Chapter 62 - Matters of Importance

◎The house was finally completed.◎

Yu Lian said, "The incident involving Hua Baogui was an unforeseen calamity for my family. We have legal land deeds and the village chief's approval to build our house. It's reasonable and lawful, not affecting anyone else. Hua Baogui came to 'help' but only caused more trouble, injuring himself in the process. Others didn't hold him accountable for his injured foot since it was an accident. At that time, life was at stake, so I temporarily covered the five taels and half of medical expenses, as proven by this invoice from the clinic."

She presented the clinic's receipt to Second Uncle.

"No one's silver comes effortlessly. I don't mind being transparent with all of you. My family returned to our hometown out of necessity due to hardships and then encountered bandits, leaving us with very little silver. The original plan was to retrieve this money once we were back, but after hearing about Hua Baogui's condition, my grandmother and mother decided not to ask for the money back, considering it as a charitable act towards a fellow villager. However, Hua Baogui's mother and sister relentlessly caused trouble at my home, making it seem as if we harmed Hua Baogui and tarnished our reputation!"

"Today, with everyone here, I'll clarify everything and ask for witnesses. Initially, I had no intention of reclaiming the silver, but your bullying has gone too far. Hence, I now demand the return of this kindness. Please repay the five taels and half within a month. Furthermore, cease implicating my family in Hua Baogui's matter. Otherwise, we'll take it to the authorities to let them decide who is right or wrong!"

Hua Baogui's family was stunned. How did they end up having to repay the silver instead of gaining anything?

His mother grumbled, "No silver, Baogui is foolish now. Where would we get the silver from?"

Yu Lian looked at the village chief and Second Uncle. "If they fail to return the silver within a month, I will report to the local office and request the officials to intervene."

"This matter should have ended long ago, but they refused to let it go. Don't blame me for not considering our village ties anymore."

Even clay figurines have some temper, let alone a young lady from an esteemed capital noble family?

The villagers felt a mix of emotions and gained a deeper understanding. Although Yu Lian was known for her kind temperament, good heart, humility, and adherence to fairness, if someone were to push her too far without gratitude, they couldn't blame her for being ruthless.

They cast sympathetic yet somewhat Schadenfreude glances at Hua Baogui's family. This family was never satisfied. Now that Yu Lian was willing to let go of the medical expenses, they still acted shamelessly, trying to exploit the situation further. Could they really blame Yu Lian for retracting her kindness?

In those days, most commoners avoided conflict with the authorities, especially in a rural village like Upper Village, where people lived together as clans. They were accustomed to resolving disputes internally, with the village head, respected elders, and family leaders making decisions.

The village head himself disliked involving the officials. Despite his humble position, if he couldn't handle the village's affairs and had to summon the authorities, his tenure as village head would soon come to an end.

Frowning in displeasure, he rebuked, "What's the point of making such a fuss over a trivial matter?"

The second elder commented, "Even small matters must be handled justly. You need to deal with Dog Egg's issue properly."

An elder nearby added, "Those capable bear more responsibilities, but that doesn't mean it should be used in this context. As I understand, you mentioned your family fled due to adversity, and you don't have much left. All of you here have land and know how to farm; even without silver, you won't starve. Our situation is different. My grandmother is elderly, having enjoyed a life of comfort, and her health isn't good; she requires medicine frequently. My mother is frail and unable to work. Aunt Mei can manage the household, which is impressive enough. Our three children are still young and can't contribute much. My father-in-law has old injuries, and I am just a woman. Our family neither farms nor has any income, relying solely on this silver to survive. How are we better off than any of you?"

After Yu Lian finished speaking, the villagers fell silent. Reflecting on her words, they realized that despite their seemingly prosperous appearance, her family's situation was indeed precarious. They hadn't truly settled down and were no better off than other villagers. While others could grow their own food, her family had to buy theirs. Without silver, how could they possibly survive?

Initially, some villagers agreed with the elder's perspective, reasoning that since Yu Lian had more silver, it was only fair to give more. But now, they felt ashamed; that silver was for the family's livelihood, how could they have thought so selfishly?

The elder was left speechless, unable to retort.

The Hua Baogui family exchanged regretful glances, wondering why they insisted on causing trouble today. If they hadn't, none of this would have happened.

Hua Baogui's mother suddenly recalled something and said, "Didn't my ungrateful, wasteful daughter-in-law secretly give you our two egg-laying hens and their chicks? That heartless one has already returned to her parents' home. Give me back my chickens!"

Yu Lian replied calmly, "That is another matter altogether. When you pushed me down, your daughter-in-law followed suit. My mother stepped in to protect me but was struck unconscious. This is her compensation to us." She showed the agreement signed by Hua Baogui's wife to the elder, then to the village chief.

The village chief glanced at it, his lips twitching in silence. Impatient, he said, "Since a written agreement has been made, it stands as an ironclad fact. Let's not dwell on this further."

Hua Baogui's mother felt as if the sky was collapsing. Her heartless daughter-in-law had fled after giving away their chickens, and now she was being asked to pay such a large sum of silver. It was like losing more than what she tried to steal!

Disregarding who was present, she sat down and began to weep.

Only then did Hua Baogui's aged father rush over, his face etched with weariness. He awkwardly helped his wife up and scolded, "I told you not to come, I told you not to come, yet you insisted on creating trouble!"

Hua Baogui's mother glared at him. "You're just afraid of losing face. So you don't want the silver, then?"

"You're only trying to be the good guy now that it's too late! What were you doing earlier?"

Exposed by his wife, the old man felt even more embarrassed and awkward, standing there uneasily.

The village chief turned to Hua Baogui's father. "As the head of the family, since you've come, listen carefully."

He asked the villagers, "Who can attest to who is right or wrong in this matter? Who is willing to step forward as a witness?"

Dashu's wife raised her hand first. "I can attest. I was there from the beginning to the end. My third brother can also serve as a witness, but he's not here at the moment."

Ma Dafen was about to raise his hand, but the village chief said, "Outsiders don't count."

Scanning the crowd, he continued, "If more than five people are willing to testify for Hua Zhan's family, then we'll consider them in the right."

Second Uncle looked somewhat displeased. He knew the village chief was deliberately making things difficult for the Huas, but he couldn't find fault with his decision.

Yu Lian also frowned slightly. What she had said was the truth, and the whole village knew it. Yet, the village chief insisted on requiring five witnesses for it to hold weight. This would make it such that only those who weren't afraid of offending the Hua Baogui family would dare to come forward as witnesses. After all, they were all neighbors and would inevitably cross paths. Why would anyone want to risk alienating one side?

The three brothers from the second branch of the Hua family, Hua Qiushou, pondered for a moment before stepping forward as well. "We can also serve as witnesses."

This left only one person short.

All the villagers fell silent, looking at each other. Surprisingly, Hua Dameng stood up and declared loudly, "What's there to witness? Are their eyes blind?"

The village chief: "…."

With that, they had gathered the required five individuals.

Although the village chief intended to make things difficult for the Hua family, he was a man of his word. He immediately instructed someone to bring paper and pen.

After a moment's contemplation, he asked Hua Baogui's father, "Can your family afford to pay the five taels of silver?"

Hua Baogui's father's old face creased. Indeed, his family could scrape together the sum. Their four daughters had brought in substantial dowries when they were married, and their sons-in-law always brought gifts during festivals. With the income from their farm, they had accumulated a considerable amount of silver over the years. Even after marrying off their son, they still had more than half left, which they had planned to save for their grandson's marriage.

However, he couldn't just readily part with the money. He hesitated and said, "We'll have to gather and borrow some."

Upon hearing this, the four sons-in-law's expressions turned awkward. After being part of the Hua family for so many years, they knew the drill. Whenever their in-laws needed silver, they would inevitably turn to them for a loan, but the loans were never repaid.

The village chief said, "Very well, I'll give you a month to gather the silver and return it to the rightful owner. You know better than anyone how Hua Baogui lost his wits. Don't let me hear anymore about this matter, tarnishing others' reputation. If they come after you, I won't be able to protect you!"

Hua Baogui's father was a man of pride, and being openly warned by the village chief left him feeling embarrassed. He reluctantly agreed and shot a glare at his wife.

Hua Baogui's mother was utterly stunned.

Why did they have to pay silver when they hadn't even caused a disturbance?

The village chief wrote down the demand for Hua Baogui's family to repay five taels and half an ounce of silver within a month, and added a note that forbade them from using this incident to cause further trouble. Both parties then had to sign and seal the agreement for it to be valid.

Hua Zhan signed on behalf of Yu Lian, while Hua Baogui's father, unable to write, affixed his fingerprint. Yu Lian kept the document, feeling satisfied.

The Hua family slunk away, dejected and defeated.

After this incident spread throughout the village, combined with the previous issue involving the village chief's son, the Hua family had firmly established their position. It served as a stern warning to those who had harbored ill intentions towards the Hua family due to their grandiose construction project and labor recruitment.

There were no further disturbances until the house was finally completed, which happened shortly after the ten acres of land were fully cultivated.

Passersby in the village couldn't help but steal glances at the residence each day, their eyes filled with admiration and awe.

It was an enormous courtyard paved with green bricks, housing structures of the same material with red-tiled roofs, spacious and majestic. Those who ventured inside would emerge, eager to recount in detail the magnificent layout within.

"There are several bedrooms alone, each with its own private courtyard. Not to mention separate bathing chambers, a library... The attention to detail is incredible. Even the shelters for livestock, like pigs, chickens, and ducks, were constructed with leftover green bricks..."