Contradictory Statements

Sun Shi turned the tables, making the Flowers couple's faces dark with anger. The two families started jumping and shouting at each other in the main hall.

"Ali, you must stand up for me, Third Aunt, and not let the Flowers couple harm us! They've been eyeing our land for a long time; this is clearly premeditated, coming tonight just to complain!" Sun Shi wiped her teary eyes, putting on a pitiful act.

Su Sanyun felt confused watching Sun Shi cry. Originally, he sided with the Flowers family and Su Li, but seeing Sun Shi curse and swear, he found his wife's words reasonable, wavering between the two sides, unsure whom to believe.

Su Li looked at the tearful Sun Shi and shook his head: "Third Aunt, I called you here privately today to give you a chance to repent, but sadly..." Su Li raised his eyes to Sun Shi, "...sadly, Third Aunt, you have greatly disappointed me."

"Your encroachment on the Flowers' land wasn't reported by the Flowers couple, but I discovered discrepancies in the weight of the vegetables your family took. I had someone check, and that's how it was found out." Su Li gave Qingmu a look, and Qingmu immediately brought the ledger.

"Third Aunt, starting a few days ago, every day after dawn, you took your younger brother to the field to pick vegetables again. Does Third Uncle know about this?" Su Li flipped through the accounts calmly but with an imposing tone that made Sun Shi shiver for no reason.

Su Sanyun was obviously unaware, looking surprised: "I didn't know! Wife, why did you and your brother pick vegetables twice?"

Sun Shi blushed deeply and lowered her head: "I, I was helping the Flowers family sell vegetables, just lending a hand."

Su Li sneered: "Third Aunt, just now when I arrived at the door, your excuse was that you followed Third Uncle to sell vegetables during the day and never went to the Flowers' land. That was just a short while ago, and everyone's memory is still fresh, right?"

Sun Shi bit her lip, moving it a few times, wanting to say something but ended up saying nothing.

Su Li continued: "But after I had Qingmu and the others stage that little act, you suddenly changed your story, saying you did go to the Flowers' land to sell vegetables because the Flowers family begged you for help. You couldn't refuse, thinking they were fellow villagers, so you and your maternal brother went to sell vegetables on their land. Am I right?"

Sun Shi looked at Su Li, pupils shrinking, her head drooping.

The Flowers couple looked at Su Li with growing respect. They were too angry to bother pointing out the holes in Sun Shi's words.

Su Li tapped the ledger and said, "Third Aunt, your words contradict each other. Tell me, why is that?"

"I, I... it's because... because... I'm old, my mind is foggy and I forget things easily..." Sun Shi stammered, darting her eyes around.

"Tsk, even something as big as whether you went to the Flowers' land to sell vegetables can be forgotten?" Su Li laughed mockingly. He said to Qingmu, "Qingmu, tell them about how you followed Third Aunt and her maternal brother today."

Qingmu stepped forward and cupped his hands: "Today, Madam sensed something odd about Third Uncle Su's family affairs, so she had me take people to investigate in the city. We saw Third Aunt and her brother forcibly chase the Flowers couple away. This was witnessed by me and several of our servants; no one leaked this to Madam."

Seeing this, the Flowers couple realized Su Li must be fair-minded and were no longer afraid of Sun Shi's threats. They quickly added, "Yes, Sun Shi threatened us that if we dared to leak this, Ali would kick us out. We didn't dare to expose it; Ali is the one who sees through everything and stands up for us!"