Chapter 144: Formalities
In the main hall, there was no sign of Li Zhuye’s grandfather; only Li Zhuye’s mother was seen, a tall and plump woman with dark skin, dressed in a clean set of plain clothes.
Upon seeing two guests enter, she spoke politely yet distantly, "Your family is too courteous. It was just a helping hand; everyone in the village would do the same. Is such a trivial matter really worth a personal visit to express thanks?"
Her words were implicitly trying to distance Zhugen’s brothers from any relationship.
Wang Yongzhu noticed Li Zhuye’s mother glance surreptitiously toward the side room next to the main hall while she spoke. The room was concealed by a curtain, so it was impossible to see clearly what was inside.
However, Wang Yongzhu suspected that either Li Zhuye’s grandfather or father, the ones in charge of the Li family, might be inside.
She pretended not to know and said with a slight smile, adopting an equally polite tone, "Auntie, you shouldn’t say that. Thanks to the two Li brothers extending a hand, my brother’s life was saved. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a ’Seven Level Pagoda.’ If something had really happened to my brother, you know our family’s situation; the matter would have been difficult to conclude. The Li brothers did not just save my brother’s life; they saved my entire family. If my brother wasn’t still bedridden in town, unable to move, and my sister-in-law and the nephews weren’t attending to him day and night, they would certainly have come to thank you in person."
After hearing this, Li Zhuye’s mother’s expression softened considerably. She sized up Wang Yongzhu and then laughed, "You sure have a way with words, girl. Normally your mother keeps you at home and you don’t visit my place, yet today you’ve surprised me with your eloquence."
Seeing Li Zhuye’s mother’s facial expression, Wang Yongzhu knew that her reply had satisfied her. She had cleared the Li Family Brothers and pointed out that, without their help, her own brother’s life was saved. Had an actual death occurred, her other brothers and nephews, and even the Wang Family as a whole, would probably not have let the matter rest so easily.
Under those circumstances, it wouldn’t have been simply a matter of Li Jinlong receiving twenty lashes and resolving everything with a payment of money.