This time, Jiang Zhi seemed somewhat less imposing.
Her three most capable and beloved assistants are all incompetent: one is being humiliated, one is pregnant, and one is holding a baby.
Wang Xiaoju went back to her parents' home today, leaving only Pi Shi, who was there to watch the commotion.
Without any help, Jiang Zhi's village chief authority remained intact. She roared at the two entangled figures, "Let go of each other!"
Qin was the most obedient and immediately let go.
When the two fight, whoever lets go first will suffer. Xu Dongjuan took the opportunity to pinch him again before letting go, and even kicked Li Laoshi who came over to help her.
Li Laoshi wanted to fight back, but he held back after glancing at Jiang Zhi.
At this moment, Jiang Zhi's face was covered in frost, and her eyes were like knives, slicing people apart. Anyone who offended her would be doomed.
Unexpectedly, Xu Changming was the first to be challenged. Jiang Zhi said, "Uncle Changming, you can't even control people here. You're getting old."
"Since the Xu family has already lost all face, let's not try to hide it anymore. I'll trouble you to bring everyone to the school; I'm going to deal with this properly today!"
When his nephew's wife told him he was old and useless, Xu Changming blushed and paled in turns, and could only stand awkwardly to the side.
He's utterly useless when it comes to real problems; he's only fit to pick up dog poop.
Xu Dongjuan stood up, tossed her loose hair, and looked at Jiang Zhi with feigned surprise: "Oh my, I've heard that Aunt Jiang is the village chief for a long time, but I didn't believe it. Now that I see how well the village has been renovated, I know it was true before. Ah, our Xu family is full of capable people!"
Flattery never fails, and Xu Dongjuan, like a theatrical performer, kept a smile on her face, completely oblivious to Jiang Zhi's odd expression.
In her memory, this aunt had never smiled before, never tried to get close to anyone, and always worked silently. No one else in the village dared to mess with her, and she didn't know how she became the village chief.
However, being able to scold his great-grandfather and keep hundreds of people in line shows he has some skill.
Despite Xu Dongjuan's fawning and ingratiating manner, Jiang Zhi's face remained cold.
Xu Dongjuan is a complete liar.
Last time, he instigated Lotus Maiden to cause trouble and even got slapped and taken back, so now he's pretending not to remember.
Pretending to be crazy and smiling won't work now, Jiang Zhi didn't give her a way out: "Stop talking nonsense, go to school by yourself. Qin Ling, go, Lianhua, bring your mother too!"
Lotus Mother then pretended to cry: "I didn't fight, and I'm not from your Xu Family Village. I'm just Xu Genqing's mother-in-law!"
Jiang Zhi stared at Lianhua Niang and coldly replied, "Do I need to find someone to invite you? Lianhua, you should know my temper. I've already let you off the hook before."
If your mother doesn't go, she can forget about ever setting foot in Xu Family Village again; you'll have to go back to your parents' home by yourself.
Lianhua's face flushed red as she pushed her mother hard, saying, "I told you before not to associate with Xu Dongjuan anymore, but you wouldn't listen."
You caused this mess yourself, so you have to deal with it yourself. I'm not going to help you.
Lotus Mother, angered by her daughter's repeated scoldings, pointed at Lotus and cursed, "You heartless wretch! I'd be better off raising a dog than raising you!"
I'm doing this for your own good, but you've taken my kindness for granted. Don't come back to me crying later!
Lotus said angrily, "We've already overcome so many difficulties before, so don't cause me any more trouble and I won't cry!"
When I first got married, my mother-in-law tormented me. My mother couldn't help at all and just argued with her every day. After the argument, my mother-in-law would get even angrier when she saw me.
At that time, I didn't understand; I just thought it was because my mother-in-law had a bad temper.
Now that my mother-in-law has become nicer, my mother-in-law has started causing trouble again, and I have to find a way to prevent my mother-in-law from having children.
When Lotus Mother saw that her daughter wasn't on her side, she got angry: "Don't forget, it was your sister Dongjuan who arranged your marriage to Xu Genqing."
The better you are doing now, the more you should thank her. You should listen to her advice; she wouldn't harm you.
No matter how much the mother and daughter argued, all the people involved in the fight were taken to the Xu family school.
Xu Genqing was also called back; he would be penalized for being absent from work without leave.
At this moment, the children going to school and everyone in the village were gathered together by the continuous ringing of the bronze bell hanging in the school.
Jiang Zhi sat under the eaves of the school, with the words "Qingquan School" written by Magistrate Zhang above her head. Next to her was Ma Guan, who was holding a bundle of yellow thorn branches.
Qin Shi, Xu Dongjuan, and Lianhua Niang all knelt on the cold ground.
Lianhua, despite being pregnant, did not kneel, but stood to the side. Knowing that Aunt Jiang was about to use torture, tears welled up in her eyes.
She was both angry that her mother had listened to others' instigation and heartbroken that her mother was so restless even when visiting; she knew that beating her would hurt her terribly.
Jiang Zhi likes to reason things out clearly before she hits someone; to kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit.
At this moment, she first addressed Qin Shi in a serious tone: "The rules of Xu Family Village forbid swearing and fighting. Qin Ling, what have you been doing today?"
Qin knelt on the ground, pointed at Lianhua Niang and said, "My mother-in-law has stayed in Xujia Village three times. Every time she comes, she asks me how much money I've earned. Now she's saying that I'm getting married at my age. What does that mean?"
What does my marriage and making money have to do with her? It was Xu Dongjuan who stirred up trouble for that fool.
Lotus Mother was both ashamed and angry. She felt like an honored guest of the Xu family, yet she was kneeling on the ground. When she heard Qin Shi mention her, she immediately began to wipe away her tears and retort: "I only asked one question, and you glared at me and started cursing. My poor daughter has been tormented by this wicked mother-in-law ever since she married into the Xu family!"
Madam Qin immediately glared at him: "Who's being difficult? You're talking nonsense again!"
In a fight with Xu Dongjuan, Qin Shi was at the bottom.
In a battle of wits with Lotus Maiden, this seemingly innocent but actually cunning woman, Qin Shi would often be the one who suffers the most.
With one being a scholar and the other a warrior, Qin Shi was completely under Xu Dongjuan's control.
Jiang Zhi pulled out a yellow thorn branch and slammed it on the table next to her: "Shut up, whoever I'm asking is right now!"
The schoolroom fell silent. Apart from Tian Jia Xiao Si, Nini, and Cai Xia, almost everyone present had witnessed Village Chief Jiang using torture.
The first time was with the Qin family, and the second time was with Wang Xiaoju and Xu Genbao. That was a real fight!
Of course, if a fight really breaks out in the village, then being beaten is the least of your worries.
If the village doesn't fight back, it will be even more troublesome; they'll be handed over to the authorities and expelled.
Xu Changshou and the Wu family father and son who wanted to steal mosquito coil technology didn't fight; otherwise, they would have been sent straight to the first level of hell.
Ignoring the villagers' expressions, Jiang Zhi directly asked Xu Dongjuan, "Tell me, what is your purpose in deliberately sowing discord between these two? Think it through before you speak. I'm not stupid, don't try to lie to me! Lying will get you beaten."
Xu Dongjuan had already seen the bundle of carefully selected yellow thorn branches, but she wasn't afraid.
From childhood to adulthood, Qin Shi had a reputation for being gluttonous and mean-spirited, and people believed whatever she said.
In the end, it all comes down to the Qin family elders letting the younger generation have their way, even now that the village chief has changed, it's still the same, they're still Xu family anyway.
Xu Dongjuan stopped kneeling and sat directly on her lap, clapping her hands and saying, "Oh dear, what kind of situation is this! I just came back to visit my parents' home, and people are saying that I'm spreading rumors about them."
"It's like having a stepmother in charge; we older kids are so pitiful. We used to be bullied, and they'd steal anything we had. Now they're even kicking us out."
The people around immediately began to whisper among themselves. In the past, the Xu family all thought she was right; there was nothing wrong with a married woman returning to her parents' home to visit. The key point was that Qin Shi had...
The outsiders didn't know the past, but they had seen Qin being beaten for robbing money, so they were naturally skeptical of Xu Dongjuan's words.
If Jiang Zhi hadn't already known Qin Shi's true suffering, she too would have been misled by her constant accusations of being a stepmother.
Jiang Zhi tapped the table and said seriously, "So, Qin Ling is your stepmother?"
Xu Dongjuan nodded: "She is the stepmother, as an elder..."
"That's enough!"
Jiang Zhi interrupted her and said in a deep voice, "Xu Dongjuan, as a junior, is truly unfilial for fighting and tearing apart her stepmother!"
He sat on the ground in front of the magistrate's inscription, behaving rudely and disrespectfully, which was truly disloyal!
"Disloyalty and filial impiety are punished with three lashes. At Ma Guan, let her choose the rod herself!"
Ma Guan, holding the bundle of yellow thorn branches, strode up to the astonished Xu Dongjuan: "Should you choose one yourself, or should I help you choose?"
,
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com