The man chuckled: "Yes, it's been a long time!"

Jiao coughed and said, "What's wrong? Are you short of food and money again? Are you trying to set a trap for your old lover again?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Sheng angrily retorted, "What are you saying? How was I supposed to know I'd run into you here? Besides, what does our business have to do with you? Stop causing trouble, you gossipy woman."

Chunhua was immediately displeased: "Let me tell you, you stinking man, you always pretend to help your aunt's family with chores, but in reality, aren't you just after your aunt's money and grain?"

Liang Shuyan's prepared scene was ruined by Aunt Liu and Yinxia.

Liang Shuyan could only give an awkward smile: "In that case, shall we go?"

It had stopped raining outside, and Liang Shuyan turned to leave.

Seeing this, Yuan Sheng quickly stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve: "Shuyan, how could you do this? Did Aunt Liu stir things up or what? You turned around and left as soon as we met. I finally managed to see you!"

"Get out of the way, stop pulling and shoving. You'll make a fool of yourself if people see this. Speak your mind, or shut up!"

Yuan Sheng then stammered like a woman, "Look, Shuyan, we haven't seen each other for so long. Now, because of the famine, my wife has run off with someone. I was thinking, why don't we get together?"

Thinking back to what had happened before, and looking at Yuan Sheng's appearance, Liang Shuyan felt as if she had swallowed a fly, and mentally vomited for a while.

"You want to be with me? Sorry, your wife ran off with someone else, which proves you're no good. Why should I live with you? I already have enough people at home, what use is a freeloader like you?"

"No, no, I can do chores for you and help you with chores. You're a widow, and your reputation isn't good these days. With me around, no one will gossip about you anymore."

"Pah! How dare you say such a thing? I am a widow, but you think you can tarnish my reputation with your dirty water? Get as far away as you can."

Unexpectedly, Liang Shuyan was no longer as foolish as before; her words were laced with sarcasm and her eyes were sharp.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Sheng immediately launched into a tirade: "You widow, do you think I like you? With someone like you, why would I like you? To be honest, I'm only after your family's grain and silver. If it weren't for getting your family's grain and silver, I wouldn't have bothered keeping my distance from you before."

A thought flashed through Liang Shuyan's mind: "If we can get all this grain and silver back, then all the humiliation the original owner suffered will not have been in vain?"

"Oh right, how could I forget? You took my family's grain and silver. You can't just talk about it. The villagers will think you're bragging. If you don't have real evidence, that won't do."

Yuan Sheng was overjoyed: "Could it be that if I can just put all these things on a bill, I can live at Liang Shuyan's house, eat her food, drink her drinks, and occasionally even swindle a few coins for fun?"

"You mean I should list all the grain and silver I've taken from your family over the years into a single gall bladder, and then I can move into your house?"

"Of course! Otherwise, how am I supposed to tell the villagers that you've made this list? I'll say you came here to pay off my family's debts. Think about it, that's the only reason I can let you stay at my house."

Before Jiao could say anything, Liang Shuyan hurriedly grabbed Aunt Liu and whispered, "Auntie, don't say anything, just watch the show unfold!"

Jiao then remained silent, rubbing her hands together as she stood quietly to the side and watched.

"Okay, what's the problem? But there's no paper or pen here, where are we going to write it?"

Jiao waved her hand and said, "Then, shall we go to my house? I may not have anything else, but I have plenty of writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. Anyway, it's not raining outside anymore, so let's hurry back."

Yes, go to the village head's house.

Liang Shuyan brought Yuan Sheng to the village head's house.

When Li Zheng saw Yuan Sheng, he glanced at Liang Shuyan and hurriedly pulled her aside, saying, "Auntie, don't fall for this man's tricks again. Didn't he swindle enough money and grain from your family before? If it weren't for this man, your family would be richer than anyone else in the village!"

Liang Shuyan whispered a few words in Li Zheng's ear, and Li Zheng nodded with some doubt. Then he took out paper and pen and handed them to Yuan Sheng.

Yuan Sheng was very serious. He lay on the table and carefully wrote down all the grain and silver he had swindled over the years.

Liang Shuyan glanced at it: "Write down the amount here more clearly."

"Why do we need to be so clear? Isn't it just to prove it to the villagers?"

Li Zheng coughed and said, "Why? Of course, we need to be more detailed. Nobody in our village is stupid!"

Yuan Sheng revised it carefully again before handing it to Liang Shuyan: "Look, is this okay?"

"Okay, wait for me at the village entrance. I need to show you to the villagers and discuss it with my sons before I come to pick you up!"

Yuan Sheng had no idea what Liang Shuyan was up to. He then said goodbye to Li Zheng and his wife and took Niu Niu home.

"Mother, do you really want to let this man come to our house?"

Niu Niu looked up, blinked her eyes, and asked a question.

Liang Shuyan, carrying Niu Niu, called out to Er Niu as soon as she entered the door: "Er Niu, go to the village entrance and keep an eye on that simpleton for me. Remember, don't let him get away."

"Dashan, get ready, come with me to the county government!"

Upon hearing the news, Zhao Heng happily approached and asked, "Auntie, can I go back now?"

"I'm going to report this to the police, are you going too?"

Zhao Heng patted his chest and said, "Auntie, you want to complain? Do you have any evidence?"

"Of course, how could we not have one? Who is the defendant? It would be best to bring that person along as well, so that when we go there, Auntie will definitely win."

Zhang said, “Mother, why don’t we have Erniu go to the village entrance and call that person over? Tell him that the magistrate needs to sign a document, and then we can go together. We can also bring some cold noodles. When we get there, your daughter-in-law can call out at the school gate, and you can go find the magistrate. We can also have Zhao Heng and Dashan come along and go to the school together.”

Liang Shuyan thought about it and agreed. Wasn't the county magistrate in Furong Town? Since she was going to sell cold noodles in front of Shengming Academy in Furong Town anyway, she might as well take care of Yuan Sheng's problem along the way.

Upon hearing that they were going to the school, Zhao Heng exclaimed excitedly, "Great! I'll get the donkey cart ready right away, but with so many people, I'm afraid one donkey cart won't be enough to hold them all!"

"Zhao Heng, go down and find an oxcart with Erniu and that simpleton at the village entrance. Remember, make sure to keep a close eye on that man and get him safely to the county government office."

"Alright! Auntie!"