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

Chapter 141 The county magistrate is here
“Okay, let’s do it this way.” Xu Yong gritted his teeth and accepted Tong Huaqiong’s conditions.

At this point, no matter how much Granny Yan objected, it was to no avail, because the village chief was holding her back, not wanting to report it to the authorities.

"Do you want your son to be exiled after you report this to the authorities?"

Xu Yong's angry roar silenced Granny Yan.

What Xu Yong didn't say was that he was also worried that Gu Jingzhe would retaliate if he became successful.

The Xu family wanted to take Xu Si away, but Tong Huaqiong's three sons, Gu Taohua, and Liu Yue'e refused to let them. They insisted that the Xu family pay money before they would let Xu Si go.

Seeing this situation, Xu Kun, as the clan leader, went to organize the Xu family to raise money.

Xu Zaohua gritted her teeth and took out one hundred taels from her home, handing it to the clan leader in front of Tong Huaqiong and the others. Firstly, to shut Xu Si up, as she was afraid he would reveal that she had instigated him to harass Lu Zhaozhao. Secondly, she wanted to show Gu Jingzhe her strength.

Xu Yong, Xu Kun, and the rest of the Xu family pooled together fifty taels.

Old Master Xu, who pulled the oxcart, was unwilling to participate. He cracked his whip and shouted that Granny Yan and Xu Si should be sent to the authorities and exiled together. He also cursed Xu Yong and Xu Kun, saying that they had corrupted the Xu family's nephews and nieces. He said that if that didn't work, he would become the clan chief.

With the remaining thirty taels, Xu Kun instructed Yan Pozi's three sons, who had not yet been exterminated, to compensate Tong Huaqiong with their two pigs, one cow, four sheep, and one mu of wheat from the threshing ground.

Xu Da and the others were very reluctant, but they still did as instructed.

Xu Da's wife gave Xu Si a thorough dressing-down.

Tong Huaqiong accepted the 150 taels of silver without changing her expression. She then instructed Gu Dahan, Gu Dashu, and others to drive Yan Pozi's pigs, cattle, and sheep back to their own pens. She also told Gu Taohua to shovel the newly harvested wheat from Yan Pozi's threshing ground.

With the help of Qin Qingyou, Liu Shan, and others, they quickly moved the wheat from Granny Yan's one mu of land in the threshing ground to the Gu family's side.

Granny Yan was so angry she fell backward.

Then Gu Jingzhe personally wrote an IOU for Granny Yan, with Xu Yong, Xu Kun, Liu Tiechui, and Liu Tielian as witnesses. Tong Huaqiong signed the IOU as the creditor, and Granny Yan was also forced to sign the IOU as the debtor.

Granny Yan wiped the ink off her hands, feeling both heartbroken over the family's money, pigs, cattle, sheep, and wheat, and heartbroken over Xu Si lying on the ground with his broken leg.

She screamed and lunged at Tong Huaqiong, but was pulled away by the crowd.

Tong Huaqiong patted his bottom, pocketed the silver and IOU, and was about to go home when a child shouted, "The magistrate is here! The magistrate is coming to the village!"

Tong Huaqiong and Gu Jingzhe exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves, "Good lad, he's really cunning. He calculated it perfectly; the magistrate just happened to arrive in the village after we paid the money."

Xu Yong and Xu Kun's expressions changed; they didn't know who had reported them to the authorities.

Tong Huaqiong quickly realized what was happening, plopped down on the ground, and pounded the floor, cursing, "Which bastard reported this to the authorities? Are they trying to embarrass me in the town and the county? How am I supposed to do business? I have no face to live anymore!"

Since becoming the local official in Pingchuan County, Magistrate Liu would visit the fields every summer and autumn harvest season.

Gu Jingzhe must have known in advance that Magistrate Liu was in the next village, which is why he sent Liu Tong to invite Magistrate Liu.

Tong Huaqiong had already guessed it when Liu Tong quietly left.

Today's battle with Granny Yan and her son will inevitably make her a thorn in the side of Xu Yong and Xu Kun.

They might use the village chief's power to retaliate later.

Tong Huaqiong naturally hoped that Magistrate Liu would arrive, because she not only wanted to get rid of Xu Si, but also hoped to remove Xu Yong from his position as village chief and crush the arrogance of the Xu family.

She and her clump of bamboo still live in the village, and she still has land there. Only in this way can she and her clump of bamboo gain a foothold in Qinghewan.

However, she had to put on an act of hating reporting to the authorities in order to exonerate herself.

"Who reported this to the authorities?" Gu Jingzhe, who orchestrated all of this, asked with a serious expression. "Are they trying to ruin our family's reputation?"

Tong Huaqiong clapped her hands and said to Xu Yong in a shameless manner, "Even if the county magistrate comes, you can't take back the money you owe me. Anyway, it's all in black and white."

Tong Huaqiong clutched the silver tightly, looking worried that it would be taken back. Magistrate Liu's arrival was timely and perfectly timed.

Tong Huaqiong had already received the money from Granny Yan, so there was no way she would give it back.

Besides, isn't Magistrate Liu's son her godson? She can shamelessly go to the county government to curry favor. Magistrate Liu has already come to the door; it's not unreasonable for her to try to establish a connection, is it?

"Never mind who reported it to the authorities," Xu Kun said to Tong Huaqiong, sweating profusely. "When Magistrate Liu asks later, Dashu's mother, just say it was all a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding."

He certainly didn't want his nephew to be removed from his position as village chief.

Xu Yong didn't care anymore and stepped onto the threshing ground to greet them.

Liu Tielian carefully examined the people accompanying Magistrate Liu and, finding that his son Liu Tong was not among them, breathed a sigh of relief. He then grabbed Xu Yong and said, "Village Chief, don't rush. Magistrate Liu has come before in previous years, and this time he must be here to go deep into the fields as well. You must stay calm."

Xu Yong shook off Liu Tielian's hand.

What the hell? Just keep arguing with him.

Does he think that after today's events, the Xu family has lost out, and that Liu Tielian can become the village chief?

dream!

"Sister Man'er, Sister Man'er."

A chubby boy rolled out of the sedan chair like a ball of flesh and ran wildly across the field toward the threshing ground.

Upon closer inspection, Tong Huaqiong realized that this was none other than Liu Yanhong, the adopted grandson of the wealthy Huang family.

“Sister Man’er, I secretly followed my father here.” Liu Yanhong ran to the threshing ground and grabbed Man’er’s hand.

The villagers of Qinghewan were astonished. Who else could this chubby boy be but the son of Magistrate Liu, who rolled off the sedan chair?
But the young master of Magistrate Liu's family actually called Man'er "sister".

The people looked at Gu Dahan with a hint of envy.

"Grandma." Liu Yanhong ran to Tong Huaqiong's side, grinning from ear to ear. He suddenly stopped laughing and asked, "Grandma, what happened to you? You're covered in dirt."

Tong Huaqiong smiled and said, "Greetings, Young Master Liu."

Lu Zhaozhao, who had been standing silently beside Gu Jingzhe, smiled and grabbed Liu Yanhong, saying, "Why didn't you call me aunt when you saw me?"

Liu Yanhong exclaimed in surprise, "Auntie, what are you doing here?"

Lu Zhaozhao was also surprised. Why did Liu Yanhong call Tong Huaqiong his godmother?
Tong Huaqiong was also surprised; she hadn't expected that Lu Zhaozhao and Magistrate Liu's family were related.

Judging from what the two of them said, Lu Zhaozhao was calling Magistrate Liu her cousin?

After searching through Tong Dajiao's memories for a long time, Tong Huaqiong discovered the relationship between Lu Zhaozhao and Magistrate Liu.

It turns out that Magistrate Liu's mother, Han, was Lu Zhaozhao's grandmother's niece.

"Tong Dajiao, how did you manage to recognize the magistrate's son as your godson without making a sound?" someone asked, voicing the doubts of the villagers of Qinghewan.

Xu Kun, the head of the Xu family, also wanted to know.

At this moment, Xu Kun learned from Liu Yanhong's use of the term "cousin" that the girl from Fucheng standing next to Gu Jingzhe was a relative of Magistrate Liu.

Xu Kun understood immediately after a few words: Tong Dajiao must have gotten to Magistrate Liu through this girl.

He suspected that Magistrate Liu was someone this girl had summoned to back him up.

"Tong Dajiao, if Magistrate Liu's young master is your godson, then isn't Magistrate Liu your godson too?"

(End of this chapter)