Resuming life after the flood would be difficult for everyone. The couple knew that if they brought back the two children with them, they could sell them for a few taels of silver to make life easier.
The man grew excited at that thought. He pinched his wife’s waist secretly.
“My poor daughters! How are they? Are they alright?” the woman immediately asked Aunt Ju, sobbing.
Her words brought a scowl to everyone’s faces. Even Wei Na, who was inside the space, began cursing.
“Hurry, Master! Kill these two shameless people! Who are they? They’re vicious! What do they want with the cute babies?
“Are they going to sell them? This is unpardonable! I’d blow their heads off if I’m outside!”
This couple must be up to no good! They have no conscience!
It was intolerable. A woman, face reddened with anger, pointed a piece of firewood at the vicious couple. “What are you talking about? I thought they were really your children, but you are just a couple of liars!”
How could parents not know whether their children were boys or girls? The children were boys, but they said they were girls. Clearly, the children were not theirs!
Another woman went along with An Jiuyue’s lie and questioned the couple sternly, “They are a pair of twin brother and sister! You heartless people! What are you trying to do to the children our Jiuyue saved?”
They would not allow the heartless couple to learn that the children An Jiuyue had saved were boys. They were already fabricating stories, so they must have had ill intentions!
“I reckon they want to trick us into giving them the children so they can sell them for money!” another woman added.
The couple remained silent, feeling afraid as they faced criticism and angry faces.
They had only wanted to earn some money and were not expecting that the people here would lie to them. If they had known earlier, they would have inquired if the children were boys or girls first.
“No, no, we remembered wrongly. They—”
“Just shut up, you heartless things! You’re tripping over your words, but you’re still spouting nonsense?” Aunt Ju looked at the couple angrily and scolded them fiercely.
“We rescued you out of kindness! How dare you try to trick us and harm others? Are you even human? Get lost quickly! We won’t give you any food! Starve!”
“That’s right! Get lost! Go into the mountains and be eaten by wolves!”
“You are inhumane to think of harming two babies! You should be eaten by wolves!”
The women took turns cursing the couple, leaving them shivering in fear.
The couple did not dare to run away carelessly despite the criticisms. Many wild beasts lived on the mountain. It would be terrible if they met head-on with one.
Hence, it was safer for them to stay here. They would be satisfied with even a mouthful of food as long as they did not have to starve to death.
Aunt Ju looked at the indifferent An Jiuyue and heaved a sigh of relief. “Jiuyue, it’s a good thing you came back in time. Otherwise, we would have been fooled by these horrid people.”