"What?!" Old Madam Qiao screeched at the top of her lungs when she heard Han Ruochen’s response. "Why don’t you go ahead and rob someone? What do you mean by one thousand yuan?"

"Hah! Do you think that I am asking for too much? You old woman! We gave your family a bicycle, including a sewing machine, as well as the entire set of furniture. There was also a thermos as well as two sets of quilts and blankets. Is it too much? I am actually doing you a favour by asking you the amount that we spent years ago. Do you want me to calculate it according to the current prices?"

"And there was an extra five hundred yuan! Have you forgotten what you have gobbled up just because many years have passed?"

As soon as Han Ruochen finished speaking, the villagers also thought that there was nothing wrong with what she said. Indeed, when they heard her explanation.

"Old Madam Qiao, what she is saying is indeed correct. How can you take the dowry of your daughter-in-law and give it to your daughter?"

"I always wondered what happened. When Han Xuehan came to this village, she naturally brought a bunch of things with her, but after Old Madam Qiao’s daughter got married, I never saw her dowry ever again. I doubted that it was given away, but Old Madam Qiao insisted that it wasn’t the case."

"This is truly shameless. How can they snatch the dowry of their daughter-in-law? It’s fine if they wanted to take a few things to use, but who would take the entire dowry of their daughter-in-law and send it with their daughter?"

"No wonder the Han family is so angry. Even I feel angry just after listening to the good things that the Qiao family has done."

"Haha, Old Madam Qiao really has no shame, does she?"

Listening to the mocking and scornful remarks, Old Madam Qiao was so angry that she was shaking. She raised a trembling finger and pointed it at the crowd that was mocking her and her family. "Shut up! This is a family matter; you have no right to speak in such matters."

"Heh, who wants to talk about your family matters?" said one of the women of the village. "Isn’t it because you are too shameless and arrogant that we cannot withstand the injustice? No matter how poor you are, you still need to be a person with integrity. Look at you, you first lied to this family and then stole the dowry of their daughter. Is this something a decent human being can do?"

"Old Ding! Shut up!"

"I will not shut up; tell me what you will do?"

Old Madam Qiao wanted to beat the woman until all of her rotten teeth were knocked out, but before she could make a move, Village Head Qiao came running. He heard what happened just now and couldn’t even stay put for a second. He came running as if there were wheels under his feet.

"Mister Han, please calm down." Village Head Qiao knew that what Old Madam Qiao had done was indeed wrong, but he could not allow them to call the police. If the Han family called the police, Village Head Qiao was worried that the reputation of their village would be ruined. There were many unmarried girls and boys in their village; even if Old Madam Qiao certainly deserved it, what would happen if this woman were dragged to the police station? Their village would end up carrying the stigma of holding a criminal.

And what was more, the crime that Old Madam Qiao had committed was not a good one. Usurping the dowry of her daughter-in-law, if this matter were leaked, then he would be worried that no good woman would be willing to marry into their village. After all, who would be willing to marry into a village where a mother-in-law stole the dowry of her daughter-in-law? He feared that no one would be willing!

So he could not allow the matter to be leaked to the other villages.

He put on a flattering smile and said in a low voice, "Mister Han, I know that this woman deserves to be thrown into a prison cell, but please give me some face. Our village’s reputation will be ruined if you take her to the police station. How about this? I will act as your guarantor. You can leave the matter of collecting the one thousand yuan to me. I promise that I will arrange the money as soon as possible." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Han Yichen pursed his lips. He really wanted to send the woman to the prison cell. Why should he give up because of the village head? However, before he could refuse, Han Ruochen stopped him.

She caught his wrist and shook her head. She knew that her father was angry, but right now was not the time for them to rip the face off with the entire village. Anyway, the Qiao family was not simple. The crime that they had committed right now was not a big one, but this was not the end. Han Ruochen thought about the true identity of Old Madam Qiao and Qiao Tingyan. She would love to see how the village head would save the two of them and the entire village then. Maybe he would even regret his actions today.

At least if he had agreed to send these two to prison today, then he wouldn’t have to face the sufferings that were waiting for him.

"Alright, but we will only give them three months. If they try to shirk the responsibility, then I will sue them. I hope that you will have nothing to say against me?" said Han Ruochen. Of course, she was willing to give time to the village head since she had no intention of angering the old village head.

When Village Head Qiao heard Han Ruochen agree, he heaved a sigh of relief, but before he could even show some gratitude to Han Ruochen, Old Madam Qiao jumped in the air and refused. "No!"