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“How is it?”
“Well, of course, it’s not okay!”
Grandma Shen stared with her eyes, inwardly protesting. Just now, her third daughter-in-law went through so much suffering during childbirth. Yet, they actually expected to just let it slide with a mere apology from that Aunt Pan.
No way!!!
Just as Grandma Shen was about to voice her objections, Shen Yu’an quickly grabbed hold of her.
Grandma Shen looked at Shen Yu’an, saw her shaking her head, and decided to hold back her words for now.
Having stopped Grandma Shen, Shen Yu’an then looked ahead at the Pan family.
This matter didn’t require them to speak up; naturally, someone else would voice their disagreement on their behalf.
And Zhu Li Zheng happened to notice Shen Yu’an’s subtle gesture, which gave him an uneasy premonition.
Sure enough, as Shen Yu’an had expected.
Just as Grandma Shen managed to hold back her words, Aunt Pan on the other side immediately refused, her mouth wide open.
Aunt Pan boldly shouted, “Why should I? I did nothing wrong, so why should I apologize!”
Those who were trying to persuade the Shen family also fell silent, their expressions somewhat awkward.
Grandma Shen understood the intention behind Shen Yu’an’s earlier gesture to stop her from speaking.
She snorted and said, “You see, look at what she said. It’s not that our family is unwilling to let this matter pass peacefully.”
The crowd’s expressions froze, and they stopped saying anything further.
Shen Yu’an said, “This matter cannot be resolved just by you refusing to admit it. All the aunties present and Zhu Li Zheng are witnesses. Let’s report it to the authorities!”
Hearing the mention of reporting to the authorities, Aunt Pan became a little panicked.
Th-this… It’s just a small matter, and no one died. Is it really necessary to report it to the authorities?!!
The common people usually avoid bothering officials, and they have never encountered what officials are like in their entire lives, so there is naturally a sense of awe in their hearts.
The men from the Pan family were anxious and started grumbling. One of them kicked Aunt Pan in frustration.
Aunt Pan winced in pain and timidly glanced at her own husband.
In a fluster, Aunt Pan said, “It’s not a big deal, so why report it to the authorities!”
Grandma Shen gave her a sidelong glance and said, “You say it’s not a big deal, but if it weren’t for you, would my third daughter-in-law have almost faced complications during childbirth!”
Aunt Pan wanted to retort, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she not only saw the furious glare from Grandma Shen, but also noticed the hostile looks from the people in the village.
Even her own husband gave her a harsh kick.
Already sitting unsteadily, Aunt Pan tumbled to the ground from the force of the kick.
The courtyard floor of the Shen family was made with several layers of stone, very sturdy indeed.
Aunt Pan’s teeth were not well-aligned, and the impact caused her lips to be cut open.
Zhu Li Zheng couldn’t bear to watch their foolish behavior any longer and called two people over to help them up.
The dirty rags stuffed in the mouths of the Pan family members were removed so they could speak.
The man from the Pan family hurriedly said, “We apologize, we apologize.”
He urged the other members, saying, “Apologize quickly!”
Aunt Pan’s mouth was bleeding, her gaze unfocused, and she stammered, “I’m sorry.”
Shen Yu’an rubbed her ear and asked, “What? Didn’t hear you.”
Aunt Pan glared at Shen Yu’an in anger and raised her voice, saying, “I’m sorry!”
After saying that, she demanded, “I’ve apologized too, now let us go.”
Shen Yu’an’s voice turned cold as she said, “Even if my third aunt has been treated this way, do you think a simple apology is enough to make things right?”
Aunt Pan asked in shock, “What else do you want?”
Shen Yu’an looked at the Shen family members, and they immediately understood her signal.
Song Shi spoke up, “The suffering my sister-in-law went through was all because of you. During her postpartum recovery, she needs proper care to avoid leaving any health issues.”
“You should compensate with five taels of silver and add in a dozen eggs and two chickens.”
This time, not only Aunt Pan was shocked, even Pan Hou and his sister Pan Hua were stunned.
“What! Five taels of silver! And we have to give you chickens and eggs too?!!!”
Their family didn’t have that much silver. Five taels of silver would practically be all their possessions.
If they gave it all to the Shen family, how would they survive?
The man from the Pan family remained silent, his face dark with dissatisfaction over the outcome.
He shifted his gaze to Zhu Li Zheng, immediately putting on a mournful expression.
His mournful face, with all the wrinkles squeezed together, did not make him look like a friendly person.
He tried to elicit sympathy, hoping Zhu Li Zheng would mediate with the Shen family on their behalf.
He spoke, “Zhu Li Zheng, we’re all from the same village, and you know we can’t come up with so much silver. If we give it all, we’ll have nothing left.”
Zhu Li Zheng pondered the situation, realizing that if the Pan family truly handed over the five taels of silver, they would likely face severe financial difficulties, just as he had said.
Moreover, Uncle Pan was not someone to be trifled with. If provoked, he might react unpredictably, and that wouldn’t be good for anyone.
However, the Shen family also needed some resolution.
Zhu Li Zheng first spoke to the Pan family, trying to balance kindness and authority in his words.
Once they all nodded in agreement, he turned to Shen Yu’an to ask if it was feasible.
Zhu Li Zheng rubbed his forehead; his old bones were almost falling apart from standing all day.
He had noticed that the entire Shen family seemed to pay special attention to this young girl for some reason. So, he sought her opinion as well.
Just now, everyone present heard Zhu Li Zheng’s words, where he emphasized both kindness and authority to the Pan family.
He negotiated the compensation that Song Shi had proposed earlier, reducing it to two taels of silver, one chicken, and ten eggs.
His words were not only directed at the Pan family; he also kept glancing in the direction of the Shen family, observing their reactions.
Seeing Zhu Li Zheng’s approach, Shen Yu’an graciously said, “If that’s the case, let’s go with what Zhu Li Zheng suggested.”
Then she looked at Aunt Pan and asked in a slightly challenging tone, “What about you?”
Aunt Pan felt suffocated, unable to say anything. She swallowed the curses she wanted to blurt out, feeling stuck in an awkward position.
Aunt Pan rolled her eyes and turned her body away, trying to ignore the situation. The man from the Pan family hurriedly said, “Miss, you are kind-hearted. We agree. If you release us, we will go back and get the silver.”
Shen Yu’an looked at him with her eyes playfully spinning and chuckled, “Alright then.”
However, after untying the ropes from Aunt Pan, she stood there without further action, showing no intention of helping the others get untied.