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

"Do you have any suspects in this matter?"

"Our family didn't hear a sound last night; the thief was very careful."

"Village chief, I suspect that it was stolen by those good-for-nothings in the village."

"What makes you say someone stole it? What evidence do you have?"

"They're idle and lazy, isn't that proof enough?"

"Just because someone doesn't do their job properly, does that mean they're a thief? That's utterly absurd."

"I'll gather the villagers together and ask them first; maybe someone will discover some clues?"

The village chief went home to get the gong and started banging it. The villagers had just finished eating and came out when they heard the gong. They saw the village chief and the Lu family standing there, all of them with grim faces.

"Village chief, what brings you all here? Did you find us some good jobs?"

"What's all the noise about? Be quiet!"

Last night, a thief broke into the Lu family's house and stole 100 taels of silver notes and a dozen copper coins. I'd like to ask if anyone knows who did it?

The villagers were immediately in an uproar. "What! Lu Tongsheng's 100 taels of silver notes have been stolen! Granny Liu said yesterday morning that her son had 100 taels of silver notes, and they were stolen last night. That thief was quick enough."

"A real 100-tael silver note? I thought Granny Liu was just bragging!"

"Lu Tongsheng, where did you hide the silver notes? How could you let the thief take them so easily?"

"This thief must be from the village. My mother just told me yesterday morning that the house was robbed last night. Moreover, he is quite familiar with our house and knows that there is a tree in our backyard. He entered our house by following the tree."

"Not only did they steal my banknotes, they also wanted to kill me. Folks, look at what happened to my head."

The villagers crowded around to take a look. "Oh my, this thief really went all out. This lump is bigger than an egg."

"Lu Tongsheng, you'd better find a doctor to check you out right away, lest you damage your brain."

Wei Yuanguang struck the gong once, and the noisy crowd instantly quieted down. "Fellow villagers, there has never been a theft in our Baini Bay before. If this matter damages the village's reputation, then that family can forget about staying in the village. I will definitely drive them out of the village."

However, everyone makes mistakes. I want to give you a chance to make amends. If anyone steals a banknote, bring it to my house secretly after the meeting. I will keep it a secret, and this matter will end here.

Otherwise, if the government intervenes in this matter, Liu Gousheng from Liujia Village is an example; he was arrested by the government and sentenced to five years of hard labor.

"Village chief, we are all honest farmers, how could we dare to have such crooked thoughts?"

"Yes, village chief, I swear I didn't take it."

The villagers rushed to make promises and oaths, afraid of getting themselves involved.

"I know that most of the villagers are good people. If any of you find any clues or anything unusual, please provide them to me and I will reward you with one tael of silver."

The village chief glanced at Lu Yunzhou, who said directly, "If you can provide useful clues, I will reward you with 5 taels of silver. The village chief can vouch for that."

It is said that a great reward will surely bring forth brave men, and Lu Yunzhou believed that the five taels of silver should be enough to move many people's hearts and get them to help him find clues.

"If any of you discover any clues, report them immediately. If what you say is true, the money will be paid out right away."

"Village Chief, Lu Tongsheng, is what you're saying true?"

"Of course it's true, I vouch for it in the name of a scholar."

The villagers were very active, all wanting to earn those five taels of silver. They were all trying to recall what was unusual about yesterday.

The village chief thought that after his scare, someone might bring the silver notes. They might be too embarrassed to come during the day, but they might come at night.

The family couldn't wait any longer and went back to sleep. Wei Yuanguang sat alone in the main room, so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping. He didn't wait for anyone to bring him the silver notes.

He sighed, went out to close the courtyard gate, and went back to sleep.

Early the next morning, Lu Yunzhou arrived. "Uncle Village Chief, how did things go? Has anyone come to deliver the silver notes?"

"No, I waited until midnight last night but he didn't come."

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle. You've gone to so much trouble."

"What do you plan to do if no one comes to deliver the silver notes?"

"I'm going to the county town on the eighth day. After all, I'm a student who has passed the imperial examination. I believe that if I report to the yamen, they will be able to file a case quickly."

"Yunzhou, you need to have a good talk with your mother when you get back. She needs to change her personality. She shouldn't always be comparing herself to others and trying to be the best. This whole mess was caused by her."

"Okay, Uncle, I'll go back and talk to my mother properly."

"I'll just stay in the village for the next couple of days and see what happens. Unless absolutely necessary, I don't want this matter to get involved with the authorities."

"I understand Uncle's good intentions, it just depends on whether that person knows what's good for them."

"I won't bother you any longer, Uncle. I'll head back now."

The villagers of Bainiwan searched the village for clues, focusing their surveillance on a few idle and irresponsible local thugs. People were always loitering around their homes, day and night.

The villagers were really wrong this time. This was not the work of a few thugs. The thief was someone they never expected.

This man was an honest and unassuming man in the village, with little presence. He lived with his blind mother, and besides farming their two acres of land, he would go into the mountains to try his luck and hunt.

Wang Sanhe was a notorious rogue in the village. He loved to peep at widows bathing. Whenever the women in the village washed clothes by the river, he would always approach them and say some filthy things. The women in the village would avoid him whenever they saw him.

He lay in bed, feeling very frustrated. He hadn't done anything, so why were these people loitering around his door? Did they think he was a thief? He still wanted to earn those five taels of silver.

If he had those five taels of silver, he could marry a wife and go out to look for clues.

He got up and went outside, opening the gate to the yard. "What's wrong with you guys? You're always loitering around my doorstep, do you think I'm a thief?"

"What business is it of yours if we wander around here? Is this your yard? Is this your land? Why are you so angry? Have you done something wrong and are you feeling guilty?"

Could it be that you stole the 100 taels of silver from the Lu family?

"Who the hell are you calling guilty? Who did something wrong? Who stole the Lu family's 100 taels of silver?"

Wang Sanhe turned around and went back into the courtyard. He grabbed a wooden stick and rushed out. Without saying a word, he struck the villager. The villager couldn't dodge in time and took a solid blow to the back.

The villager tried to run away, but he was hit hard on the leg again and fell to the ground instantly. When the other villagers saw Wang Sanhe's ferocity, they were so frightened that they ran away.

Wang Sanhe stepped on the villager's back and said, "Wei Fuguang, don't think I won't hit you just because you're related to the village chief."

Although I, Wang Sanhe, am a scoundrel, I have never stolen anything from anyone. You dare to slander me without any evidence? I'll beat your mouth to a pulp!

Wang Sanhe took off his smelly shoe and slapped it into Wei Fuguang's mouth. Villagers who had run away shouted to Wang Sanhe from a distance, "Wang Sanhe, don't do anything reckless, or someone will die. Release him right now, we're going to find the village chief."

Wei Fuguang was beaten and lay on the ground squealing like a pig. Wang Sanhe kicked him and turned to go home.

Wei Fuguang wasn't a good person either. Relying on being a relative of the village chief, he was very domineering in the village. The village chief turned a blind eye to it, as long as things didn't escalate or come to his attention. He was annoyed by these trivial matters in the village.