Chapter 113: The Aunt's Lie

Seeing Lin Yuru’s expression, Li Bixian sensed that something was off. She looked at her earnestly and said, "Don't give me that. Even if you are technically an aunt by status, you're only in your early thirties—don't talk like you're old! And you're certainly not losing your mind, so what is it, really? Why did you ask if Xiaofan told me anything about the fruit shed? Did you and Xiaofan do something shameful in there?"

Hearing this, Lin Yuru’s face flushed a deep crimson, and she panicked. "Th-th-that... how could that be possible! Xiaofan... how could he ever do anything improper with me? Honestly, that never happened! I swear!" She raised her finger, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

Li Bixian had only been speaking off the cuff and hadn't truly suspected anything. But seeing Lin Yuru’s flustered reaction, Li Bixian—who was naturally sharp—immediately concluded that this Aunt Yuru must indeed have a secret with Xiaofan. Her heart began to race, and she stopped what she was doing.

Scanning her surroundings and noticing the prying eyes of others, Li Bixian pulled Lin Yuru aside. "Aunt Yuru, you’re working too hard; you need to take a break. Come on, have some tea!" she said loudly enough for others to hear, though her heart was in a state of turmoil.

Seeing Li Bixian’s behavior, Lin Yuru inwardly groaned, regretting that she had essentially shot herself in the foot.

Soon, Li Bixian led her to the edge of the field, poured a cup of coarse tea from a large tin kettle, and handed it to her. She poured one for herself and gulped it down. Beads of sweat trickled down her supple neck, sliding past her collar and disappearing into the alluring shadows of her cleavage. Lin Yuru couldn't help but sigh to herself, *The waves of the Yangtze River push those ahead—every generation of beauties just keeps on coming.* Thinking back to when she was the village's flower, a pang of loneliness and sorrow rippled through her.

Unaware of Lin Yuru’s thoughts, Li Bixian downed her tea and leaned in, asking in a grave, hushed tone, "Aunt, tell me the truth: what exactly did you and Xiaofan do in that shed? We’re both smart women; don't try to fool me with lies. It definitely had to do with man-and-woman matters, didn't it?"

"Did you... do that with Xiaofan in the shed?"

"Pfft! How could that be! My dear girl... really, it didn't happen! If you don't trust me, surely you trust Xiaofan? How could you think he would get involved with me? I'm... I'm a whole generation older than him!"

Li Bixian gave a cold snort. "Who knows! I know Xiaofan is usually honest, but he’s at that age where his blood is hot. A young man is easily impulsive; he wouldn't do anything reckless under normal circumstances, but who’s to say someone didn't seduce him? Some people, relying on their experience, techniques, and good looks—if they take the initiative, who can guarantee he wouldn't make a mistake? Aunt, I’ve laid it all out. Are you still not going to tell me the truth? Look at how shy and panicked you were just now—there’s definitely something scandalous going on!"

"Oh! I... you..." Lin Yuru was left speechless. She knew that with someone as clever as Li Bixian, simple lies wouldn't cut it. Faced with this, she had no choice but to offer a version of events that was half-true.

Letting out a deep sigh, Lin Yuru said, "Fine, since you’re a smart girl, I won't hide it from you. I don't want you to keep misunderstanding and cause more trouble later."

Li Bixian nodded, her eyes fixed on Lin Yuru’s face, ready to catch any slip of a lie. Lin Yuru smiled helplessly and whispered into her ear, "I... I think my bottom was seen by Xiaofan..."

"What?" Li Bixian gasped.

"Shh! Don't be so loud! Do you want everyone to hear?" Lin Yuru straightened her expression.

Li Bixian frowned. "Fine, fine... go on. I won't yell."

"It was yesterday, or maybe the day before... I went to the fruit shed to pick fruit. I must have drunk too much water, and suddenly I really needed to go. You know how it is—when nature calls, it calls. I looked around, saw no one, and since we were out in the middle of nowhere, I didn't bother looking for a bathroom. I just squatted in the weeds to relieve myself. Who knew... just as I had my pants down and was halfway through, I heard a noise behind me! I quickly pulled up my pants and went to check. I called out a few times, but no one answered. I was even planning to pick up a rock and throw it... and guess what?"

"Did Xiaofan come out of the bushes?" Li Bixian asked skeptically.

"Exactly!" Lin Yuru clapped her hands. "Xiaofan came out of the bushes with that county magistrate’s daughter. He was blushing so hard that I felt something was wrong. After he left, I went to check that spot and realized the view from those bushes looked directly at where I had been squatting. So, there’s a good chance... a good chance he saw me with my pants down! That’s why I was testing you—I thought since you’re closer to him, he might have told you something. If that’s really what happened, I... I’ll be too embarrassed to ever face him again! And here I thought you were suspecting me of having an affair with him... honestly..."

Lin Yuru’s story was a mix of truth and fabrication. It was true that Xiaofan had seen her without pants, but it wasn't while she was relieving herself; she had been undressing for a man. She wasn't squatting when he saw her, but rather bent over... and he hadn't just seen her bottom. However, her account of Xiaofan being with Chen Lini was entirely true. With this blend of fact and fiction, even someone as sharp as Li Bixian couldn't tell the difference.

Li Bixian listened with such intensity that she felt as if she were there. After the story ended, she paused for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Pfft, ha-ha... so that’s what happened!" She doubled over, her chest heaving with laughter. "Aunt... ha-ha, I'm sorry, I can't help it, that is just too funny... As for the county magistrate’s daughter, Xiaofan did mention her to me. He said they found a group of tomb raiders in the mountains. The magistrate came over and left his daughter behind to learn about agriculture from him for a few days. But for some reason, Xiaofan sent her back to the county town this morning..."