Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

After surveying, the mountainous area, including the pond, totaled 117 mu. The clerk of the yamen, having received instructions from the county magistrate, rounded down the difference. Furthermore, the rocky beach where the stream met the pond was also included in the survey.

Li Xiaonuan found it amusing. The stream and the rocky beach created a rustic charm that literary figures and poets certainly loved. Besides, this area was a bit far from the village but not far from the Yong River, making it a perfect spot for spring outings and autumn appreciation.

Once the land deed was issued, Li Xiaonuan asked Xiaoyang to find people to clear the slopes of the barren hillside so that a crop of winter wheat could be planted. As for the pond and the nearly thirty acres of flat, low-lying land around it, Li Xiaonuan hadn't figured out how to arrange them yet, so she left them for now.

To reclaim wasteland, the first things needed are people and oxen. Because they needed to buy land, Li Xiaonuan took out a thousand taels of silver. Two hundred and forty taels were spent on the twelve mu of fertile land, and six hundred taels on this piece of wasteland. Xiaoyang bought two oxen, which cost another fifty-six taels.

Looking at the hundred taels of silver in her hand, Li Xiaonuan felt deeply that money was fleeting. The thought of her family relying on just a few acres of land for a living made her sigh again. Without a stable source of income, her dream of owning a manor was truly impossible to realize.

However, buying so much land is quite a leap forward. Before, their family only had two mu of farmland and three mu of wasteland. However, Li Xiaonuan still had some worries. After all, every penny spent was a penny less. Therefore, making money as quickly as possible became a necessary consideration.

Li Xiaonuan's family bought 100 mu of wasteland and also acquired 12 mu of fertile land in Cuihu Village. This caused a sensation in both the old and new Zhoucun villages. Naturally, discordant voices began to emerge.

The villagers themselves aren't saying anything, because everyone has seen the changes in Li Xiaonuan's family. But the people in Jiuzhou Village are saying things like, "Li Xiaonuan is making money off the dead, and she feels guilty spending it."

Without a second thought, Li Xiaonuan knew this news had come from Xu Yan's family. Xu Yan had died on the very day she was sentenced to be paraded through the streets in shackles. Afterwards, the Zhou landlord's family sent generous gifts to the Li family to apologize. Xu Yan's brother and sister-in-law, indignant, went to the Zhou landlord's house and were given a sound beating.

Because of this, Xu Yan's sister-in-law told others more than once that the Li family was making money off the dead. Especially after learning that Li Xiaonuan had received a considerable sum of compensation from the Wei family, she became even more agitated.

However, Li Xiaonuan had a clear conscience in this matter and therefore remained silent. Besides, everyone understood that Xu Yan's death was not Li Xiaonuan's fault. Naturally, no one paid any attention to Xu Yan's sister-in-law's slander. Left with no other option, Xu Yan's sister-in-law had to keep quiet.

However, not long after, the Li family bought land and fields, which inevitably put them in Xu Yan's shoes again. Because of this, Xu Yan has been crying again at the border of the two villages these past few days, saying that the Li family is heartless and ruined a good girl's marriage and life.

Normally, no one in the old or new Zhoucun would be curious enough to hear these distorted facts. But these days, many people have come to hunt cats and rabbits because of the rumors. So, two nosy men went to inquire about it.

Just then, Wang Tu's mother, Wang Huangshi, led several people into the village. Coincidentally, Li Xiaonuan and Su Shi were also passing by. Thus, a verbal battle ensued.

Su Shi had always been known for her fierce nature, so how could she let those people talk nonsense? She rolled up her sleeves, stepped forward, and slapped Xu Yan's sister-in-law twice. Not content with that, she also grabbed a handful of mud and stuffed it into Xu Yan's mouth.

Xu Yan's sister-in-law didn't expect Su to attack so directly, so she didn't react in time and Su succeeded. After she came to her senses, she simply sat on the ground and started crying, complaining to the passing hunters.

Wang Huangshi initially watched the commotion from the sidelines. Seeing the hunters looking at Li Xiaonuan with suspicion, she began to offer her own specious words. Because there were too many men present, and Su Shi's behavior had gone too far, Su Shi had no reason to physically assault Wang Huangshi, except to glare angrily at her.

Li Xiaonuan first glanced at the three people beside Wang Huangshi, then at their attire, and confirmed that they were there to view Wang Tu. She couldn't help but smile sarcastically, and pulled back Su Shi, who was about to argue with them, saying:

“Mother, don’t argue with a mad dog. It’s beneath you. Let’s go back. Right and wrong, justice and fairness, will be judged by the world. Besides, everyone who witnessed the trial at the yamen knows the truth. Why waste your breath explaining? That would just be saying the magistrate is muddle-headed and makes a bad judgment. Look how angry you are. It’s not worth it.”

Li Xiaonuan's words reminded many of those who had initially heard the rumors that the matter was now clear. They discussed it amongst themselves, their initial curiosity fading, and they went into the mountains together. However, the two men who had been chatting with Xu Yan's sister-in-law earlier remained, listening with great interest to Wang Huangshi's ramblings.

Seeing that everyone who had been watching had left, and even Li Xiaonuan and her daughter were about to turn away, Xu Yan's sister-in-law was unwilling to let them go. In a moment of impulsiveness, she rushed forward and hugged Li Xiaonuan's legs, crying loudly, "Oh, please kill me! Let me go and keep my poor sister-in-law company!"

Li Xiaonuan, suppressing her disgust, looked at Xu Yan's sister-in-law and saw her vigorously smearing mud and saliva-covered splatter onto her pants. Enraged, and disregarding her recent attempt to calm Su Shi down, she kicked Xu Yan's sister-in-law in the face.

Xu Yan's sister-in-law didn't dodge; she let out a wail and lay down on the ground, sobbing softly.

Wang Huangshi pointed at Li Xiaonuan and her daughter and said to the people around her, "Look at them, how could I not be anxious to break off the engagement with a family like this? Look at how unreasonable and unruly they are, who would dare to be in-laws with them?"

"That's right, don't believe those who say Wang Tu messed things up and broke off the engagement. Actually, it's all that family's fault. If it weren't for them, my sister-in-law wouldn't have ruined her reputation and wouldn't have died so tragically. God, why are you always so unfair?" Sister-in-law Xu Yan pounded the ground and cried loudly.

The three women beside Wang Huangshi whispered a few words to each other, then nodded to Wang Huangshi. Wang Huangshi smiled smugly, looking defiantly at Li Xiaonuan and her son, saying, "These are my future daughter-in-law's family members. They've come to see the new house today. It's really unfortunate that they've run into you two acting so arrogantly."

After saying that, she took out a handkerchief, covered her mouth, and chuckled.

Li Xiaonuan, pulling the annoyed Su Shi aside, calmly said to Wang Huang Shi, "Oh, Wang Tu is finally engaged. That's wonderful! Congratulate him for me. It's good that he wasn't held back by you at all."

Madam Su gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, congratulations! It's so rare to find in-laws like this; you should cherish them." Madam Su was speaking to the three women.

Li Xiaonuan glanced coldly at Sister-in-law Xu Yan, who was half-lying on the ground with a gloating expression, and said sarcastically, "Congratulations to this sister-in-law, you performed a very good show today. You'll probably get a lot of copper coins."

After saying that, Li Xiaonuan pulled Su Shi, who had a stern face, away.