Chapter 128: Blood Test to Determine Kinship_l


    Trantor: 549690339


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


    “You…,” Wu Sisi was momentarily speechless.


    Jiang Sang 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 helpshing out.


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


    Repulsed by their hypocritical disy, 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 Sang, “Do you agree to the Chen family performing a blood test to identify the parentage?”


    Jiang Sang 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 amodate 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 rted 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 wed, 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 nned 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 vige? 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 ce. 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 toe 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 Handy. 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 Handy abduct you? What was her motive?”


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


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


    The vigers listening outside collectively agreed: “That’s exactly how it happened! The Handy 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 Vige, can testify to that too. The Handy frequently abuses her daughters. She only abducted the daughter of Jiang Sang because she wanted to bear a son.”


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


    “The Handy IS the kidnapper!”


    “Yes! The Handy is a kidnapper! We don’t want such a person in our vige!”


    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 toe 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 theughter 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 humblemoner, I wish to perform a blood test to identify blood ties with her. If she is not a Chen, I am willing to ept 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 Linughed upon hearing this, and promptly exined, “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 rted 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 Sang 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 med. 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 viger 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 thest 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..