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Chapter 518: Chapter 521 Who is the Murderer?_1
Before Chao Lian could finish, a slap landed on her left cheek.
"Chao Lian, are you okay?"
Sun Erhu quickly steadied Chao Lian, his eyes filled with distress and guilt.
If it hadn’t been for him, how could Chao Lian have suffered such humiliation?
Chao Lian shook her head: "I’m fine, Brother Erhu, don’t abandon me; I won’t marry anyone but you."
"Alright, I was wrong just now, I shouldn’t have had such thoughts," Sun Erhu quickly nodded.
How could he have had such a terrifying thought just now?
Chao Lian and Sun Erhu, so tender and affectionate with each other, made many onlookers’ hearts ache.
Qiao Duo’er turned her eyes and said loudly, "Let’s not talk about who killed this chicken for now, let’s talk about the superstition that having a dead thing in the betrothal gifts is inauspicious. Look at the Three Livestock set besides the chicken and the goose, there are also a pair of pig heads. Are you saying the pig heads are alive?"
The pig heads were bloody and dismembered; in comparison, the chicken was just a minor detail.
"This is our custom; it’s been this way for many years."
"But can you really bear to break them apart over a single chicken? Erhu and Chao Lian are in love; shouldn’t they be together?" Qiao Duo looked at the two dead chickens.
She really didn’t think that two chickens could change anything.
Chickens were meant to be eaten anyway, and now that they were dead, it was even less trouble.
Someone sighed, "It truly is a pity, but it’s better than meeting misfortune later on. How sad would it be if they ended up with a broken home and lost lives?"
Qiao Duo’er felt like she was going mad with frustration at these outdated and fatalistic attitudes, taking a deep breath to suppress her anger.
"These two chickens were strangled to death; someone did this deliberately to stop them from getting married. Why are you insisting on blaming Erhu and Chao Lian? Why don’t you condemn the murderer?"
"Is it because Erhu and Chao Lian are easy targets that you bully them at will?"
Qiao Duo’er’s gaze swept over everyone present.
If Chao Lian and Erhu were separated, everyone present today would be an accomplice to the crime!
Tan Zhenghong also chimed in, "Earlier, Erhu had a fortune teller calculate their compatibility. If their zodiac signs were in conflict, Erhu definitely wouldn’t have proposed. All of this was the work of the person who strangled the chickens. I ask everyone to give Erhu justice."
Together, they managed to steer the public opinion back on track; just moments ago, everyone had been led astray by Jiang’s Clan.
Sun Erhu wiped away his tears, "My fellow villagers, I will go back and have Master Yun Xu redraw our astrological charts, but right now, I beg you all to help identify the culprit. Otherwise, such incidents might happen again in the future."
"That’s true; if someone targeted Erhu today, it could be someone else’s turn tomorrow."
"But who could have had their eyes on those two chickens? How are we supposed to find the murderer?"
Qiao Duo took off a pair of Silver Lilac earrings, "The murderer could only have had the opportunity to act after the betrothal gifts were brought out and before they reached the Lin Family, especially during the time when Erhu was paying respects to his ancestors. Everyone, please share any clues you might have. This is a token of my appreciation, and whoever provides a key clue will get these."
The pair of Silver Lilac earrings weren’t worth a fortune, but they were still quite valuable to the families of the rural community.
"Wife of Zheng Hong, can you really be so generous?"
"Are you truly willing to give away Silver Lilac for Erhu’s marriage?"
Many expressed their skepticism; the Tan Family had come into wealth recently, but even so, it didn’t seem right to just give things away.
Qiao Duo’er confidently responded, "Although I am a woman, I always keep my word. Besides, today Zheng Hong and I are here, acting on behalf of Erhu as his elder brother and sister-in-law, it is our duty to be concerned about Erhu’s marriage."
With Qiao Duo’er’s promise, everyone’s enthusiasm was ignited.
