Just as He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye were about to go over and greet Old Lady Cui, Mo Jiuye, who had extremely good hearing, suddenly heard chaotic noises coming from afar.
These noises did not seem to foretell any danger. Rather, they sounded like the Cui Family members crying and wailing...
At the same time, there were also sounds of people from the Zhou Family running outside the courtyard walls.
"I heard a group of government officials went to the Cui residence. Let's go take a look quickly!"
"Hurry up, or we won't get good spots!"
"With so much crying, the Cui Family is probably doomed..."
He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye exchanged glances and headed out of the yard together.
It wasn't that they were gossipy or liked to watch other families' misfortunes. They mainly wanted to learn more about the Cui Family's situation as soon as possible, so they could buy the yard and land at the foot of the mountain earlier.
By the time the two of them arrived near the Cui residence, the area was already crowded with villagers who came to watch the commotion.
The crying and pleas for mercy from the Cui Family members were becoming more and more intense.
"Your Honor, it was all Cui Wen who did it. I had nothing to do with it at all. You can't treat me like this!"
"Your Excellency, please just let me go this once. I still have an 80-year-old mother at home that I need to take care of."
"Your Honor, I beg you, spare me this time..."
The government officials were very impatient, constantly whipping the Cui Family members with rods in their hands.
"All of you shut up! Now you know to plead for mercy, but at the time you committed those bad deeds, you didn't think about today!"
The whips fell on the bodies of over a dozen Cui Family members, causing their screams to rise another notch.
For the Zhao and Zhou Family members, such a scene was extremely gratifying.
The villainous Cui Family was finally getting their retribution.
They thought only a few Cui Family members would be arrested, but unexpectedly, the officials went to find the Zhao and Zhou clan leaders afterwards.
The two clan leaders had no idea why they were being implicated in the Cui Family's offenses. In front of the officials, they looked very apprehensive.
"Your Honor, we do not know why you have summoned us."
The official loudly proclaimed: "The County prefect has ordered that any woman who was forced to marry into the Cui Family against her will can now get an annulment from her husband or a divorce if she is unwilling to continue the marriage."
Soon after the official finished speaking, three women came running from the direction of the Cui Family members.
The three women knelt down in front of the officials together: "Your Honors, we ask to be granted divorces."
After speaking, they did not forget to glare fiercely back at the Cui Family members.
He Zhiran looked over these three women. Just by their patched-up clothes, it was obvious they did not match the status of the Cui Family.
It was clear how difficult their lives must have been after marrying into the Cui Family.
While He Zhiran was lost in thought, several people also came running from the direction of the Zhao and Zhou crowd.
They found their daughters and held them while crying bitterly.
"Er Ni, it's all because your parents were incompetent that you suffered over two years of mistreatment in the Cui Family. But now, the County prefect has allowed you to get a divorce. Let's finalize it today!"
"Qiao Xing, those beasts in the Cui Family treated you like a servant. Today, we will help you divorce him!"
"Wonderful! My daughter finally doesn't have to suffer in the Cui Family anymore. Don't worry, once you're home, your parents and brothers will provide for you."
As they held their daughters and wept, amidst the women's shrieking cries from the Zhao and Zhou crowd, several sturdy men dragged a few unsightly women to the officials.
The men casually flung those women onto the ground.
"Your Honor, we request annulments. Even if we can never remarry, we don't want Cui Family women for the rest of our lives!"
"That's right, we would rather die than take Cui Family women!"
Seeing the men's determined attitude, the Cui Family women also stopped crying.
One woman who looked plump and young tried to grab one of the Zhao men's arms.
"Zhao Yushan, marrying me was your blessing. Don't disgrace yourself like this!"
Zhao Yushan abruptly jerked his body back. He no longer endured like before.
"I, Zhao Yushan, do not need such blessings. You should go back to your Cui Family!"
The Cui woman refused to accept this and moved to tear at Zhao Yushan again.
"Don't you forget, I gave birth to two sons for you!"
Zhao Yushan sneered coldly: "So what if it's two sons? They still took your surname!"
The other Cui Family women who had been dragged out also attempted to cling to their husbands. From their behavior, it was obvious this wasn't the first time they had thrown such tantrums.
Seeing the chaos, the official loudly admonished everyone before things finally quieted down slightly.
Afraid that something might change, the Zhao and Zhou clan leaders hurriedly ordered people to fetch paper and writing brushes on site. They publicly wrote annulment notes for the Cui women and hastily removed the women's names from their family trees.
Getting divorces for the women who married into the Cui Family was slightly more troublesome. Not only did the clan leaders have to help write the divorce papers, they needed to go to the county yamen to stamp the official seal for them to take effect.
For this reason, the families of the women decided on the spot to follow the officials to the county yamen, and finalize the divorces from the Cui men today no matter what.
The officials were also unambiguous. Regardless of whatever unlawful acts they once helped Cui Wen with, now that there was a new County prefect, they had to curry favor at all costs. This was the only way for them to redeem themselves.
Therefore, the officials worked very efficiently. After tying up those implicated Cui Family members, they hurried back to the county yamen.
Watching over a dozen clansmen taken away and so many abandoned wives and divorced husbands, the Cui Family completely deflated.
Some were still prone to habitually scolding the Zhao and Zhou families. But facing their vastly different demeanor now, they no longer dared.
For over ten years, the Zhao and Zhou families finally attained a sense of pride in Xi Ling Village.
They no longer needed to fear oppression and bullying from the Cui Family anymore. Life would certainly become better and better from now on.
Seeing that the officials had left with the prisoners, He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye returned home before the crowds dispersed to continue working on household matters, just as they had anticipated.
Sure enough, when it was nearing dusk, the horse carts continuously went back and forth, transporting all the goods from the warehouses.
Getting so many items in one day greatly astonished the Zhao and Zhou clansmen. They knew the Cui Family lived prosperous lives but had never imagined the Mo Family newly settling in to purchase this much.
Moreover, most of the items being unloaded seemed unfamiliar to them.
It was understandable. For someone who was once a high-ranking official in the capital city, even if he was exiled, he still had a substantial foundation.
Both families were glad that the Mo Family did not yield to Cui Wen. Otherwise, they would not have been assigned to Xi Ling Village. Their country bumpkin selves would not have the chance to broaden their horizons at home...
