Chapter 36: Be My Woman

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

As soon as Shen Li finished speaking, the people outside who were watching the show rose in an uproar.

Although they had never heard of this, it seemed to make sense.

Liao Wenbin lost his composure time and time again. He looked at the dense crowd outside the house and wanted to regain some dignity.

Liao Wenbin thought for a moment and cleared his throat.

“Even so, that does not address the other issues. For example, like how you claim their slanders to be baseless, there is also no evidence to prove the opposite.

“Even I have heard that the inner workings of your family has not been peaceful.”

As soon as he said this, the tone of the crowd outside the door changed again.

“That’s right. Look at her stepmother. She’s so beautiful. How could she stand the loneliness?”

“Look at the man next to her. The two of them are so close. Who knows what their relationship is?”

When Gu Shen turned to stare at him, the man shuffled his feet, but ultimately stood his ground.

“That’s right. Did I say anything wrong? If you want to punish someone, you should punish her for adultery!”

Before the man could finish his sentence, Gu Sheng clenched his fists tightly. The veins on his arms were bulging, but he held back his anger. After all, the current situation was already difficult enough for Zhong Ning. He could not afford to escalate matters.

Shen Li was so angry that she almost vomited blood.

“We are back to square one. Do you have evidence for that? Let me ask you this, how is the crime of adultery defined?”

Liao Wenbin didn’t know anything, so the scholar had to answer for him.

“Lewd behavior is prohibited. Men and women should be faithful to each other, and husbands have a responsibility to ensure this. If someone violates this trust, they are deserving of death.”

Shen Li’s voice remained soft, but her words contained a certain weight.

“There’s a premise here. You speak of married women, and my mother is widowed. Even if she really wants to remarry, is it a sin?

“Are there any laws that state that a widow can’t remarry?”

Liao Wenbin was stunned. It was indeed possible to remarry, but…

“Very few women remarry. It’s natural for them to keep their chastity, and the Imperial court also supports this act. They even issue chastity Memorial Archs to prove that these women are faithful.

As you said…”

Shen Li knew that their views on women were deeply rooted and could not be changed overnight. She did not want to argue with him about what was right and what was wrong.

Shen Li interrupted him.

“I don’t care what other people are like. In any case, if my mother wants to remarry, I will support it. Moreover, it is her freedom to choose her pursuits.

“You people have nothing better to do than to gossip about other people and pin the blame on others according to your own dirty thoughts, spreading rumors without evidence.

“I hope that this group of trash would be dealt with according to the law!”

Shen Li’s speech was reasonable and succinct. She did not care about her mother’s remarriage, so what could others say?

Liao Wenbin was speechless. After being interrupted by Shen Li several times in a row, he was in a very bad mood. Even the assistants by his side had become eyesores.

He called for a few bailiffs.

“Beat the culprits up and put them in jail. Then, compensate this lady’s party.”

Liao Wenbin didn’t want to waste any more time with Shen Li and left.

Shen Li’s anger did not subside when she saw the people who had been spouting nonsense, just a moment ago, begging for mercy with wails and howls.

They deserved it!

They could not take back those words. The damage had already been done.

After Zhong Ning returned to the manor, she locked herself in her room without a word.

Shen Li paced back and forth in front of the door. She could vaguely hear the crying inside. She wanted to go in and comfort her, but then she thought about how Zhong Ning had been holding back along the way, she knew that she did not want to be seen in such a state.

She sighed.

“Ah…”

Zhong Ning was curled up in the corner of the bed. She covered her face with the blanket and cried. Her shoulders trembled.

She needed someplace to vent, but she didn’t know who to talk to.

In her dazed state, she heard someone open the door and enter.

Zhong Ning didn’t dare to look up, thinking that Shen Li had come in. She wiped her tears with the blanket and was about to look up when someone embraced her.

Almost at the same time, a deep male voice rang in her ears.

“Don’t stand guard over the Shen family anymore. Be my woman.”