Liu Qin asked urgently:
"Wang'er, what happened next?"
"Then I swallowed a lot of river water. I felt awful, and I didn't know anything after that.
"When I woke up again, I was already in bed at home.
"Mother said that if anyone asked me about it, I should say someone had thrown me into the river. Only if I said that could Father live with us every day.
"Then, after Father heard what I said, he went to find Madam.
"I heard Mother say Madam was going to take the blame for this for sure.
"I knew we were framing Madam. My teacher taught me about that before!"
Hearing this, Liu Qin turned to look at the half-dead Lian Niang. He had never imagined this was how she taught their child.
He really had wronged his wife.
But what about the earlier incident?
Surely Lian Niang wouldn't have used her own chastity to set a trap?
Liu Qin asked again:
"Wang'er, tell Father. What happened that time when several men surrounded your mother?"
"Those were all people Mother paid to come.
"Mother gave them a banknote.
"I hid far away and watched. When I saw Father coming in the distance, those people surrounded Mother.
"Father, why did they surround Mother?"
Liu Qin did not answer. How was he supposed to explain that to a child?
Madam Liu gave a cold snort:
"Liu Qin, did you hear that clearly?
"Those words came from your own son's mouth!
"You kept calling me vicious. Since you say I'm vicious, I'll show you just how vicious I can be!
"Besides, I, your lawful wife, hadn't even gone looking for trouble with that mistress, yet she dared prance right up in front of me first.
"A disgraceful creature like her dared slander me, the