"Village Chief, I've invited Doctor Qi!"
Li Wencai quickly made way, allowing Doctor Qi to enter the house. Fan Zehao stood by Zhang Cuihua's bedside, staring blankly at her, her clothes soaked, her face pale. If not for the rise and fall of her chest, he would have truly believed she was dead.
Qi Xuan took her pulse and after a long while, slowly said, "She has injured her lungs. She will need to take medicine for a long time to recover slowly. Even when she is better, she must be very careful."
Not dead, there was hope.
Zhao Jiaqi, who had been worried the entire way, finally let out a long sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"Doctor Qi, please write a prescription. I'll have someone send you back shortly and pick up the medicine."
Zhao Jiaqi was efficient. Soon, Qi Xuan wrote the prescription, and Fan Guangping escorted him back, also bringing the medicine.
Li Wencai, witnessing this unexpected event, suddenly realized that Zhao Jiaqi was a composed and steady presence. If this family lacked her, Zhang Cuihua would likely have died today.
"You deal with your mother-in-law's affairs first, then handle Bai Damei's matters. Also, advise her not to do anything foolish!"
Li Wencai said earnestly, his brows deeply furrowed as he left.
Day after day, these village troubles never seemed to cease. It was always one household bickering with another, or dogs chasing rabbits.
Now, it had nearly led to a death. He had to rectify these bad habits in the village!
The village chief left, with no one to see him off. Those who had been waiting in the yard also dispersed, following the village chief.
After changing her mother-in-law's clothes, Wang Zhaodi, disheveled and with several tears in her clothing, her face and the backs of her hands scratched, entered the room in a sorry state.
"Sister-in-law, I... I'm sorry to Auntie!" Wang Zhaodi cried.
Zhao Jiaqi sighed deeply. Looking at her still sleeping mother-in-law, she pulled her out of the house. "Don't dwell on this. Since it has happened, you should focus on dealing with what comes next."
What was the point of arguing about who was right or wrong now?
Soon, Fan Guangping returned with the medicine. Fan He, who had been silent, took the medicine and went to the kitchen. They could all see that Fan He genuinely cared for Zhang Cuihua.
At the village chief's house.
Fan Zehao and his wife, Wang Zhaodi's family, and Bai Damei's family were all present.
Seeing Bai Damei, Fan Zehao felt an urge to strangle her, but Zhao Jiaqi suppressed it.
Even so, Bai Damei didn't think she had done anything wrong. She argued with Fan Zehao, saying, "Your mother is shameless, flirting with a bachelor in broad daylight. If you dare to do it, don't be afraid to talk about it!"
Upon hearing this, Fan Guangping's face changed drastically. He raised his hand and slapped her hard, "Your father is the real bachelor! You were bred by some animal, you're worse than an animal!"
Bai Damei's husband, Li Sheng, seeing his wife being hit, angrily moved to hit Wang Zhaodi. The room instantly descended into chaos, a pandemonium.
"All of you shut up! If anyone else makes a scene, they can get out of the village!"
The village chief was furious. He scanned everyone in the room, finally fixing his gaze on Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi.
"Village Chief Uncle, we are here to resolve this matter, not to listen to gossip. If they continue to spew obscenities and insult my mother-in-law, I don't mind using force to resolve this matter."
"As for whether our family stays in the village or not, we don't care. We can't be bullied and pretend to be deaf and mute, as if nothing happened! Don't you agree, Village Chief Uncle?"
Her words clearly indicated that this matter would not be easily settled.
It also implicitly told him that she did not fear his previous threat.
Li Wencai, who had intended to smooth things over, now saw that it was impossible.
He sighed inwardly. Fine, someone had to pay the price to understand the seriousness of the matter, so that no one would casually spread gossip in the future!
"Yes, this matter absolutely cannot be tolerated! I agree!" As soon as Li Wencai spoke, he looked at Fan Guangping's family. "Since this matter was caused by your father, let's hear it from you. What exactly happened!"
Fan Guangping was not articulate, so Wang Zhaodi spoke for him. "Our two families are neighbors, and we have had a good relationship over the years. This is because Auntie's family was delivering goods to the town..."
Wang Zhaodi recounted the story meticulously, mentioning that ten days prior, they had also sent a matchmaker to propose marriage. They were just waiting for an auspicious day to have both families sit down and formalize the marriage.
"We intended to treat the village to a feast, but the elders disagreed, saying it was too late to make a big fuss and it would be embarrassing. So, we didn't publicize it in the village. If the village chief doesn't believe us, he can go to Li Family Village and find Matchmaker Li. She will confirm everything!"
She spoke so plausibly that Li Wencai almost believed her.
In turn, the village chief asked Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao. "Is this true?"
"True!" Fan Zehao said with a solemn, fabricated tone.
Li Wencai was now truly convinced. In his impression, Fan Zehao would not lie.
Zhao Jiaqi subtly raised her eyebrows. Honest people were never doubted. In reality, her mother-in-law had not agreed to the marriage, only saying she would consider it.
Now, there was no need to consider it. With their embellishments, the matter was as good as settled.
"Bai Damei, did you hear that? They invited a matchmaker and were open about it. What else do you have to say!"
"If they really invited a matchmaker, why was it so secretive? I don't believe it. They're just adulterous lovers..."
As soon as the words "adulterous lovers" left her mouth, Fan Zehao slapped her face hard, knocking her off the small stool and onto the ground.
"Believe it or not, I'll wring your neck and use it as a chamber pot!" Fan Zehao roared, looking down at the person on the ground without blinking.
Bai Damei truly didn't believe him, but seeing his bloodshot eyes, she trembled slightly. "You... you wouldn't dare. Murder is punishable by death. I'll tell... tell you... if you dare touch me again..."
*Slap!* Her other cheek was struck. Bai Damei stared at him in disbelief, while Li Sheng dared not step forward to confront Fan Zehao.
He was strong enough to make dogs fear him and chickens hide. How could he dare to provoke trouble?
The room fell silent for a moment.
After a pause, Zhao Jiaqi broke the silence.
"Village Chief, Bai Damei insulted my mother in the village, so she must apologize to the entire village. Secondly, Doctor Qi said my mother needs to be medicated for slow recovery. During this period, her family will cover the medical expenses. These demands are not excessive, are they?"
Li Wencai nodded. "Indeed, they are not excessive!"
Upon hearing about the money, Li Sheng reacted faster than Bai Damei, immediately refusing, "No! An apology is acceptable, but paying money is out of the question!"
"If you refuse to pay, I can throw your mother into the river and let her experience the taste of drowning! How about that?"
Li Sheng had never expected that a young wife like Zhao Jiaqi could be so ruthless. "You are outright trying to kill someone! You venomous shrew with a heart of poison!"
"I'm a venomous shrew? And what about your wife? She drove someone to the brink of death, isn't she a venomous shrew too? I'm merely learning from you!"
She venomously called him a heart of poison, but what heinous deeds had she committed?
"Since I married into this family, I believe I have not offended you. Although my family is not good at socializing with village folk, we have never harmed anyone in the village, nor have we gossiped. How can I be called a venomous shrew? Li Sheng, tell me!"
She was merely not angry. When she did get angry, even Li Wencai trembled.
Where did this aura come from, emanating from a mere farm wife?