Just as she was about to say something sarcastic to the young girl to vent her son's anger, she heard her son tug at her wide sleeve and whisper, "Mother, I want her. You and her mother should get engaged, and she can be my concubine when she comes of age."

She came from a poor family and could only ever be a concubine at best. However, being able to enter the Ling family was a stroke of good fortune and a blessing for her.

Sang Rou gasped.

She was determined to get revenge for her son, who had actually taken a liking to that woman!

She scolded in a low voice, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Ling Qiang thought his mother disapproved of the girl's background and was afraid it would affect his marriage prospects, so he said, "Mother, look at the courtyard behind her. It's not small, and she comes from a respectable family."

As for affecting my marriage, it's alright, Mother. You should first arrange things with her parents and agree that she will be brought into the mansion after my wedding. I'm sure they'll be willing to do that.”

Sang Rou knew, of course, that the person on the other end would be willing, but she didn't think much of it!

“When you take over the Ling family, you will have to carefully select your concubines. How can you find a country girl?”

For the first time, Ling Qiang felt that his mother couldn't control anything, not even the concubine she wanted.

Yan Qiu glanced at the mother and son whispering to each other, her delicate brows furrowing. She then turned to her mother beside her and asked, "Mother, what are they doing here?"

Shui Qing patted her eldest daughter's hand to comfort her and whispered, "It's called expressing gratitude, but actually I want to know Ling Ran's whereabouts."

Sang Rou raised her head and looked at Shui Qing, her tone firm: "Ling Ran is the eldest son of the Ling family. As his mother, I have the right to take him back. Please, as an outsider, do not obstruct me."

Shui Qing smiled faintly: "What if I don't allow it?"

"Then don't blame me for being impolite!" Sang Rou waved to the servants she had brought with her.

The servant stepped forward and drew his sword with a clatter.

A dozen or so men, each wielding a sword, looked quite intimidating at first glance.

Sang Rou waited to see how scared Hu Shuiqing and the others on the other side would be, scurrying away with their heads in their hands.

As a result, not only did Hu Shuiqing not run away in fear, but even the elderly woman and the seven or eight-year-old child saw the broadsword as if it were an ordinary object, without the slightest panic.

What happened?

Instead of seeing the villagers on the other side showing fear, they encountered a number of men wielding hoes, shovels, and rakes.

"Who dares to be so arrogant? Bullying our Sister-in-law Shuiqing, let's see if we can stand for it!"

A group of young men rushed over, carrying hoes and wooden handles, and forced their way between the two groups, fiercely protecting Shui Qing and the women behind them.

Seventy or eighty men glared angrily, forcing the servants brought by Sang Rou to retreat step by step. Despite having knives in their hands, they dared not move an inch.

Surrounded by a large group of burly men, Granny Li was quite pleased with herself. She rolled up her sleeves, put her hands on her hips, and cursed, "It's this old woman in front of us! She claimed to be repaying a debt of gratitude, tricked us into letting them in, and then led the way here. Turns out, she's a complete fraud!"

Sang Rou's eyes turned red with anger when an elderly village woman called her an old woman.

Ling Qiang, who was initially uncomfortable with his mother's authoritarianism, instinctively hid behind her when he saw the menacing men approaching.

Despite his fear, he still offered a suggestion: "Mother, if you agree, wouldn't that be a happy occasion? Considering that her daughter will be one of my people in the future, this woman won't dare to harm us."

Besides, now that she's mine, our two families are bound by a shared fate. Why would she protect Ling Ran? The reason she's not revealing Ling Ran's whereabouts is simply because she thinks he'll take over the Ling family estate in the future and wants a share of the profits.