Divorcing your wife might feel good for a moment, but seeing me make money will make you regret it f

Cao Zheng turned around stiffly and said with an awkward smile, "Master, it's like the flood washed away the Dragon King's temple. We're all family, hehe... family!"

Xu Qing retorted sarcastically, "That's not what you said just now."

Who was it that so confidently declared that it's only right to pay back debts and told us not to make things difficult for an old man?

How come the moment the advisor appears, he's suddenly considered family? Should we return the money or not?

Unexpectedly, the Xu family actually managed to get the government officials to come to their aid.

The dozen or so men who came with him saw the village chief bowing and scraping to the people above him, looking terrified, and they realized that this man was real.

The advisor snorted coldly and said:

"Tell me what all this fuss is about, and I will take care of it for you."

You must not tell a single lie, or you will not be spared!

Upon hearing this, Old Cao's fear subsided considerably.

He mustered up his courage and decided to bring up the IOU again.

Cao Zheng held onto Old Man Cao's arm tightly.

"It's a misunderstanding, really a misunderstanding."

I accidentally bumped into you; please forgive my rudeness.

Let's leave now.

After saying this, Cao Zheng pinched Old Man Cao hard again.

This is their code, indicating that the matter cannot be resolved today and they will try again next time.

Old Cao had no choice but to swallow his words and nod in agreement.

"Open your eyes and see clearly! The Xu family of Xu Family Village is not someone a bunch of rabble like you can afford to mess with. This is a one-time exception!"

The advisor's cold words left no room for doubt as he reprimanded everyone. Then, he waved his hand, ready to let the people of Caojia Village leave.

Xu Qing knew the saying that if you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring breeze, and she was not satisfied with this result.

With so many villagers watching, it would be disastrous to let the people of Caojia Village leave like this.

It's hard not to suspect that they're abusing their power to bully others.

It's best to resolve this matter in front of everyone.

“Master, I am not an unreasonable person.”

These people came to my door demanding repayment of a loan agreement signed and sealed by my sister-in-law's deceased husband.

Fifty taels of silver is nothing to me.

If it's true, I'll pay without hesitation.

But my sister-in-law said that her late husband was illiterate.

This matter is questionable, and I definitely need to find out if it's true or false.

Otherwise, someone could come along with a random IOU from who-knows-where and claim that someone from my family borrowed money from them.

"You want me to pay off my debt? Should I pay it off or not?"

The advisor stroked his goatee habitually and nodded in agreement: "What Madam Xu said makes sense."

Then the advisor looked at Cao Zhengdao and said, "Village Chief Cao, I remember there are only three people in your village who can write."

I happen to remember those three people who signed for the villagers when the sweet potato seeds were distributed last time.

Tell me, what was the name of Hui Niang's deceased husband? Let me see who is lying.

Cao Zheng hated Old Man Cao to the core, knowing they had really messed with him today.

If he tells the truth now, he might get a lighter sentence.

"Master..."

"My lord, spare our lives! It was Old Man Cao who said he would give each of us 10 coins to make this trip."

We didn't mean it, we know we were wrong, please let us go!

Before Cao Zheng could confess, some of the other men, who were too timid to bear the oppressive atmosphere, blurted out the truth before him.

"You're talking nonsense! Your Honor, don't listen to them! I'm innocent!"

Old Cao, quick-witted, came up with a reason.

“My nephew did borrow 50 taels of silver from me. He can’t write, and I was afraid he would deny it later, so I had someone write it for him.”

But this handprint is real! After my nephew died, I was afraid Hui Niang would deny everything, so I lied to the Xu family...

"Your Honor, please understand! That 50 taels of silver is my life savings for my funeral. I beg you, Your Honor, to do me justice!"

Old Cao wanted to roar to the sky; his explanation was simply perfect and flawless.

Even if the Xu family asked him to bring the person who wrote the IOU to confront him, he wouldn't be afraid.

He could say that he just randomly found a scholar in town to write for him, and after so much time, he didn't even remember what the scholar looked like.

Old Cao was quickly calculating various ways to deal with the situation in his mind, but on the surface, he was hunched over, crawling on the ground, looking miserable.

Cao Zheng was so taken aback by Old Man Cao's words that he didn't know how to react for a moment. He stared blankly at Old Man Cao and then at the clerk.

His gaze darted back and forth between the two, before finally falling silent.

Xu Qing glanced quickly at Hui Niang and, seeing that she seemed somewhat angry, immediately said to Xu Jian:

"Brother, it's getting windy outside. Take your wife inside to rest first. I'll take care of things here."

“I’m not leaving, little sister. I know you’re worried about me.”

I'm fine. I'm going to give this so-called uncle a good talking to today.

When and where was this IOU written? What was the purpose of the loan? And who wrote it on behalf of the borrower?

Please explain this to me clearly!

Hui Niang brushed Xu Jian's hand away and said in a cold voice.

Old Cao immediately recited the speech he had rehearsed several times in his mind:

"It was borrowed from my family. It's my fault for spoiling my nephew too much as the uncle."

He owes gambling debts, and if he can't pay them back, someone will cut off his hand.

I couldn't bring myself to lend it to him, and the IOU was written by a scholar in town.

Hui Niang stood her ground, saying, "Where is the scholar who wrote the letter on my behalf? I want to confront him face to face!"

Old Cao was overjoyed; things had turned out exactly as he had predicted.

He had already thought of how to answer these questions, and the prepared answers came out of his mouth, leaving Hui Niang speechless and her cheeks turning red.

The advisor was in a difficult position, seeing that both sides were sticking to their own versions of events.

Although Madam Xu insisted that the man's IOU was fake, she believed that as long as she showed up, these people would naturally break through without a fight.

But now that the old man is speaking with such reason and evidence, he doesn't know what to do.

After a moment's thought, the clerk said, "This matter is a bit tricky. Each of you should send one person with me to the yamen to ask the magistrate to make a decision for you."

Xu Qing whispered to Hui Niang, "Sister-in-law, just stay home and rest during your pregnancy. I'll definitely handle everything."

Hui Niang nodded, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice filled with barely suppressed anger:

"Little sister, it's good that we've gone to the yamen. It would be best if we could send these disgusting people to jail and see how they can continue to do evil."

Xu Qing agreed, and then said to the clerk, "Clerk, I'll go with you."

The advisor nodded slightly, looked at Old Man Cao, and asked, "And you? Who are you sending back with me?"

Cao Zheng instinctively took a step back, and the other men dared not provoke him further.

They all knew that Old Man Cao's IOU was fake, and they had just revealed the truth.

But this old man Cao is still able to jump around and speak so confidently.

We're all from the same village, after all. Besides, Cao Cong, the son of Old Man Cao, is said to be entering the county school soon.

Who knows, they might become a scholar or a wealthy man in the future. It's best not to offend their family if possible, so it's best not to say anything more.