Shen Tang was shocked and couldn't understand it.
But clearly, she was the only one who couldn't understand.
The watching commoners were all seething with rage. Judging by their faces, if this weren't the place, they would have dragged Widow Zhuo, that wicked woman, through the streets. They pointed at her, making no effort to hide their contempt.
"She's far too vicious!"
"How could there be such a wicked woman in this world?"
"Lord Shen should sentence her to the Five Punishments!"
"I've heard that Zhuo woman's always been wanton, flirting with any man she sees. I'd guess she wanted to become this family's concubine, but they refused, so she came up with this vicious scheme. That was a child! Wasn't she afraid of Heaven's retribution?"
This era didn't have much in the way of entertainment.
People passed their free time with gossip.
The more scandalous and bizarre the story, the farther it spread. Everyone could gossip about who was doing what in the neighborhood.
The ones who became the subject of such talk were always soft persimmons, easy to squeeze.
Widow Zhuo lived with only her daughter. With no man in the household to command respect and hold up the family, anyone could trample them to while away a dull, boring day. Whether the rumors were true or not, even if they were false, would this mother and daughter dare come demand an explanation?
And even if they did, so what?
"Exactly! Lord Shen should sentence her!"
"A slut like that deserves to die!"
Widow Zhuo's daughter had gone deathly pale. Widow Zhuo herself trembled beneath the weight of public opinion, her expression wretched and dazed.
She kept saying, "I didn't do it on purpose..."
She had only kindly helped by bringing over a knife.
How had that become