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墨書 Inktalez
"How about this? You take us to see the place. The price must be related to its location, right? My father is a carpenter and probably knows a bit about feng shui. We can decide after we take a look."
Xia Muxin smiled as she spoke to Yang Dadong, having heard subtle movements outside.
When Summer Forest was mentioned, his expression faltered slightly, feeling embarrassed and wanting to clarify his lack of expertise in that area. However, Xia Muxin silenced him with a glance. Then, seeing her mischievous wink, he was puzzled but remained silent. His daughter was clever and full of ideas; he simply smiled at her, turning his face away awkwardly.
Generally, carpenters do have some understanding of feng shui, but Summer Forest truly had no knowledge in that regard—a fact well known to everyone. Now, Xia Muxin was praising Summer Forest in front of Yang Dadong without him correcting her, leaving Yang Dadong somewhat confused.
"Hey, village chief, can I talk to Ermiao?"
Xia Muxin asked curiously, her eyes darting around as she noticed the figure outside disappear.
Yang Dadong had always understood Ermiao's feelings. Xia Tieshu was a good child too. Given the troubles at home and Iron Tree's injury, Yang Dadong felt uneasy. After all, she was his daughter; if she married into the Xia Family, it would be a life of ups and downs, and he couldn't bear it.
At the same time, he felt guilty towards the Xia Family. Ermiao had been on a hunger strike for several days, yet the Wang family threatened that as long as Ermiao went to the Xia Family, they would forcibly take her as a concubine. They were frightened and had confined Ermiao; she had cried and even threatened suicide during this time. He and his wife watched all this unfold with heavy hearts. Of course, these were things outsiders didn't know because village matters were already enough of a headache for him.
No village chief in history had been as helpless as he was...
Now that Muxin had said this, it made him feel embarrassed. Taking the opportunity, he stepped forward and held Summer Forest's hand. "Brother Xia, I'm sorry for what happened to your Iron Tree!"
As he spoke, he choked up and began to cry.
"We understand; we all understand. You have your reasons and difficulties too—after all, they are our children. So once our conditions improve and you agree, if Ermiao agrees too, she will be my daughter-in-law in the Xia Family."
Summer Forest could empathize with the struggles of a false father. If Muxin were in such a situation, he would have his own selfish feelings too.
Xia Muxin watched as the two big men spoke with red-rimmed eyes, their honesty bringing a smile to her lips, sweet as honey. She walked over to the sobbing Ermiao and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, offering it gently.
"Ermiao, my brother thinks of you every day. He can already stand and walk now. During this time, just listen to Uncle Dong and Aunt, stay at home well. When the time is right, our family will come to propose. As long as you agree to marry him, he will take you as his wife. If you don’t agree, please let us know early."
As soon as Xia Muxin finished speaking, Ermiao grabbed her arm tightly, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. Nodding vigorously, she stammered, "I’m willing! I’m willing!"
Xia Muxin's eyes also turned red. She comfortingly patted Ermiao's hand before walking towards Yang Dadong and the others.
After whispering to him for a while, she noticed a complex glint in Yang Dadong's eyes. Seeing Xia Muxin's determined gaze, he solemnly entered the house.
"Muxin, what did you say to your Uncle Dong? Why does he look so grim?"
Just as the atmosphere had begun to ease, Yang Dadong's expression changed again. Summer Forest quickly tugged at Muxin's sleeve, asking with concern.
"Dad, it's nothing. Just wait and see," Xia Muxin replied with a smile, feeling quite relaxed.
After a while, Yang Dadong emerged from the house with Aunt Yang following behind him. Her hands were wet, likely from some chores she had been doing. Yang Dadong whispered something in her ear and instructed her to keep the door open; if anything happened, she should shout loudly. Aunt Yang looked timidly at Ermiao and her younger son before nodding at Yang Dadong and reminding him to be careful on his way.
At that moment, Xia Muxin realized how anxious their family life must be; no wonder he kept Ermiao confined at home. It was likely that the Wang family had given him quite a bit of trouble without them knowing.
As they stepped out of the Yang Family courtyard, Yang Dadong called out to the side, "Mom, Aunt Qin, Uncle Jiu, I'm stepping out for a bit; please take care of things at home."
At his call, several elderly folks who had been resting together immediately waved their old bamboo fans in response: "Go ahead! We’ll manage things here!"
At that moment, Xia Muxin's sharp eyes caught sight of Ming Peng's figure, and she walked over to him, whispering, "Brother Ming Peng, could you please help take care of Uncle Yang's family? If anyone comes to cause trouble or bully them, just beat them up severely. If it gets out, I'll take responsibility."
If the Wang family took advantage of the land purchase to bully Ermiao and the others, Xia Muxin would blame herself for a lifetime. Moreover, the two families had just begun to reconcile, and her brother was about to marry Ermiao; she couldn't let anything happen.
Hearing this, Ming Peng hesitated. "I'm here to protect you."
Xia Muxin rolled her eyes at him and pointed at herself. "Look at me; I'm so tough. Do I really need protection?"
Ming Peng watched her feisty demeanor but still felt uneasy. He then raised his hand to his mouth and let out a distinctive whistle.
Xia Muxin recognized that sound; it was the same one he made when he and her father went up the mountain to chop wood that day, not allowing Shen Muhan to follow. At that time, Shen Muhan had given Ming Yi a look, and Ming Yi had whistled just like that.
Does this... represent some kind of signal?
Sure enough, within moments, a shadow appeared from nowhere. Xia Muxin recognized him as one of the workers from the rice planting day. She stared at them in shock while anger bubbled up inside her. What was Shen Muhan's status that they had been lurking nearby all along?
Ming Peng whispered something to another Black-Clad Youth, who nodded and then vanished in an instant.
"Alright, Miss Muxin, if anyone bullies them, he'll make sure those people end up in a sorry state without anyone noticing."
Uh... what does that even mean...
Xia Muxin helplessly rubbed her forehead and gave him a bitter smile as she noticed her father and Yang Dadong approaching them.
"What is this..."
When Yang Dadong saw Ming Peng, he was clearly taken aback. The unfamiliar face, along with his unusual attire and piercing gaze, made quite an impression.
"Heh heh, this is my hired help. He has some skills in martial arts, so I brought him along," Xia Muxin said, glancing at the previously smiling and respectful Ming Peng, who now seemed cold and distant.
She quickly forced a smile and pinched Ming Peng's arm hard.
Ming Peng was momentarily stunned; he felt no pain and maintained his icy expression. Xia Muxin was puzzled, wondering how he resembled Shen Muhan so much.
"The master said we can only treat the young lady well. The master also said that when he is not around, you are our master. If the master is present, you are the master's master."
They were all trained professionals, and the brothers in the team knew that as long as they pleased Miss Muxin, they would never have to worry about food in the future.
Thus, at that moment, he recited Shen Muhan's words verbatim.
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin's face flushed. Was this what Shen Muhan had instructed him before leaving?
"Alright, master’s master, let’s go!"
Seeing Xia Muxin lost in thought, Ming Peng felt a pang of anxiety, fearing he had misspoken. He quickly bent down and gestured for her to proceed.
Xia Muxin snapped back to reality and looked at her confused father and the adoring Yang Dadong before softly saying, "Let’s go, village chief, Dad!"
The four of them soon arrived at an open area located in the eastern part of He Xiaoyu. To the east lay a river, while to the west stood a mountain. Vast fields stretched out to the north and south.
Moreover, this spot was a dead end of Daimiao Mountain; there were no houses nearby. The ground varied in height with several mounds of dirt piled up—likely from villagers planting crops. Building a house here was indeed an unusual idea, yet Xia Muxin headed straight toward it.
"Village Chief, this is the one. Please bring the land deed over; I'll leave my thumbprint, and you can write my name on it."
Xia Muxin walked around the plot of land before making her decision.
"Muxin..."
Hearing this, Yang Dadong's expression turned somewhat unnatural. This land was indeed cheaper than others, but building a house here seemed too risky. There were wild beasts in the mountains, and constructing a standalone house at the foot of the mountain was genuinely dangerous. At this moment, not only did he oppose it, but Summer Forest also hesitated.
"Village Chief, what's wrong? Don't underestimate this land." Xia Muxin glanced around and then approached Yang Dadong, snatching the land deed from him. She found the corresponding page, took the seal from his hand, pressed her thumb into the ink pad, and stamped it.
After finishing, she returned everything to its original state and pulled out two hundred taels of silver notes, stuffing them into Yang Dadong's hands. She continued, "This land is cheap and large. Once I make money and build the house, I can enclose the area and plant vegetables and fruit trees inside. What’s there to worry about not having a harvest? Besides, this soil was dug up by villagers from the earth; it's very fertile. Planting some crops here will surely be profitable!"
What???
Yang Dadong and Summer Forest were both stunned. This was East He Xiaoyu's land, which no one wanted. Moreover, every year Donghe flooded several times; wouldn't building a house here mean it would get submerged?
Seeing their incredulous expressions, Xia Muxin added, "Look, I’ll place the main entrance right here. As soon as I step out, I’ll see Donghe’s clear waters flowing freely without any obstruction. This signifies that my Xia Family will have smooth sailing ahead and continue to thrive. The vast fields stretching north and south indicate that my descendants will achieve greatness—there's unlimited potential for development! And this mountain... as the saying goes, 'rely on water for sustenance from water, rely on mountains for sustenance from mountains.' With both mountains and fertile fields at my disposal, doesn’t that symbolize a bright future filled with prosperity?"
Xia Muxin glanced at a group of figures not far away, spinning tales while her heart blossomed with joy.
"Hey hey hey, Six Two, what this girl said makes sense."
Wang Shoucai received the news that Xia Muxin wanted to buy land, and he immediately became furious. How dare she, that despicable person, use some underhanded means to acquire silver? After injuring him, she still had the audacity to swagger in and buy land. He had originally brought a group of people to teach her a lesson, and Yang Dadong was also someone who needed to be dealt with for secretly selling land to the Xia Family behind his back. When he returned, Yang would surely regret it.
Six Two, the house steward who had been with him for several years, was previously a feng shui master. The piece of land in question was one he had assessed, and the family was currently thriving. Hearing Xia Muxin's words now stirred something within him.
Six Two had a tuft of beard on his chin that looked as if it had been singed by smoke, resembling corn silk—yellow and blackish. His bulging eyes seemed to scrutinize everyone closely.
Xia Muxin's voice was loud, and with the wind blowing in their direction today, her words reached their ears without missing a beat. At this moment, Six Two stared at her with his bulging eyes, perhaps due to his long-term use of a smoking pipe. He rubbed his thickened thumb and index finger together as if pondering something serious while folding his hands in an exaggerated manner, muttering to himself.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement as he exclaimed to Wang Shoucai, "Master, this girl makes a valid point. This land is indeed a feng shui treasure; it's just that the world is blind to its value."
Upon hearing this, Wang Shoucai rolled up his sleeves and waved his hand at the group. "Let's go!" he commanded.
Meanwhile, Xia Muxin continued passionately persuading her father and Yang Dadong about her intentions when she suddenly caught sight of Wang Shoucai and his entourage approaching. She immediately shouted loudly, "Village Chief! I don’t care! We agreed on two hundred taels for this land, and you promised! I even hired a reputable feng shui master from Town to assess it; you can’t go back on your word!"
Well, you cunning little vixen! No wonder you chose this place; you were prepared all along. Thankfully, I’m clever enough; otherwise, this piece of feng shui treasure would have fallen into the hands of the Xia Family.
"Who says you bought this land? I had my eye on it long ago and offered double the price." Seeing Xia Muxin’s desperate pleas filled him with joy as he stepped forward and confidently pulled Yang Dadong closer.
Xia Muxin looked pitifully downcast, her shoulders slumping as she spoke weakly with a quivering voice tinged with tears. "Wuwu... Village Chief, you're a grown man; you can't go back on your word! You can't be blinded by money! My family only has this little silver left, which we borrowed. That person said it counts as an investment. I promised that next year I would show him fruit trees and crops and return one hundred taels to him. If I breach the contract, I’ll owe three times the amount—six hundred taels! Wuwuwu... Even if I sold everything I have, I wouldn’t have that much!"
The more Xia Muxin spoke, the more pitiful she sounded; soon enough, she was sniffling and crying uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face like a broken dam.
Ming Peng stood aside, trying to ignore Xia Muxin's pitiful state. If it weren't for her repeated instructions that he couldn't intervene unless she called for him, he would have already thrown that ugly, fat old man into the river.
Summer Forest and Yang Dadong were in a frenzy. Why was this girl so stubborn? Even if the land was truly good, there was no need for her to act like this. In a moment of desperation, Summer Forest grabbed her daughter and spoke gently, "Muxin, let it go. Let's go look at other places."
He had seen how far the Wang family could go to avoid trouble. More than anything, he was worried about Xia Muxin getting hurt. He had heard from villagers that the carriage had entered the Wang family's yard that day. It was truly a den of snakes and rats; even relatives were not to be trusted. They had hit someone and didn't even get out of the carriage.
Seeing this, Yang Dadong felt guilty and turned to Wang Shoucai and the others, saying, "Lord Wang, please do a good deed and let this land go to Muxin. We are all from the same village; do you really want to see her family being chased by creditors, living in fear?"
"Hey, who gave you the right to speak here? I said no, so it's no," Wang Shoucai retorted.
It was said that Xia Muxin borrowed money with a promise to repay one hundred taels next year. This was just the cost and did not include any other income. Wang Shoucai couldn't stop grinning; he refused to budge. When he saw Yang Dadong speaking up for her, he shoved him aside and scolded him without mercy.
Yang Dadong felt helpless and raked his hair in frustration. He had been wondering how Muxin returned from town with so much silver; it turned out she had borrowed it from someone else. This girl was too bold! To use herself as collateral for such a risky deal—at this moment, even he was anxious for her!
"Here, this is four hundred taels in silver notes; where's the land deed?" At that moment, Wang Dafu came running over, panting heavily as he stuffed a bundle of silver notes into Wang Shoucai's arms. Wang Shoucai shot a smug glance at Xia Muxin before pulling out several notes and slapping them hard against Yang Dadong's face while reaching out for the land deed.
Yang Dadong bent down to pick up some silver notes from the ground. Just as he was about to speak, Xia Muxin dashed over and snatched the land deed from Yang Dadong's hands. As she ran away, she shouted, "I don't care! The deed has my name, Xia Muxin, on it along with the other party's name, and I have stamped my fingerprint on it! This is legally binding; how can you just take it?"
"Hey! You little brat! Do I need your approval to buy land?" Seeing Xia Muxin clutching the deed tightly, Wang Shoucai became furious and pointed at her with an angry glare.
"But this land is mine now," Xia Muxin insisted, refusing to back down as she followed his words with one retort after another.
"I bought it, so it's my land," Wang Shoucai said, his mind solely focused on snatching the deed from Xia Muxin and signing it with his name, speaking without a second thought.
"Fine, but where's the money?" Xia Muxin asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she reluctantly extended her palm toward Wang Shoucai.
"Here you go. Take it, Fu'er, change the name."
Wang Dafu had studied for a few years, but since his family became wealthy, he lost interest in academics. His flirtatious nature led him to indulge in pursuits of pleasure, and eventually, the school expelled him for his behavior.
At that moment, upon seeing Xia Muxin, his eyes widened in fascination. Without considering anything else, he instructed the servants to bring the prepared ink and brush. Xia Muxin stepped forward and pointed to a spot on the deed, saying, "This is my name; now change it to your father's here. Change this to mine, this to double the amount, and this to four hundred taels..."
Xia Muxin's soft voice echoed in his ears. Wang Dafu felt a pang of desire and swallowed hard. Without even looking at the words on the deed, he followed her instructions blindly. In no time at all, the deed changed hands.
Xia Muxin tucked away the four hundred taels in banknotes, suppressing her laughter as she approached Yang Dadong. Lowering her gaze, tears welled up again as she sorrowfully said, "Village Chief... please take us to see other lands. I don't want to pay three times the amount or be sold off. Even if the feng shui is poor here, I still want to give it a try."
Yang Dadong believed her words and didn't dwell on how Xia Muxin had just turned a profit of two hundred taels. Seeing her pleading expression made him feel uneasy as well. After politely bidding farewell to Wang Shoucai and the others, he led Xia Muxin to another location.
However, no matter where they went, Xia Muxin found fault with each piece of land until they finally arrived next to her Thatched Cottage. She pointed at a plot beside it and declared, "Village Chief, that one will do!"
The land beside her Thatched Cottage was vast, covering at least ten acres. It was bordered by a willow grove. Rumor had it that someone had lived there before, but after a tragedy struck and someone died, it became vacant land. Aside from the willow grove, there were only weeds and some inconspicuous seedlings; from a distance, it looked desolate and barren.
"Uh... Muxin, are you really going to buy here?"
Most people would choose clean plots with good directions and wide roads. But this girl was rather peculiar; aside from Aunt Liu's family behind her Thatched Cottage, there were no other residents nearby. The land had been empty for over twenty years—overgrown with weeds of varying heights—and given its troubled past, villagers avoided walking in that direction altogether.
They all said this place was unlucky.
"Yes, Uncle Dong, this is the spot," Xia Muxin declared firmly.
"Brother Forest, what do you think...?" Yang Dadong hesitated, glancing at Summer Forest.
This time, Summer Forest was clever and followed Muxin's lead, saying, "Since the girl insists, let's go along with her."
In the end, both parties signed the agreement. Xia Muxin readily paid one hundred and fifty taels and then slipped an additional twenty taels in silver notes to Yang Dadong. He refused to take it, but Xia Muxin insisted it was a thank you for playing along with her earlier act, claiming it was a preemptive gift from Xia Tieshu to their elders. Yang Dadong's face flushed with embarrassment as he thought of his wife's health. After a moment's hesitation, he bit his teeth and accepted it, his cheeks still red.
Within less than an incense stick's worth of time, news spread that the Wang family had bought land from the Xia family. This was quite the sensation in the village—one of the richest families and one of the poorest had simultaneously purchased land. Moreover, Wang Shoucai had paid double the price for the land that Xia Muxin had first set her sights on. Standing there, Xia Muxin had made two hundred taels—a sum they could never hope to earn in their lifetime.
At the Zhou family, Wu Family was furious; their hearts were aching with anger. Last time they went to the school to ask for Summer Old Man's stipend, they were told that he had fainted in class and had to see a doctor who prescribed several months' worth of medicine due to his frail health. As a result, not only was this month's stipend gone, but next month's would be scant as well.
The second and fourth sons had been complaining these days that their family was on the verge of starvation. The previous day, Yu Shi went to the Wang family with some eggs and supplements, only to have them taken away without a word. When she encountered Azure Lotus, she learned that her father-in-law had recently fallen ill and spent a lot of money on doctors. To save costs, Meng Family confiscated their pocket money.
They even imposed a three-month ban on buying jewelry or making new clothes.
But today, who were those people bringing house servants to snatch land from Xia Muxin's despicable girl?
They said that once daughters were married off, they became like spilled water. Azure Lotus seemed to be turning her elbow outward, no longer caring about this family.
Hearing that Xia Muxin not only competed with the Wang family for land but also earned two hundred taels from Wang Shoucai made it unbearable for her.
"You all say, how could that wretched girl deceive the entire Wang family?"
Feeling unsettled, she turned to her sons and asked.
"Mother, the Xia family is not what it used to be. Muxin is clearly clever and capable. If even the Wang family can't outsmart her, then in Daimiao Village, she could really turn things upside down. I think we should bury the hatchet and pretend to be friendly. Once we can trick her out of a hundred or two hundred taels, we can just kick them aside."
Zhou Yousheng spent his days idly wandering around, his hands not clean either. You Shi scolded him daily, and his ears had grown calloused from it. He glanced at his two brothers and began to scheme.
"I heard that man left, yet she was able to buy land. Could it be that man played with her, then got tired of her and stuffed her with money to shut her up? Otherwise, how could this girl, whose family is utterly poor, manage to buy land after catching a few game animals every day? How could she afford such a large sum to buy land? Who would believe that?"
Even though it was undeniable that Xia Muxin's family had become wealthy, in You Shi's eyes, the source of that wealth was murky and unclean. While plotting against the Xia family, she also slandered their character.
"Sister-in-law makes a good point. That man has been living with them for over a month now. The Xia family only has three thatched cottages and five mouths to feed. With two big men suddenly appearing out of nowhere, you have to wonder—every day they come and go together. Look at that wretched girl; she's been well taken care of these days. She hardly looks like a country bumpkin anymore. Besides, none of them are complete; yet now look at them—they can walk when they couldn't before, and things they couldn't mention are now being discussed openly. Those who were supposed to die are not only alive but even the one in her belly is safe now. If this were an ordinary family, how much silver would that cost? And for a poor family like the Xia's, aside from Xia Muxin being a clean girl worth some money, where else could they find a few copper coins?"
The speaker was Cuihua, Zhou Changsheng's wife. She was from another village and usually quiet, smiling at everyone. In the villagers' eyes, she was considered normal for the Zhou family but was lazy. It was said that her family consisted entirely of brothers; she was the only girl and thus not looked down upon like other women. She had never suffered until marrying Zhou Changsheng and starting household chores.
Since the Wu family remarried, she had followed the Zhou family to Daimiao Village. With Summer Old Man around, she reverted to her previous nature and refused to do even simple tasks like weeding; instead, she sent her under-ten-year-old son to do it.
"No way! We should first scout out the Wang family. If they decide to backtrack and want their money back later on, wouldn't all our efforts just be against the Wang family?"
Listening to the family's discussions about strategies, You Shi disagreed but ultimately proposed an idea. Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Then Wu Family added:
"How about you go check on the Zhou family and report back? That way we can strategize better. Even if those two hundred taels are reclaimed, doesn't she still have fifty taels left?"
After hearing this suggestion, everyone felt it made sense and urged You Shi to go visit the Wang family.
You Shi was thick-skinned by nature, and relying on the fact that his daughter was the Young Mistress of the Wang family, he stood up and tidied himself up before heading towards the Wang residence.
At that moment, the Wang family was in chaos, filled with curses and shouts.
Meng Family was furious with Wang Shoucai, seething with anger at how a large group of people could be manipulated by a mere teenager. She pointed her well-manicured fingers at Wang Shoucai's head, scolding him sharply:
"I say, Wang, are you infatuated with that shameless girl or what? You bought this piece of sloped land for four hundred taels of silver—look at it, it's even at double the price! Have you lost your mind? I'm telling you, go right now and get back those two hundred taels. Otherwise, none of you are coming back to me."
Wang Shoucai felt dazed from Meng Family's loud and rough scolding. Yet, her words made sense; after he returned home, he realized something was off but couldn't pinpoint what it was until Meng Family brought it up.
Meng Family had originally gone with him but returned due to family matters. The characters were all written by Wang Dafu, so he felt at ease and didn't keep his guard up. That’s how he fell into that fool's trap.
"Liu Mazi, go bring Yang Dadong's family to me. If they conspired with Xia Muxin to trick me, just wait and see how I deal with these blind fools."
At this moment, his anger was boiling; he needed to take care of them one by one.
"Master... Yang Family... there's a ghost!"
Just as he finished speaking, several house servants limped over, their faces bruised and battered. As they got closer, it became clear they were the strong men who had been sent to Yang Dadong's house earlier. They had intended to teach Yang Dadong a lesson to show him who was in charge. Moreover, Xia Muxin had dared to hide the land purchase from him. If it weren't for someone seeing Xia Muxin visiting Yang Dadong's house, he wouldn't have taken it seriously. But he never expected things would turn out like this...
"That audacious fool dared to hit you all?"
Liu Mazi rushed over and examined their faces one by one before clenching his fists and roaring in anger.
"Ghost..."
As a result, the answers were all in unison.
"Wow, what's going on here? You all look like a bunch of fools. You're grown adults, yet you're acting like children fighting. Look at you, all bruised up!"
This was You Shi, someone who couldn't read the room or choose her words wisely. As soon as she entered the Wang family’s home and saw several people looking disheveled, she couldn't help but blurt out her thoughts.
The Meng Family had always been shrewd. Upon seeing You Shi arrive, they immediately understood that she was here regarding the Xia Family's land purchase. After all, Summer Forest was the only son of the Xia Family. They were well aware of how capable their own sons were, and with the Xia Family thriving, it was clear that their own sons were only interested in squabbling over the meager allowances from Summer Old Man. They had never considered how to earn a living for themselves.
Jealousy was one thing; it seemed they were genuinely here to gather information. Even if the Wang family chose not to act, the Zhou family would surely employ various methods to extract money from the Xia Family.
"What? Is your Zhou family enjoying the spectacle now that my Wang family has arrived?"
The Meng Family also held grudges. Ever since the incident with Agate Beads, they had harbored resentment towards her and had become wary of Zhou Qinglian. Moreover, You Shi was a brash woman who had no sense of occasion.
"Madam Wang, how could you say that? I'm just here to congratulate your family on acquiring new land!"
You Shi had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. The Royal Family had initially maintained a decent attitude, but her words made it seem like she was reveling in their misfortune.
"Mother, what are you saying?"
Zhou Qinglian had been hiding behind a door in the back room but stepped out when she heard her mother’s thoughtless remarks about the Royal Family. She pretended to be composed as she pulled You Shi aside and shot her a reproachful glare.
Realizing she had misspoken due to Zhou Qinglian's pull, You Shi quickly clarified:
"Dear in-laws, that's not what I meant! I simply can't stand watching the Xia Family any longer. Xia Muxin has been using her looks to seduce Liulang, causing my Gui Lian to weep day and night. Now she's latched onto another man. Well, this man has grown tired of her and stuffed a few hundred taels into her hands to silence her. You see, the villagers around here are blind; hardly anyone believes me. That's why I came to talk to you."
Without mentioning the Yu family, the Royal Family was unaware that Xia Muxin had such skills. No wonder so much money had suddenly appeared. Now that the man was gone, they no longer needed to consider anything.
Wang Shoucai slammed his hand on the table and said, "Liu Mazi, gather the men and head to the Xia Family."
*
In the Muxin household, the family was happily looking down at the land deed. Although they couldn't read, it brought them comfort just to look at it.
Aunt Xia had never been one to believe in ghosts or deities, especially since they had lived next to this land for so many years without hearing anyone mention seeing anything unclean.
"Sister, do you think this huge piece of land really belongs to us?"
Songzi danced around, making grand gestures, and his exaggerated expression delighted the entire family.
"Yes! Once we make another deal, we'll hire someone to level this land, and then we'll build a big house. In the future, each of us will have our own room and won't have to squeeze together anymore."
Xia Muxin affectionately ruffled Songzi's hair as she spoke with great anticipation.
"Xia Muxin, you little brat, get out here!"
As soon as Xia Muxin said that, the family wore smiles filled with happiness and longing. However, at that moment, Wang Shoucai's voice came through.
Summer Forest and Aunt Xia's expressions tightened as they looked at Xia Muxin with concern.
"Muxin, Wang Shoucai is not easy to deal with. If it comes down to it, just return those two hundred taels of silver. We only want you to be safe," Aunt Xia advised with deep worry.
The family nodded in agreement, their expressions filled with concern as they looked at Aunt Xia.
Xia Muxin, however, seemed unfazed. She smiled at everyone and said, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. I never do anything I'm not confident about."
With that, she stood up and walked outside.
The others followed her out as well.
The Wang family had mobilized for this occasion; everyone who could come had arrived.
Each one of them looked fierce and intimidating, armed with various weapons, including those who bore bruises and injuries.
Observing those individuals, Xia Muxin cast a calm glance at Ming Peng, who appeared completely composed. A slight smile crept onto her lips, clearly pleased with his demeanor.
"Xia Muxin, you dare to swindle my money? Hand over those four hundred taels, and I'll let you go today," Wang Shoucai shouted angrily, noticing Xia Muxin's calmness. He glanced at the injured members of his family with a knowing smile, which only fueled his rage further.
"Ha! What I’m after is your money!" she retorted boldly.
- End of Chapter -
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