A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

Nie Qianqian didn't back down, "I agree."

Liu Lizheng was surprised that the two sides had reached an agreement on this matter and were actually going to report it to the authorities.

Good heavens! Although he is the village head, he doesn't have many opportunities to meet with the county magistrate. I wonder if troubling the county magistrate with such trivial matters will displease him.

By this time, more and more villagers had gathered to watch the commotion, completely surrounding the old house. They craned their necks, trying to hear what the two sides were saying, and chattered amongst themselves.

"Are you really going to report this to the authorities? Who's telling the truth here?"

"I think it's Old Madam Nie. What do you mean by giving money for treating someone in town? It's like a windfall."

"You believe what Old Mrs. Nie said? Everyone in the village knows that she's a shrew; she never tells the truth."

"Old Mrs. Nie loves to lie, but if you believe that you can save someone and earn a tael of silver by just taking a stroll in town, then why should I farm this year? I'll just go for a stroll in town."

"That's true, it seems like Nie Qianqian really did steal the money this time."

"Qianqian is usually not very talkative, but I didn't expect her to be such a formidable character when things get tough."

"What kind of formidable character is she? She was forced into it. What kind of life did she and Liu Yan live? She was injured and they wouldn't even give her lipstick or sugar water, so she stole money and ran away."

"Mrs. Nie only dotes on her eldest grandson."

"Who says otherwise? Ever since Wenye passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai, she's been getting all cocky."

"Tsk tsk, what can you do when someone's grandson is so successful?"

As Old Mrs. Nie listened to the gossip of her neighbors, she realized that these ignorant gossipy women were just jealous of her good grandson who was good at studying. She thought that when her grandson became an official, they would all have to kneel down to see her.

What made her feel a little better was that they actually believed Nie Qianqian had stolen the family's money. If she hadn't dug out the family's hidden belongings and counted them again and again to confirm that the amount was correct, she would have also suspected Nie Qianqian of stealing her money.

As Liu Yan listened to the villagers' discussions, her face turned even paler. She whispered, "No, Qianqian didn't steal the money. She told me herself that the money was what she got for saving someone."

A short woman clicked her tongue and said, "Yan, I'm not trying to criticize you, but this girl must have stolen the money without telling you, and you actually believed her?"

The short woman was named Wang Dajuan, and the family she married also had the surname Wang. She was a well-known gossip in the village, and everyone called her Big Mouth Juan.

Liu Yan's voice was louder this time, "I believe you, I believe you, how could I not believe you? She wouldn't lie to me!"

Nie Qianqian felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this; the only people who can unconditionally believe in you are your family.

Nie Qianqian: "Mother, there's no need to explain to them. Tomorrow, when we go to court, an official will naturally handle the case."

Wang Dajuan curled her lip. "What's that saying again? It's not like they won't shed tears until they see the coffin, is it? Humph."

Grandma Nie, her body trembling, turned to the villagers who had gathered around, wiping away her tears. "Everyone saw it. The cut on Erzhuang's back was inflicted by Nie Qianqian with a knife. I'm so unlucky to have such a heartless granddaughter who treats her elders like this. My son works hard in all kinds of weather for this family, all for Qianqian. But what about him? He's such an ingrate!"

The villagers arrived a little later than Nie Qianqian and hadn't witnessed the conflict between the two groups. Now, hearing what Old Mrs. Nie said, they immediately erupted in uproar, "Qianqian dared to hit Erzhuang?"

"Are you possessed? You still dare to use a knife?"

"No matter what, he's the father who raised me. How can I fight with my own father?"

"Yan, I need to talk to you about this. How did you raise your child?"

Hearing the villagers all siding with him, Nie Erzhuang straightened his back even more and cursed at Liu Yan fiercely, "Listen to what everyone is saying! What kind of child have you raised? She's disgracing me! A girl like that should have been drowned when she was born!"

Liu Yan opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't say anything, and could only shed tears.

Nie Qianqian grabbed Liu Yan's hand and squeezed it tightly to give her strength. She said to everyone with a sorrowful expression, "Grandmother said that my father worked hard in all kinds of weather, but all the money he earned went to support Nie Wenye's studies. He never used any of it for my mother and me. When I was on the verge of death, he didn't even have a bowl of brown sugar water. Is this what he calls doing everything for me? In his heart, I was a mistake from birth. My mother and I lived the lowest life in this family. Nie Erzhuang beat and scolded us at the drop of a hat. He never treated my mother and me as family."

"Don't advise others to be kind if you don't know their suffering. Uncles and aunts, if I hadn't been forced to, why would I have risked everything to break ties and move out of the Nie family? Who doesn't want a warm home, a loving father and a filial son? But if the father isn't loving, the son doesn't need to be filial. I, Nie Qianqian, am not very educated, but I only follow one principle: I'll be good to those who are good to me, and I'll be unjust to those who are unkind to me."

Nie Qianqian's voice was tinged with sobs; it wasn't a desperate cry, but rather a plaintive lament.

Don’t persuade others to be kind.

The villagers who were watching were not very educated, but they understood the general meaning of the sentence. They were all carefully pondering its meaning, and the more they thought about it, the more uneasy they felt.

Yes, every family has its difficulties. Every family has its unspeakable suffering that cannot be shared with outsiders. No matter how much suffering they endure, they swallow it all. Outsiders can't understand and will only criticize them.

Wang Dajuan's husband nudged her, saying, "You shouldn't meddle in other people's business. Every family has its own problems. You've finished your own work, why are you here gossiping?"

Wang Dajuan had only come to watch the fun and gossip, but after hearing Nie Qianqian's words, she thought of her own family's past and couldn't help but feel sad. Looking at Liu Yan, how could she not know that she was a person with a tragic fate? So she didn't say a word.

"That's right, Big Mouth Juan, you're so good at reasoning."

"It's as if you didn't say that earlier."

"I'll stop here. Tomorrow, the righteous judge will decide the case."

Gu Xiao gave Nie Qianqian a deep look. Although Nie Qianqian said she was uncultured, her words were full of wisdom, guiding everyone and making them empathize with her, thus reversing the tide of events.

He recalled how Nie Qianqian had scolded Yu Fengyang and Wang Zhiwen so badly that they fled in disarray back at Tiande Academy.

His wife is really full of logic these days, and she never loses an argument.

Nie Qianqian wore a sorrowful expression, but inwardly she sneered.

Nie Qianqian had lived for thirty years in her previous life, and she had her own scale in her heart. She could clearly distinguish right from wrong and would not be swayed by a few words. No one could try to manipulate her from a so-called moral high ground.

Inciting the masses, acting skills, great, Nie Qianqian will play along with them.

Liu Lizheng stroked his beard, interrupting the discussion. Family matters are difficult to resolve, and continuing the discussion until dark would not yield any clear results. He looked at Old Madam Nie and Nie Erzhuang, confirming again and again, "Are you really going to report this to the authorities?"

With so many villagers watching, both Old Mrs. Nie and Nie Qianqian were in a precarious situation, with no choice but to act. They nodded in confirmation once more.

Seeing that things had come to this point, Liu Lizheng had no choice but to go with the flow. "It's getting late today, so we can't go to town tonight and disturb the county magistrate. Let's meet at the village entrance at dawn tomorrow and go to town together."

After saying that, he made arrangements to lead the Nie family and the villagers who had come to watch the commotion away.

The villagers who had been watching gradually dispersed, discussing as they walked home whether or not Nie Qianqian had stolen the money.

Grandma Nie was unwilling to leave with the grain scattered all over the ground. She rolled her eyes and gave Nie Qianqian a fierce glare.

After everyone left, the old house returned to its usual tranquility. Nie Qianqian and her family of four quietly cleaned up the mess on the ground and moved back into the house.

Liu Yan was extremely anxious, pacing back and forth in the room. Nie Qianqian, fearing that she was worrying too much, added a bottle of sleeping pills to her water and told her to rest first. She, as her mother, had already endured too much today, so she should leave the rest to her.

Tuantuan stayed close to her, clinging to her trouser leg and following her every step of the way. After covering Liu Yan with a blanket, Nie Qianqian picked up Tuantuan and asked softly, "Was Tuantuan scared today?"

Tuantuan nodded, then shook her head. "Tuantuan was scared, but she wasn't scared anymore after Mom came back."

In his eyes, his mother was an incredibly powerful being, and he felt very safe with her around.

Nie Qianqian: "Tuantuan, remember this: not everyone in this world is good. There are bad people and evil people. If you give in to their bullying, it won't solve the problem. It will only make them more aggressive. You have to keep strengthening yourself to protect yourself, understand?"

Tuantuan nodded emphatically, clenching his little fists tightly. A tiny seed was planted in his heart: he wanted to become stronger, stronger, stronger, to become the strongest person in the world, to protect his mother, his father, and his grandmother.

As Gu Xiao listened to Nie Qianqian's words of instruction to Tuantuan, he paused in his packing. Tuantuan was only three years old. Was it too early to say these things? But when he thought about the world, how difficult life was and how unpredictable people's hearts were, perhaps Qianqian was right. It was a good thing for him to know these things early on.

Liu Yan took Tuantuan back to the bedroom to lull her to sleep, leaving only Nie Qianqian and Gu Xiao in the main room.

Nie Qianqian felt a warmth in her heart when she remembered the blow Gu Xiao had taken for her, and broke the silence, "Um, thank you for today."

Hearing the thank you, Gu Xiao felt a ripple of emotion, and the burning pain in his wound lessened.

Without much thought, Gu Xiao replied gently, "There's no need for thanks between us."

After Gu Xiao finished speaking, he felt that his words seemed a bit intimate. Although they were "husband and wife" before, their relationship was clearly distinct. Today, his words were an initiative to break down the invisible and intangible barrier between them.

Nie Qianqian turned her head to look at Gu Xiao, and Gu Xiao also looked at her. Their eyes met and locked.

Gu Xiao was the first to look away. Nie Qianqian coughed lightly, "You should get some rest. We have to go to town tomorrow."

Gu Xiao nodded and said seriously, "Qianqian, go to the county government tomorrow. Neither side has solid evidence regarding the money, so the magistrate may not be able to make a judgment. It may end up being a muddled mess. But if you want to get rid of the Nie family quickly, going to the county government to make a scene is one way. I will do my best to help Mother get a divorce."

In the village, everyone had their own version of events, and although the village head could manage the situation, he mostly tried to smooth things over. It was unclear when he would finally sever all ties with the Nie family.

Qianqian understood, "Going to the county government wasn't about these few taels of silver; the important thing is to get my mother and Nie Erzhuang to divorce as soon as possible."

Gu Xiao nodded, and the two of them said nothing more, each preparing to go back to their rooms to sleep.

Before leaving, Nie Qianqian took out the family's internal medicine for external injuries from her spatial storage, placed it on the table, and instructed, "That stick hit you pretty hard. I bought this ointment in town for backup. The shopkeeper said it's very effective for treating sprains and bruises. Remember to apply it before you go to sleep tonight."

Gu Xiao watched Nie Qianqian enter the inner room before turning his gaze away. He picked up the ointment and examined it for a long time before returning to his own room.

At Lao Nie's house, no one was in the mood to sleep.

Grandma Nie sat in a chair with a gloomy face, with Liu Chunhua and Nie Wenting standing beside her, and Nie Daqiang and Nie Erzhuang sitting on either side of her. The atmosphere was tense.

Grandma Nie asked in a hoarse voice, "What, are you all mute?"

Despite the pain in his back, Nie Erzhuang asked in a muffled voice, "Mother, that brat said she broke her head, but I didn't know about that. Also, did she steal any money from the house?"

Grandma Nie stood up in anger, raising her hand to strike Nie Erzhuang. But seeing the blood still seeping from the wound on his back, she slowly lowered her hand and said fiercely, "I said she stole it, and that's it! What, you don't believe your mother?! What time is it now, and you still have the mind to ask about this? Are you a pig brain?"

Nie Erzhuang shut his mouth and stopped talking.

Liu Chunhua helped Old Madam Nie back to her seat. "Mother, don't get angry. The most important thing right now is to figure out how to handle things in court tomorrow."

Old Mrs. Nie snorted coldly.

Liu Chunhua continued, "If the magistrate finds nothing in the house tomorrow..."

Old Mrs. Nie interrupted her, "The magistrate isn't a man with three heads and six arms, nor does he have eyes in our house. How would he know that we haven't lost any money!"

Nie Daqiang chimed in, "That's right. As long as we stick to our guns and don't give in, Nie Qianqian can't do anything to us."

Grandma Nie said, "If I don't put this brat in jail, all these years of my life will have been for nothing."

Nie Wenting said worriedly, "But what if she's telling the truth, and there really was someone who gave her money..."

Grandma Nie sneered, "So what? The court is tomorrow. Do you think this person will crawl out of the ground to testify for her?"

Nie Wenting thought for a moment, then relaxed and smiled, "Grandmother is right. Tomorrow, that wretched girl will definitely pay the price."

Liu Chunhua: "Mother, what did that brat say about divorce?"

Nie Erzhuang suddenly spoke up, "Liu Yan is a member of the Nie family now that she's married to me. There's no way she'll agree to a divorce!"

Old Mrs. Nie said, "You stubborn mule, have you forgotten what I just told you? What use is a woman like that? Throw her out of the house, and I'll find you a better one."

Nie Erzhuang thought of what Old Madam Nie had said about Widow Lin, and shut his mouth, but he seemed unwilling. In his mind, Liu Yan was her wife, whether she was alive or dead.

Old Mrs. Nie sneered, "They want a divorce? They're dreaming! We'll divorce her tomorrow and make her a discarded woman who'll never be able to hold her head up high again."

The group discussed how to respond in court the next day. The old lady Nie felt a little relieved when she thought that she could send Nie Qianqian to jail the next day, and told everyone to disperse and rest.

Nie Wenting lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), thinking that if Nie Qianqian went to jail, her fair and flawless face would probably be ruined, and she felt inexplicably happy.

Nie Erzhuang tossed and turned, his mind a jumbled mess, unable to sleep at all. One moment he was thinking about how Nie Qianqian and Liu Yan dared to defy him today, the next he was thinking about how if he divorced Liu Yan, he would be left without a wife, and then he was thinking about Widow Lin's round buttocks. Finally, he drifted off to sleep.