Accusation On Her Character.

"Here she comes! Look over there!" The loud exclamations brushed Tang Yu's ears softly, as she toiled up the upward slope. She switched the gears of her running thoughts, catching sight of the gathering at the backyard. All the females of the Mu family were standing in a loose circle. She pushed open the small door tied with the bamboo fence, and entered.

"I truly wonder where you rendezvoused with your paramour!" Mu Jiayi spat out — rage blazing in her eyes. The fact that her third brother was gone on a hussy grated on her nerves heavily.

A paramour?

Tang Yu's amicable expression went away emptying her face of any emotions. Well, she was going to take no sass from others on her character; not when this era placed utmost importance on a woman's chastity. There was no place for a fallen woman in society, she knew it well. Any rumors of her 'loose morals' would instantly lay a bed of thorns on the way to her goal. "Don't let your mind wander that far away…" She advanced towards Mu Jiayi; sternness seeped into her voice, as she said, "you might get lost in the brain." Mu Jiayi inched away, swallowing her saliva hard.

Tang Yu looked at Mu Jiayi straight in the eye with her glacial stare. She would try to adapt to their lifestyle for sure, however, that didn't mean she had to mute herself to fit in. Being financially independent in a legal way was still her number one priority. "You haven't become a mother-in-law yet, therefore, stop behaving ahead of your age."

The remark obviously heated Mu Jiayi up, and she wanted to turn her anger on Tang Yu. But, looking at the latter's austere eyes, she had to suck her pride. The words at the tip of her tongue rolled backward.

Nevertheless, Song Huan's eyes bulged in anger. She threw the rattan basket in her hands, eight or so ripe mangoes spilled out. "You can't talk to my daughter this way, girl!"

Tang Yu moved her gaze on her mother-in-law who was legit shaking with fury. Obviously, it was pent-up anger from that morning, fed off her best friend's provocation. Not purely from what she said to Mu Jiayi alone. "Mother, she can't talk to her elder sister-in-law this way either, can she?" She asked in a no-kidding yet polite manner.

"She doesn't talk to any of us like this but you! And, you have only yourself to blame for it." Feng Bethsheba stepped forward in Mu Jiayi's defense. She had a dark look on her face, as she asked, "If Jiayi can't inquire about your whereabouts for the last few hours based on her position in the family, what about me? I am one of your elders here. You dipped out for two hours. Whom did you meet?"

"Our father-in-law..." Tang Yu did not even blink, springing the answer on them.

Everyone's expression went north — cold. Freezing cold. "What the heck did you just spout?!" Mu Jiayi shrieked, clawing at the air, as if calling the image of clawing Tang Yu's face to mind. "You have the cheek to drag my father's name through the mud!"

Tang Yu wound up stuffing a finger in her ear. She was not hard of hearing. This girl would stop at nothing before damaging her own vocal cords and others' eardrums. Her expression didn't loosen up from the earlier stern one, as she said, "I went to take a look at the crops, and met my father-in-law there. He showed me around the fields."

"Stop spinning a web of lies!" Mu Jiayi stomped her foot in the ground. Her courage was back. After all, her family got her back. "You were away for half a day! You must've gone to meet your secret lover!"

Tang Yu furrowed her brows at the utter nonsense. The lover thingy was wearing away her patience. It was more annoying when her mother-in-law didn't appear to be willing to call her daughter on her shit. "First, you are expanding the time, I was gone for two hours at most. Second, why would I even bother to weave such a silly lie? When father-in-law comes home in the evening, won't my lies get caught? And third, you can't raise your finger at someone's character with no evidence to back your claim up. I wifed your brother up who is both striking handsome and intelligent. Why would I even eye another man?" She stated as a matter of fact.

"Are you saying that I'm throwing shades on you?" Mu Jiayi laughed out of anger. "We got the skinny on your character from your own family on your wedding day!" She dropped the bomb on Tang Yu.

"Jiayi is absolutely right." Li Diu raised her voice. They just couldn't stop bringing up arguments against Tang Yu when the forbidden topic had been touched on. "The information that your own family member dished out has to be neat. You are a girl with ill-repute. You even chased a man surnamed Xiao."

Tang Yu's eyes dimmed. It had to be Feng Xuan, the pussy ass bitch. Fortunately, the host dodged a big bullet with that louche. Or else, things would've been really hard to explain now — knowing her audience. She had to play smart. "If my character was that loose, why'd your brother agree to marry me?" She asked. "He stayed at our home for three long years. Are you suggesting that he is naive?"

"My brother is not a fool. He is a scholar!" Mu Jiayi blew up on Tang Yu. "You are a fool!"

Tang Yu inhaled a long drag of air to cool her nerves. The imp was blurring the distinct line separating both words. Such a pain in the ass.

"Initially, we all tried hard to ignore all that information, as brother himself fixed this marriage. And, we all believed in him. But, after all that you did to us proved the authenticity of what we heard. You blew up on us for no reason when all we were doing was being nice to you." Mu Hien, the usual quiet girl spoke out.