Li Zian walks and stands beside the Village Head. She tells everything that happens to the Village Head. The Village Head nodded and turn towards the Young Miss, "Now, Young Miss please explain yourself. I will listen from both sides."
The servant girl explains and tells The Village Head how ungrateful Li Zian is for declining her Young Miss offer. She exaggerated a simple story. Brother Hu feels like punching the servant girl's mouth. The other villagers feel their throat is itching and want to spit at the servant girl. The Young Miss did not realize the villager's expression and stood proud. She thought The Village Head will compromise with her because she comes from a respectable family.
"This is a robbery. Young Miss, what you did is wrong. Men! Tie those servants and call the yamen to come here."
The Young Miss opens her mouth, "How dare you want to arrest me! I am Hong Lian, my father is a government officer! He works with the city mayor!"
The Village Head laughed," I did not afraid the officer from the Imperial City. How can I be afraid with a mere city officer?"
Hearing that the Young Miss and her servants went pale. Why is there a person like this? He is just a Village Head in a puny village. For the first time, the Young Miss enters a temporary jail built beside the Village Head office.
It is Brother Hu and Father Qi goes to the yamen to make a report. The Hong Family has been notified and the Young Miss's father quickly goes to the Xiao Village.
Li Zian sits in the Village Head office and watches the Young Miss and her servants, 'Interesting!' The Young Miss is a great person. She did not have a strong resentment. Angry and humiliation can be noticed but there is no resentment.
If you did not get what you want but ended up in jail, ordinary people might have resentment and angry or they will be scared. The Young Miss is very composed. The female servants surround the Young Miss to make a semi-circle. The servants are trembling but it is controlled. If Li Zian did not observe, she will miss it.
The resentment from the servant is increasing and accumulating. Anything that happens in that jail is not something pleasant. Li Zian walks towards the jail. The guard did not stop her. The Young Miss sit with the elegance and grace of a noble lady. Li Zian is watching the Young Miss with curiosity. How can one neglect the oppressive aura around them? Did she not choke being surrounded with resentment.
The Young Miss ignores Li Zian but she has to stop doing anything to her servants. Those servants' breath with relief.
Three hours later, Father Qi, Brother Hu, and the yamen come to the Village Head office. The Young Miss's father also comes with his men. After listening to the Village Head, Father Hong asks to resolve this case peacefully. He asks for forgiveness and compensates Li Zian because of emotional distress. He also pays Brother Hu because of the incident yesterday.
The Young Miss grips her servant girl's hand and her nails pierce the servant girl's skin. The servant endures it. The resentment on the Young Miss increases but quickly decreases when she hurt her servant girl. The servant girl's resentment is increasing but never over the limit. Seeing her father bow and ask forgiveness, the Young Miss feels it is humiliating. Her eyes darken.
Father Hong and the Young Miss enter the carriage, before the carriage depart the Young Miss purposely said, "Just a small farmer, without us the nobles, who would buy your products? From now on, I will not eat any of your peasant product and make sure others will block your business."
Her father quickly covers her mouth and glares at his daughter. He nods as a sign of apologies. The carriage departs leaving the Xiao Village, "Bah! Who is she to block our business."
"Yeah! No need to mind her. Everyone, thank you for helping. Now go on with your work." The villagers disperse and Father Qi thanked them a few times for helping his daughter.
-----
Hong Family Hall, Grandpa Hong sits at the chair fuming mad, "Yesterday, I was talking with my friends and laughed at the person that provoke Old Hu. We all talked about who is stupid enough to pick a fight with him. It turns out that it is my granddaughter."
Hong Lian kneels on the floor. There is no remorse on her face. She feels anything she does is right,
"Grandpa, why are you angry? They are just a villager. Poor sister, grandpa let her sit on the chair."
"Hong Li! Mind your words! They are not ordinary villagers. How long have we moved here? Do you not learn anything?" Father Hong rebuke his son.
"Did you think the Hong Family wronged us because they send us here? No!" Grandpa Hong sigh.
"Grandpa, father of course it is because they were jealous of me and how beautiful sister is. I should be on the battlefield right now! Not guarding a forest border!" Father, you should not be a mere assistant to the City Mayor!"
"Right now, the Imperial City is in turmoil. The emperor is selecting an heir. The noble families have taken action, they start to target promising youth and beauty so that their own family can get the biggest meat. If we still stay at the Imperial City, you and your sister already in the soil." Father Hong explains with a stern voice. He wants his son and daughter to understand their family situation.
"The family treasure both of you, that is why they send us here. Our Hong Family has already made preparation and paved the way for both of you. Hong Li, next year you will go to the frontline and we will make sure to send your sister to the next emperor." Grandpa Hong stares at Hong Li and Hong Lian, "So, be patient."
Hong Lian smiles happily hearing her grandpa's words. She slowly scoots over towards her grandpa and whine, "Grandpa, I understand but those villagers are over the top. Who do they think they are?"
"Those villagers are important. The villages have existed as a frontline. If there are beast stampedes, they will be the ones to counter the beasts. Those villages have existed since long ago. No matter who ruled this country nobody dares to touch those villages near the forest.
I heard one of the princes being reprimanded because he forced those villagers to find divine deer not long ago." Grandpa Hong gently caresses Hong Lian's hair. Hong Lian did not get up from kneeling and smiled sweetly.
"Hump! They are just meat shields. Let them be cooky for a while." Father Hong coax Hong Lian. Hong Lian nodded.
"Alright! Grandpa, father let's go and eat. Everyone is waiting for us. It is New Year Eve, do not let sister kneel any longer."
Grandpa Hong agrees and all of them talk and laugh while going to the dining hall. They enter the dining hall with a smile and everyone greets them. On the table, there are many delicious foods and everyone is eating merrily.
Hong Lian is eating and drinking with relish when she suddenly gets a stomach ache. At first, she can ignore it after rubbing it a little bit but after she finishes eating all her favorite food her stomach is aching once again. Then, she feels nauseous and a few seconds later she starts vomiting all the food that she has eaten.
-----
Li Zian is helping in cleaning her house for the third time, "Mother, the house already clean. Have you finished cooking? Do you want my help?"
Shouting from the kitchen, "No! Just make sure everything is clean and tidy. I did not want to scare my daughter-in-law!"
"Mother! When I enter the house, you are not this enthusiastic. I feel that you did not love me anymore." First sister-in-law said sulkily. She is helping with the cooking.
"What are you talking about? I never love you hahahahaha!"
"Mother!"
Waves of laughter can be heard from the kitchen and it spread to the living room.
"First sister-in-law, you did not know? When the first brother wants to get married mother also behaves like this. Do you remember beautiful lanterns that arrange around the house? It is all mother effort to welcome you into our house." The second sister said it with a teasing tone.
"Of course, I remember. That lantern is so beautiful. It also wins the title, the best showing off your beloved that year." First sister-in-law's eyes are shining radiantly remembering the past.
-----
A magnificent carriage steadily moved towards Xiao Village. An adorable face can be seen from the curtain. Her clever eyes eyed the scenery with excitement. "Yi Yi, when are we going to arrive?"
"Young Miss, we will arrive for about one hour."
The sound of a horse running approaches the Young Miss carriage and slows down so that the horse will be moving at the same speed as the carriage. The Young Miss is surprised to see Li Ru, Li Zian's third brother, riding the horse.