Chapter 33: The Village Head Must Have Drunk Fake Wine

Upon hearing this, the village head nearly dropped his jaw in shock.

He hadn’t expected this girl to be so capable.

If she really became his daughter-in-law, all the money she earned would belong to his family. He could enjoy meat and wine every day without worrying about a good life!

But his son was a cripple; how could she possibly look at him?

This girl may look frail, but he never imagined she had such abilities.

How could he make her willingly become his daughter-in-law?

The key was to find a way to ensure she willingly contributed to the family, keeping all her earnings firmly in his hands.

As the village head was lost in his fantasies, Old Man Ji asked, “Uncle, do you think we can settle this today?”

“Ah?” The village head snapped back to reality, his mind racing.

Perhaps this was a great opportunity!

If he could build a good relationship with Hu Zhaodi now, he could find a suitable time to lure her into his home.

As long as she and his son became intimate, would she not have to obediently marry his son?

Once she stepped through that door, the household would still be under his control, and her earnings would surely end up in his pocket.

Thinking of this, the village head immediately donned a smiling face. “We can settle it, of course! Let’s go inside and discuss it in detail.”

Hu Zhaodi frowned slightly; the village head must have drunk fake wine today.

Something was off—very off.

Considering his attitude on the day of the split, he wouldn’t be this amiable while speaking to her.

This old fellow probably had some ulterior motives.

But Hu Zhaodi wasn’t worried about a mere village head.

If he truly tried to pull any underhanded tricks, he could end up as helpless as his son for the rest of his life.

Following the village head into the house, Hu Zhaodi looked around.

As expected of a village official’s family, their conditions were indeed much better than those of ordinary families.

The village head’s house was the best in the village; it wasn’t a mud-brick house but a brick-and-tile one. The furnishings were also quite elegant.

The furniture was all high-quality solid wood, and the house was kept clean and tidy.

The village head’s eyes kept roaming over Hu Zhaodi. She seemed to have gained a little weight over the past month, and her small face had a hint of color.

Upon closer inspection, the girl’s features were especially delicate. Although her skin was still a bit sallow, her small face was quite pleasing to the eye.

Under long eyelashes, her big eyes were bright and lively. With a high nose bridge, a small mouth like a cherry, and a pointed chin, if she gained a bit more weight, she would definitely be a stunning beauty.

If this girl could marry his son, wouldn’t he also…

While the village head was lost in his thoughts, Old Man Ji spoke up, “Uncle, it’s been just half a month since Zhaodi cut ties with the Hu family. It’s not easy for her; she’s all alone and rather pitiable. Do you think we could lower the price a bit?”

The village head came back to his senses and nodded. “You’re right. Zhaodi, I was confused as the elder before; please don’t hold it against me. Since you want the land by the small pine forest, I’ll give you a discount of twenty taels, so you only need to pay one hundred taels.”

That piece of land was already priced at the lowest amount.

Hu Zhaodi smiled and replied, “Thank you, Uncle Village Head. I tend to forget things; I almost forgot about that.”

The village head chuckled. “You’ve grown up right under our noses. You suffered so much while with the Hu family, and as your uncle, I couldn’t interfere too much in their family affairs.

Now that you’ve cut ties with them, if you need anything in the future, feel free to come to me. I will do my utmost to help you with whatever I can.”

“Alright, thank you, Uncle Village Head.”

Hu Zhaodi took out a silver note of one hundred taels and handed it to the village head.

The village head was taken aback for a moment as he stared at the silver note; this girl could really produce money.

“Zhaodi, you don’t need to rush to give me the silver note. After all, the land deal needs to be done properly. We should write up a receipt.

Let’s do this: once I prepare the receipt, you can bring the silver note over, and we’ll finalize everything then.

Don’t worry, I will definitely reserve that piece of land for you.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded slightly. “Alright! How about you prepare the receipt tomorrow, and I’ll come by in the afternoon to pay?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll make sure to have it ready by tomorrow.”

The corners of Hu Zhaodi’s mouth lifted slightly as she seized the opportunity. “By the way, Uncle Village Head, I have one more thing to trouble you with.”

“What is it? Just say it.”

“It’s about my severing ties with the Hu family. I hope the government can issue me a document to formalize this, so the Hu family won’t keep bothering me.”

The village head nodded seriously. “The Hu family can be quite unreasonable; it’s definitely necessary to have a formal document. Since you’ve brought it up, I will go to the county office first thing tomorrow to handle this matter.”

Old Man Ji chimed in, “That’s perfect. Zhaodi and I are planning to head into town tomorrow morning, so we can go together.”

The village head smiled and nodded. “Great, I’ll wait for you at the intersection tomorrow morning.”

“Then we’ll head back now. You should rest early,” Old Man Ji said as he stood to take his leave.

“Alright, take care. Make sure to set off early tomorrow,” the village head replied.

As Hu Zhaodi and Old Man Ji left the village head’s house and exited the yard, Old Man Ji smiled and said, “I didn’t expect the village head to be so accommodating today, even reducing the price by twenty taels.”

A cold glint flashed in Hu Zhaodi’s eyes. “Master Ji, do you really think the village head is genuinely easy to deal with?”

Old Man Ji was taken aback. “Zhaodi, what do you mean by that?”

“Businesspeople are only motivated by profit, and especially someone like him, the village head. Master Ji, you should head back first; I’ll sneak back to the village head’s house to see what he’s really up to.”

“No way, I can’t let you go alone. I’ll go with you!”

Hu Zhaodi patiently urged, “Master Ji, I’ve even taken down wild boars. Do you still think I can’t handle him? Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Just head back for now; I’m only going to scout out the situation.”

Old Man Ji stubbornly shook his head. “No, I can’t relax about this. Here’s the deal: you go scout, and I’ll wait outside the village head’s yard. I won’t feel at ease unless I see you’re safe.”

“Fine! But remember, whatever you see, don’t make a sound, or we’ll be exposed.”

“I know, I know. I won’t ruin your plans. Hurry up and go back.”

So, the two turned around and headed back to the village head’s house.

Upon reaching the outside of the village head’s yard, it was already dark, and the flickering candlelight was visible from inside the house.

Hu Zhaodi instructed Old Man Ji to wait outside the yard. She steadied herself against the fence, slightly tensed her legs, and gracefully leaped over.

Old Man Ji’s eyes widened in shock at the sight.

The fence, nearly as tall as a person, and she effortlessly vaulted over it?

Am I seeing things?

But after rubbing his eyes and looking again, Zhaodi was already at the window of the village head’s house.

It wasn’t an illusion!

How did that girl manage to do that?

At that moment, a voice from inside the house broke through the stillness: “Why did you agree to give that girl one hundred taels for that piece of land when we could have kept twenty taels out of the one hundred twenty?”