Once the truth came out, Village Chief Liu immediately ordered two tall and strong men to tie Wan Hai up.

Wan Hai remained defiant: "I'm innocent! I didn't do it!"

Xiao Wan immediately rushed over crying, saying, "Don't take my son! There must be some misunderstanding here."

Only Liangzi's mother was stunned for a long time. Wan Hai was very popular in the village. When Wan Hai talked to her, she trusted him completely and never expected that he was the murderer!

Liangzi's mother had been confused her whole life, but now she was clear-headed. It was fortunate that her eldest son had arranged for a coroner to perform an autopsy; otherwise, Wan Hai would have gone unpunished, and He Zifeng would have taken the blame. How could she face her son after her death? At this moment, she was like an enraged mother leopard, pouncing and scratching with her nails and biting with her teeth, using every weapon she had.

A young man like Wan Hai is someone that ordinary people would never be able to get close to, but now he is tied up, and three bloody marks were instantly slashed across Wan Hai's face by Liangzi's mother.

When Xiao Wan saw her son get the short end of the stick, she went to help him. But Xiao Wan was used to a life of luxury and was no match for the rascal Liangzi's mother. Before long, her arm was also bruised.

Liu Zi said, "If you keep acting up, you and your son will be locked up in the county jail." With the old town mayor and the village chiefs in front of us, what kind of talk is this?

After being told that by Village Chief Liu, Xiao Wanshi became timid.

The old town mayor ordered his men to arrest the people and take them to the county government. They left, and Young Master Dian, having thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle, decided to forgo his travels and instead go to the county government office with them!

The change came too suddenly; no one suspected Wan Hai.

Wan Hai was still shouting that he was innocent, but these people didn't want to listen to him anymore. They casually found a rag and stuffed it into his mouth, so he could only make muffled noises!

Xu Li couldn't bear the blow and fainted. His parents took him straight home.

The villagers kept asking He Donglai, the scumbag father: "Did you instigate it? I've never seen such a heartless father."

“He Zifeng is your own son, how could you do such a despicable thing?”

"Old He, look at me."

The moment the scumbag father, He Donglai, turned his head, his former neighbor spat in his face.

The scumbag father, He Donglai, was furious, but with so many people around him cursing him, he simply pulled up his clothes to cover his face and hurried home. He completely ignored Xiao Wanshi, who was being beaten by Liangzi's mother, who was enraged. Xiao Wanshi let out cries of pain every now and then.

Not a single one of the many people in the village stopped them.

He Fan was too thin to squeeze in, so he could only shout, "Stop hitting me! If you keep hitting me, someone will die!" He endured several punches before finally squeezing in, then pulled his mother out and ran away.

"I never expected Wan Hai to be this kind of person."

“Over the years, our village has always treated Wan Hai very well.”

"How ruthless he must have been to kill Liangzi like that."

"Did you hear what Liangzi's mother said just now? Wan Hai was even plotting something. He wanted to pin Liangzi's death on He Zifeng. He's worse than an animal."

“How could someone as respectable as Madam Wan raise such a son?”

"The most hateful one is He Donglai. He found a vicious woman and raised a heartless child, turning his family into this mess. He deserves it."

"So, God does have eyes; karma comes in this day and night."

After the truth came out, He Zifeng and Qiu Yu went home when everyone rushed to scold the He family.

The two of them had been setting up their stall all morning, and then they had to go through such a dramatic ordeal. They were completely exhausted. Anyway, this whole thing had nothing to do with them, so they could finally get some sleep without worry.

When the two woke up, they had slept for a full hour and a half. Only after a good night's sleep could they be full of energy. He Zifeng quickly invited his three sisters-in-law over to help clean the pig offal. He Zifeng also helped singe off the hair from the pig's trotters with fire, which would also remove the fishy smell.

Xia Hua's sister-in-law said, "It's Liu Zi Village Chief who's smart enough to invite the town mayor over. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to catch that beast Wan Hai."

Sister-in-law Xu said, "When I arrived, I heard everyone cursing them."

"What's Wan Hai after?" Sister Liu said.

The young men in the village were always compared to Wan Hai from a young age, praised for his politeness, youthful promise, and marriage to the village chief's youngest son—his life had been incredibly smooth! Moreover, his stepfather, He Donglai, treated him well, entrusting him with the family's only business. Both of his sons could study in the county; if he simply lived a good life, he would have everything he needed for the rest of his life.

Why would someone commit murder and arson?

They were tidying up when He Fan came in from outside and said, "Second Brother, I really didn't know. This is what happened. The family has wronged you. Father said the soy sauce shop will be yours from now on."

Upon hearing this news, the three women who helped out at the workshop perked up their ears; that soy sauce shop was worth a lot of money.

He Fan had bruises on his face and was covered in dirt. He didn't know who had beaten him up. He Fan was the youngest in the family. He used to have two older brothers, so no one bullied him. But now that he was down on his luck, everyone was turning against him. He was afraid to even go out.

He Zifeng said, "I don't want his things. We've already separated, so don't ever show your face in front of me again. I'll earn my own money. He's like a dung beetle, always thinking that others will be eyeing the dung ball in his hand!"

He Fan's face paled, then he said, "I understand."

"Why shouldn't you accept it?" Sister Xu said, "They owe you this." Now the whole village is on He Zifeng's side. They just want them to compensate He Zifeng more.

Qiu Yu said, "If they were truly sincere, why would they send a mere youth to act as a persuader? Besides, we're not after their money!"

After careful consideration, Sister Liu realized it made perfect sense. She said, "With the He family going through so many ups and downs, there's probably not much left in the family. The third and fourth sons aren't even married yet; they're practically empty shells. Do they really think they can use this to lure two good laborers back home?"

Sister-in-law Xu said, "That old scoundrel is quite cunning. If I see anyone from the He family next time, I'll spit on them for you."

They talked and worked at the same time. They washed the pig offal several times and then finished kneading the dough. Only then did the women leave.

Qiu Yu and He Zifeng returned home and began to tally up their earnings for the day. Their money box was practically bursting at the seams. On their first day selling braised food, they made a fortune. Qiu Yu was astonished; they had earned a total of seven thousand coins.

String the money into six bundles and hide them, keeping 1,000 coins for purchases.

Qiu Yu was pleasantly surprised to see so much money. She said to He Zifeng, "When we've saved up enough, let's buy a shop too." Qiu Yu knew that He Zifeng had always wanted to buy a shop. A shop is a great place to make money; even renting it out for a year can bring in a considerable amount. It can also be passed down to our children and grandchildren.

If I can make money at this rate, I won't have to worry about buying a shop at all. Thinking about it this way, I feel even more motivated to work.

He Zifeng was eager to make money, but the He family was shrouded in gloom.

Liangzi's mother dragged Liangzi's body over to block the door and demanded money from them, asking for fifty taels of silver. He Dong said he didn't have any, and then grabbed Xiao Wanshi and slapped her across the face.

Xiao Wan was badly beaten and even attempted suicide. He Tong, a gloomy and useless man, was in the family. Wan Hai was arrested, He Zifeng had a grudge against the family, and only He Fan remained, still a young man, unable to manage the household. This commotion lasted all afternoon. Finally, an elder of the He family couldn't stand it anymore and represented the family in negotiating a price with him.

Finally, the price was negotiated down to twenty taels of silver. But Xiao Wanshi really didn't have that much. Only eighteen taels remained. In the end, she gave all her jewelry, hairpins, and her usual fine clothes to Liangzi's mother to raise the money for Liangzi's burial.

The elder of the He family looked at the furious He Donglai and said, "When choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one."

For an elder to say such a thing is to trample on Xiao Wan's dignity.

"We're completely broke now. We've never been so strapped for cash." Xiao Wan sobbed. He Donglai was annoyed just looking at her, cursing her as a jinx, saying he'd been blind to marry her, and even threatened to hit her.

Xiao Wanshi got so angry from being beaten that she fought back, and the house was in constant turmoil until midnight.

Just like the villagers said, after the He family squandered all their money and caused such a big mess, who would dare buy their sauce anymore? They still have ten acres of land, but it's not enough to live on. Besides, they simply can't survive without money.

It wasn't until late at night, when everyone in the village had gone to sleep, that Xiao Wan quietly crept into He Fan's room. In the dark, she woke He Fan and said, "Give me how much money you have! I'll go to the county to inquire about your brother's whereabouts."

"Mom, I have no money," He Fan said.

When Xiao Wan heard that there was no money, she became anxious: "I gave you a tael of silver for pocket money last month!"

He Fan said, "I've spent it all. Now I only have fifty coins left." His family was wealthy, and He Fan spent money lavishly. Who would have thought that his family wouldn't even have this little bit of money left?

Although Xiao Wan was disgusted, she still said, "Hurry up and give it to me." Now she understood what it meant to be stumped by a single penny.

He Fan took the money, and Xiao Wan said, "If anyone asks me, just say you don't know!" After saying that, she quickly left under the moonlight.

Xiao Wan always went to the market by carriage. The mountain paths were difficult to traverse, and she trudged along, her ears filled with the chirping of cicadas and the hooting of owls. The wind rustled the grass. Xiao Wan always felt that something was in the grass. It was a dark and windy night. The further she walked, the more frightened she became, feeling that the dead Liangzi was coming to take her soul.

The next morning, He Donglai was furious. He picked up He Fan and said, "Where is your despicable mother? She ran away with my savings."

He Fan gaped in disbelief.

In less than fifteen minutes, the whole village knew that Xiao Wan had run away with the money, leaving behind two sons and an old man.

He Donglai was dumbfounded. This heartless woman had abandoned her child and run away. All his previous kindness to her had been for nothing. Thinking back to how he had mistreated his own son in order to please her, it all seemed like a joke now.