When the county magistrate asked her why those men had done it, Chen Wanyue answered without hesitation, "They tried to take advantage of me, but I fought them off. They held a grudge and deliberately tried to push me to my death."
"You're spewing vicious lies!"
"With that dead-looking face of yours? You could be lying there stark naked and I wouldn't even spare you a glance."
"A woman whose body has been seen by everyone wouldn't even get any customers if she tried to sell herself."
Their words were cruel and vicious, assailing Chen Wanyue until she felt flayed alive.
'She wished she had a knife to hack these people into a thousand pieces. But even if she could kill them, could she kill everyone in Qingshui County?'
The thought that everyone would gossip about her and mock her behind her back drove Chen Wanyue mad.
She staggered up from the ground, pulled the hairpin from her hair, and lunged, trying to stab the ruffians in the eyes.
