Xu Dongjuan was detained for a full day and night, only eating one bowl of porridge. There was a manure bucket in the house for her to relieve herself, and she slept in a pile of straw at night.

Jiang Zhi reappeared in the school at noon the next day, with several more people around her.

They were dressed smartly, chatting and laughing, and most importantly, Jiang was walking in front.

Xu Dongjuan didn't know some of these people, but she did know others.

Seeing her husband and two sons timidly following behind, Xu Dongjuan's heart instantly turned cold.

Before long, Ma Guan grabbed her arm and dragged her to the corridor.

He wanted to walk with more presence, but his legs were injured, so he shuffled along without daring to take a step. As a result, Ma Guan simply carried him away.

Jiang Zhi and the others sat in the sun by the school corridor. The sunlight was just right. The head of the pavilion where Xu Dongjuan worked, surnamed Zhou, was smiling and saying, "Madam Jiang, this school is well built. It's bright and spacious, and it's convenient for the children to go to school."

Old Song sat calmly and said, "This is the meaning of educating the people."

Jiang Zhi said, "Qingquan Academy is not good enough right now. We plan to build another room so that we can store the children's workbooks."

The school was simple, with only two classrooms, a separate outhouse for boys and girls, and a water room.

Jiang Zhi plans to build two more rooms next door to use as teachers' offices.

At this moment, Xu Dongjuan had been brought over and was kneeling down. The group of people were still talking, without even lifting their eyelids.

Only Manager Lu, standing at the back, was staring intently at Xu Dongjuan, saying that she had said she was going to visit her parents' home, but it had turned into such a big mess.

The Lu family runs a pottery business. Yesterday, Lu Daqian had just finished arranging the pottery jars that had just been delivered when several fierce-looking town guards rushed into the shop and tried to take Lu Daqian away.

It wasn't until they sent a few pottery jars that they got the information out of him. He said that his family had come to Pear Blossom Town to cause trouble, and the local official had sent a letter asking his family to come over.

This sentence terrified the Lu family, who all thought Xu Dongjuan had died there and wanted them to identify the body.

Seeing a living person at this moment filled me with both anger and rage.

Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes. Zhou Tingzhang and Old Song were clearly experienced in handling such matters and were not in a hurry to ask questions.

The people had arrived, but no one spoke, and Xu Dongjuan just knelt there, dumbfounded.

Lu Daqian and Xu Dongjuan are husband and wife, and their relationship is relatively harmonious.

Seeing that she was alive but her hair was disheveled and her eyes were unfocused, clearly she had suffered greatly, he hurriedly bowed and came over: "Chief Zhou, this is my daughter...we'll take her back and discipline her properly."

Although Xu Dongjuan wished she could destroy the Qin family, she was very protective of her own family.

At this moment, seeing their mother suffering, the two sons quickly knelt down, wanting to plead for her.

"No rush! You all wait here for a moment and think it over before you speak."

Zhou Tingzhang was a chubby young man who was said to be succeeding his father in the position.

He had already spoken with Madam Jiang at Sishuitang and knew that Xu Dongjuan was a troublemaker who deliberately came back to cause trouble because of her discord with her stepmother.

Sisters-in-law laugh at each other for being ugly, brothers hope each other is poor; in this mortal world, nothing is truly important, only trivial matters fly by.

These kinds of trivial family matters are the most difficult to handle; they're not a big deal, but they're not insignificant either.

But Chief Zhou had an ancestral skill for dealing with these shrewish and unruly people, so he didn't mention anything important at this time. He only talked to Jiang Zhi and Chief Song about this year's corvée labor and taxes, and asked Er Rui where Xiao Man was on business this year.

It is now the winter month, the time for corvée labor and tax collection.

Errui and Xiaoman have to go to the yamen to deal with their duties again, and haven't been home for several days.

In front of Jiang Zhi, both Zhou Tingzhang and Song Tingzhang praised Er Rui and Xiao Man for their youth and promising future.

They then talked about their studies this year. Zhou Tingchang mentioned that three villages in his jurisdiction had done well, and he said he would come back to learn for a few more days next year. Jiang Zhi naturally agreed with a smile.

The three of them were talking amicably.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Lu Daqian could only retreat again and watch helplessly as Xu Dongjuan continued to kneel.

At this moment, the villagers came over to watch again, but no one said anything. The children's words yesterday had been a slap in the face to the Xu family, which had been around for decades.

Xu Dongjuan had been hungry all day and frozen all night. Although she hadn't collapsed, her dark face had turned white, and even with the sun shining, she was still shivering from the cold.

She couldn't kneel for long. Seeing that her husband and son tried to speak several times but were ignored, she knew that she could only save herself. So she shouted to Jiang Zhi, "Aunt Jiang, I was wrong! I was wrong!"

Jiang Zhi had been waiting for this moment, so she turned around and said, "Xu Dongjuan, since you know you're wrong, then tell me what you did wrong?"

Xu Dongjuan was speechless; she didn't think she had done anything seriously wrong.

She never expected that her trip back to her parents' home would lead to such a quarrel among the women that it would summon the village head.

Seeing that Xu Dongjuan remained silent, Zhou Tingzhang's previously serene face instantly darkened: "Xu, do you really not know your mistake?"

Xu Dongjuan wanted to get used to it and wanted to say that she had just returned to her parents' home and that she wanted to point out Qin's fault.

Having heard the children recite their lessons yesterday, she knew that even if she stayed out all night, the cold would still have an effect. She knew that if she tried to argue now, she would be beaten again.

So Xu Dongjuan lowered her head and said, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have meddled in my family's affairs, and I shouldn't have acted as a matchmaker for my younger brother, which made my stepmother resentful."

She wanted to gloss over the matter, thinking that as long as she apologized, the elder Qin would eventually have to be magnanimous.

Seeing that Xu Dongjuan showed no sincerity in admitting her mistake, Jiang Zhi snorted coldly: "Lotus Mother will be here soon, so explain to her if you have something to say!"

Lu Daqian was a businessman, and he knew his wife's character well. He knew she must have caused trouble to be beaten.

But even after suffering hardship, he still wouldn't admit it, so I immediately said urgently, "What exactly did you say or do wrong? You'd better confess quickly."

Xu Dongjuan gritted her teeth and said, "I admit that I shouldn't have meddled in my family's affairs and offended my stepmother. I couldn't explain myself, so I was punished by the village."

This means Jiang Zhi is also being blamed.

Jiang Zhi and the two village chiefs exchanged a glance and shook their heads: They really won't shed tears until they see the coffin.

The three men didn't press him further. Since he couldn't understand, they told him to keep kneeling until he did.

These shrewish women are perfectly aware of what they've done; they know exactly what they've done.

If you argue with her point by point, you're just helping her fix her lies, which is a complete waste of time.

Besides, Lotus Maiden really did come!

Lianhua's mother was brought here by Qin Shi. Originally, Lianhua and Xu Genqing wanted to come along, but Li Laoshi persuaded them: "Genqing, don't go. You can't get involved in this kind of thing. You should take better care of Lianhua."

He taught Xu Genqing his experience in avoiding risks.

With Sister-in-law Jiang around, Li Laoshi wasn't worried about Qin Shi at all. He was only worried that if Xu Genqing went there, people would probably use gossip to pressure him into forgiving his mother-in-law and his half-sister.

Xu Genqing hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Meanwhile, Lotus Girl kept begging for forgiveness the whole way: "I was wrong, I promise I won't come again, okay?"

Qin pinched her arm: "No, you instigated your daughter to ask her mother-in-law for money and things, and even said that you would not support me in the future. Lianhua is unfilial and will be divorced. Your instigation is the same as the crime."

Upon arriving at the school and seeing Xu Dongjuan kneeling before several strangers with disheveled hair, Lianhua's legs instantly went weak.

Before Jiang Zhi could even speak, Lianhua's mother scrambled over to her knees and kowtowed on the ground: "It was Xu Dongjuan who made me argue with Qin Shi every day, forcing her to give all the money to Lianhua, otherwise she would disown her and not take care of her in her old age. Lianhua and I didn't think that way."

The villagers watching immediately started talking: Xu Dongjuan is not only unfilial herself, but also teaches her daughter-in-law to be disrespectful to her mother-in-law. She has a vicious mind!