After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Xiong Feng nodded silently.

What he didn't say was that among the things his father gave him back then was a recipe for a slow-acting poison that could poison people without them even realizing it. This poison wouldn't kill them, but it would make them infertile, and by the time the poisoned person realized it, it would be too late.

His father lost his manhood, so he came up with this method to take revenge on others. If it weren't for the fact that many of the ingredients in the recipe were hard to find, there would probably be even more people who would have fallen victim to it.

Su Yongzhang's expression tightened slightly. "In that case, are you going to wait for Zhu Yixuan to return or deal with the Zhu family directly?"

Xiong Feng chuckled, "Why would I bother with the Zhu family? Let alone the Zhu family, I wouldn't even lift a finger to deal with Zhu Yixuan."

"Huh? So what are you trying to do by going through all this trouble?" Su Yongzhang was confused.

Xiong Feng took a deep breath, his smile deepening. "If I had known before that my father's death was related to Zhu Yixuan, I would have fought to the death to avenge him. But my father has already avenged himself, and there's no need for me to do anything more."

Su Yongzhang was completely confused, but he was quite perceptive enough not to ask any further questions.

Xiong Feng returned to the backyard and told Niu about the investigation results.

Niu was filled with remorse and beat her chest, crying heartbrokenly. "I should have guessed it at the time. Everyone went to fight, and no one came back with a fortune. Only he, only he brought back so much silver. There's obviously something wrong here!"

Why wasn't I more careful back then!

Xiong Feng put his arm around Niu Shi's shoulder to comfort her, "Grandma, who would know about this kind of thing? I guess my father must have done a lot of shady things for Zhu Yixuan. Zhu Yixuan paid him to keep quiet, but my father was dissatisfied with Zhu Yixuan, so he used someone else to kill my father. Zhu Yixuan used Sang Yong to kill my father."

I know that a son can speak out about his father's faults, but my father is certainly not innocent either. Furthermore, my father poisoned Zhu Yixuan, causing him to be childless, and Zhu Yixuan is still seeking medical treatment everywhere.

He could never have another son in his life. His only biological son was in the capital, with his own parents. For the sake of his son's future, he couldn't even acknowledge him as his father. Wasn't this torment and suffering more satisfying than death?

There's one more thing he didn't mention.

Zhu Yixuan knew that once he became the county magistrate, he would be restless and unable to eat or sleep. Given the Zhu family's situation, if Zhu Yixuan took action, he was absolutely certain that the other party would have no chance of turning the tables. If Zhu Yixuan did not take action, he would only be able to hide outside like a stray dog.

He had people keep an eye on the Zhu family's situation, but more than half a month had passed and Zhu Yixuan still hadn't returned. He only sent a letter saying that he had gone to the capital.

Upon receiving the message, Xiong Feng sneered but did not lower his guard.

While having dinner with Madam Niu, he briefly explained the results. Madam Niu once again marveled at her grandson's foresight and said, "Let's put that aside for now. Grandmother recently inquired about the unmarried girls in Zhaohua County and has taken a liking to a few. Take a look."

Xiong Feng's expression stiffened, and he subtly put down his chopsticks. "Grandma, I've only just taken office. There's no rush. Let me establish myself first, okay?"

Mrs. Niu was immediately displeased. She knew her grandson's temper; he seemed easy to talk to, but he was actually a stubborn person who couldn't be persuaded no matter what he did once he made up his mind.

She had no choice but to wait until Xiong Feng left, and then immediately have someone prepare a carriage to go to Shenjiazhuang.

When Feng received the message, Niu had already been gone for most of the day.

Xiong Feng gritted his teeth and quickly ordered his men to prepare horses.

When Niu's carriage arrived outside Shenjiazhuang, it was stopped by a group of old men and women before it could even enter. Niu lifted the curtain and said with a smile, "I'm going to Shen Dalang's house."

The group recognized Niu Shi and were surprised. They had clearly seen Niu Shi drape a bunch of treasures over Shen Xi that day, and they had also clearly heard the magistrate's promise in public that he would not take Shen Xi away. What was she doing here now?
Faced with the suspicious and speculative looks from everyone, Madam Niu explained, "I was quite upset by my grandson at home, so I came out to relax and also to see Xi'er."

People slowly made way for the carriage, watching it enter the village.

The maid asked, puzzled, "Madam, why are you so polite to those people? They have no right to stop us."

“Why aren’t we qualified? This is their village. They even have a big gate at the entrance. It’s normal that people who aren’t from this village aren’t allowed to enter!” Niu said, and when the carriage stopped, she immediately got off.

Seeing Granny Zhang and Shen Xi greeting her at the door, Madam Niu immediately broke into a wide smile.

"Big sister, Xi'er, I've come to see you!" Madam Niu excitedly told the maid to bring down the food box.

Granny Zhang was filled with fear and trepidation, and hurriedly welcomed Madam Niu inside.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Niu noticed the change. "It's different!"

Her words made Granny Zhang even more certain that the grandmother and grandson who had led the little boy to her door to beg for water years ago were Niu Shi and Xiong Feng.

Granny Zhang's smile softened considerably as she slowly said, "Before, the family was poor, with only two or three dilapidated houses. When Xi'er came to our home, her father had hope and worked hard to earn money. He demolished the old dilapidated house and rebuilt the current brick and tile courtyard."

There's also a backyard where Xi'er lives.

Niu was somewhat surprised, "Xi'er lives alone in the backyard?"

Grandma Zhang nodded. "At the time, we were just thinking of finding her a son-in-law who would live with her family. We would let them live in the dozen or so rooms in the backyard, while my eldest son and I would live in the front yard. That way, we could hear people coming and going when they came to visit."

Niu Shi once again felt the affection that Granny Zhang had for Shen Xi.

I couldn't help but sigh, "Luckily, you adopted Xi'er back then. Don't worry, Xi'er is your family, and no one can take her away. From now on, we'll visit each other like relatives. Besides seeing Xi'er, I also want to ask you for a favor this time."

Shen Xi was overjoyed to hear this and became much closer to Madam Niu. "What kind of help do you need?"

Seeing that she was willing to speak, Niu Shi immediately became excited, and her expression became much more exaggerated. "It's all because of your older brother. That brat is already so old and still refuses to get married. We haven't been in Zhaohua County for years. Later, we went to Dahe Town for his studies. Before he grew up, I didn't dare to show my face at all, let alone contact anyone else."

Now that we've finally overcome all our hardships, I was hoping he'd get married soon so we could have an heir for the Xiong family. But this brat keeps saying he's not in a hurry, he's not in a hurry, but I'm getting anxious!
He won't listen to me, so I had no choice but to come to you for help. I'd also like to ask you to help me find out where I can find a virtuous and good girl.

Ever since experiencing a daughter-in-law like Mo Chunxiang, she has become genuinely afraid and has developed extreme doubts about her own judgment. Because she doesn't trust herself, she can only seek help from others.

Nowadays, the only truly honest and reliable people in her community are Shen Dalang's family.

Granny Zhang was so frightened by these words that her face turned pale. She shook her head repeatedly, "Madam, we really can't help you. The county magistrate is of such a noble status that he must marry someone of equal social standing. Even if he doesn't marry someone of equal social standing, the family background can't be too bad. The girls we know are all from nearby villages, and even if they are virtuous, they are not good enough for the county magistrate." (End of Chapter)