Seeing that the village chief had arrived, Yang dared not cause any more trouble.
Qiu Yan looked at Zhao Shan, who nodded to her, and then said to the three Yangs:
"If you want to make trouble, go make trouble in your own home behind closed doors. Don't disturb other people's peace and quiet."
With a forced smile, Qian said, "Village chief, you've misunderstood."
Madam Yang smiled at Qiu Ling'er, "You little rascal, you've even learned to tattle. Grandma is here today to make peace, not to cause trouble."
Yang's tone was kind, and Qiu Ling'er almost believed her lies.
Zhao Shan left without lingering. He had finished what he needed to do, and the rest was up to Qiu Yan.
After Village Chief Zhao left, Qiu Yan pulled Qiu Ling'er back into the house. When they came out again, she had a document and a cinnabar seal in her hand.
It was the one that Xiao Ling'er had hidden on her person.
Qiu Yan was also afraid of implicating Village Chief Zhao, so she only asked him to draft the documents and not to be a witness.
Therefore, the document only has the village seal, not the village chief's fingerprint.
She asked Qiu Ling'er to take Gu Xiaoran out to play for a while, and then looked after Madam Yang.
“Once you put your fingerprint on this severance document, my second uncle will sever all ties with you. Since the ties are severed, how can you be considered disobedient and unfilial?”
"A document severing ties?" Madam Yang took the document and examined it carefully.
It's pointless to look; she can't read anyway. "Qiu Yan, give me fifty taels of silver, and I'll put my fingerprint on it right now."
"Haven't you heard? The money is in my second uncle's hands." Qiu Yan smiled and walked to Yang's side. Yang felt a chill and moved away a few feet.
"I don't believe it. You can fool others, but you can't fool me!" Yang thought she was very clever.
Qiu Yan smiled at Yang Shi, her attitude becoming more amiable. "I've inquired with the officials. After all, Second Uncle committed a serious crime. A letter of severance of kinship isn't enough. You also need to go to the county government office in person to be a witness and say that you and Second Uncle have already severed ties."
I'm only giving you one chance. If you don't put your fingerprint on the document now, or if you're unwilling to go with me to the county government to testify, then you can forget about getting these fifty taels of silver.
There's nothing money can't solve. We currently have over a hundred taels of silver. If I weren't unwilling to let the government benefit from this money, I would have redeemed the person myself.
"In the end, won't the government just take it out on me?" Madam Yang thought. Since they had severed ties back then, what grounds did she have to sue Qiu Dafu?
"You just want the government to help you vent your anger because you had a conflict with your second uncle."
As for why my second uncle was imprisoned, it was because the authorities didn't understand the situation and arrested the wrong person.
"This whole thing has nothing to do with you!" Qiu Yan began to analyze point by point. After listening, Qiu Dayong and Qian Shi both nodded, thinking it was feasible.
They regretted it somewhat; they shouldn't have offended Madam Yang.
After hesitating for a while, Madam Yang finally made a decision. Having been poor for so long, all she could think about now was money. "Before you testify, you have to pay me fifty taels of silver in one lump sum." She was afraid that Qiu Yan would change her mind later and she wouldn't get the remaining twenty taels.
"Okay!" Qiu Yan agreed readily. "See you outside the county government office tomorrow."
...
Qiu Yan was in high spirits because of the good news; the village chief had helped her twice, including the last time.
She remembered this kindness.
The next day, after watching Qiu Dayong's oxcart leave, she set off on Li's donkey.
Before leaving, she brought some of the game that Li Zheng had hunted the day before to Xingyue Tower. Just like last time, the game had been weighed in advance at the Li family's place.
At Xingyue Tower, Qiu Yan looked at the bustling crowd at the entrance and the new workers inside, feeling quite satisfied.
As soon as Zhou Zifang saw Qiu Yan, he came out to look for her.
"Qiu Yan, Xingyue Tower hired five more people yesterday. I must say, having more people really makes a difference. Business was twice as good yesterday as the day before, and it's bound to be just as good today. If this continues, we'll have to hire another head chef."
After hearing this, Qiu Yan suggested, "You could have Chef Chen take on an apprentice and train one of your own."
She didn't linger; after delivering the wild game, she went straight to the Tang residence.
The Tang residence was not far from the county government office. When Qiu Yan passed by the county government office, she saw that the Yang family and the other two had already arrived, which put her mind at ease.
The Tang family has many rules and regulations, so it was really not easy for Qiu Yan to meet Jiang Liu.
Fortunately, Jiang Liu's maidservant passed by and led her inside.
When Jiang Liu saw Qiu Yan arrive, she knew her purpose without even thinking.
"Qiu Yan, I was thinking yesterday that you would come today, and I didn't expect you to actually come. How is it? Did that old woman arrive?"
"Here it is. Could you please help me affix the official seal?" Qiu Yan took out the document and handed it to Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu nodded with a smile.
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away!" Last time outside the prison, Qiu Yan and Jiang Liu had already discussed it and planned to do it without anyone noticing.
As the wife of a county magistrate, she also had her own people.
With the matter urgent, Qiu Yan decided to finish quickly and not linger any longer before heading to visit the prison.
Because Jiang Liu accompanied her last time, Qiu Yan's prison visit went smoothly.
During a prison visit, she told her second uncle about severing ties with him, and the two gave the same story to prevent the county magistrate from summoning her second uncle.
But she felt that with Jiang Liu present, the magistrate would most likely not summon her.
Qiu Dafu still urged Qiu Yan not to take any risks. Afraid of worrying her second uncle, Qiu Yan didn't say anything more.
In front of the county government office, Qian and Qiu Dayong supported Yang's body from both sides, taking good care of her, afraid that she would get tired and not have the strength to argue in court later.
When Qiu Yan visited the prison, this was exactly what she saw.
The show is about to begin.
"Qiu Yan, you've kept us waiting!" Now, whenever Madam Yang sees Qiu Yan, all she can think about are those gleaming silver ingots.
"Today is the day my second uncle sees the light of day again, how could I not come?" Qiu Yan's cold tone was laced with sarcasm.
Yang stretched out her hand to Qiu Yan, "Where's the money? We agreed that you would give me fifty taels of silver before I testified."
Qiu Yan sneered, "Did I say that?"
Qiu Dayong and Qian were both dumbfounded; their joy had been for nothing.
Qian said, "Qiu Yan, what do you mean? We heard everything clearly yesterday, word for word. Are you trying to renege on your promise?"
Qiu Dayong: "Are you kidding us? Qiu Yan, who gave you the guts to mess with us!"
“You…” A bad feeling suddenly arose in Yang’s heart. “You agreed very readily yesterday.”
"Yesterday? I don't remember!" Qiu Yan pretended to be clueless.
"Oh dear, what kind of fate do I have..." Madam Yang was furious. Ignoring the fact that everyone was there, she slapped her thigh and started to cry, saying that Qiu Yan had gone back on her word and was taking advantage of her old age.
Qian and Qiu Dayong's faces flushed red and then turned pale. This was the county government gate, with so many people coming and going; they were utterly humiliated.
Qiu Yancai didn't care how much Yang Shi threw a tantrum, since it wasn't her who was losing face.
She walked step by step toward the gate of the county government office and began to pound the grievance drum on the east side of the gate.
What did Qiu Yan mean by this? Why was she beating the drum to appeal for justice? Mr. and Mrs. Qian Dayong felt a strange sense of panic. Their hearts were pounding wildly, just like the drum that was beating the drum to appeal for justice.
"Mother, let's go, we're not going to get this certificate!" Qiu Dayong pulled Yang Shi away, but just then, a group of yamen runners rushed out of the county government office and surrounded Yang Shi and the other two.
Yang's wailing stopped abruptly.
Following them were the magistrate's wife and her maid.
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