A Good Country Wife

Even the victim himself didn’t hold a grudge and spoke up for Biaozi, so Lin Yue naturally had no reason to cling to the matter. She also breathed a sigh of relief, and with Xu Xiaosan’s intervention, no matter how she dealt with the situation, it would be easier to convince others. Nevertheless, given the extent of the commotion, it was unacceptable to not deal with it at all.

Not just Biaozi, but also those who had caused trouble earlier, Lin Yue took note of them all. There were a few among the villagers and the refugees, especially the Zhao Wufu family. Lin Yue certainly recognized them from the horrible deeds they had committed before, none of them were decent people, and now, during such times, they had stirred up trouble again.

"Madam, why don’t we just let this matter go? Xiaosan himself has said he doesn’t want to hold it against anyone. Besides, we all understand that previously we wronged the folks in the village. Although we did those conscience-shocking things because we were driven by desperation to survive, what’s done is done, and we cannot deny it! Since Xiaosan is fine, please spare Biaozi this time. After all, Biaozi is a victim too, and he has a whole family to support."

Zhang Guo was quick-witted and good at reading people’s expressions. He had a clear understanding of the current situation and had a good guess of Lin Yue’s thoughts. His persuasion, even more effective than the village chief’s entreaties, came from someone who was openly on the side of the refugees, so it carried more weight.

"Alright, since that’s what everyone says, and Xiaosan is willing to let it go, and Biaozi has extenuating circumstances, I’ll drop the matter too. Otherwise, everyone might think I’m heartless. Let’s keep Biaozi here this time. However, even if Xiaosan can overlook what Biaozi did, the wrongdoings you all committed don’t end there. Today’s commotion has caused a terrible impact, and if we don’t deliver some form of punishment, everyone might follow suit in the future, and we won’t be able to manage them. A family has its rules, so I will impose appropriate punishments on those who instigated the trouble today, based on the severity of their actions. I hope such incidents don’t happen a second time, or else there will be only one outcome: expulsion!"

Liu Aniu, seeing that Lin Yue was almost done speaking, asked in front of everyone, "Has everyone memorized Madam’s orders?"

"We have," everyone responded in unison, with a sense of solidarity. After this incident, most of the villagers had changed their views on the refugees, feeling sympathy and understanding for their previous actions, and the resentment had diminished.

To prevent any further disputes, Lin Yue stayed behind to ensure the matter was settled properly, making sure there would be no more upheavals before she returned to the courtyard.

As soon as she got back, Dalang ran over happily, "Mother, are you alright? Is everything resolved?"