“What’s going on here?” Village Chief Wang looked around and asked.

Li Cuihong squeezed forward, ready to speak.

But Village Chief Wang cut her off coldly: “I wasn’t asking you.”

Li Cuihong could only retreat resentfully.

Village Chief Wang looked around again and pointed at Granny Xu. “Granny Xu, you tell us.”

Granny Xu stepped forward and recounted everything in detail — emphasizing how Qin Laizi had bullied the children, and how he had spoken flirtatiously toward Qian Chunhua.

Earlier, Qian Chunhua’s fierce presence had silenced everyone — not a single person dared to defend Qin Laizi or joke around anymore.

Clan Leader Zhao turned red with rage — someone dared to bully a member of the Zhao family?

“Is this true?” Chief Wang scanned the crowd again.

Everyone nodded, even Zhao Dafang and Li Lianyan, who had long disliked Chunhua, nodded along — they dared not speak falsely.

That woman was too fierce to mess with.

The Xu brothers, Xu Jiang and Xu He, stepped forward and added, “Yesterday, Qin Laizi was spreading rumors that he had gone up the mountain with Qian Chunhua. But we can testify — she went alone. We never saw Qin Laizi on the mountain.”

Zhao Yongqiang panicked.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

In the past, when rumors about a man and woman’s “inappropriate relations” surfaced, the woman would cry and hide.

But Qian Chunhua didn’t cry — she called the village chief instead.

Now his whole scheme had failed.

Before he could think of a solution, Chief Wang shouted at Qin Laizi: “Get up! You’re a grown man rolling around on the ground like a fishwife — have some shame!”

Qin Laizi had been wailing for a while, but no one stood up for him.

Hearing the chief’s roar, he crawled up miserably.

His legs wobbled — that stun baton was really something.

He looked sheepishly toward Qian Chunhua.

“Is everything Granny Xu said true?” Chief Wang gave Qin Laizi a chance to explain.

Qin Laizi stammered, unwilling to admit it — if he did, and the chief got angry enough to kick him out of the village, he’d be done for.

He glanced sideways, trying to come up with a plan.

But the moment his eyes caught sight of Qian Chunhua’s baton raised again, he flinched instinctively and blurted out, “Yes, yes, it’s true!”

Forget it — better to get through this first.

Qin Laizi had no reputation to protect anyway — he just didn’t want to be expelled.

Zhao Yongqiang was furious.

This damn pig teammate!

The moment he admitted guilt, everything was ruined.

Now that Qin Laizi had confessed, the issue could be resolved.

Chief Wang turned to Qian Chunhua. “Chunhua, how do you want to handle this?”

Qian Chunhua looked at Qin Laizi, who immediately shrank. Then she glanced at Zhao Yongqiang — who guiltily looked away.

She said, loud and clear:

“I want to report this to the authorities. Qin Laizi slandered my reputation, trying to use my ruined name to achieve some shady goal.”

Qin Laizi shivered in fear.

A few careless words had led to this?

He was a scoundrel, yes, but he still feared going before a magistrate.

He looked instinctively at Zhao Yongqiang.

Chief Wang frowned — unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want this to escalate.

“Chunhua, think carefully. If this goes public, your own reputation might be affected too.”

But Qian Chunhua rejected him immediately.

“Reporting him is the only way to prove my innocence. Only then can I set an example. Otherwise, what’s to stop someone else — on a whim or under someone’s orders — from dragging my name through the mud?”

Clan Leader Zhao nodded in agreement.

A member of the Zhao family couldn’t be slandered without consequences.

Zhao Yongqiang started to panic.

He knew Qin Laizi too well.

If he got dragged to court, he’d definitely spill the beans.

Braving his fear of the baton, Zhao Yongqiang stepped forward, saying:

“Clan Leader, I suggest we handle this according to Zhao family clan rules. Taking it to court would damage the family’s reputation.”

He paused, then added:

“Besides, Chunhua, if you weren’t running around all the time, why would Qin Laizi single you out to slander?”

As soon as he said it, Zhao Yongqiang quickly stepped back — afraid Qian Chunhua’s baton would land on him next.

Clan Leader Zhao hesitated — Yongqiang’s words weren’t entirely without reason.

Zhao Daqing finally caught on to what was happening and quickly chimed in with his son, “Yes, yes! Let’s not go to the authorities. It wouldn’t look good for anyone.”

Qian Chunhua sneered:

“Old Master Zhao, whether I report this or not has nothing to do with your family. Even if reputations are ruined, it won’t be yours — don’t forget, we’ve severed ties.”

Then she turned to Qin Laizi and said firmly:

“No matter who begs me, I’m still reporting this. According to the law, those who slander others must face punishment. Prepare to face justice.”

Qin Laizi might be shameless, but he feared for his life. He dropped to his knees and shouted,

“Don’t report it! Don’t report it! It was him! He told me to do it!”

He pointed straight at Zhao Yongqiang.

The crowd gasped — so there was a mastermind behind all this!

Just when everyone thought the drama was over, a twist appeared.

Everyone perked up again — even skipped lunch to keep watching.

Some people even ran home to bring their families to watch.

Qian Chunhua was not surprised — it was exactly what she’d guessed.

If the original Chunhua were still here, this scheme might have worked. Too bad for them — they ran into her.

When Zhao Yongqiang saw Qin Laizi point at him, he panicked and turned to flee.

But Xu He stepped in and blocked his escape.

Clan Leader Zhao shouted angrily, “Kneel down!”

Zhao Yongqiang was a coward.

Without hesitation, he fell to his knees — even forgetting to deny it.

Chief Wang was furious — so this whole mess was orchestrated by Zhao Yongqiang?

He turned and left without another word.

He wanted no part of the Zhao family’s nonsense anymore.

Both Clan Leader Zhao and Zhao Daqing were livid.

The family had lost more face in the past few days than ever before.

But no matter how angry they were, the matter had to be resolved internally.

They couldn’t let it go to the authorities.

“Chunhua, what do you think?” Clan Leader Zhao looked at her.

In truth, Qian Chunhua never intended to report it.

She didn’t know the legal penalties under the laws of the Min Dynasty.

A slander charge without real consequences might not result in much punishment.

Her goal had been to flush out the mastermind — and now that she had, she was willing to let the clan save face.

“I leave it to the clan leader to decide.” Qian Chunhua acted magnanimous now, as if she was putting the bigger picture first.

The crowd nodded approvingly.

Since Chunhua gave him this face-saving chance, Clan Leader Zhao wouldn’t let her suffer.

He waved his hand and ordered Zhao Yongqiang to apologize publicly to Chunhua.

And then to compensate her with 500 jin of rice. Qin Laizi would also have to compensate 500 jin of rice.

Thus, the incident ended — with Zhao Yongqiang’s scheme backfiring badly.

But after this, the villagers of Huanghualing saw Zhao Yongqiang in a new light.

The Zhao family members wore complicated expressions.

Zhao Daqing and Zhao Mother were forced to reassess their eldest son.

Li Cuihong, Zhao Qingshui, and Zhao Xiaojun were all silently cursing their bad luck.

Zhao Qingyun, eyebrows furrowed, looked at his father as if seeing him for the first time.

Qian Chunhua hadn’t laid a finger on Zhao Yongqiang, but taking 500 jin of rice from his household hurt more than any beating ever could.