Chapter 141: You Bullies

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation     Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Feng Yinshi quickly turned around and kowtowed to Shopkeeper Lu.

“Dear mother-in-law, I beg you to spare me. I’ve realized my mistakes and promise to mend my ways in the future.”

“Mother-in-law? I can’t accept that title. If it weren’t for your deceitful marriage, my dowry of ten thousand taels of silver wouldn’t have been lost. My daughter could have found a loving husband.”

Madam Feng couldn’t tolerate it anymore. “We became in-laws by marriage. That was your daughter’s decision.”

“Wasn’t it your sweet talk that convinced us your son would be devoted to my daughter? Is this what you call devotion?” “What do you want? We don’t have money.”

“Fine, then we’ll go with the punishment!”

“That threat hit them where it hurts the most, right in their weak spot.”

Deflated by the threat, the Feng family had nothing to say. At this moment, the child’s crying filled the room, and two maids rushed to console him.

The toddler, who had learned to walk, struggled to get down and ran over to the woman. “Mother.”

He then turned to say, “Father,” towards Feng Yanshi.

Upon hearing this, Madam Feng’s joy was uncontainable. “This is Yinshi’s son? Oh my, I have a grandson again. How wonderful!”

“Yes, soon he won’t have a father anymore, sent off to the labor camps.”

Shopkeeper Lu interjected coldly, causing Madam Feng’s face to darken with bitterness.

“What do you want to do then?”

“Five thousand taels in compensation and a divorce! Those are our terms. If not, we’ll proceed with legal action.”

“You’re pushing your luck too far.”

Unable to endure it longer, Qiao Mai slapped Madam Feng across the face, sending her sprawling to the ground. Fortunately, the child was unharmed.

“Who’s the one bullying here, huh? Demanding compensation is bullying, but deceiving someone into a false marriage isn’t? You’ve ruined a girl’s life! You shameless woman with a thick skin as impenetrable as a city wall, how can you even say such things?”

“You… you’re all bullies! Relying on your power and influence!”

Seeing that dawn was approaching, Mayor Qian urged, “Stop dawdling. Once it’s daylight, the whole county will know about this. I’ll add one more condition: After the divorce, you are not allowed to attend Windforest Academy anymore. Otherwise, we will report this matter to them. I’d like to see if such a prestigious institution would accept someone like you.”

“Why do you have the right to deny me an education?”

“Because Windforest Academy is under the influence of my Lu family. You could only go there because of our connections. Without us, you’re nothing.”

“Fine, I won’t go. I don’t care. Without you, I can still become a scholar and an official.

“With your character, your aspirations will be limited to being a Recommended Scholar. Do you want to be an official? Dream on.”

The county magistrate intervened, “Enough of this argument. I need to verify the facts. Please excuse me for a moment.

He instructed the government officials to go to various clinics and bring the senior doctors to him.

They confirmed her to be a virgin. This alone proved the deception by the Feng family, not to mention the evidence of adultery.

After finalizing the case, the county magistrate arrested the deceitful man from the Feng family. He would only be released once they provided the silver and the divorce agreement.

Early morning, the county magistrate had to handle this case and arrange for the meals of these individuals.

In the back room, they had breakfast together.

“Didn’t the Feng family just get robbed? Do they have five thousand taels of silver?”

“Yes, they hosted a banquet to celebrate Feng Yinshi’s status and received numerous gifts. Many wealthy families’ daughters even wanted to become his concubines. Now that I’m divorcing him, many will be willing to spend money to secure their position as the legitimate wife.”

“Even in this situation, there are still people willing to support him?”

Mayor Qian snorted. “As long as he maintains his scholarly reputation, people will eventually forget about this incident. He’s still a Recommended Scholar and has the potential to become a Tribute Scholar in the future.”

“Let’s proceed with the divorce first and settle the compensation.”

The county magistrate said, “In fact, this situation is quite common in wealthy families. While there are laws, it’s often resolved through negotiation, even for second or third-ranked officials. So, you don’t need to make this situation too contentious. I’ve heard that this young man has made quite a few friends at the Windforest Academy?”

Mayor Qian sneered. “Do you think the Qian family would want to make an enemy out of him and watch him grow stronger?”

“With your assurance, this young man won’t be able to cause trouble.”

“I don’t care about anything else, but regarding the Feng Family’s matter, you must not let it slide.”

“I will follow your instructions.” “Good. After you’ve completed your term, I’ll secure you a better position.”

“Thank you, Mayor Qian, thank you!”

Seeing the county magistrate’s smile, Qiao Mai realized this official was likely corrupt and had engaged in bribery and embezzlement.

The Feng family returned home and, after venting their frustrations, immediately began raising the necessary funds. Without this money, their son and grandchild would still be in jail. That place was not for humans. After searching their house for valuables and borrowing money from friends and relatives, they even had to pawn their jewelry at the pawnshop.

Finally, they managed to scrape together the required amount.

With this, the chapter on the marriage of Lu Ruxin and Feng Yinshi ended. In six months, a young lady went from a bride to a divorced woman.

It goes to show that appearances can be deceiving. One should gather information, observe, and not jump to conclusions.

It must also be said that due to Lu Ruxin’s ungrateful nature, it was a punishment from the heavens that she encountered a man who appeared to be straightforward but cunning and ruthless.

She was lucky that Lu Sanniang discovered the truth early on. Otherwise, her fate might have been far worse, and she could have died mysteriously in the Feng family’s household.

Once the matter was resolved, Mayor Qian brought everyone and returned to Tianshui Town.

Meanwhile, Qiao Mai accompanied Yuan Jiaqi to the Capital. Yuan Jiaqi was set to begin his formal studies at the academy the next day.

Fortunately, they reached the Capital just before nightfall. Qiao Mai parked her carriage near the entrance of Windforest Academy.

Yuan Jiaqi got out of the carriage and unloaded his belongings.

Qiao Mai took a purse from her pocket. “Take this. You’ll need money for various expenses while studying. It’s always good to be prepared.”

Yuan Jiaqi accepted it without hesitation. After all, he had been devoted to studying without working. All the money he had came from Qiao Mai. “It’s getting dark now. How are you going to get back?”

“Don’t worry. I’m an adult with money. If necessary, I’ll stay at an inn. You focus on your studies, and I’ll watch over Chuan’er. He’s obedient and won’t leave the house.”

“Alright. I am always assured with you.”

“Go inside. I’ll wait out here for a while. If everything’s fine, I’ll leave, and if there’s any trouble, I’ll bring you back home.”

“I have a recommendation letter and the admission notice, so I should be okay. You can go now. Besides, I have some money with me, and if there’s any problem, I can stay at an inn.”

“Sounds good.”

Qiao Mai glanced at him, turned the horse carriage around, and hurried away. Yuan Jiaqi watched the carriage until it disappeared and knocked on the academy gate.

He handed the admission notice to the gatekeeper, who opened the gate and let him in.

When Qiao Mai reached the city gate, it was already closed. She stored the carriage in her space and gracefully leaped over the city gate, heading north at high speed.

As she crossed a courtyard, she heard pleading and sobbing from inside a house. She halted her steps, her curiosity piqued.

Inside a courtyard, a dim light emanated from a room. She leaped down and quietly approached the door.

A young girl, around eleven or twelve, knelt on the ground, shivering in a thin undergarment. A man reeked of alcohol stood before her. Though Qiao Mai couldn’t see his face, his voice revealed him to be far from a good person.

“Dad, please spare me. I’m still young, and you only have one daughter. I’ll support you when I get married.. Please, spare me!”

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