Divorced by her husband's family and rejected by her own! She defiantly turned her life around

Grandpa Liu and Huang Lanhua, who were outside the hall, immediately perked up. After all, they were blood relatives. How could she bear to watch her own brother do hard labor? At least her conscience wasn't completely black.

The people of Liujia Village were now completely relieved, as Liu Siyue no longer made things difficult for them.

"For whom do you plead?"

"Village Chief Liu Maoquan, although he did something foolish this time, is indeed a good village chief. He just lacks understanding. I hope that Your Excellency can use other punishments instead of three months in prison, and let the Liu clan chief properly educate him to enlighten his mind."

The magistrate also wanted to do Liu Siyue a favor. "Liu Maoquan, since the aggrieved party has pleaded for you, I will use a fine of 5 taels of silver to replace 3 months of imprisonment as compensation to the aggrieved party. Are you willing?"

"This humble subject is willing, this humble subject is willing, this humble subject will certainly be discerning and just in the future." Liu Maoquan kowtowed heavily to the ground.

Wang Cuilan felt completely relieved, and the worry on her face gradually faded. Siyue was indeed a person who kept her promises, and she would help her more in the future.

Upon hearing that it wasn't Liu Qingshan, Old Master Liu outside the hall fainted. Huang Lanhua tugged at the clan chief's grandson, "Keep an eye on things for me."

After Huang Lanhua finished speaking, she squeezed into the main hall. One of the yamen runners who was maintaining order outside accidentally let her in. "Sir, I have something to say."

The magistrate frowned, and several bailiffs immediately pinned the man to the ground. "Who are you? What do you have to say? Trespassing in court, do you know your crime?"

"Guards, give him ten lashes."

The sound of slapping the cane echoed in the main hall, making the people of Liujia Village tremble with fear.

The county magistrate ordered Tang Dianshi to take the man away for execution. Huang Lanhua lay on the ground, and when she saw that the man was about to leave, she didn't care about anything else. "You can't leave, Siyue, Erdi, you can't abandon Qingshan!"

She's your own brother and nephew!

The magistrate slammed his gavel and shouted, "You audacious scoundrel, how dare you roar in court! Drag him out and give him twenty strokes of the cane!"

"My lord, I am not a troublemaker. I am Liu Qingshan's mother, Liu Dawang's sister-in-law, and Liu Siyue's mother!"

A clamor erupted from the crowd. The magistrate slammed his gavel down again, and the bailiffs on duty pounded their water-and-fire sticks on the ground with a resounding thud, shouting, "Majesty!"

A hush fell over the hall, both inside and out. "Who are you? What is your name?"

"Your Excellency, I am Huang Lanhua, a humble citizen."

"I don't care what your relationship is with those two men; that's none of my business. I'll let it go because you're just a woman. Leave now."

"Sir~"

"Court adjourned!"

After greeting the clan chief, Liu Siyue and Liu Dawang left on their own.

Outside the main hall, Tang Dianshi was leading his bailiffs to publicly administer beatings. They showed no mercy; before 30 strokes were even complete, someone had already fainted from exhaustion. They splashed a bucket of cold water on him to wake him up, and then continued the beating.

Liu Qingshan, Liu Gousheng, and the grandson of Sixth Uncle were beaten and dragged to prison, while the others were left to their own devices after receiving their caning punishment.

The old clan chief sent someone to fetch a doctor, who cleaned the wounds and applied ointment. He paid for the medicine himself, as their three oxcarts were simply not enough to transport all the wounded. Staying at an inn in the county town would have been even more expensive.

"I'll cover the cost of your medicine first. I'll find an oxcart to take you back, two people per oxcart. You can pay me back when we get back. Do you agree?" No one could disagree; they just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

The clan chief sent his son to the city gate to hire an oxcart, but there weren't enough oxcarts, so the three of them ended up squeezing into one. Each oxcart cost 80 coins and was delivered to their doorstep.

Everyone carried the wounded onto the vehicle. Uncle Liu stood there, dumbfounded, like a wooden or clay sculpture. After leaving the county town, he blamed the clan chief, "Liu Tianbao, why didn't you save Xiaozhi? Even that wretched girl Siyue could get the magistrate to spare Maoquan from prison, why can't you spare mine? I am your elder."

"Maoquan, you have no concept of filial piety whatsoever! Can't you see I'm already this old? Can't you just give me my pardoned prison sentence right here in court?"

Wang Cuilan scoffed, "Sixth Uncle, you're still so stubborn. If it weren't for you, your grandson would have gone to jail for you. You're so old, don't come out and cause trouble again. You've ruined your children and grandchildren, and that's what you wanted."

"Wang, you are the daughter-in-law of the Liu family, how dare you disrespect your elders."

Maoquan, you just let your wife bully me like this. How can you be the head of the family?

"Liu Tianbao, is this how you manage your clansmen?!"

Sixth Uncle's son, Liu Fugui, tugged at his father's sleeve. "Father, please say less. Don't you think our family is miserable enough?"

"You good-for-nothing! Where is your filial piety? You should have taken the blame for me, but instead you pushed my grandson out. You're a complete waste."

Uncle Liu was acting like a madman, biting anyone he could get his hands on. Wang Shi couldn't take it anymore and told her son to stop the oxcart. "Uncle Liu, if you keep making a fuss, don't blame me for being impolite and kicking you off the oxcart."

"You dare!"

"You'll see if I dare!"

"Hongsheng, drag him away!"

Liu Fugui was on the verge of tears. "Father, I beg you, please stop talking. Do you intend to spend the night here?"

Uncle Liu's momentum softened, and he sat in the carriage without saying a word. He was just taking advantage of his age and was used to using filial piety to intimidate people.

As soon as one song ended, another began. Old Master Liu and Huang Lanhua were in the same oxcart. Huang Lanhua was beaten with a board, and it was Wang Cuilan who helped treat her injuries. Wang Cuilan really didn't want to deal with her, but she still helped her out of consideration for being a woman herself.

The swaying oxcart woke up Old Master Liu. When he saw Huang lying next to him, he was so frightened that he immediately sat up. His father-in-law and daughter-in-law lying on the same oxcart—if people found out, would he lose all face?

"Mrs. Huang, what's wrong with you?"

"Father, you were unconscious, so I went to beg my second brother and April for help, but I got beaten up by the county magistrate! Waaaaah~"

"After being beaten by the magistrate, did those two plead for Qingshan? What's Qingshan's current situation?"

"Father, they are heartless. They completely ignored me. They watched me being flogged by the magistrate, and they didn't say a word in my defense. The magistrate said it was our private matter and had nothing to do with the case. He then pushed the courtroom out of the room and left."

Qingshan was beaten 30 times and imprisoned.

My Qingshan, how have you endured these three years? Of those who went to do hard labor, how many come back alive? Father, you must think of a way to save my Qingshan! Qinghe is gone, I can't lose Qingshan too.

"I'm sad too. Qingshan is my most beloved grandson. I'm more heartbroken than anyone else that he's in trouble. You take good care of your injuries. I'll go find him myself and try to help when Dawang gets back."

Huang Lanhua felt comforted and soon drifted off to sleep.

Old Master Liu began to think seriously. He needed to stabilize Huang Shi first, as the whole family depended on her. As for whether there would be any results with Liu Dawang and Liu Siyue, no one could say for sure.

If there's no outcome, then he should start planning for himself. It seems the eldest son's family is finished and can't be relied on. If Da Wang could take him in and care for him in his old age, out of consideration for their father-son relationship and the fact that he was born and raised him, he would be willing. So what if he doesn't have a son? As long as he can live a good life, that's enough.

If possible, he could also help the eldest son's family.

If things don't work out with Da Wang, he can go live with Da Niu. Da Niu is capable and won't make him work in the fields. But if he goes with the eldest son's family, things might be different. They have a whole family of elderly, weak, women, and children, plus the disabled. They probably can't not work.

While Master Liu was making plans for his future, the Liu family was already in turmoil.