Chapter 214

Chapter 214: A Joyous Day for All

Just as He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye were about to greet Old Lady Mo, the latter's keen ears picked up a commotion in the distance. It wasn't a warning of danger but rather the wails of the Cui family... At the same time, they heard the hurried footsteps of the Zhou clan outside the courtyard walls. "I heard that a group of officials went to the Cui residence. Let's go take a look." "Hurry, or we won't get a good spot." "With all this crying, the Cui family is probably in for some bad luck..." Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran exchanged a glance before heading out of the courtyard together. It wasn't that they were nosy and enjoyed others' misfortunes; they mainly wanted to learn more about the Cui family's situation so they could buy the courtyard and land at the foot of the mountain from them sooner. When the two arrived near the Cui residence, it was already surrounded by curious villagers. The cries and pleas of the Cui family grew more intense. "Sir Official, it was all Cui Wen's doing. I had nothing to do with it. You can't treat me like this!" "Sir Official, please have mercy and let me off. I have an eighty-year-old mother to take care of at home." "Sir Official, please, spare me this time..." The officials were impatient, constantly lashing their whips at the Cui family members. "Shut up, all of you. Now you know how to beg, but when you did wrong, did you ever think about today?" The whips fell repeatedly on the bodies of over a dozen Cui family members, causing their cries to escalate. This scene was a joyous day for the Zhao and Zhou clans. The Cui family, who had done so much evil, finally got what they deserved. They thought that taking away a few Cui family members would be enough, but unexpectedly, those officials turned around and sought out the heads of the Zhao and Zhou clans. The two clan leaders looked bewildered, not understanding what the Cui family's crimes had to do with them. In front of the officials, they appeared timid. "Sir Official, may I ask why you're looking for us?" The official loudly proclaimed, "The county magistrate said that anyone from your two families who were forcibly married or taken by the Cui family can now divorce if they wish. Men can directly divorce their wives, and women can request a divorce." Soon after the official's words faded, three women ran out from the direction of the Cui family. They knelt before the official together. "Sir Official, we all want a divorce." After saying this, the three didn't forget to glare fiercely at the Cui family behind them. He Zhiran took a closer look at these three women. Without even mentioning anything else, their patched dresses alone made them seem out of place among the Cui family. This showed just how difficult their lives had been since marrying into the Cui family. As He Zhiran pondered this, several people also ran over from the directions of the Zhao and Zhou families. They found their daughters, holding them and weeping bitterly. "Erlang, it was because your parents were weak that you suffered for over two years in the Cui family. Now it's good. The county magistrate allows you to divorce, and we'll settle things today." "Qiaoxing, that bunch of beasts in the Cui family treated you like a servant. We'll divorce him today." "That's great. My daughter doesn't have to suffer in the Cui family anymore. Don't worry, once you return home, your father, mother, and brothers will take care of you." As these few held their daughters and cried, within the crowds of the Zhao and Zhou families, accompanied by the wailing of women acting up, several tall and strong men dragged a few unappealing-looking women to the officials. The men casually threw the women to the ground. "Sir Official, we want to divorce our wives. Even if we never marry again in this life, we don't want Cui women." "Right, we'd rather die than have Cui women." Seeing the men's firm tone, the few Cui women stopped crying. A young, plump-looking woman stood up, approached one of the Zhao men, and tried to grab his arm. "Zhao Yushan, it's your good fortune that I married you. Don't reject what's offered to you." Zhao Yushan suddenly dodged back, no longer enduring silently as he used to. "I, Zhao Yushan, don't need such good fortune. You might as well roll back to your Cui family!" The Cui woman was不服 and continued forward, trying to tear at Zhao Yushan. "Don't forget, I gave you two sons." Zhao Yushan sneered. "So what if two sons? Aren't they still surnamed after you?" The other few Cui women who were pulled out also tried to grab their husbands. From their actions, it was clear that they didn't hesitate to use such histrionics in their daily lives. Seeing the scene turn chaotic, the officials loudly reprimanded them, and it became slightly quieter around. With someone finally supporting them, the heads of the Zhao and Zhou clans feared that something might change and immediately ordered people to fetch paper and pens. In public, they wrote divorce papers for the few Cui women and urgently removed their names from the clan registers. The divorces of the few women who married into the Cui family were slightly more complicated. Not only did they need the clan leader's help to write the divorce papers, but they also had to go to the government office to have the seal stamped on them for them to take effect.

Consequently, the families of those women immediately decided to follow the officials to the government office. They were determined to sever ties with the Cui family today.

The officials were straightforward and efficient. Regardless of their past involvement in aiding Cui Wen, they now looked to the new magistrate for guidance. Only by doing so could they atone for their previous misdeeds.

Thus, the officials swiftly arrested the Cui family members who had committed offenses, binding them tightly before hastily returning to the government office.

As the Cui family watched over a dozen of their kin being led away, along with the women who had been divorced and the men seeking separation, their arrogance was deflated.

Even those accustomed to barking orders at the Zhao and Zhou families lost their nerve when met with the newfound determination in their eyes.

After more than a decade, the Zhao and Zhou families finally felt a sense of triumph in Xiling Village.

No longer would they have to worry about the Cui family's oppression and bullying. Their future was bound to improve.

He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye, seeing that the officials had already departed with their captives, returned home before the crowd dispersed, resuming their household chores.

Just as they had anticipated, it took several trips back and forth in the ox cart near dusk to transport all the goods from the warehouse.

The amount of items brought back in a single day astonished the Zhao and Zhou clans.

They knew the Cui family lived comfortably, but they had never seen anyone like the Mo family, who upon settling here, purchased such an abundance of goods.

Moreover, the items being unloaded were mostly unfamiliar to them.

It was no wonder; even someone who had once held a high position in the capital still possessed considerable resources despite being exiled.

Both clans rejoiced that the Mo family hadn't capitulated to Cui Wen. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned to Xiling Village, and these simple folk wouldn't have gained such knowledge within the comfort of their own homes...