm hanging down had a strange angle.

Li Yuzhu squinted, her heart skipped a beat. The arm was clearly still broken, so how could they say it was fine?

After the Liu Family’s Aunt left, Liu Family’s Aunt’s mother also left, and the other onlookers departed too.

Only Mu Yuanxiu, the Second Young Master, Li Yuzhu, and the Princely Heir remained.

Of course, the cart was there as well, along with the items on it, all completely unharmed.

"It’s getting dark, shall we go back?" Mu Yuanxiu looked at the Li Family’s siblings and said.

"Yes, yes, yes, Li Yu En, that ungrateful girl, ran off on her own and left me with the cart, sigh, I’m really hungry, I need to eat something good to reward myself when I get home. Third Sister, what are we having for dinner at home today?" The Second Young Master rubbed his stomach.

Li Yuzhu furrowed her brow and asked the Second Young Master, puzzled, "Second Brother, when Second Sister ran back, she was scared out of her wits, saying you were being bullied by Da Niu’s Aunt and needed to compensate a hundred taels of silver. Wasn’t the child’s arm broken?"

The Second Young Master laughed, "Hahaha, that woman was crazy, first she shouted that I broke her child’s arm, but Brother Mu said when he saw the child an hour ago near a haystack, the arm was already hanging like that, saying it was impossible for me to have broken it. Her face changed, then she said I didn’t break it, so I was off the hook."

Li Yuzhu blinked, "Just like that? She became so reasonable?"

On that day at the market, she kept yelling that the Second Princess’s biscuits were poisoned, and today she’s being so reasonable?

Why does she feel that things are not that simple?