Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Blood Test to Determine Kinship_l

Translator: 549690339

Chen Lao-shuan said, “My daughter-in-law did indeed ask you, but she also gave you five taels of silver. Since you’ve accepted the Han Family’s silver, why can’t you accept the Jiang Family’s silver?”

“You…,” Wu Sisi was momentarily speechless.

Jiang Sanlang said, “Chen Lao-shuan, stop discussing irrelevant matters. My daughter is definitely not a child of the Chen Family. Stop deluding yourself.”

Chen Lao-shuan replied, “O gentleman, this child is clearly of the Chen line. If you don’t believe me, just look at her features. Doesn’t she resemble my son?”

“I am not your child! Your son is so ugly, how can I resemble him in any way? Yingbao couldn’t help lashing out.

Chen Lao-shuan and Chen Changping looked at Yingbao, feeling irked in their hearts. Yet, they could only pretend to be compassionate, “Child, you truly are a Chen. We as a family are all hoping for you to recognize your ancestors.”

Repulsed by their hypocritical display, Yingbao hid behind her father, not wanting to look at them again.

At this point, the middle-aged man sitting beside them spoke up, “Wu Mingfu, since they can’t settle their dispute, why don’t we suggest a blood test to identify the parentage?”

Upon hearing this, Chen Lao-shuan nodded vigorously, “Yes, yes! I request the presence of the dignified gentleman to witness the blood test. It will be clear whether or not she’s a Chen child.”

Wu Shi’s expression darkened slightly, he turned to Jiang Sanlang, “Do you agree to the Chen family performing a blood test to identify the parentage?”

Jiang Sanlang bowed in salute, “I do not agree. Honorable official, Yingbao may not be of my blood, but she is as dear to me as a biological child. If every ill-meaning person wants to run a blood test with Yingbao to identify parentage, even if she were to run dry of blood, she could not accommodate everyone.”

“Fair point.” Wu Shi nodded.

The middle-aged man interjected, “Mingfu, it is only a drop of blood, it certainly won’t cause her to run dry of blood. Should the child turn out to be truly related to the Chens, it would be a joyful event. After all, the Jiang Family aren’t her biological parents, they don’t have authority over the child.”

Wu Shi chuckled coldly, “This argument is flawed, Mr. Liu. The Jiang family has raised her, how is such a generous act not equated to having authority over

Mr. Liu stroked his beard, “I heard rural rumors about this child being a reincarnation of a fairy child. Although unverifiable, it attracted ambitions. The fact that the Jiang Family raised her would mean they benefitted substantially from it. Thus, their act of raising her stems from a motive and cannot be considered a generous act.”

His flippant remark discredited the Jiang Family, infuriating Yingbao:

“My adoptive parents took care of me because they are honorable people. They were kind to me because they cherished me as their own daughter. How can an adult like you misrepresent the truth so?”

“The Chen Family merely wants to absolve the Han Family of guilt. Do they really think that we are fools? They paid money, hired thugs and used drugs to abduct me hundreds of miles away. The Han Family intended to use me to bear a son for them, and planned to kill me afterwards. She admitted this herself. How can you absolve such a malicious woman of guilt?

I would like to ask, which prestigious Prefecture City family do you serve for? Why have you traveled great lengths to our small village? What benefits would associating me with the Chen Family bring to you?”

Faced with the barrage of questions from a little girl, Mr. Liu’s face turned from pale to green.

Had the challenger been an adult, Liu Lin could have rebuked her for her arrogance by saying that she didn’t know her place. But she was but a four- or five-year-old girl. Any way he chose to berate or pick a quarrel with her, he would end up looking like a fool.

“You… who taught you to speak like this?” Liu Lin struggled to come up with these words after a long while.

Yingbao replied, “Nobody taught me. Any person with a brain would know that I am not a Chen child. This includes the Han lady. She abducted me because she realized that I am not her biological child, and wanted to hide me somewhere else. Had I been her biological child, the Han Family would not have needed to go to such lengths.”

Liu Lin’s beard trembled in anger, pointing at Yingbao he demanded, “Why would the Han lady abduct you? What was her motive?”

Yingbao chuckled, “You just mentioned it yourself, the rural rumor about me being the reincarnated fairy child. The Han lady, unable to bear a son, hatched an ill-conceived plan. She abducted me to act as her talisman for bearing a son.

If you don’t believe me, you can ask the villagers here, isn’t that right?”

The villagers listening outside collectively agreed: “That’s exactly how it happened! The Han lady harbored sinister intentions, it wasn’t her first time bothering our little fairy child. We can all vouch, Yingbao is not a child of the Chen Family.”

“Yes, yes! We, the people of West Village, can testify to that too. The Han lady frequently abuses her daughters. She only abducted the daughter of Jiang Sanlang because she wanted to bear a son.”

The people of West Village had grown weary of the Chen Family and wished for the officials to arrest them all. Only then, would Jiang Sanlang no longer vent his anger on West Village in the future, and the little fairy child would also bestow good fortune on them.

“The Han lady IS the kidnapper!”

“Yes! The Han lady is a kidnapper! We don’t want such a person in our village!”

The crowd was filled with righteous indignation. Some people started to berate Chen Lao-shuan and Chen Changping. “The mastermind of a kidnapping is in your household, yet you have the audacity to come here to have our little fairy child absolve her of guilt! What are you thinking?”

“Chen Changping, you are an educated man. How could you have no shame?”

Observing that the situation had heated up appropriately, Wu Shi lightly cleared his throat to mask the laughter in his eyes. “Silence! Silence, everyone! Please stop arguing.”

He turned his gaze towards the father and son of the Chen Family, “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Chen Changping’s face turned pale and he was speechless.

Chen Lao-shuan knelt on the ground and wailed bitterly, “Honorable official, this child is truly from the Chen Family. As a humble commoner, I wish to perform a blood test to identify blood ties with her. If she is not a Chen, I am willing to accept any punishment, honorable official, please make a fair judgment.”

Wu Shi’s face grew stern.

This old man was truly a nuisance.

Liu Lin beside him added: “Mingfu, under the given circumstances, why not agree to a blood test to prove blood ties? Could it be that you intend to favour someone?”

Wu Shi’s gaze cooled but before he could respond, Yingbao stepped forward. “Honorable official, if the Chen Family wants a blood test, let them have it. But I would like to know, how does one perform such a blood test? How can we tell from a drop of blood if we are kin?”

Liu Lin laughed upon hearing this, and promptly explained, “A blood test involves each party contributing a drop of blood into water. If the two drops of blood merge as one, it means they are kin. If the drops don’t merge, they are not related by blood.”

“Fine, I agree to the blood test. But to prevent any trickery, I request we use three bowls of water.” Yingbao stated.

Jiang Sanlang looked worried and quietly asked his daughter, “Baobao, why did you agree?”

Yingbao reassured him softly, “Don’t worry, Papa. Nothing will happen.”

She couldn’t refuse. Otherwise, Uncle Wu would be blamed. She hadn’t yet cured his illness and given him the gourd, so Wu Daozi must not have any problems at this moment.

The man named Liu sitting in the hall was certainly a staff member of the Prefecture City governor. His presence here represented the intent of the governor. Therefore, Yingbao must ensure that Uncle Wu did not oppose him directly.

A villager brought three bowls and lined them up on the table.

A young servant stepped forward from behind Liu Lin. He took a gourd from his waist and poured a little water into each bowl.

Next, the young servant took a needle and pricked Chen Changping’s middle finger, asking him to drop a drop of blood into each bowl.

“Wait, don’t drop any blood into this bowl.” Yingbao quickly covered the last bowl, preventing Chen Changping from adding his blood into it.

Chen Changping didn’t pay any mind and simply dropped a drop of blood into the other two bowls.

“It’s your turn.” The young servant looked at Yingbao..