Chapter 1914 Regret
Just as Magistrate Zhai was about to speak, Xia Xia excitedly shouted, "You're lying! Xin Niang isn't getting married, she's marrying in. All of Yandi's property belongs to Xin Niang and Zhou Yin. You took advantage of Xin Niang's absence to seize their property."
County Magistrate Zhai glanced at Zhou Man, then simply leaned back in his chair to drink tea and let them argue.
As expected, Xia Yi's face flushed red as he immediately retorted, "Uncle Xia, don't talk nonsense. It was the couple who left and never came back. Who knows if Zhou Yin is a liar and ran away with Xin Niang? The clan had no choice but to divide up Uncle Yan's property. We can't just leave all those houses empty and the land barren, right? And don't forget, you also took their shop."
Xia Xia sneered, "That shop still belongs to Xin Niang. I've saved all the rent for her over the years. Unlike you guys... ahem..."
Magistrate Zhai then asked, "When the property is divided, the head of the household must be present. Who signed the guarantor's name at the government office back then?"
In cases like this where the head of household is not present, it must be notarized by the government office. Otherwise, you can divide the property as you wish, and even family members will be confused.
Although such things actually happen quite often in reality, the necessary procedures still have to be followed. If they can do it, they must have made connections in the government office.
Xia Xia's gaze immediately fixed on Village Chief Xu, and he said, "It was Village Chief Xu who acted as guarantor, and he even asked Xu Shuwen from the county government to record it."
Magistrate Zhai glanced at Lichang Xu, nodded slightly, and ordered, "Call Xu Shushu."
Village Chief Xu sighed in his heart. He had now seen the situation clearly. The three people who came were probably of high status. It was impossible for County Magistrate Zhai to stand on their side. The most he could do was to prevent the scandal from spreading and causing a sensation in the city, and everyone would solve it privately.
County Magistrate Zhai meant exactly this. While appearing upright and incorruptible, he asked Zhou Man, "Sir Zhou, do you think we should send someone to Hongtian Village and ask them to come to the county government office to mediate?"
Manbao thought about it carefully. She didn’t know the power of Xia family in Shangzhou yet, but no matter how weak it was, it must be bigger than hers.
The graves of her grandparents and great-grandparents are all here, and since fallen leaves return to their roots, it is obviously impossible to move them away.
Even for the sake of the future, she couldn't let this matter go to the extreme.
So after weighing the pros and cons, Manbao decided to remain unchanged in the face of all changes. If they were reasonable and gave in, why couldn't she be gentler?
So she smiled and nodded to Magistrate Zhai, "I am honored that Magistrate Zhai is willing to mediate."
The legal advisor beside him interjected at the right moment: "We are the parents of the government. This is what we should do. Lord Zhou is too polite."
Manbao didn't understand the meaning yet, but Bai Shan nodded with a smile, saying, "Yes, Your Excellency is our father and mother. Even if Zhou Man didn't mention it, I would be half a Shangzhou person from now on."
County Magistrate Zhai burst into laughter and said repeatedly, "Isn't it true? Young Master Bai is our Shangzhou's son-in-law."
Manbao: ...
With this connection, County Magistrate Zhai was in high spirits and immediately sent people to Hongtian Village. "However, Hongtian Village is quite far from Shangzhou City. If they go there now, they might not be able to return to the city until tomorrow."
Manbao smiled and nodded, "It's okay, we'll come back tomorrow."
County Magistrate Zhai hopes to give the Xia family of Hongtian Village more time to prepare, and Manbao is also willing to give them time and channels to understand the situation. Whether it is reasonable or forced by the situation, it would be best if it can be resolved amicably.
Otherwise, like Village Chief Xu, he would have just rushed forward. Manbao would not have felt embarrassed, but he felt that it would not be good for the grandparents' graves that were still there if he had a falling out.
Having grown up listening to all kinds of stories and disputes in the village, she knows that when people get angry, they will even dig up your ancestral graves.
Xia Xia wanted to speak, but he was not in good health. Old Du also reached out to hold him down and shook his head at him.
When County Magistrate Zhai saw that Zhou Man was willing to reconcile, he was happy and felt that Zhou Man was indeed a smart man. In this way, everyone would no longer be embarrassed.
Having set the tone, Magistrate Zhai glanced at Xia Xia and Zhou Man, then stood up and said with a smile, "Master Zhou, why don't you take a rest in the hall? I have something to discuss with Elder Du and Elder Zhu."
Manbao smiled and nodded, asking County Magistrate Zhai to do as he pleased.
Lichang Xu knew that County Magistrate Zhai was letting Xia Yi off the hook, so he glared at Xia Yi, who was still in a daze, and motioned him to follow him out.
Xia Yi hurriedly followed him out. He didn't know what had happened before and was still confused. "Head, who was that person just now? What's the point of mediation? Why did the master suddenly ask about my house?"
Village Chief Xu said, "Haven't you figured it out yet? Xia Xin and Zhou Yin's daughter is back. She's the one sitting with County Magistrate Zhai just now. She's even an official now, and now she's back to ask you for a house."
"How can that be?" Xia Yi jumped up and down, "That house is mine."
Village Chief Xu glanced at him, but thinking of his character and limited intelligence, he suppressed his temper and said sullenly, "My Lord is going to send people to Hongtian Village. I'm afraid it will be difficult for you Xia family members to find out what's going on. So, you should hurry back to Hongtian Village and tell your clan leader and elders that Xinniang's daughter has returned and has made great progress outside. She's now an official in the capital and a famous doctor."
He tried hard to recall the flattering words Magistrate Zhai had just said to Zhou Man, and said, "It seems that she also knows some noble people in the capital. In short, she is very powerful. Even the family she is engaged to is very powerful and seems to be a nobleman."
Xia Yi nodded repeatedly, wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "Should we ask the clan leader and the others to quickly come up with a solution?"
Village Chief Xu looked at him with a long gaze and said, "That's right, let them find a solution."
Xia Yi asked anxiously, "Head, she's not really going to take my house away, is she?"
Chief Xu said perfunctorily: "What are you afraid of? We still have your clan leader."
"Indeed, the clan leader took Uncle Yan's two plots of land. He definitely can't give them to that young lady. Oh, and what's Xin Niang's daughter's name? Why did I hear County Magistrate Zhai call her Lord Zhou?"
Village Chief Xu: "...You can call her whatever you want. Just look at her appearance. She's Zhou Yin and Xia Xin's daughter."
"How can that be? Zhou Yin is a son-in-law, so how can she take Zhou Yin's last name?"
Xu Lichang was furious. Seeing that he was still entangled in such a matter, he said, "Her surname is Xia. Can you return the house to her?"
"No! That house has been mine for a long time." After saying this, Xia Yi remembered something and lowered his head to think.
Village Chief Xu waved his hand and said, "Hurry back and tell your clan what's happened. Also, tell them that Xia Xia is here too. He's already stated that the shop still belongs to Xia Xin, and he's been collecting the rent from her."
Captain Xu emphasized this matter, and then heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Xia Yi leave in a hurry. He frowned and said nothing.
He had planned everything, but he hadn't expected that Zhou Man was an official and could find Magistrate Zhai to speak up for her so quickly.
If I had known earlier...
But money can’t buy early knowledge.
See you at 6pm
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
