The simultaneous appearance of the general, the scholar, and the venerable elder at the village chief's doorstep brought everyone, both those involved in the fight and the onlookers, to a standstill.
Under normal circumstances, Village Chief Hao would have welcomed them with open arms. However, with a dispute among the villagers, he felt uneasy.
"General Zhao, Mr. Zheng, Mr. Yan, Grand Uncle Zhang, Uncle Niu, hah, uh," Village Chief Hao stammered, his lips trembling, his hands clasped awkwardly.
He felt even more unsettled with his wife not at home.
Zhao Liangcai, twirling his hammer, saw Grandma Qin standing beside Qin Junyao and smiled.
He then turned to look at the village chief and the Sun family members. No one dared to meet Zhao Liangcai's gaze, lowering their heads and looking elsewhere.
"Everyone, I wouldn't normally speak of my private affairs, but if I say it, it can also be considered good news," Zhao Liangcai said, glancing at Qin Junyao.
Qin Junyao had a premonition that something was amiss. As Zhao Liangcai continued to speak, Grandma Qin quickly covered her eldest granddaughter's mouth.
"Tomorrow, I will ask a matchmaker to propose marriage to the Qin family, seeking to wed the eldest daughter of the Qin family, Qin Junyao."
Zhao Liangcai's words sent a ripple of astonishment through the crowd. Fuzi, perched on the wall, clapped his hands in delight, cheering that he would have a sister-in-law.
"Behave yourself. Do you know that if the rumors of you and your third uncle spread, you'll be drowned in spit?"
Grandma Qin's left arm encircled Qin Junyao from behind, her other hand covering her mouth. When the villagers looked over, she loosened her grip slightly.
"Grandma, are you doing this on purpose?"
"Since ancient times, marriage has been a matter of parental decree and the word of a matchmaker. Even a royal princess must obey the Emperor's arranged marriage. What you should truly resent is the person who first spread this rumor."
Grandma Qin looked at Qin Junyao with unwavering determination, her eyes flashing with an unyielding light.
Qin Junyao's eyes, already red from the chilies, slowly filled with tears.
She hadn't cried when she arrived in this strange place, fleeing famine. She hadn't cried when she was exhausted from planting grain in the spatial dimension. She hadn't cried when she was in danger, being stalked by villains.
Why was the grandmother she thought understood her best... doing this?
"Yaoyao, is being my granddaughter a hardship for you? Grandma taught you that only by staying within the boundaries can you move freely within them."
"The biggest boundary Grandma can find for you now is General Zhao. As his wife, you can do anything in Yangshu Village, even half of the northwest. As Grandma's granddaughter, that's not possible."
Qin Junyao listened to Grandma Qin's slightly choked voice and thought long and hard.
She closed her eyes and nodded vehemently. Qin Junyao knew this was not the time to be willful.
She didn't see Grandma Qin let out a long sigh of relief as she closed her eyes.
Seeing Qin Junyao's tears, Zhao Liangcai's heart ached. Did she really not want to marry him that much?
He withdrew his gaze from Qin Junyao and looked directly at Sun Laiwang's wife. "We've finished with the good news, now it's time to discuss the main business. The rumors about my future father-in-law's family today were spread by your Sun family."
Sun Laiwang's wife had already lost her composure upon hearing that Zhao Liangcai was going to propose to the Qin family. Now, being questioned by Zhao Liangcai, she collapsed to her knees with a thud.
"General Zhao, it wasn't me, it truly wasn't me."
"Not you? Think carefully before you speak. Your husband is mining salt at the salt lake, isn't he?"
"Waaah~~ It was me, no, it wasn't me, it was Granny Sun, your servant Granny Sun. She gave me five taels of silver, and she told me what to say. General Zhao, please spare my life," Sun Laiwang's wife cried, kowtowing and begging Zhao Liangcai for mercy.
Upon hearing Granny Sun's name, Zhao Liangcai naturally had his subordinates bring Granny Sun over.
Granny Sun arrived trembling, as did her masters, Madam Qian and Qian Duo.
"Liangcai, why didn't you come home first? Mother misses you, I haven't seen you in so long," Madam Qian said, feigning ignorance of the situation, only concerned about Zhao Liangcai.
Qian Duo clutched her handkerchief, her eyes fixed on Qin Junyao since entering the village chief's house. Zhao Liangcai was going to marry her?
Zhao Liangcai ignored Madam Qian and had Dengzui force Granny Sun to kneel on the ground to confront Sun Laiwang's wife.
Granny Sun refused to admit anything. Sun Laiwang's wife, who wanted her husband's life spared, was not a pushover. She clearly stated when Granny Sun had approached her that morning, what she had said, and who had witnessed it.
With a witness, Granny Sun stubbornly insisted that she had merely passed by that morning and everyone else had seen incorrectly.
Seeing that it was getting dark and not wanting to waste more time, Zhao Liangcai stepped forward, put down his long-handled hammer, placed his hands on Granny Sun's ears, and braced his leg against her upper body.
With a twist of his wrist, Granny Sun was sent to the afterlife.
Sun Laiwang's wife and Madam Qian's screams pierced the sky.
No one expected Zhao Liangcai to kill someone in public, yet no one could say anything.
Granny Sun was a slave. The master could execute a slave on the spot for insulting the future mistress of the household without reporting to the authorities.
"I trouble Mr. Zheng and Yan Bai to explain to everyone, what is the legal punishment for recklessly spreading defamatory remarks against others in our Qing Kingdom."
"Village Chief Hao, Grand Uncle Zhang, this Sun family has ruined reputations and slandered innocence, beaten villagers, and damaged the property of the village chief's home. I don't know what you two think, but the salt lake will not dare to use this family for salt mining anymore."
As Zhao Liangcai finished speaking, the entire Sun family prostrated themselves before him, begging for mercy.
He simply picked up his hammer and, supporting Qin Father, walked out. The people from the Qin and Hou families followed behind in order.
Fuzi was carried down from the ladder by a carrying pole and hopped to hold Qin Junyao's hand.
Madam Qian and Qian Duo were as if invisible, ignored by Fuzi.
After this commotion, the Qin family was recognized by the entire Yangshu Village. Although opinions were divided, no one dared to casually cause trouble anymore.
Qin Junyao did not want to talk to Zhao Liangcai today. Zhao Liangcai had no choice but to take the overly excited Fuzi back home.
Oil lamps were lit in the house. The Qin family members were in their respective rooms, helping each other apply medicine. They were all experienced; whether they were the ones hitting or being hit, the injuries were superficial, with bruises but no bleeding.
In Qin Junyao's room, Qin Sen removed his mask and sat on the kang, talking to her.
"Third Uncle, you should put your mask back on. I'm already in a bad mood, and seeing your face makes me feel even worse."
"Am I not beautiful? Seeing beautiful things brings joy. Looking at you makes me happy."
Qin Junyao sighed, "Third Uncle, thank you."
"Heh, don't blame your grandmother. Your grandmother, I, and your mother discussed this matter today. When the incident first happened, your grandmother didn't take it seriously. But when she learned that Madam Qian and the village chief were involved..."
"Then this matter cannot be easily resolved."
Qin Sen rubbed the wooden mask in his hand. "Junyao, you know the power of people's mouths. The pens of scholars can kill. How many people in this world cannot bear criticism and cannot go on living?"
"You left for Salt County early this morning. You don't know that your mother fainted upon hearing those rumors."
"Junyao, if I were to take off this mask and appear as a man, do you think I could live? If I want to live, I have to wear something like this for the rest of my life."
"To cut off today's rumors, decisive action is needed. Have Dengzui find General Zhao to come back, solidify your engagement, and make you the future General's wife is the best solution."
Qin Sen put the mask back on his face and stood up. "Our Qin family will strive to improve to give you the backing you need. But if you want to turn that vast empty space in front of you green, only Zhao Liangcai can help you."