Haven't Had Enough Slaps Yet?
The Village Chief led a noisy crowd of villagers straight toward Lily Evans’s house, and on the way, they bumped into Grandma Evans.
Grandma Evans took one look at Helen Parker’s swollen face, grabbed her sleeve, and whispered, “Oh my! Helen, what happened to your face? Did you get the fifty taels of bride money from Master Miller yet?”
Helen Parker clutched her aching face, gritting her teeth in anger. “Mother, I just took Miller’s servants to tie up Lily Evans, but who knew we’d catch her in the act with some wild man? That shameless pair beat me and Miller’s servants up! The marriage is ruined! The bride money—gone!”
Grandma Evans glared furiously. Her precious grandson, Samuel Evans, was counting on that fifty taels to secure his marriage! She’d even bribed a matchmaker for a city official’s daughter!
That county official fancied Samuel Evans as a promising scholar who might one day become a top-ranked candidate, so he demanded fifty taels as a bride price before agreeing to marry off his daughter to the Evans Family.
The Evans Family wasn’t wealthy. Supporting one scholar was already a struggle—they could never scrape together fifty taels. The plan was to sell off the beautiful Lily Evans for cash, but now this disaster struck. Grandma Evans was furious at Lily Evans.
"That wretched girl! Today, the Village Chief must dunk her in the pig cage!" Grandma Evans spat venomously.
The Evans’ front door was tightly shut. The Village Chief and the crowd blocked the entrance.
Grandma Evans shot Helen Parker a look. Helen stepped forward and shouted, “Lily Evans, you shameless hussy! We found you a decent husband and you refused, only to sneak around with some wild man! Like mother, like daughter—both of you have disgraced the Evans Family!”
With a bang, the door swung open. Lily Evans strode out, her face icy, staring Helen Parker down. “You talk like you’re so respectable. Does the Evans Family even have any dignity left? To save a few bites of food, you accused my mother of adultery and kicked us out. My mother and I have nothing to hide. But you—dare to tell everyone what you really came to my house for today? Who’s the shameless one?”
Helen Parker was left speechless, staring in disbelief at Lily Evans—she’d never expected the timid girl to stand up to her. The villagers began to whisper, shooting suspicious glances at Helen and Grandma Evans.
The Village Chief, sensing something was off, turned to Helen Parker and asked, "Helen, tell us—Lily Evans lives at the far edge of the village. Even if you were headed to the fields, it’s not on your way. So why did you just happen to pass by her house and catch her with a strange man today?"
Helen Parker stammered, "What, I can’t walk around the village if I want? Who says I can’t come to this side? Anyway, I saw Lily Evans with a man with my own eyes! Village Chief, don’t be fooled by her sweet talk. It doesn’t matter why I passed by—what matters is Lily Evans is guilty, and you must uphold justice! I say we tie her up and drown her in the pond right now!"
As Helen ranted, she kept glancing past Lily Evans toward the main room. Just then, Margaret Evans lifted the curtain and stepped out. Helen shrieked, "Look, everyone—Margaret Evans is no better! She seduced her own uncle, and the daughter she raised can’t be any good. They’re both shameless—mother and daughter, always chasing after men!"
Margaret Evans turned pale at the accusation. The rumor that she’d seduced her own uncle had haunted her for years. Lily Evans was beautiful and hardworking, but because of her mother’s reputation, no one had dared propose to her—even at fourteen.
Lily Evans quickly supported her mother, helping her catch her breath. She shot Helen Parker a glare. "What, your mouth’s filthy again? Didn’t get enough slaps last time? Came here begging for another round, did you?"