The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

When the village chief and Heping Zheng heard this, they looked at each other and thought secretly in their hearts.

If this matter is not handled properly, it will not only affect Xie Tianyi's personal reputation, but also the face of Xianghe Village.

"Mrs. Chen, did you hear that? Hurry up and return the cloth to the Xie family."

The village chief's tone became serious, with unquestionable majesty between his brows. He knew that this matter concerned the reputation of Xianghe Village and could not afford to lose.

"What does Xie Tianyi owe to his father-in-law's family have to do with us? Besides, Chen Xi doesn't need this little money, so why bother about the five or ten taels?"

Zheng Cuihua was muttering to herself. Her voice was small but clearly audible. Her attitude seemed a little nonchalant and she did not seem to understand the interests involved.

Chen Xi's family has a good business, which is a secret known to almost everyone in the town, but her reaction was very firm: "Since I married Xie Tianyi, giving money is a favor, but if I don't pay it back, how can I hold my head up? My eldest uncle has three older brothers. Even if my uncle doesn't say anything, won't my sisters-in-law gossip about it in the village? That's five taels of silver, not five cents."

Upon hearing this, the village chief and Heping Zheng looked at each other and nodded.

"Zheng Cuihua, please stop talking. I think you are the one who started this."

The village chief's words hit the nail on the head, and the originally noisy scene instantly quieted down. Zheng Cuihua's face turned pale, and she hurriedly hid behind Old Lady Chen, not daring to say anything more.

"Oh, that doesn't make sense! You were there when we went to your house, so how come it's us who took your things?" Seeing the tense atmosphere, Zhou Xuemei hurried out to smooth things over and tried to change the subject.

"What do you mean, aunt? I was in another room with my two children and had no idea you were here." Chen Xi answered calmly and firmly, her eyes clear.

When Old Lady Chen heard this, she was furious and pointed at Chen Xi and scolded: "You little girl, you are lying with your eyes open! You were clearly there!"

Chen Xi was frightened by Old Lady Chen's aura and couldn't help but shrink back, but she quickly calmed down and was not easily frightened.

Zhou Xuemei understood what was happening and gently pulled on Old Lady Chen's sleeve, indicating that she would handle the dispute herself.

Chen Xi keenly caught this subtle movement and sneered in his heart.

"Don't say anything. I was there when you came. That thing was given to you by Xie Tianyi. We don't want it."

Chen Xi's voice was soft but firm. The innocent role she played made Old Lady Chen even angrier, and she almost forgot her original plan.

"You girl, you are clearly here, who are you pretending for?" Old Mrs. Chen's voice was so sharp that it almost pierced the air.

“Yes, yes, you are right.” Chen Xi pretended to be innocent. His pitiful appearance made Old Lady Chen so angry that she slapped her chest and even spoke incoherently.

"What are you guys doing?" Old man Chen returned from the fields, covered in mud and looking confused. It was obvious that he had no idea about the quarrel at home.

"Old man, you have to make the decision for me. I'm almost pissed off by this girl Chen Xi!"

When Old Mrs. Chen saw Old Man Chen, she felt like she had found a savior and immediately started crying. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked particularly aggrieved.

"Village chief, Pingzheng, the head of the family is back. I will tell him everything that happened."

Xie Tianyi's voice was calm, and he was ready to tell him the whole story.

Zhou Xuemei and Zheng Cuihua's fingers were tightly entwined in the soft texture of the half piece of cloth.

Old man Chen narrowed his eyes and examined the cloth carefully. The cloth had bright color and fine texture. It was indeed a rare high-quality product on the market.

"Hand the cloth back quickly! The village chief and Ping Zheng are here. Do you want to embarrass our Xie family?"

There was anger in Old Man Chen's voice as he scolded his two daughters-in-law harshly.

"Dad, this cloth was clearly given to Mom by Chen Xi. Why should I give it back?" Zheng Cuihua's voice was a little stubborn. She held the cloth tightly in her arms, with no intention of letting go.

"Old man, don't listen to Chen Xi's nonsense. What she is best at is making trouble." Old Mrs. Chen's eyes were firm and her tone was sincere.

Old Man Chen and Old Lady Chen have experienced decades of ups and downs together, so they naturally know their wives' character very well. Looking at her eyes at this moment, it does not seem like she is lying.

But turning his head to look at Chen Xi, her frail figure nestled beside Xie Tianyi. Over the past few days, her behavior has been gentle and virtuous. It is really hard to imagine that she would take the initiative to provoke trouble.

"Tianyi, tell me what's going on?" Old man Chen turned his gaze to Xie Tianyi.

"The thing is, when grandma and the others left, Xiaoxi was in the next room with her child..."

"Yes, when they left with the cloth, they thought I had no objection to giving it to my grandmother."

Chen Xi added softly, and although the voice was small, it was clearly heard by everyone.

Upon hearing this, Old Man Chen nodded slightly and thought to himself that this explanation was reasonable and in line with the daily style of Old Lady Chen and her two daughters-in-law.

"Did you hear that? Chen Xi has no idea about this. Return the cloth immediately and pretend that this never happened."

"Dad, he is talking nonsense! What mom gave me is mine, why should I return it!" Zheng Cuihua's tone became increasingly tough, and the cloth was held tighter in her arms.

Zhou Xuemei chose to remain silent, standing quietly beside Old Lady Chen, her eyes showing obvious reluctance.

"How could our Xie family marry two such greedy daughters-in-law who even fight over other people's life-saving money!"

Old man Chen was angry and anxious. He pointed at Zhou Xuemei and Zheng Cuihua with trembling fingers and blamed them bitterly.

However, the two daughters-in-law seemed to have heard nothing at all, and the same was true for Old Lady Chen. Faced with such precious cloth, she was reluctant to let it go even if Xie Tianyi came in person.

Didn’t Xiaoxi say before that it should be considered as a way to honor her?

Old Man Chen looked at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law with a complicated look and confirmed again: "You really don't plan to pay it back?"

The three of them remained silent, their attitudes were self-explanatory.

"Grandfather, let's just forget it. Let's consider this cloth as a token of our filial respect to you two elders. I'll take Xiaoxi back first. Sorry to trouble the village chief and Uncle Pingzheng." Xie Tianyi's words were filled with disappointment. He turned around and was about to leave. His back looked particularly lonely.

This scene not only made the village chief and Heping Zheng feel unbearable, but also made old man Chen feel heartbroken.

"Tianyi, wait a minute—"

"Since you are unwilling to return it, then you can pay the market price and buy the cloth!"

As soon as Old Man Chen finished speaking, Old Mrs. Chen and her two daughters-in-law were all shocked.

"Dad, what did you say?" Zheng Cuihua's sharp voice cut through the air, her words full of sarcasm.

"Old man, you said you wanted to honor me, so where did the money come from? Don't mention it again!" Old Mrs. Chen turned her head away abruptly, unwilling to look at Old Man Chen again, with a flash of determination in her eyes.