The village chief's face darkened. "So, Scholar Li, you want to..."
"Yes, Village chief. I want to cut all ties between my husbands and the Su family," Jiho said with conviction, staring directly at him. Aunt Su panicked at Jiho's words, not for the money but because the title "Scholar Li" brought unwanted attention. She hoped her son would marry Jiho in the future, not just any officer but a scholar mother-in-law for added prestige. However, if ties were severed, how could she enjoy these benefits?
"No, I will not permit it," Aunt Su shouted, capturing everyone's attention.
"Hah," a mocking smile formed on Jiho's lips. "Do you think I am asking for permission from you? I said this was going to happen," she declared, looking down at Aunt Su.
"You...," Aunt Su slid backward, then, gathering her courage, "I wi...will not sign."
Ignoring her, Jiho turned to the mers. "Darling, can you take out paper from my basket," she said, smiling and pointing. The mers were stunned by her beauty. 'Wow, how beautiful.'
Villagers: 'Sorry, but it's pure devil. Wahh.'
"Darling...," Jiho repeated, bringing them back to reality. Blushing, they stammered, "I...go... get it," before the fourth brother arrived with papers.
"Thank you," Jiho said, taking papers from the blond mer and smiling. Getting Jiho's thanks, the mers blushed, and the fourth brother shook his head. 'It's okay.'
After writing for a while, Jiho stood up and walked towards the village chief for his signature. Seeing her, the village chief sighed but still stamped his fingerprints. Then, he called Aunt Su.
"No, no, no, I will not sign... Ai! What crime have I committed? How can this lady let my nephews be orphans again? I just wanted them to marry a good person. Wahh," Aunt Su, oblivious to her bad reputation, pretended to be a caring aunt to gain support from villagers. Unaware that the villagers already knew her greediness, Aunt Su failed to elicit the sympathy she desired.
With a thick face, she immediately said to Su brothers, unaware of their tarnished reputation: "Xier, Su Er, you know how much I love and care for you. If you leave me, what face should I show to my sister and brother-in-law? Wahh," she jumped towards them. The mers, disgusted, stepped backward. Aunt Su greeted them but still tried to calm, "You... my nephews, now you are married to a rich girl. You hated me now. Wuwuwu, how will my sis..." As she placed her hand on her face and started to cry.
"Aunt...," in a crying voice, the yellow-haired mer looked at her with tears.
'Haha, I know that this trick always works,' she thought, looking at the mers. "I know..." Before she could say anything more, she was interrupted.
"How can you still use my mother and daddy when you took all our property and even beat us? If not for you, did elder brother have that scar or if it's not Daddy Su who pushed forth brother in the well, causing him to be sick for a month without medicine, which made him lose his voice, how can you still blackmail us like this," the yellow-haired mer shouted, kneeling on the ground and crying.
"How pitiful," people started whispering again, Jiho calmly staring at the scene and the crying mer and his brothers.
'Hah, you said pitiful, they are walking devils,' Jiho thought.
"You..," Aunt Cheng was about to raise her hand but caught Jiho's glare, remembering how Uncle Su was beaten.
"Sign it," Jiho's voice turned commanding. Aunt Su trembled and signed the document. "It's done. Now take these bastards and get out of my house," Aunt Su shouted, now indifferent to everything.
Ignoring her, Jiho turned to look at her husbands. "Go and pack your luggage," they nodded and walked inside.
"What do you mean pack up? They have nothing left here," Aunt Su chased and blocked the mers' way.
"Get out," Jiho's voice turned cold as she looked at Aunt Su, who trembled and backed away. After a while, the mers came back with a broken bag, and Jiho frowned.
"Is that all?"
"Mm."
"Good. Village chief, please call someone to check their bags," the village chief was shocked. 'What check bags?' but he still let a few mers check Su brothers' bags.
After checking their bags, the mers shook their heads, indicating there was nothing. Everyone felt pity for them, but Jiho's face remained calm.
'Hmm, I knew it. They are too smart.'
After the checking was done, Jiho took the bag from their hands. "Let's go."
"Uh...we can carry it," as he tried to take the bag, Jiho avoided.
"It's okay, just take care of yourself."
Jiho then carried her basket on her back and showed the way. Soon, Su brothers followed her.
Suddenly, Jiho stopped, causing people in the back to bump into her.
"Wahh," as they rubbed their noses and looked at her.
"Village chief, I will come tomorrow for marriage registration, okay?" Jiho looked at the village chief with a bow.
"..sure," the village chief was already scared
of Jiho and could only nod.
'just let me go already'.
Village chief: "Do this husband and wife like to interrupt people in the middle?"
Mers: "What."
Villagers: "Hah, feathers of the same flock."
(I hope you like it and comment to let me know your opinions U^ｪ^U ).