After Transmigration, I Picked Up A Husband and Daughter
Chapter 151 Undeniable Authority

Chapter 151: Chapter 151 Undeniable Authority

"When it’s family working, where does the matter of wages come from?"

Su Yu responded calmly, "This was your own initiative, to divide things clearly and unequivocally. Since we do not take a single cent of the Jiang Family’s property, then you should not have the right to possess Ziling’s labor without compensation. Village chief, Uncle Li, is there anything amiss with my statement?"

Confidence and wisdom sparkled in her eyes.

Uncle Li stroked his grizzled beard, silently tallying the figures Su Yu had presented, inwardly praising the girl’s quick wit. The accounts were crystal clear, immediately comprehensible.

Called out directly, Uncle Li hurriedly nodded in agreement, "There’s no discrepancy! Regarding the two side rooms and the land, I remember it more clearly than anything, it was indeed so."

The village chief, witnessing the scene, originally wanted to maintain his seriousness, but he was nearly amused by the verbal sparring between Lady Zhao and Su Yu. Eventually, he couldn’t help but crack a smile, although he quickly composed himself, "I think Ziling’s wife is making sense. If we are to split things clearly, then the accounts, of course, should be calculated openly and without confusion."

Lady Zhao was shocked silent by the two men’s remarks. A hundred plus taels of silver, and the two most respected elders in the village actually thought such a demand was reasonable?

"Don’t delay any longer, settle the accounts quickly. Once the money is in hand, I’ll clear out the house immediately."

Lady Zhao’s gaze wavered among the three people. Suddenly, as if realizing something, her voice filled with disbelief, "You, you are all conspiring to oppress me?"

The village chief heard this and his expression darkened slightly, "Aunt Zhou, that is an inappropriate thing to say. Conspiring to oppress? As the chief of Willow Village, I was personally invited by you today to mediate the family dispute. How does this become a conspiracy to oppress? Such words are truly disheartening."

Uncle Li’s tone was tinged with a hint of helplessness and a slight reproach, "Indeed, it was Xunzhong who told me that you elders intended to make peace with the second house, that’s why he asked me to persuade you. I also came out of consideration for the fact that without Youfu, you elders would be without support, taking the trouble to hurry over. Now a few words of fairness have strangely made me an accomplice?"

Lady Zhao’s temperament was nearly a secret known to the entire small village.

In the face of the situation she had brought upon herself, even bystanders could clearly see that she had backed herself into a corner.

In this family feud, who to support, the wise already had a clear judgment in their hearts.

Seeing that the crowd did not side with her, Lady Zhao realized her grim situation. She had not only failed to win people’s hearts but had also made enemies on both sides.

The thought of that considerable sum of over a hundred taels of silver weighed on her mind. How could she easily come up with it to pay the so-called "wages"?

Therefore, Lady Zhao simply sat down on the ground and began to perform the kind of tantrum she was most adept at.

"Oh dear, is there no justice left in the world! Since when does a son demand accumulated wages from his very own father for work he has done?"

Her voice was sharp and exaggerated, as she tried to garner sympathy.

"The hardships of a stepmother, ah! After painstakingly raising them, the children want to sever ties when their wings are hardened. It’s like turning one’s back faster than flipping a book!"

"Oh woe is me, this miserable soul..."

Her wailing, as if telling a story of misery that no one understood.

This commotion certainly caught the attention of some villagers who were out enjoying the cool evening air after dinner, but unlike before, this time, they just stopped at a distance and not a single one stepped forward to watch the drama unfold.

"Eh, hasn’t Youfu just left a few days ago? What new drama is the Jiang family putting on now?"

"Who knows? Every family has its own troubles."

"Shall we go have a look?"

"Let’s just forget it, Youfu’s seventh day hasn’t passed, and I don’t want to attract bad luck,"

The villagers exchanged glances, silently agreeing among themselves to remain as distant spectators.

Su Yu had long grown weary of Lady Zhao’s antics.

"Enough!"

She shouted sternly, "If you’re not willing to pay, then don’t even think about getting those items back. Trouble the village chief to write a written proof, in black and white, so there won’t be any changes in the future."

The village chief understood Su Yu’s true intent—simply to stop Lady Zhao’s pointless clamor, and so quickly drafted the proof, which both parties confirmed with their prints.

Upon hearing Su Yu relent, Lady Zhao, who would not refuse, thought that a few dilapidated houses and plots of land surely couldn’t be worth so much silver. Anxious, she hurriedly pressed her thumbprint on the certificate, fearing Su Yu might suddenly change her mind.

With the matter finally settled, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving Xie Xinghua alone silently cleaning up the scattered bowls and dishes.

Da Ya spontaneously stayed behind to help, while Er Ya and San Ya were sent to deliver dinner to Jiang Wangshan.

Lady Zhao’s gaze fell on the almost empty bowls and plates, her frustration boiling inside like hot water, increasingly difficult to quell.

This time, not only had she lost her original scheming but also had to give up her own fine food, truly a loss of both wife and soldiers, gaining nothing, and her heart was filled with bitterness.

Watching the receding backs of Da Ya, Er Ya, and San Ya, a nameless rage rose within her chest, as if finding an outlet to vent.

"You ungrateful little girl, still daring to defend that sly creature, standing against me!"

Lady Zhao suddenly grabbed Xie Xinghua’s wrist, with such force that Xie Xinghua couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

Xie Xinghua, from the sudden pain, accidentally let the bowl and dish slip from her hands, shattering upon the ground with a crisp breaking sound echoing in the air.

Seeing this, Lady Zhao became even angrier, her grip involuntary tightening: "What a fool, can’t even handle a small task properly, what can you do besides eat?"

"Mom, I really didn’t mean to..."

Xie Xinghua tried to break free, frantically retracting her arm, but the strength accumulated from years of labor was not something she could contend with, and all of her struggles seemed so futile.

Da Ya was shocked, a flicker of urgency and determination in her eyes, disregarding the steamy meals still on the table, she dropped her chopsticks onto the floor with a "clatter" and dashed towards Lady Zhao, who was assaulting her mother.

"Stop it! Don’t hit my mom!"

The determination in Da Ya’s shout was unmistakable, her small figure appeared particularly brave under the dim light.

Lady Zhao frowned deeply, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes, quietly calculating the old grievance from the last time Da Ya talked back.

Today, this girl is walking straight into trouble, a perfect chance to settle both new grudges and old.

Her hand expertly picked up a wooden stick lying in the corner, its body smooth from long-term use, exuding an unquestionable authority.

The stick swung through the air, bringing a gust of wind, aiming directly at Xie Xinghua’s frail body.

The mother and daughter embraced tightly in this sudden storm, their figures looking particularly small under the flickering candlelight, yet unmistakably resolute, each seeing only the well-being of the other in their eyes, with no time for anything else.