Wu Xiaoshan and the village chief were brought back to Jiuping Village by the Government Officials along the way. Both were beaten so badly they couldn’t walk at all.
Compared to the village chief, Wu Xiaoshan was young and strong. Although he had been beaten last time, he had recovered, but now he had endured a new beating. Even though he wasn’t reduced to a breath like the village chief had been, he was also beaten to the brink of his life.
As soon as the Government Official arrived in Jiuping Village, he announced the order of the Lord County Magistrate: from now on, Jiuping Village would be directly governed by the County Government, with Government Officials patrolling the village daily. Whoever dared to cause trouble again would not be let off lightly!
The people of Jiuping Village were all stunned. Hadn’t they gone to report An Jing and Xiao Changyi for the crime of beheading? Why were Wu Xiaoshan and the village chief the ones who were beaten? And now, were all the villagers turned into criminals, subjected to the constant supervision of Government Officials?
When the people of Jiuping Village learned that An Jing and Xiao Changyi had not forged government documents, and that the documents from the government were in fact genuine and even stamped with the personal seal of the Lord County Magistrate, they all gasped in shock. Could it be that this Xiao Changyi was acquainted with the Lord County Magistrate?!
From then on, truly no one in Jiuping Village dared to cause trouble, nor did they dare to provoke An Jing and Xiao Changyi.
Since Wu Xiaoshan had been beaten again, Madam Liu Hua’s house simply didn’t have the money to treat his injuries. Their family was already in deep debt, without a penny to spare. In the end, it was Wu Dashan who sold his wife Liniang to procure the funds for Wu Xiaoshan’s treatment.
In Wu Dashan’s view, "Brothers are like limbs; wives are like clothes." A wife could be found again, but a brother was irreplaceable.
Regarding the sale of Liniang, Aunt Liu Hua and Father Wu both greatly approved. A daughter-in-law was ultimately just that, a daughter-in-law, no matter how good. She wasn’t as important as their youngest son.
Wu Xiaoshan himself was even more touched, and swore to his brother Wu Dashan that he would do everything possible to make money and find Wu Dashan another wife.
As for the former village chief of Jiuping Village—he had been beaten until only a breath remained. Although there was a little money at home for his treatment, his advanced age meant that he lay in bed for over a month before he finally recovered.
Of course, all these were events that happened later.
As for An Jing’s side—
An Jing and Xiao Changyi were very calm about Wu Xiaoshan and the others reporting them to the authorities because they knew they would face no trouble. If there was any trouble, it would be for Wu Xiaoshan and the others.
Indeed, when they returned to their thatched cottage in the evening, they heard that the two who had gone to the authorities had been beaten, and from now on, Jiuping Village would be under the surveillance of Government Officials like a village of criminals.
An Jing looked at Xiao Changyi with deep meaning in her eyes and smiled, "Husband, now that the village has come to this, it’s truly time for us to move out."
Xiao Changyi didn’t avoid her gaze. Looking directly at her, he replied softly, "Let’s move once the house is built."
The depth in An Jing’s eyes became more pronounced. She looked at Xiao Changyi for a long moment before suddenly asking, "Husband, who are you, really?"
Xiao Changyi hadn’t intended to keep An Jing in the dark; he just didn’t know how to tell her. But since An Jing asked so directly, he would certainly answer.
But he had only spoken two words when An Jing suddenly embraced him and, standing on tiptoes, kissed him, silencing the words about to leave his mouth.
Confusion immediately filled Xiao Changyi’s cold eyes.
An Jing’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she bit Xiao Changyi’s lip lightly before pulling away from his lips. Tipping her face upward, she said to him with a beaming smile, "Let’s keep the mystery going; I rather like it that way."