Chapter 50: Xu Nian’s Punishment

On the way back to the village, everyone remained completely silent. Xu Yaozu sat with his eyes closed, resting and ignoring everyone. Xu Fugui and Xu Youliang, knowing they had made a mistake, did not dare to make a sound.

Uncle Zhang and his family, seeing that the master was displeased, also refrained from speaking. Although Xu Nian had won the lawsuit, she did not feel particularly happy.

She had never felt so frustrated as she did now. If not for Luo Jin’an’s influence, she would never have won the case. If she, with her connections, struggled this much, what about ordinary commoners?

Furthermore, a potted plant, simply because it was sought after by the wealthy, was able to bring in 160 taels of compensation, while two injured people received only 24 taels. And this was only because their family was not just ordinary peasants.

Looking out at the vast expanse of white land through the window, Xu Nian made a decision in her heart…

As soon as the group entered the courtyard, they saw Madam Wang and a few others rushing out.

“You’re finally back! Are the injuries serious?”

Xu Fugui and Xu Youliang, fearing that their family would worry, quickly assured her, “It’s nothing, Mother, look—just a few scratches.”

The two of them quickly helped their grandmother back into the main hall, wanting to avoid their eldest brother’s sharp gaze.

Xu Nian instructed Uncle Zhang, “Uncle Zhang, let Zhang Da and Zhang Er go home and rest. They don’t need to go out for the next few days. If they feel unwell, make sure they come and tell me.”

Uncle Zhang expressed his deep gratitude and took his two sons back to their residence.

“Xiu’er, you should go back and rest as well.”

After sending off Uncle Zhang’s family, Xu Nian finally entered the main hall.

At this moment, Madam Wang was scolding angrily in the hall. Xu Nian helped calm her down and then took out the compensation money.

“This is the silver compensation from the Liu family. 160 taels of it is for the potted plant—Grandmother, you should keep this.

The remaining 24 taels are for medical expenses. By right, this should be for Second Uncle and Third Uncle, but since Zhang Da and Zhang Er were seriously injured, I plan to give them half. Would Second Uncle and Third Uncle agree?”

“What’s there to disagree with? I just got a few scratches and still ended up earning a few taels of silver. If I had known, I would’ve let them hit me a few more times—ouch!”

Madam Zheng pinched Xu Fugui hard.

“Spit, spit, spit! Watch your mouth!”

“Second Sister-in-law, pinch him a few more times. He clearly needs some discipline,” Madam Wang glared at her second son before speaking again.

“We are an honest farming family. We don’t take advantage of others. This silver should be shared.”

Xu Youliang nodded repeatedly.

Now that she was sure her two sons were not seriously hurt, Madam Wang turned her attention to her eldest son.

“Yaozu, why did you come back as well? Is everything fine at the yamen?”

“Mother, don’t worry. Everything is fine.”

Seeing that the atmosphere had lightened, Xu Weian began enthusiastically recounting the details of the trial at the yamen.

Meanwhile, Xu Yaozu signaled with his eyes, and Xu Nian obediently followed him outside.

When they arrived at the study, Xu Yaozu finally spoke, “You’re becoming bolder. You dare to fabricate any kind of lie. What if the official had asked the yamen’s physician to re-examine you?”

Xu Nian lowered her head and muttered, “No matter who checked, the result would be the same. Who can truly diagnose matters of the mind?”

Seeing that his daughter still did not understand her mistake, Xu Yaozu let out a deep sigh.

“Nian’er, I know you are intelligent, but no matter how capable a person is, they must always maintain a sense of reverence. There will always be someone stronger and more powerful.”

Xu Nian’s expression brightened as she looked up seriously. “Father, I understand my mistake now.”

She had indeed been too presumptuous. Thinking back, if even one person in the Liu family had been more scheming, the outcome of today’s lawsuit could have been completely different.

Seeing his daughter in deep thought, Xu Yaozu nodded in satisfaction.

“Since you understand your mistake, copy the ‘Three Fears of a Gentleman’ from The Analects one hundred times.”

Watching his daughter leave the study, Xu Yaozu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Nian’er was a girl with a strong sense of justice, intelligence, and independence. However, for precisely these reasons, he worried that she would suffer greatly in the future.

Meanwhile, Xu Nian returned to her room and began copying The Analects over and over again, skipping even her meals.

Madam Wang had never seen her eldest granddaughter suffer such punishment before. When Xu Yaozu came to say his farewell, she did not show him a pleasant expression.

“How can I possibly accept your courtesy? You came back just to throw your weight around. Next time, why don’t you punish me along with her? Hurry up and leave. We were doing just fine before you returned.”

Xu Yaozu could not help but smile wryly. Knowing that his mother was distressed for her granddaughter, he did not dare to argue. He simply allowed the old lady to vent her frustration.

Although Madam Wang scolded fiercely, she still instructed Madam Zheng to pack the family’s lamb onto the carriage.

“This was bought by the eldest granddaughter. She even made sure to set aside a portion for you all.

Hmph~ Only the eldest granddaughter is filial. If I had such a heartless father, I wouldn’t even bother acknowledging him.”

Xu Yaozu’s mouth twitched slightly. Mother, all he did was make Nian’er copy some text—he didn’t hit or scold her. Why did she make it sound like he was a villain beyond redemption?

Xu Yaozu gave his mother an awkward smile and slinked away back to the county office.

Xu Fugui and his brothers had never seen their eldest brother in such an awkward situation before. They struggled to keep their laughter in check, but their hearts were already filled with amusement. Especially Xu Weian, who grinned the most blatantly.

Meanwhile, Xu Nian was completely unaware that her father had been chastised because of her. She had been too focused on her writing.

By the time she finished copying all one hundred times and stepped out of her room, she realized that night had already fallen.

Hearing the movement, the Xu family members all came out.

“Eldest granddaughter, have you finished writing?”

“Hurry, Dongmei saved some food for you. I’ll go heat it up.”

“Nian’er, if you feel wronged, just tell Third Aunt.”

Even the men of the Xu family looked at her with concern.

Xu Nian stared at them, bewildered. She had just been writing for a while—what exactly had happened?

It was Xu Ling who finally explained things to her.

“Big Sister, you’ve been in your room writing all afternoon. When my mother went in to light the lamp for you, she saw you crying.”

Xu Nian awkwardly rubbed her nose. She hadn’t even noticed her Second Aunt coming in.

“I’m really fine. I was probably just too focused on writing and didn’t realize Second Aunt had lit the lamp. I wasn’t crying—my eyes were just tired, so they might have looked a little red.”

Everyone nodded, half-believing her explanation.

Madam Wang spoke up, “Then hurry and eat. After that, get some rest early.”

Watching Xu Nian’s thin figure walk away, Madam Wang felt her heart ache terribly.

“When the eldest son comes back, you must have a serious talk with him. Show him the authority of a father.”

Xu Laoye glanced at Madam Wang but remained silent.

Wasn’t it the same person who, in the past, had thrown tantrums and even threatened her own life whenever he punished their eldest son?

After finishing her meal, Xu Nian originally planned to go straight to bed. However, she felt too alert to sleep, so she simply entered her personal space.

Inside, the sweet potato vines had already turned yellow and dried up. Xu Nian dug up a few sweet potatoes and pressed them—judging by their firmness, they were fully mature.

That night, Xu Nian spent all her time in her personal space, harvesting sweet potatoes. Instead of feeling tired, she was filled with excitement.

She was going to use these sweet potatoes to pave a path for her father’s success and secure a solid foundation for her family’s future.