Earlier, they had planned to have dinner at Xia Xiao Lan’s house, and the kitchen had already started preparations. But with Magistrate Fang and the others arriving, the villagers had no choice but to return to their homes.

Tian Xiao Yan was also returned to the Tian family.

With the County Magistrate present, who would worry about the Tian family coordinating their stories?

News spread quickly after Magistrate Fang’s arrival, and soon township officials rushed to the scene.

While Magistrate Fang could at least stand in the courtyard facing the cold wind, the township officials could only stand in the open space beyond the yard. Without walls for shelter and the terrain being open, the cold wind was truly bitter!

On New Year’s Eve, who wouldn’t prefer to be cozy at home, warming themselves by the fire while drinking, enjoying a feast, and maybe playing some cards?

“Village Chief Chen, we absolutely cannot tolerate troublemakers who disrupt unity and stability.”

The Township Head repeated what Magistrate Fang had emphasized earlier.

Tian Da Long had completely collapsed on the ground.

He had thought it was a minor matter because the moral coercion and harassment weren’t directed at the Tian family.

Since they were trying to take advantage of others without bleeding themselves, it seemed trivial from every angle. When not personally hurt, most people don’t feel the pain and won’t consider others’ perspectives.

Her daughter might be the top scholar and her brother might have made a fortune, but wasn’t Liu Fen still just a divorced rural woman?

In the countryside, divorced women were destined to be gossiped about. Liu Fen had lived peacefully in Qi Jing Village for several months only because Chen Wang Da’s authority meant people wouldn’t gossip in front of her face.

Not speaking openly didn’t mean people didn’t think that way, and some women were particularly harsh toward their gender.

Take Second Sister-in-law Tian, for instance. She introduced Liu Fen to her brother-in-law who drank heavily, beat his wife, and neglected his children. Did she not know how awful Tian Hu was? Of course, she knew, but since Tian Hu’s wife had left him and Liu Fen had no husband, weren’t they a perfect match?

Sister-in-law Chen was certainly better than Second Sister-in-law Tian; at least her relative was more reliable.

His conditions and character were better than Tian Hu’s—he didn’t beat women and wasn’t after Xia Xiao Lan’s money. But there was one detail Sister-in-law Chen hadn’t mentioned: her relative was interested in Liu Fen because of Xia Xiao Lan’s intelligence. Someone had told him that intelligence was hereditary, so he figured if he married Liu Fen and had a son, even half the intelligence of his half-sister Xia Xiao Lan would be good enough.

Besides, his intelligence was surely higher than rural farmers, so their son might even be smarter than Xia Xiao Lan.

Sister-in-law Chen hadn’t mentioned any of this. To her, having another son was natural. While the preference for sons over daughters was an outdated custom, Sister-in-law Chen was its beneficiary!

Another outdated practice was Sister-in-law Chen’s familiarity with the benefits of power, even if it was just at the village chief level, where one’s word was law.

Before the Tian family incident, who in the village didn’t listen to Chen Wang Da?

During grain collection, Sister-in-law Chen received preferential treatment. With Chen Wang Da as her father-in-law, she was practically the most privileged woman in the village. Chen Wang Da was also an old revolutionary comrade with good connections in the township and acquaintances in the county. They said some of his old leaders were still alive… Sister-in-law Chen understood better than anyone the difference between government officials and ordinary people. Sending Chen Qing to university was meant to make him a future government official!

Now suddenly Tang Hong En appeared—how high-ranking a leader was he? Sister-in-law Chen didn’t know.

She only knew that her father-in-law Chen Wang Da had to listen to Magistrate Fang, while Magistrate Fang couldn’t even speak with the leader inside the house.

So, such a high-ranking leader was interested in Liu Fen?!

Never mind a high-ranking leader or Magistrate Fang—even the Township Head who spoke with her father-in-law could surely find an unmarried young woman his age. While Liu Fen might look like a city woman now, there were plenty of younger female comrades more attractive than her.

“I must be possessed!”

Chen Da was among the few villagers allowed to remain outside Xia Xiao Lan’s house. Sister-in-law Chen returned home alone, finding everything irritating. Embarrassment, defiance, disbelief, and subtle jealousy filled her with resentment.

Wanting to enter the kitchen to prepare dinner, she kicked over a basket, spilling sweet potatoes covered in dried mud. Last year had been dry, and the slope lacked water. These sweet potatoes all had cracked skins, the cracks like open mouths mocking Sister-in-law Chen’s foolishness!

…

Tian Da Long felt his family was finished.

The police wouldn’t arrest them—they hadn’t abused children like Tian Hu—but with officials from village to county all remembering the Tian family, how could they continue living?

While Sister-in-law Chen might be sour and jealous, she couldn’t change reality.

Liu Yong’s feelings were even more peculiar. Tang Hong En was talking with the others when he inexplicably called Liu Yong into the room.

It was just a simple introduction, but Liu Yong noticed how differently everyone in the room looked at him. They didn’t understand why Tang Hong En suddenly appeared in rural Yunan Province on New Year’s Eve and got involved in a village dispute, but they all remembered Liu Yong.

A farmer from Qi Jing Village in An Qing County.

Doing engineering work in Peng City.

Tang Hong En certainly held him in high regard!

Liu Yong’s feelings were complicated—how could these people understand?

The current situation felt like being robbed on the road, waking up in a hospital to find Zhou Cheng standing by the bed calling him uncle—damn it, Tang Hong En might as well have introduced Liu Yong as his future brother-in-law.

The initial shock continued until now. Liu Yong wasn’t shocked by Tang Hong En’s status but by his interest in Liu Fen.

Thinking of Zhou Cheng made Liu Yong’s hands itch—that’s exactly how Zhou Cheng had confidently taken his niece away!

Mayor Tang wanted to take his sister away.

“Mayor… Mayor Tang, I have something to say.”

Liu Yong couldn’t hold back anymore. Tang Hong En gave an apologetic look to the others: “Today is New Year’s Eve, I won’t keep everyone from their celebrations. While it’s still light out and the roads are passable, you should head back. I’ll stay in Shang Du for a few days and gather some old friends after the New Year.”

In Tang Hong En’s words, these people naturally wouldn’t stay without social awareness.

Tang Hong En personally saw them out, with everyone telling their old leader not to escort them further. Tang Hong En told Little Wang to leave with them:

“Drive carefully. Take your holiday until the fourth day of the New Year, then come back to pick me up.”

Liu Yong’s fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Mayor Tang meant to stay in the village until the fourth day of the New Year?!

“Mayor Tang, we need to talk. I’m grateful for your support—without your help, Yuan Hui wouldn’t have established himself so quickly in Peng City, but this and Fen… You can’t just because of this… with Fen…”

Liu Yong was awkward, stumbling over the same sentence several times without finishing it.

Tang Hong En considered for a moment. “I want to try pursuing a relationship with Comrade Liu Fen. Do you think I’ve done something inappropriate, or do you believe I’d be worse than a rural scoundrel?”