The Feng family and a crowd of onlookers had gathered outside. When the village chief came out, they couldn't wait to ask, "Uncle, what do you think of the house?"
The village chief gave Feng a disapproving look and then said to everyone, "Liu sold this house because her child needs it for school. The clan elders and I have agreed to go to the yamen with her in three days to re-sign the documents."
"If anyone wants to buy it, just prepare the money in the next three days, and the house will be yours."
Ms. Feng realized something was wrong; wasn't the house supposed to be compensation for her?
"Uncle, isn't there a mistake? Shouldn't this house be for my family to have peace of mind?"
The village chief, thinking that he almost lost his position as village chief because of her, snorted and said, "If you want to buy it for Anxin, you can take the money yourself. It's only fifty taels more."
“From now on, if any woman dares to gossip about Liu, her husband will be sent back to her parents’ home for discipline. I, the village chief who has lost my husband, will take care of it.”
The last sentence was clearly addressed to Feng Shi. After speaking, the village chief glanced at his own people and roared, "Hurry up and go back!"
The village chief's wife and her two daughters-in-law slunk away behind them. Feng's two brothers sensed something was wrong and asked, "Sister, didn't you say the house was a sure thing?"
"Exactly! I was hoping to get this house and sell it immediately for some money, but now I've lost everything?"
Feng was also bewildered. She thought that even if she didn't have a house, the village chief would definitely ask her for money, so why was she getting nothing?
Seeing that Madam Feng remained silent, her two brothers became angry. "You made us fuss over nothing, and if it weren't for the fact that you're my sister, I would have beaten you to death. Second brother, let's go."
"Brother, this really was just an accident..."
"If you don't have money, tell me it's an accident. If you don't bring anything when you go back to your parents' house next time, don't even bother coming in."
Ignoring the stares of Madam Feng and those around them, the two burly men finished shouting and cursing and left. The onlookers, finding the spectacle boring, dispersed.
They had already decided how to divide the contents before leaving; fifty taels of silver was a sum they could never afford in their lifetime. But knowing Liu's personality, she definitely wouldn't want the contents; they would have to take advantage of them.
Ermo quietly went out to take a look, then went back and said, "Sister, the people have already dispersed."
Liu Huan nodded, "After we finish eating, let's start moving things. Don't leave even a needle behind."
Qiu Rong looked at the pebbles laid out in the yard and the flowers planted with a sense of reluctance, "We worked so hard to do all this, and they're really getting it for free."
Liu Huan raised an eyebrow. "Who said we'd let them off easy? Dig up every single pebble and take it with you."
The village chief's eldest daughter-in-law was happily fantasizing that after she bought the house, everything inside would be hers, and she would sit elegantly in the yard, enjoying the flowers and drinking tea.
So she took out all her dowry and private savings, and then asked her mother-in-law, who was also her aunt, the village chief's wife, to persuade her to give the money.
"Don't worry, Mother. You can live wherever you want. Just wait and enjoy your retirement."
After Liu Huan and her group finished their meal, they packed up all their belongings in their house, especially the kitchen utensils and even the new pot they had bought this year.
Their own horse-drawn cart couldn't hold all the loads, so they called Uncle Niu's oxcart and brought them all back to the county.
Changbai became free labor, helping to move things up and down the stairs. By the time he finished eating at the Liu residence and returned home, it was already dark.
He saw Su Yi waiting for him in the courtyard. Seeing that he was covered in dirt, Su Yi frowned slightly and asked, "Where have you been?"
Changbai explained, "I went to Ermo's house; he was moving, so I went to help him out."
Su Yi withdrew his gaze and said sarcastically, "I didn't expect you two to be so close."
Changbai's heart skipped a beat. "Back in the military camp, he took care of me. Now that I'm here, he's the only person I know. I just went there when he called me."
Su Yi listened without saying anything, and handed him a letter, saying, "Tomorrow, go to Hongdu Prefecture and send this letter out from there. There will be someone at the post station to meet you."
Changbai: "Yes, Master."
As Su Yi left, she couldn't help but turn back to look at him, "You... never mind, it's nothing."
Changbai watched the lonely figure disappear into the distance, feeling a little guilty, just a little.
He would confess after the two reconciled, firmly believing that two people in love would not go far apart.
Before he went to take care of his business, he went to the Liu family's house, and Anzhi opened the door for him.
Seeing him at the door, Liu Huan saw him behind her, expressionless, and then closed the door again. When Liu Huan asked who it was, he said, "It was someone asking for directions; they've already left."
Changbai, who was asking for directions outside, realized he was being ignored and was about to leave when Anzhi came out and led him to a side path.
What are you doing at my house again?
Ever since Changbai learned that this was his master's child, he had long regarded him as his young master, so he respectfully replied, "This subordinate is preparing to go to Hongdu Prefecture and wanted to inform the madam."
Anzhi immediately interrupted him, "My mother doesn't need you to greet her. Don't come to my house again."
Seeing his expression, Changbai knew that he might have misunderstood his master because he knew about what happened back then, so he said, "Young master, do you have some misunderstanding about the master? Actually, I can explain it to you."
Anzhi looked up at him. "Why are you explaining his affairs? You just need to make sure he never appears in front of us again."
Changbai also wanted to say that Anran inside was calling for her brother, and Anzhi warned him before pushing the door open, "Hurry up and leave, and don't come back again."
And before Anran arrived, he closed the door, leaving Changbai with no choice but to slink away.
"Brother, who's outside?"
"The person who asked for directions has already left. Have you finished eating? Are you going to school?"
An Ran's eyes darted around as she said she didn't want to go, but An Yi saw right through her. "I've already made up for your homework from yesterday. If you don't do it properly next time, I'll go tell your teacher."
"Wow, brother is so nice, let's go to school then."
After sending the child to school, Liu Huan led a group of people to move things. This time, they found some day laborers in the city. Their goal was to remove all the pebbles paving the courtyard.
Finally, cut the climbing flowers planted by the wall at the roots; if you can't take them with you, don't leave them to those scoundrels.
On the last day, the village chief, along with two steamed buns and a clerk, went to the yamen to transfer the house ownership, exchanging money for the deed.
When the villagers were happily waiting to find something they could get their hands on, they opened the door only to discover that there wasn't even a stool left inside.
The yard was full of signs of prying, and it was clearly just an empty shell.
Everyone left disappointed, thinking, "That Liu family is really stingy."
"Exactly, they took all that junk. Who cares?"
The eldest daughter-in-law of the village chief, who owned the house, stood at the door and started cursing.
I felt better after cursing and seeing the cobblestone road outside the yard. But when I went to clean the house the next day, I found that the road outside had also been dug up.
"Aaaaaah, Liu, you shameless woman!"
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