During famine years, I had a divination slip in hand, and my whole family ate chicken, duck, fish, a

"You brat, are you playing me for a fool?"

Zou took a breath, raised her eyebrows, and glared at him, saying, "I'm not even bothered that you hit my son, and you're still acting all high and mighty!"

"You may not care, but I certainly will!"

Ye Qingqing snorted and raised an eyebrow. "The five hundred coins we gave as a betrothal gift were taken back by your son in the blink of an eye. Now you want my family to return the betrothal gift? You're out of luck!"

Zou's face darkened. "You say Jincheng is going back, so he's going back? Who saw him? Who can testify?"

Show me the evidence, or I'll report you to the county government for defaming students, and you'll be punished!

"No one has seen it, and no one can testify."

Ye Qingqing shook her head and said casually.

Just as Zou was about to laugh, she snorted coldly.

"However, I can go to the academy to confront Fang Jincheng face to face. If he refuses to admit it, I will ask the teachers at the academy to stand up for me. I don't believe that Fang Jincheng, a scholar, would dare to lie in front of the teachers!"

If all else fails, I'll write a big "wrongful conviction" on the board, kneel down at the county government office, and plead with the just and upright judge to determine whether he lied!

"You...you dare!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Zou became furious, her face turning pale as she shouted, "You brat, if you dare to cause trouble at the academy and ruin my son's reputation, I'll never forgive you!"

Reputation is a major hurdle in the future examinations for Xiucai, Juren, and Zhuangyuan. No matter how good one's academic performance is, if one's reputation is tarnished, the county will not issue a recommendation certificate for the examination!

If Ye Qingqing really goes to the academy or even the county government to cause a scene, her son will be finished!

A cold glint flashed in Ye Qingqing's eyes as she sneered.

"Really? Perfect. If you don't sign the annulment papers today, I'm not done with you."

Cui Cui, bring me the pot lid and pick up a piece of burnt firewood. I'll write a big "injustice" right now and go to the academy to find Mr. Fang Jincheng!

I threw a tantrum, crying and screaming, refusing to believe the academy teacher wouldn't do anything!

"Okay, Second Sister!"

With a smile on her face, Cui Cui answered crisply and turned to run to get the pot lid and charcoal.

I was really captivated by how my second sister dealt with Zou Shi!

"Ye Qingqing, don't you dare push your luck!"

Zou's face flushed crimson, and she wanted nothing more than to jump up and strangle her. "How could I have chosen such a jinx like you? You're going to ruin my son!"

"You're the real jinx! You raised a worthless bastard son who has to rely on money from women to go to school. Shameless!"

Li Chunyan immediately jumped out and started arguing with her, "My second daughter is a lucky star. Yesterday she went up the mountain to pick wild pheasants, and the whole family ate meat!"

We caught rabbits again on the mountain today, so the whole family can have meat tonight! Maybe we'll even find a roe deer tomorrow, then we'll eat meat every day!

Go eat coarse food with your son, or you'll be driven mad!

Swearing is the kind of dirty work that Li Chunyan should do; it's her forte!

She had been heartbroken for a long time, thinking that Er Yatou was going to give the rabbit to Zou Shi. But Er Yatou's feint had actually made her breasts feel sore!

Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'll make sure you get to eat roe deer meat tomorrow!

"injustice!"

Ye Qingqing chuckled inwardly, then used charred firewood to write a large character for "injustice" all over the pot lid, and held it up in front of Zou Shi, who was still arguing with her.

"Do you know how to read? Do you know what this character is called? It's called 'yuan,' the 'yuan' in 'wrongful'! Come on, read it aloud with me, 'yuan,' the 'yuan' in 'wrongful'!"

Your son's future is in your hands! Call off the engagement now, and we can still discuss it. But if I lose patience, I'll take a sign to the academy and cry foul.

"You, you..."

Zou's heart skipped a beat, and her face turned pale. "You brat, are you really planning to tear off the mask of civility? Have you thought this through? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to get married if you keep making such a fuss?"

Let me tell you, if things get out of hand, neither of us will save face in the end!

"Do I need to tear off your thick skin? It's long gone!"

Ye Qingqing sneered, "Let me tell you, I'm not some delicate queen. I have plenty of strength and methods!"

Anyway, I don't need to take the imperial examinations, so what if no one marries me? I'll just stay with my father for the rest of my life! Let's see who can keep up the numbers!

These words completely humiliated Zou.

Ye Qingqing can afford to lose face, but her son can't afford to lose face at all!

She really didn't expect Ye Qingqing to be so shameless!

Her son just hugged and kissed another girl, is that all there is to it?

If her son becomes a top scholar and a high-ranking official in the future, and marries three wives and four concubines, won't this shrew cause a huge uproar?

"Sign the engagement letter and call it off, or I'll go to the academy with Er Yatou and make a scene!"

Li Chunyan's face was full of arrogance, like a victorious rooster, she proudly raised her chin.

"I'll tell the academy all about how your son tricked my second daughter into stealing things from our house, and how he was engaged yet still kissing other girls!"

"Sister-in-law, I...I want to go too!"

Cui Cui quickly chimed in, "But I can't speak... I'll be in charge of crying, and you can be in charge of shouting, how about that?"

Ye Dali slammed the pitchfork in his hand heavily into the ground. "Me too!"

"Pfft..."

Ye Qingqing almost burst out laughing.

Seeing her family doing everything they could to protect her, she felt an indescribable warmth in her heart.

In her own timeline, she was an orphan who was taken in and raised in a Taoist temple by her kind-hearted master.

Although her master loved her very much, he was determined to train her to become the highest-ranking ninth-grade divination master, and he was very strict with her teaching. Ye Qingqing had never experienced the warmth of a family since she was a child.

The villagers enjoyed the spectacle and joined in the commotion.

"Even now, they still won't sign? Does that old woman from the Fang family have no shame at all?!"

"It's just that they can't bear to part with a hunter; they're always trying to take advantage of him!"

"Second Girl, he's a cousin of my brother-in-law's father-in-law's brother. He's a constable in the county government. If you really dare to go to the county government to plead your case, I'll have him take you to see the county magistrate!"

……

Zou's face was ashen, she gritted her teeth, and then put on a smiling face.

"I'm telling you, Qingqing, your aunt is doing this for your own good. You're a young lady, and if you break off the engagement, your reputation will be ruined!"

I was angry just now, that's why I said some harsh things. Please don't take it to heart. Let's talk this out...

Ye Qingqing was too lazy to listen to her nonsense, picked up the pot lid and walked out.

"You refuse to annul the engagement, huh? I'm going to the academy right now to have the teacher settle this with you!"

Li Chunyan had a sudden inspiration and rushed to her, calling out loudly.

"Sister-in-law, I'm going with you! Nobody stop me, nobody! I'm determined to have this discussed with the academy teacher today!"

"Don't go! Don't go! Don't go..."

Zou stamped her feet anxiously and pleaded, "Sister-in-law, let's talk this out. What's going on?"

Oh, Er Yatou, don't go...

She had just stopped one of them when the other turned and left.

The villagers were so engrossed in it that they all joined in the commotion.

"That second girl is pretty fierce!"

"Second girl, go ahead! The whole village will cheer you on!"

"Yes! If all else fails, we can go to the county government and make a scene. Who's afraid of who..."