Upon hearing Mayor Wang's stipulation, that they would need to sign an affidavit stating their reasons, some villagers started to balk. After Mayor Qian asked each of them, they all shrugged their hands, admitting they had only heard rumors and were not sure of the details themselves.
Old Mayor Wang coldly gazed at these ignorant villagers. Weren't they aggressive in their accusations earlier? Yet now, when asked for signatures, they hesitate? It was easy to slander a good person, but when it came to bearing real responsibility, they backed off. Humph!
After questioning all villagers, even Li Ergou's shameless family claimed to have heard it from Wan Qing. When Mayor Qian questioned Wan Qing, she pushed all blame onto Xiaomei. "Sir, I don't know the specifics. I only heard these things from Xiaomei. She's from the Yang family; what she said should be true."
