"Sister-in-law! If you continue slinging mud at Little Little, I won’t be polite to you anymore!" Chiang Songhai trembled with anger.
In recent days, having seen how hard Chiang Xiao worked, no one knew how shaken and guilty he felt when he learned they had hunted such a big wild boar.
How dangerous was that?
If it weren’t for his uselessness, Chiang Xiao should have been sitting in a classroom studying, not climbing mountains to dig for herbs and hunt wild boars!
She worked so hard to earn money, surpassing countless adults and men!
How could he allow Ho Laidi to continue to insult her, saying that she flirted with men and spent their money?
Chiang Xiao was stunned for a moment, having never expected her grandfather to stand up for her with such strong words as "I won’t be polite to you," and she didn’t react right away.
"Pah! Chiang Laoer, how exactly will you be impolite? It’s bad enough that your daughter has no shame, but even your granddaughter is just like her mother! How old is she? Even the younger uncle has come knocking at the door, calling her ’sister-in-law’ right to her face! Tsk tsk tsk," Ho Laidi spat as she touched her aged face with her index finger and sneered, "She’s barely sprouted any hair, yet playing the role of the little sister-in-law! Who knows, she might even have ensnared both brothers. Little slut, she’s disgraced the Chiang Family! I’ve already spoken to the clan uncle last night. We’re going to hold a family council and expel her!"
Song Xiyun found her opportunity to chime in and hurriedly added, "That’s right, the lad called her ’sister-in-law,’ I heard it myself! And you say she’s not seducing men!"
The onlookers looked at Chiang Xiao with disbelief.
The young girl looked quite lovely, but she still seemed so young; could someone really be calling her ’sister-in-law’?
Yao Cong and Cong Weimin had been at the side all along, ready to lend a hand should the Old Chiang Family dare to make a move, but they hadn’t expected to hear such shocking news and were also stunned.
"She is my fiancée," a stern voice declared. Following that, a tall man stepped forward.
The already cramped sick room seemed even smaller in the presence of his towering figure and intimidating aura.
A military command seemed to press down the air itself.
Chiang Xiao watched with wide eyes as Meng Xinian, with a dark expression on his face, stirred up a tempest in her heart.
"Comrade, this is no joking matter. Chiang Xiao is only thirteen, where does she get a fiancé from?" Chiang Baoguo’s heart skipped, unable to hold back his words.
Meng Xinian swept him with a cold glance and said, "Child betrothal, is it any of your business?"
Over a decade ago, the Alliance Country was in chaos, with old customs aplenty. Child betrothals were not uncommon; who was to interfere?
The spectators suddenly understood.
"Impossible! When did I ever hear that Chiang Xiao was betrothed?" Ho Laidi immediately cried out. Chiang Songhai had always been a good-for-nothing and poor to boot; who would want an alliance with his family?
Meng Xinian looked towards Chiang Songhai, his gaze flickered slightly, and he spoke with an extremely convincing tone, "Grandfather, there’s no harm in mentioning that matter from the past now, right?"
Chiang Songhai, looking confused, met his eyes and subconsciously nodded, "Go ahead, say it."
But what exactly was that past incident? Why didn’t he know about it?
All eyes were on Meng Xinian.
"My own grandfather was a Supervisor Guard. Once, when accompanying the Guard Squad on a mission, they faced an enemy greatly outnumbering them, and the casualties were heavy. My grandfather was also injured. As they retreated, they passed through Peace Town and happened to meet a local with some medical skills, who provided medicine. At that time, my grandfather made an arrangement with that local to betroth their grandchildren. That local is your grandfather, and the grandchildren in question are myself and Chiang Xiao. So, when my men call Chiang Xiao ’sister-in-law,’ do you see a problem?"