The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 139 Peace Negotiation Conditions
This is a blatant threat!

The villagers looked at Gu Jingzhe and began to murmur among themselves.

"Didn't they say Jingzhe wouldn't be allowed to study anymore? How will she take the imperial examinations to become a scholar or the top scholar?"

"Don't listen to Tong Dajiao's nonsense. How could she not let her youngest son go to school? Jingzhe has been working at home lately because there's no money for his schooling. Now that Tong Dajiao's pastry shop is up and running, I don't believe she won't let Jingzhe continue his studies once she starts making money."

"Auntie, you see things very clearly. Aunt Tong has been working so hard these days to earn money, definitely to support her youngest son's education. Who doesn't do it all for their son?"

"You know what, even if the Xu family has many sons, they're all like wooden clubs. If we're talking about promising ones, it has to be Jingzhe. He's a student at such a young age, and he might even pass the imperial examinations. He might not even become the top scholar, but even if he just becomes a provincial graduate, all the Xu family's sons combined can't compare. If he becomes an official in the future, wouldn't he avenge his mother? Would you do the same?"

These whispers reached the ears of Xu Yong and Xu Kun, and naturally also reached the ears of Xu Dayan's wife and others.

Xu Kun and his nephew Xu Yong exchanged uncertain glances.

Tong Dajiao actually used Gu Jingzhe to threaten them.

They also admitted that Tong Dajiao's threat was backed by power, and that if Gu Jingzhe had continued his studies, he could indeed have become the first scholar and official in Qinghewan.

Putting everything else aside, even a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations wouldn't bow to an official. What is Xu Yong, a mere village head, compared to that?

Given Tong Dajiao's vengeful nature, even if she suffers a great loss today and doesn't get revenge, as long as Gu Jingzhe doesn't kill her and Gu Jingzhe, Gu Jingzhe will get revenge for Tong Dajiao sooner or later.

"The doctor has arrived." The Liu family members had invited a doctor.

Xu Kun, the head of the Xu family, had a way out. He gestured to the Xu family members to carry Xu Si behind the haystack so that the doctor could treat him on the spot.

“Tong Dajiao, we all live in the same village, and we're all neighbors. It's Xu Si's fault for having designs on you, but your innocence hasn't been tarnished, and Xu Si has learned his lesson. Reporting it to the authorities and making a scene won't do your reputation any good, especially since you still run a business in town. How about we compromise? Tell me what conditions you want to let Xu Si go.” Xu Kun softened his tone and said to Tong Huaqiong, “As the head of the Xu family, I will grant you any conditions that I can.”

“Yes, as the village chief, I certainly won’t let you, Aunt Dashu, suffer any injustice,” Xu Yong said.

These words contain elements of reconciliation, threat, and an attempt to settle things amicably.

But it also depends on whether Tong Huaqiong cooperates or not.

It's so late, and the Xu family patriarch and village chief are still acting all high and mighty.

"My dear in-law, just state your terms," ​​Liu Tiechui said to Tong Huaqiong from the side. He hoped that Tong Huaqiong would take advantage of the moment to make more demands. Since they had already suffered a loss, they should take the benefits first.

Before Granny Yan could say anything, Xu Da pulled her away to see Xu Si.

Tong Huaqiong's eyes swept over her son and daughter, and she looked clearly troubled.

“Mother, you don’t need to worry about us. Report it to the authorities.” Gu Dashu said.

“That’s right, Mother, don’t listen to their nonsense about this affecting my marriage. I’ll just stay single forever,” Gu Taohua said. “If I happen to run into a disgusting bastard like Xu Si, I might as well shave my head and become a nun.”

Gu Taohua was so angry that she completely forgot about Fan Tong, whom she had been longing for, but Tong Huaqiong was still quite touched.

After a moment of contemplation, Tong Huaqiong said, "My children feel sorry for me and want me to seek justice. They want me to report this to the authorities, but what the Xu family head said earlier is right. We are all from the same village and we see each other all the time. I don't want to make things so ugly."

Xu Kun and Xu Yong's lips twitched. They had said such nice things, but now things had turned out so ugly.

"However, it's not appropriate for you to use my innocence as a condition for reconciliation, clan chief. Now the whole village knows that Xu Si is going to bully me. Who knows how this will be spread? In the end, it will be my reputation that will be damaged. I still need to do business in town. What if customers stop buying my pastries because my reputation is ruined?"

"That's one thing. Secondly, my youngest son is going to be an official in the future. If he becomes an official in the imperial court, and people use the tarnishing of his mother's reputation to attack him, who will compensate for that loss?"

"Thirdly, Peach Blossom is my own daughter. If my reputation is ruined, it will damage Peach Blossom's reputation. She says she doesn't care about marriage, but I do. My Peach Blossom could have married into a wealthy family and become the mistress of the household. If my reputation blocks her path to a wealthy family, wouldn't her happiness also be affected?" Everyone's lips began to twitch when they heard this.

Xu Kun and Xu Yongqi, in particular, felt like cursing.

Tong Dajiao is blaming Xu Si for things that didn't even exist.

Gu Jingzhe showed promise for becoming an official, but which wealthy family would be interested in Gu Taohua?

"Besides Tao Hua's future marriage being hindered during the Jingzhe period, my Man'er and Yaozu will also be affected. Take my Man'er for example, she might be able to marry into the royal family. There was an empress in the previous dynasty who was a peasant girl, so why can't my Man'er? My Yaozu is also good-looking, and he might become a son-in-law of some wealthy family in the future. If my reputation is ruined, and Man'er and Yaozu are implicated because of me, the loss will not be a matter of money."

"Fourthly, I'm not old myself, I'm only thirty-eight this year. They say a woman is in her prime at thirty-eight, I still have a chance to get married, but now that my reputation is ruined, who am I supposed to marry?"

Tong Huaqiong clapped her hands and listed out one by one the losses her family had suffered because of Xu Si's harassment of her.

Everyone sighed deeply.

Tong Dajiao is really exaggerating.

Even Gu Dahan, Gu Dashu, and Liu Yue'e thought Tong Huaqiong was exaggerating.

However, you can't say that what she said is wrong; if you think about it carefully, anything she said could actually happen.

"Then tell me how you want the Xu family to compensate you?" Xu Kun, the head of the Xu family, asked with a gloomy expression.

He'll have to teach Xu Si and Granny Yan a lesson later. Of all people to mess with, they had to pick on Widow Tong.

Widow Tong is like a donkey dung ball; once it gets on you, you can't wash it off.

"Such losses cannot be measured in money, but since you, clan chief, have already stated how you intend to compensate me, I can't say anything more. Let Xu Si compensate me five hundred taels of silver," Tong Huaqiong said.

He added, "I don't want much."

Five hundred taels of silver! Xu Yong and Xu Kun both gasped.

That's outrageous! How long would it take a farmer to save up 500 taels of silver?
Many families never earn five hundred taels in their entire lives.

The richest member of the Xu family was Xu Yong's second younger brother, Xu Jin, who owned a small brick kiln on the mountain. Even so, Xu Jin couldn't come up with five hundred taels of silver.

"Compared to the Gu family's losses, five hundred taels is not much, and Madam Dashu really didn't ask for more," Liu Tiechui said. "Since your Xu family is sincere in wanting to reconcile, then you must pay this amount of money."

“Village Chief, Uncle Kun, Aunt Dashu really didn’t ask for much. She suffered such a great injustice, and her willingness to settle with money shows her magnanimity. As the people in charge of Qinghe Bay and the Xu family, you must understand this principle,” Liu Tielian said to Xu Yong and Xu Kun.

"Take a penny, what are you trying to take? I won't give Widow Tong a single cent."

Granny Yan came running from behind the haystack, clapping her hands and wiping away her tears and snot. She said to Xu Kun, "Uncle Kun, Si'er will be completely impotent from now on. Si'er isn't married yet. Who will continue my family line?"

The doctor examined Xu Si's crotch and shook his head, saying, "Fortunately, your Xu family has many descendants. You can adopt one to carry on the family line."

Even though she knew Xu Si's lineage was severed, Granny Yan still clung to her illusions until the doctor finally pronounced her death sentence, severing her family line. At that moment, she could no longer hold back her tears and broke down in agony.

Xu Kun shifted back a little. This niece-in-law was really unpredictable; why was she snuggling so close to him?

I bet Widow Tong is going to spread rumors about them again; his reputation is important too, you know.

(End of this chapter)