Li Erya's expression became very tense, her eyes darting around. Li Yunxiang said in a trembling voice, "Yes, it was bought from Huichuntang."

After saying this, Li Yunxiang's hands were trembling. Meng Zhao had told her that they couldn't fake this. Fifty taels of ginseng was not something that could be bought casually in any pharmacy. If the Li family wanted to investigate, they only needed to ask at the pharmacy. Therefore, Meng Zhao asked her not to mention the name of the pharmacy unless absolutely necessary.

Once it's said, someone has to be notified immediately so that Meng Zhao can arrange the follow-up matters at the pharmacy. But this would not only be riskier, but it might also cost money.

Li Yunxiang thought this question would only be asked of her by a member of the Li family, but she didn't expect it to be asked by the village head. She felt a pang of panic, but she forced herself to remain calm and mustered her courage to say:

“Village head, Er Ya is indeed the biological daughter of the Li family. I can guarantee that with my life. But if the Li family doesn’t acknowledge her, there’s really nothing I can do. Now, I definitely can’t stay in the Li family any longer. I only beg you, village head, to have mercy and let us leave the Li family.”

Hearing Li Yunxiang say this, the village head's suspicions were confirmed. If Li Erya really owed fifty taels of silver, what way could she survive after leaving the Li family? Since Li Yunxiang was willing to take Li Erya away, she must have a way out.

The village head was furious with Li Yunxiang's actions and didn't want to get involved. Seeing this, Li Yunxiang quickly pulled Li Erya down to kneel before the village head, her voice extremely low as she said:

“Meng Zhao told me that the village head has worked hard for the village and is the most fair in doing things. If anything happens, I should ask the village head for help. Village head, I beg you, please help me and Er Ya.”

Li Yunxiang suddenly brought up Meng Zhao, which puzzled the village head. Although she had worked for Meng Zhao before, it was only for about ten days, and she had never heard of any relationship between the two. Suddenly, the village head recalled that when she came over, Meng Zhao specifically mentioned Li Yunxiang, saying that he was worried about her health. Could this be Meng Zhao's doing?

The village headman thought about it more and more and felt that this was possible. How could Li Yunxiang and Li Erya, an ignorant woman and a weak child, dare to have any dealings with those loan sharks?

While the village head was stunned, Li Yunxiang and her daughter had already kowtowed to him several times. Although the three of them were far apart, others could still see their movements.

Li Yunxiang's pleading appearance made the Li family as anxious as ants on a hot pan. "Don't let that little bitch beg the village head to soften his heart. If the mother and daughter don't leave, we'll all suffer along with them."

So the Li family started making a fuss again. "Village head, this is ultimately a family matter. You just need to be a witness."

Granny Fang chimed in, "That's right. Li Yunxiang married into our family but hasn't even given birth to a son. Of course, we can divorce her."

However, a sharp-eyed villager noticed the flaw in the story: "Grandma Fang, isn't your eldest son impotent? How did Li Yunxiang give you a son? You must have been talking nonsense."

Granny Fang panicked and looked away. Old Li glared at her and said, "Only Dayong and I know about this. No one else has told us."

The village head dragged his feet back to the courtyard, his mind filled with thoughts. Since Li Yunxiang had married into Shenjia Village, she should follow the proper conduct of a woman, be filial to her parents-in-law, and take care of her husband. Even if she had suffered some grievances and wanted to vent, he would handle it impartially and teach the Li family a lesson.

She shouldn't have caused all this trouble; it really tarnished the village's reputation. But if Meng Zhao was behind it, then it would be a completely different story.

Nowadays, most of the village's income is supported by Meng Zhao. First, the starch workshop enabled more than 30 households to have enough to eat. Then, with the reclamation of wasteland, the village will have 200 more acres of arable land next year. According to Meng Zhao's plan, the starch workshop and the pig farm are mutually beneficial and should be symbiotic. In the future, when the pig farm expands, it will be necessary to recruit people from the village.

There was also the matter of village schools that Meng Zhao had asked him to keep an eye on during this time. Among the surrounding villages, he had never heard of any village school. Once it was established, even if only a few students could pass the imperial examinations, he would be able to leave his name in the village history. Thinking of this, the village head became more and more determined in his heart that he could not, absolutely could not, offend Meng Zhao.

After thinking it through, the village head said solemnly, "Whether you want to separate the family or divorce your wife, I naturally cannot stop you."

Upon hearing this, the Li family was immediately delighted, thinking that the village head was on their side. Then they heard the village head say, "However, Li Erya is a true member of the Li family. She was born and raised in Shenjia Village. If you want to separate her from the Li family, then according to the rules, she must also have a share of the family property."

Li's second daughter-in-law's eyes widened. "What? She owes fifty taels and that's not enough, she also wants a share of the family property!"

Li Lao Er also said, "Village head, what family property does she have to divide? Besides, who knows if she's even spent all fifty taels?"

Granny Fang jumped up in anger, "You little bastard, tell me the truth! How much money did you spend? Why is this little slut still sickly after eating ginseng? The ginseng's effects are so weak, we're going to ask the pharmacy for compensation."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunxiang and Li Erya immediately began to tremble, but the village head calmly and loudly stopped them, "Old woman Fang, don't you think things have gotten ugly enough? Let me tell you, if this gets out and ruins the reputation of Shenjia Village, I will drive your whole family out of the village."

The village headman often used this scare tactic against the villagers because it was indeed very intimidating to an ordinary farmer. In ancient times, villages were essentially interest groups. Although not everyone in the village was harmonious, they could still unite as one if they encountered external danger.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!