Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

At the entrance of the yamen, another ten or so people appeared. There were constables and yamen runners, who seemed to have traveled from afar. The constables and yamen runners greeted the prefectural yamen runners guarding the gate warmly. The greeting seemed somewhat ingratiating.

At the bottom of the steps, the Li family members were surrounding a panting man in his early thirties, shouting and questioning him. The old woman collapsed to the ground again, pounding her chest and wailing, "Oh dear, what a tragedy! What a tragedy! I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to have such a thing happen to me!"

Li Xiaonuan and the others watched the commotion at the Li family's place with great interest. While helping Li Shi fix her hair, Chen asked curiously, "Fourth Sister-in-law, tell me what happened? I saw that old woman wailing like she'd lost her son."

Once she calmed down, Madam Li regained her usual gentle and virtuous demeanor, replying softly, "Who knows? Maybe my son really has died."

Upon hearing this, Chen couldn't help but giggle. She quickly tied up Li's hair and said in a crisp voice, "If that's really the case, then it can be considered revenge for those two daughters-in-law who died unjustly."

Li disagreed with Chen's statement, replying, "Sister-in-law, don't talk nonsense. We don't know anything about those two wives. Be careful what you say, or someone will accuse you of spreading rumors. Then we'll see what you do." After saying that, she glanced at Li Xiaonuan.

Chen was not stupid; she immediately understood Li's implication and said with a smirk, "Yes, these days, even making a joke is a crime."

Li Xiaonuan listened to the conversation between her two sisters-in-law and smiled silently. Looking at the old lady, Li's father was peeling a melon, clearly for her. Su Shi had just taken the teacup from the old lady and placed it in a large bamboo basket to the side.

Uncle Si and Uncle Wu were squatting at the bottom of the steps, munching on cantaloupe and chatting with Xiao Yang. This natural and heartwarming scene once again brought tears to Li Xiaonuan's eyes. She secretly vowed to resolve the family conflict so that the family could continue to live happily together like this.

The Li family and the Li family each occupied the left and right sides of the government office, creating a stark contrast in their atmospheres. The head constable of the county government, who had come in to handle some business, came out and laughed upon seeing the scene.

The clerk behind him, with a stern face, said loudly, "Li family from Niushan County, Li family from Xinzhou Village, you two come in quickly. The county magistrate is waiting in the hall; don't make him wait."

The Li family packed their belongings and placed them at the gatehouse of the yamen before entering the courtroom. Meanwhile, the Li family's sons spent a long time trying to comfort the wailing old woman before finally managing to carry her into the yamen.

However, the old woman seemed to have truly encountered something heartbreaking; even though she tried to suppress her sobs, she couldn't stop choking back them. The young woman was even more hoarse, her head bowed as she stumbled behind the group. Her trembling hands, clutching her clothes tightly, betrayed her inner tension and fear.

Kneeling again in the courtroom, the magistrate did not proceed with the trial. He asked the plaintiff, the Li family, "Li family of Niushan County, this morning, someone filed a lawsuit against you in the Niushan County government office, accusing you of abusing your daughter-in-law to death. That is a murder case, therefore, I will temporarily suspend this case of deception and fraudulent marriage. I will resume the trial after your murder case is clarified."

Upon hearing the word "murder case," the old woman immediately became agitated. She shouted frantically, "We won't sue! We won't sue the Li family for marriage fraud! None of this is true. It was all my grandniece's idea to use the sue as an excuse to extort money from the Li family. Sir, we were wrong, we really know we were wrong."

As soon as the old woman spoke, Li cried out in surprise, "Auntie!" Hearing her cry, Li's sons glared at her angrily. Li shrank back guiltily, not daring to look at them again.

The Li family members also looked at Li Shi in disbelief, as if they had misheard something. Under everyone's gaze, Li Shi lowered her head, regretting the thing she had done in a moment of impulsiveness.

The magistrate slammed his gavel twice and said, "Li Liu, do you know that if you submit a petition but withdraw it before the case is closed, you will be punished with a beating?"

The old woman prostrated herself on the ground, weeping as she replied, "Your Excellency is wise, I know I was wrong. Please, Your Excellency, have mercy on me." These were words she had heard in the past while listening to operas; she never thought she would be able to use them.

At this moment, the fourth son of the Li family, who had been meek and submissive all along, finally spoke his first words of the day: "My lord, I am willing to take the punishment in place of my mother. My mother did these things for my sake. As her son, I was unfilial and failed to stop her from doing wrong. Therefore, I beg you, my lord, to punish me."

After the fourth son spoke, the other sons also pleaded for their mother, expressing their willingness to take the blame in her place. Li Xiaonuan wondered: that family was actually very good to their own people, so why couldn't they treat their daughter-in-law well after she married into the family?

In the end, the four sons of the Li family took twenty lashes on behalf of the old woman. As for the absurd matter of deception and fraudulent marriage, it was left unresolved. However, although this matter concluded in the yamen, it was just the beginning of a new chapter in the Li family's life.

When the court session ended, the old lady changed her previous behavior and made everyone gather at Li Xiaonuan's house. Outside the yamen, the villagers from Xinzhou Village who had come to watch the excitement all crowded around Li Xiaonuan and her group, asking them all sorts of questions.

Unable to answer the questions, Li immediately knelt before the old lady, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness: "Mother, it was my fault, please forgive me. You know that Dagong is keeping someone else outside, and he said he wanted to divorce me. I was furious at the time, so I took my anger out on Xiaonuan."

As she spoke, Li knelt before Li's father and Su's mother, pleading, "Brother, sister-in-law, I was wrong, I deserve to die. Please help me persuade Dagong not to divorce me. I'll let him bring the woman he's keeping outside into the house, okay? Waaah~~"

Because the whole turn of events was so bizarre, it took everyone a long time to react. After figuring out what Li had said, Li Xiaonuan couldn't help but admire Li's cunning and scheming. Being able to admit one's mistakes in public was itself worthy of forgiveness.

Furthermore, by pinning this incident on her fourth uncle, Li Dagong, she was immediately portrayed as the victim. In front of everyone, if her fourth uncle dared to say he wanted to divorce her, he would become the undisputed heartless man.

Furthermore, since Li had publicly agreed to bring her fourth uncle's mistress into the family, it meant she was virtuous, and Li Dagong had no reason to divorce her. As for Li's scheming against Li Xiaonuan, it was simply dismissed as a minor mistake made in a moment of anger.

The crowd watched as Li knelt on the ground, discussing among themselves. The shift in public opinion was astounding. Just moments before, they had been condemning Li's ruthlessness; now, most were speaking well of her.

And so, the old lady reluctantly swallowed her anger, woke up Li, gave her a few symbolic scoldings, and then squeezed through the crowd to return to Xinzhou Village.