Qin Fang asked, “How do you plan to resolve this?”

Yang Haiyan disliked dragging things out.

While she didn’t care much about what others said behind her back, reputation was still important.

After all, in ancient times, a person’s reputation was as crucial as their life.

She said, “I’ll resolve it tonight. All of you are on duty during the day this month, so those centurions should be home around this time, right?”

Qin Fang replied, “I’m not sure if they’re home, but they should be off duty by now.”

Hearing this, Yang Haiyan said, “Then, please accompany me for a walk. We haven’t visited the centurion’s quarters in a while; let’s go there tonight.”

Although Qin Fang didn’t know how she planned to handle things, he was curious. “Alright,” he said.

After all, he wouldn’t feel comfortable letting his wife go alone.

Yang Haiyan didn’t plan to go with just the two of them.

She also brought along Granny Lian, Aunt Fan, and Aunt Yu.

Seeing this, Qin Fang had a thought: his wife was going to start a quarrel.

Yang Haiyan, Qin Fang, and their group first went to Centurion Qi’s house.

The reason Mrs. Qi, Mrs. Feng, and Mrs. Tang always gossiped together was partly because they were neighbors.

Now, with Yang Haiyan’s entourage arriving in full force, it naturally drew attention.

Half the street came out to see what was going on.

The Qi family was having dinner when someone outside called, “Is Mrs. Qi home?”

Anyone on that street who noticed any commotion quietly came out to see.

Mrs. Qi responded from inside, “I’m here. Who is it?”

Yang Haiyan and her group entered.

Shortly after, the sounds of arguing, shouting, and objects breaking filled the air, making the bystanders’ hearts skip a beat.

Not long after, Mrs. Qi rushed out crying. While running, she called out, “Mrs. Tang, Mrs. Tang!”

She didn’t even need to call—Mrs. Tang was already at her own courtyard gate watching the drama unfold.

When Mrs. Qi spotted her, she quickly grabbed Mrs. Tang’s hand. “Mrs. Tang, you have to testify for me! I never said Madam Qin was a spendthrift, nor did I call her a barren old hen. You have to testify for me!”

Everyone who heard Mrs. Qi’s words turned to look at Mrs. Tang.

Although Mrs. Tang and her friends often gossiped and mocked others behind their backs, they’d never do so in front of so many people.

Now, with Mrs. Qi calling her out in front of half the neighborhood, Mrs. Tang felt utterly embarrassed.

She shook off Mrs. Qi’s hand, saying, “What are you talking about? I don’t know anything.”

Mrs. Qi’s face was red and swollen from being slapped, making her look pitiful, as though she had suffered “domestic violence.”

Clutching Mrs. Tang’s hand, she pleaded, “Mrs. Tang, please help me. Someone told Madam Qin that I called her a spendthrift and a barren old hen, but I never said that! Please testify for me!”

At that moment, Yang Haiyan emerged from the Qi family’s house.

As soon as she stepped out, all eyes were on her.

She smiled faintly and addressed the crowd, “Ladies, sisters, I had no choice but to come here today because I couldn’t swallow this insult. As you all know, I married here from the capital last August. Soon after I arrived, I accidentally took the wrong medicine and was poisoned on my wedding night. Because of that, my husband became the subject of jokes. But who wouldn’t need to recover after being poisoned? I took six months to fully recover.

During that time, my husband’s salary wasn’t much. I had to brew medicine and nourish my body, which was costly. So, I embroidered items to sell to Yongji, earning some silver. With that and a bit of my husband’s savings, I was able to open a pastry shop.

The shop’s earnings helped me afford the treatments to recover my health. Slowly, I got better. By this March, my husband had to return to his hometown.

His parents were worried since he hadn’t visited in the five years he had been in the army. As you all know, it’s risky for pregnant women to travel long distances; it could harm the baby or worse. So, I decided not to get pregnant before March.

But who would’ve thought that these two things combined would give rise to such malicious rumors? That I’m a spendthrift and a barren woman?” At this point, Yang Haiyan choked up, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing her cry, Qin Fang was at a loss.

He quickly embraced her, saying, “Yanyan, don’t cry. It’s my fault for letting you be wronged.”

Back in March, when his wife cried in his hometown, he thought she was acting, only to later realize she was genuinely upset.

Now, seeing her cry again, his heart ached.

Since they married, she had only cried twice, both times because of him.

This realization filled Qin Fang with an anger he had never felt before.

Yang Haiyan shook her head. “No, husband, it’s not your fault. On our wedding night, you used your own savings to hire doctors and buy medicine for me. You’ve treated me with nothing but love and care. How could I blame you? If there’s any fault, it’s mine. I shouldn’t have opened a shop. I shouldn’t have bought medicine or tried to heal myself. Maybe if I had just died from the poisoning, no one would be calling me a spendthrift now.”

She turned back to the crowd. “Ladies, sisters, we are all women. Our husbands are all colleagues, and we come from different parts of the country. It’s fate that brought us together here. Shouldn’t we live in harmony so that our husbands can protect the country without worrying about troubles at home? Why must we, as women, bully each other like this? Is it because I didn’t die from the poisoning last August?”

Today, someone came to tell me that Mrs. Qi and her group have been gossiping about me among the women. It’s one thing to say that I’m wasting my family’s fortune, but to insult me by calling me an old hen who can’t lay eggs—this, I cannot tolerate. Granny Lian, go hit her for me.”

Granny Lian : “Yes.”

Aunt Fan and Aunt Yu grabbed Mrs. Qi, and Granny Lian immediately slapped Mrs. Qi hard.

The slap was so loud that onlookers couldn’t bear to watch.

Mrs. Qi cried out, “It wasn’t me, really, it wasn’t me! Mrs. Tang, please testify for me! I really didn’t say anything.”

Mrs. Tang shrank her neck, “I don’t know, I don’t know anything…”

As she spoke, she slipped away from the crowd and returned to the yard next door.

Seeing this, Mrs. Qi broke free from Aunt Fan and Aunt Yu, grabbing Mrs. Tang. “How can you do this? How can you just watch me suffer without helping? It was clearly you and Mrs. Feng who were badmouthing Mrs. Qin, I was only standing nearby and listening. Why won’t you testify for me? Why?! Mrs. Qin, I swear I didn’t say anything. It was Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng who said you were ruining your family and couldn’t lay eggs. They even said… even said that Master Qin would eventually take a concubine…”

Yang Haiyan was stunned.

Mrs. Qi hadn’t mentioned this during the day.

Mrs. Tang, hearing this, quickly pushed Mrs. Qi away. “You’re lying! I didn’t say that.”

Mrs. Feng, who had been watching the drama unfold, immediately spoke up when Mrs. Qi implicated her: “Mrs. Qi, have you lost your mind? A desperate dog bites anyone it can. When did I ever say that?”

Mrs. Qi turned around and knelt on the ground. “Mrs. Qin, as heaven is my witness, I, Qi Zhushi, swear that I never said you were ruining your family or called you an old hen who couldn’t lay eggs. Those words came from Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng. If I’m lying, may I die a horrible death and may my children amount to nothing.”

She then turned to Mrs. Feng and Mrs. Tang, “You say I’m desperate and biting people out of panic, but why don’t you swear that you didn’t say those things? Mrs. Feng, why don’t you swear on your husband? Mrs. Tang, why don’t you swear on your son?”

Mrs. Qin looked at Mrs. Feng and Mrs. Tang: “Is what Mrs. Qi said true?”

Mrs. Feng gritted her teeth and said, “I didn’t say anything. Why should I swear?”

Mrs. Tang also refused to admit it. “I didn’t say anything either. Who knows what madness Mrs. Qi is spouting?”

Seeing this, Yang Haiyan didn’t rush. “In that case, let’s report this to the authorities. My husband is a seventh-rank military officer of the imperial court. According to the laws of our country, insulting the family of an official can result in corporal punishment or imprisonment, depending on the severity. If I’ve wronged you, I’ll apologize. But… I believe the county magistrate will give me justice.” She then looked at the other onlookers. “Everyone, if any of you can testify for me, I’ll give you ten taels of silver as thanks.”

The people present were all centurions or the wives of centurions.

Ten taels of silver was the equivalent of a year’s salary for a centurion, and even if they saved carefully all year, they wouldn’t be able to save that much.

As soon as Yang Haiyan made her offer, someone was tempted.

“Mrs. Qin, are you serious? If we testify, there’s really ten taels of silver?” someone asked. It didn’t matter who they knew; silver was the most convincing thing.

Yang Haiyan said, “My husband is here, and in front of everyone, why would I lie?”

The woman said, “I heard Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng say those things. One morning, your two servants went to the market to buy groceries and were walking ahead, carrying a full basket of food. Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng were walking behind them. Mrs. Feng said, ‘How can your servants buy so much food? They’ll choke on it!’ Mrs. Tang then said, ‘That old hen who can’t lay eggs—what a waste of food.’ I was walking right behind them at the time and heard it clearly.”

Mrs. Tang screamed, “You’re lying!”

Yang Haiyan asked, “Sister, if I report this to the authorities, will you be willing to testify?”

The woman said, “I’ve already said it here, so going before the county magistrate to testify is no different.”

Yang Haiyan said, “Thank you, sister. Granny Lian , give her the money.”

Granny Lian took out ten taels of silver. “Madam, thank you for helping bring justice to our lady.”

Seeing that the woman received the ten taels of silver, someone else spoke up. “I also heard something. My house is next to Mrs. Tang’s, and I often hear Mrs. Qi and Mrs. Feng chatting with her. One time, Mrs. Qi said she saw Master Qin bring back two wild boars from hunting, big ones, all meat. Mrs. Feng then said, ‘The wild boars in the mountains are all being hunted by the Qin family. They’ve taken all the boars, but they never share the meat with their fellow officers and their families.’ Then Mrs. Tang said, ‘Exactly, feeding it to a wasteful woman who can’t lay eggs is such a waste of food. I have a younger sister who’s quite pretty; do you think we should introduce her to Master Qin?’”

Mrs. Qi quickly said, “Yes, that time, Mrs. Tang said Master Qin would definitely take a concubine eventually. Mrs. Qin, you have to believe me.”

Yang Haiyan asked the woman, “Sister, if I report this to the authorities, will you be willing to testify?”

The woman agreed readily, “Of course, I will go.”

Thus, Granny Lian gave the woman another ten taels of silver.

Yang Haiyan said, “Aunt Fan, go back to the house and ask Chen Dash to ride to the magistrate as quickly as possible.”

Aunt Fan: “Yes.” She turned and ran towards the Qin household.

Slap!

From the crowd, a man came forward and slapped Mrs. Tang across the face. “Did you or did you not say those things? If you did, apologize to Officer Qin and Mrs. Qin right now.”

Mrs. Tang froze, blood spilling from her mouth onto the ground. “I…”

She glanced at the two women who were willing to testify, then clenched her teeth and knelt. “Mrs. Qin, it was my loose tongue. I was wrong. Please, I beg you, don’t hold it against me. Please forgive me.”

Seeing Mrs. Tang apologize, Mrs. Feng also knelt down and stammered out her apology: “Mrs. Qin, I was wrong too. Please forgive me, I beg you.”

They were truly scared.

They never imagined that such gossip could lead to a report to the authorities.

Usually, common folk spreading rumors wouldn’t take the matter to court, and even if they did, no one would care.

But Mrs. Qin was not just a commoner; she was the wife of an official.

Even though Qin Fang was only a seventh-rank officer and she herself held no official title, she was still an official’s wife.

Usually, any sensible person wouldn’t dare to speak ill of an official’s family.

Of course, the situation wasn’t as serious as it seemed.

Yang Haiyan was merely taking advantage of the fact that they were “illiterate.”

From their crude behavior, it was clear they were uneducated and didn’t understand the law.

So, using legal threats to scare them was the perfect strategy.

After arriving in this world, Yang Haiyan had immediately started studying law books.

First, to protect herself using the law, and second, to know what was permissible and what was not.

Then, Mrs. Tang’s and Mrs. Feng’s husbands, the centurions, came out. “Master Qin, Mrs. Qin, it’s our failure to discipline our wives properly. Please, calm your anger.”

Qin Fang, though he wanted to beat them up, restrained himself. “This matter has nothing to do with you. You spend your days serving in the military camp, committed to your duties, so how could you know your wives were causing trouble at home?”

This statement gave the two centurions a lot of face.

Whether they knew about it or not, maintaining their dignity in front of so many people was crucial.

At the same time, his words subtly criticized Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng.

Yang Haiyan said, “What my husband says is true. This matter has nothing to do with the two centurions. You are heroes who protect our country, admired by all of us. However, I cannot forgive the actions of your wives.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng kowtowed and apologized again. “Mrs. Qin, we were wrong. We truly were wrong. We have children, please give us another chance. We won’t spread rumors again. Mrs. Qin, we beg you…”

Yang Haiyan, appearing slightly emotional, sniffled and said, “Seeing that both centurions are colleagues of my husband, I will give you one more chance. But you must write a formal letter of apology and each pay me ten taels of silver as compensation for damaging my reputation.”

Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng hesitated. “An apology letter? Compensation?”

Yang Haiyan’s face turned cold. “If you don’t agree, we can take it to the court. But I’m not sure if the two of you can withstand the county’s punishments.”

Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng stiffened. “We’ll write. We’ll pay.”

Yang Haiyan then took out two apology letters. “Read them, and if there are no issues, sign them. If you can’t write, you can leave a thumbprint.”

Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng couldn’t read, but their husbands could.

The centurions read the apology letters, which only contained the facts without exaggeration.

They stated that due to the rumors, they had damaged the reputation of Yang Haiyan, wife of Qin.

As compensation, they would pay her ten taels of silver.

They also promised not to spread rumors about her again.

If they broke this promise, they would pay one hundred taels of silver.

Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng pressed their thumbprints.

However, ten taels of silver was a significant amount for a regular household, and neither could pay the full amount at once.

The two centurions each paid five taels upfront, with the remainder to be paid in monthly installments of 500 wen over ten months.

With the apology letters signed and the silver paid, the Feng and Tang families quickly returned home and closed their doors, having lost all face that day.

Yang Haiyan then turned to the onlookers and said, “Ladies, today I must also apologize to Mrs. Qi. I didn’t understand the truth of the matter before confronting her, and even hit her. This was my mistake. I don’t know what the person who told me had in mind or if they had a grudge against Mrs. Qi, but no matter what, Mrs. Qi has been wronged in this matter. I ask for her forgiveness.”

Mrs. Qi hurriedly responded, “No, no, no, it was my fault for listening to their gossip. I shouldn’t have meddled and stirred things up.”

She was truly regretful.

When Yang Haiyan had barged in earlier, it had scared her.

Then, when Yang Haiyan asked her to help put on an act, how could she refuse?

Although it was an act, the slap was real, and it had hurt.

However, Mrs. Qi also knew that Yang Haiyan did it for her benefit.

If this drama hadn’t unfolded, Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng would have turned against her, especially since Mrs. Feng had seen her riding in Mrs. Qin’s carriage that morning.

Now that she was cast as the victim, the situation was different.

Yang Haiyan took Mrs. Qi’s hand. “I’m sorry. Take this ten taels of silver as compensation. Use it to visit a doctor, and since I broke your household’s bowls, you should replace them. Please don’t refuse.”

Handing the silver to Mrs. Qi, Yang Haiyan turned to Qin Fang and said, “Husband, let’s go home.”

Qin Fang supported her gently, “Hmm.”

After Qin Fang and his wife, along with their servants, left the Qi family’s house, people noticed the shattered bowls and overturned dishes being swept out.

The performance was quite convincing.

When they returned home and just stepped into the courtyard, Qin Fang suddenly hugged her from behind, saying, “I’m sorry, I made you suffer.”

He felt guilty seeing how sad she had been earlier, believing it was all his fault.

Yang Haiyan remained silent and slipped out of his embrace.

She then reached out her hand and swiftly wiped something over his eyes.

Qin Fang squinted his eyes, but it was too late.

His eyes were irritated, turning red, and even shed a few tears.

He exclaimed, “You wicked woman!” He then scooped her up and said, “You tricked me into feeling heartache.”

Yang Haiyan shouted, “Put me down!”

Qin Fang refused, “No!”

He tossed her onto the bed and pressed down on her heavily, “You’re too bad. You’re really bad.”

Yang Haiyan couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re too dumb. So dumb.”

She teased him for not being able to tell real from fake, calling him a fool.

Qin Fang huffed and then lowered his head, burying it in her chest.

He bit down on her chest hard, even through her clothes.

Yang Haiyan was stunned. “You rascal, you pervert!” Where had he learned such behavior?

After the incident involving Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng, the family quarters became filled with even more gossip, but now the gossip centered on Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng.

Yang Haiyan didn’t pay much attention to these matters.

Before she knew it, mid-May had arrived.

One day, Uncle Hong brought good news.

The half-acre of broccoli that had been transplanted in early May had a survival rate of two-thirds after ten days of observation and was now thriving.

Since there were no chemical fertilizers in ancient times, and Yang Haiyan couldn’t purchase any, all the fertilizer came from pig, chicken, and duck manure.

The farm raised twenty pigs, twenty chickens, and twenty ducks, and the farm was managed by Niu Da’s family.

Niu Da took care of the crops, while his family handled the weeding and feeding of the poultry.

Niu Da earned a monthly salary of 300 wen, and the four people who handled the weeding and feeding earned 50 wen each.

The work of weeding wasn’t heavy, only necessary every few months, and with many hands, feeding the poultry was quick.

Since the work was near their doorstep, Niu Da’s family was quite content.

With the family earning a total of 500 wen a month, they had become the envy of the villagers.

However, the villagers didn’t dare to cause any trouble, as it was an official farm.

Yang Haiyan was delighted when she heard the news. “So when will the broccoli be ready for harvest?”

The name “broccoli” was given by Yang Haiyan, who had learned it from a traveling merchant who sold the vegetable to her, saying it was called “broccoli.”

Uncle Hong replied, “Niu Da estimates that it will be ready for harvest by July. As for other crops, the potatoes will be ready by the end of June, and the sweet potatoes by early August. The tomatoes have been transplanted as well, but we’ll need to keep an eye on them. As for the fruit tree seedlings, they’re growing well, but they’ll need to be relocated later. They’ll eventually need about an acre of land.”

Yang Haiyan thought for a moment, “Once the sweet potatoes and potatoes are harvested, we can use that acre of land to transplant the fruit trees.”

She hoped the 100 apple seedlings and 100 pear seedlings would thrive.

With so many poultry on the estate, they couldn’t just feed them grass.

They were fed sweet potatoes and rice bran, both of which cost money.

Once the potatoes and sweet potatoes were harvested, they would have plenty of feed for the poultry.

Uncle Hong nodded, “Understood. I’ll inform Niu Da.”

Yang Haiyan added, “Alright, if there’s nothing else, you may go.”

After Uncle Hong left, Yang Haiyan couldn’t stop thinking about the broccoli.

She was eager to eat it!

“Madam…” Granny Lian entered from outside. “Madam, we have some good news in the house.”

Yang Haiyan was curious, “What good news? Is Aunt Hong pregnant?”

She found it unlikely.

Hong Dazitou, Aunt Hong’s son, had just started walking.

If she were pregnant again, it would be quite soon.

Granny Lian couldn’t help but laugh, “No, it’s the private guard, Chen Dashí. He’s getting married.”

Yang Haiyan was surprised, “Really? Who’s the bride?”