"Xia Xiaodie, what did I tell you last time? You..."
Su Qiao had only gotten halfway through her sentence when Xia Xiaodie's mother, Liu Yuehong, hurried over.
She quickly helped her daughter up. "Xiao Die, get up. How can you kneel on the ground? You're still so young. What if you hurt yourself? Are you trying to worry your mother to death?"
"Mother, I'm not getting up. I did something wrong, dragged you into it, and dragged Maternal Grandfather's whole family into it too. I should apologize. I should be punished."
Xia Xiaodie's face was streaked with tears, and her small body trembled faintly.
Liu Yuehong's face was full of heartache. "Silly child, how could you steal someone else's formula just because you couldn't bear to watch your uncle's shop go under and the whole family starve?"
"With such an important formula, they couldn't possibly have let you get it easily. How could you be so foolish? You took a fake formula, and in the end, you not only harmed Maternal Grandfather's family, but yourself as well. You..."
At that point, she seemed unable to continue. Her face showed both anguish and anger.
She looked up at Su Qiao with a pleading expression.
"Xiao Qiao, Auntie knows that my Die'er was in the wrong, but she's already been severely punished by her grandfather and father. Her uncle's shop was smashed too. Could you be magnanimous and let them off this once?"
"Her uncle is still being held at the yamen. Could you please show mercy and have them release him? Auntie will kneel to you right here."
As she spoke, Liu Yuehong was about to kneel, but a villager nearby hurried over and caught hold of her.
Su Qiao took Ernie by the hand and walked to the side, avoiding