After finishing her words, Jiang Huaiyu lowered her hand. Her tone shifted—from accusation to cold, unwavering resolve.
"Then let me ask this clearly," she said.
"What exactly did I do wrong, that would make Aunt act this way? Please—point it out one by one."
Xu Chunhua froze. For a moment, she forgot even to argue or deny it.
The people around immediately let out a long, drawn-out "Ohhh—".
"I never stole your jade pendant!" Xu Chunhua suddenly shouted.
Hearing the stretched-out mockery in their voices, she flew into a rage. Feeling the jade pendant sway safely between the layers of her undergarment, she relaxed slightly. No matter how they searched, they wouldn't find it. Even if they searched her body, they would never dare check her chest.
Before Jiang Huaiyu could respond, the village head kicked the door open and strode into the courtyard. Near the wall separating the two houses, he immediately spotted scuff marks left by climbing—scratches where feet had scraped the surface.
Though there were no clear footprints like those left in mud, it was enough.
Seven parts of suspicion solidified in his heart.
Even if Xu Chunhua hadn't stolen the jade pendant, she would never be able to wash away the suspicion.
Suppressing his anger, the village head spoke heavily,
"Chunhua, I'll give you one chance. If you took the item, hand it over now. I'll make a decision—you apologize to this young lady and compensate her a little. We'll put this matter to rest."
As he spoke the last sentence, his gaze shifted to Jiang Huaiyu. The look carried an unmistakable hint of threat.
But Jiang Huaiyu was no sheltered woman raised behind inner courtyard walls. She had spoken before crowds of thousands—how could she be intimidated by a single look?
Besides, the village head's plan was clever. If Xu Chunhua cooperated, the matter would indeed be brushed aside. Stealing could be twisted into merely taking—two very different things.
Unfortunately for him, the person he was protecting was a disastrous teammate.
Xu Chunhua immediately wailed,
"I didn't steal anything! Uncle, you have to believe me! That fox next door seduces people every day. Last time she even accused me of going into her yard and trampling her chicks to death—I said she was framing me! Uncle, you have to stand up for me!"
"Bah! Xu Chunhua, you really have no shame. Back then, you admitted with your own mouth that you killed those chicks for money!"
"Some people—when they're shameless, they're truly unstoppable."
"Stop talking, or she'll roll into your house one day, making a scene and refusing to leave. You'll regret it then!"
The onlookers mocked her from all sides.
Before, they might have feared offending the village head. But now, seeing Jiang Huaiyu's slender figure standing there, the sympathy of men and women alike was stirred.
So what if he was the village head? With reason on their side and so many witnesses, could he really arrest them all?
Xu Chunhua was so angry she felt like she might explode—but she was helpless. Arguing with one or two people was fine, but Jiang Huaiyu didn't engage her at all. With so many voices piling on, she couldn't curse them all back.
The village head no longer cared. He felt utterly humiliated, his reputation fraying. Finally, he shouted toward the door,
"Xiao Liu! Go get some people. Search the house!"
A thin, wiry young man jumped up, answered sharply, and ran off.
Jiang Huaiyu pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile.
"Fortunately, we have you, Village Head, to handle matters so fairly."
Everything was proceeding exactly as she had planned. She felt no emotional ripples at all.
Scheming against others was never something to be proud of. She had wanted to be a gentle, virtuous mother for Tangbao.
But being gentle did not mean allowing herself to be kneaded and crushed at will.
Jiang Huaiyu hadn't anticipated that the village head was Xu Chunhua's protector—but she had prepared for it. Someone reckless enough to repeatedly court disaster could not possibly lack a backer.
From the moment Xu Chunhua picked up her jade pendant and pretended not to know, refusing to return it, she was already a turtle trapped in a jar—unable to escape.
Now, the only thing left was to find the pendant here and nail Xu Chunhua down completely, so she would finally learn what could be done—and what absolutely could not.
After barking the order, the village head dragged over a chair and sat down. He tried to rest his hand on the table, only to find it greasy and coated with dust.
His face turned ashen.
"Can't even keep your own house clean. Careless and frivolous in conduct. Even if the jade pendant wasn't taken by you, I'll still discipline you on behalf of your parents today!"
Zheng Xiaoyue leaned closer to Jiang Huaiyu and whispered,
"From the looks of it, the village head is someone who values reason over personal ties. She's going to suffer today."
Jiang Huaiyu only smiled.
There was a saying: act in reverse.
The harsher the village head sounded now, the more just he appeared to outsiders. As for whether the punishment later would be thunderous words but light rain—how would ordinary villagers know?
Even Xu Chunhua's past misdeeds might be wiped clean under the excuse that she had already been "punished."
"Disperse! Don't you have work to do? Cooking? Feeding your children?" the village head roared at the villagers peeking in.
The crowd scattered at once, though a few women squeezed inside anyway. They claimed to be worried Jiang Huaiyu might be bullied—but in truth, they were here for gossip.
The village head felt both annoyed and weary. With these long-tongued women present, today's events would fuel village chatter for at least half a month.
Any hint of unfairness in his judgment would be embellished into villainy.
He shot a vicious glare at Xu Chunhua. If she hadn't been so greedy, how could things have reached this point?
If the jade pendant really was found, the village head clenched his jaw. He no longer looked at Xu Chunhua, puffing silently on his pipe as he made his decision.
Jiang Huaiyu waited idly. She spoke softly to Zheng Xiaoyue,
"I wonder if Tangbao is behaving. Xianghe is such a good child—so young, yet already knows how to take care of a baby properly. When you look for a family for her in the future, be sure to choose carefully."
Zheng Xiaoyue snapped her head up, torn between laughter and exasperation.
"At a time like this, you're still worrying about my girl? You call me Sister-in-law—she should call you Aunt. When someone comes to propose in the future, I'll definitely have you help judge."
Their voices were low. Only the two of them could hear.
Xu Chunhua stood there, increasingly uncomfortable—especially with those women whispering behind her. In the past, they used to be so close. Now their sideways glances carried nothing but malice.
"Village Head, where should we search?"
Several young men entered, led by Xiao Liu, his expression serious.
These men practiced martial skills regularly. If there was trouble or bandits, they were the ones who stepped up.
Wangjia Village was close to the county town and had always been peaceful. At most, they mediated fights.
None of them expected their first real search to be in the village head's relative's house.
The village head pointed toward the inner room.
"Search inside. Shake out the clothes. Smash open any hidden compartments. If you find the jade pendant, bring it to me."
No matter the outcome, he had to put on a full show.
The young men rushed in without hesitation. Crashes and thuds echoed from inside.
Xu Chunhua nearly bit through her teeth, twisting the fabric of her clothes—but she endured it.
The pendant is right here in my undergarment, she sneered inwardly. Let's see where you find it. At worst, it'll still sell for a few taels. Search—if you don't find it, I'll skin you alive!
She shot Jiang Huaiyu a venomous glare.
Jiang Huaiyu couldn't be bothered to respond. A jade pendant had to be sold in the county—Xu Chunhua wouldn't have had time to move it. It was certainly still here.
After a while, the men returned, shaking their heads.
"Village Head, no jade pendant."
Xiao Liu was panting. It wasn't just that there was no pendant—he hadn't even seen a single copper coin. The stench of sweat and dirty feet in the bedding nearly killed them.
"Oh? None?" The village head knocked his pipe, eyes snapping open.
"Split into two groups. One search the hall and side room. The other—kitchen and chicken coop."
"Yes!"
They searched again.
When they returned empty-handed once more, confidence bloomed across Xu Chunhua's face. Smug triumph was practically written on it. She put her hands on her hips, eager to curse—only remembering to feign innocence when she saw the village head still present.
The village head finally showed a hint of a smile, then quickly restrained it when he looked at Jiang Huaiyu.
"Miss Jiang, it seems this theft has nothing to do with my niece. Her house was turned upside down—so perhaps…"
"She must clean it up for me!" Xu Chunhua blurted out, wisely not daring to mention money.
Jiang Huaiyu's gaze turned cold.
Before she could speak, the village head nearly choked on his smoke. He stared at Xu Chunhua in disbelief.
You trashed your own house, and now you want someone else to clean it?
Hiring someone would cost at least a tael of silver!
Xu Chunhua was delighted inside. As long as Jiang Huaiyu suffered, she felt satisfied. Pretty face or not—wasn't her life still miserable?
Feeling the weight of the pendant against her chest, she had already planned it all out: sell it, buy cloth for her youngest son, then a big pork knuckle for the two of them to eat together.
Jiang Huaiyu smiled—but there was no warmth in her eyes.
"Aunt," she asked softly, "are you certain the jade pendant has nothing to do with you?"
"You brought people to tear my house apart. Whether it's related or not, don't you already know?" Xu Chunhua replied sharply.
The village head added, his tone relaxed amid the smoke,
"Everything requires evidence. We searched and found nothing—this did affect Chunhua's reputation. You should apologize to her.
"As for your stolen jade pendant, I'll still have people look into it. If needed, we'll report it to the county and send constables down. Rest assured—one matter at a time."
Zheng Xiaoyue pursed her lips, saying nothing.
At this point, Xu Chunhua seemed to hold the advantage. Even the women watching looked at Jiang Huaiyu differently, already weaving new gossip in their minds.
Jiang Huaiyu nodded.
"If I misunderstood, then an apology is indeed appropriate."
"Hmph." Xu Chunhua tilted her head away, her smile unmistakable. She stood firm, clearly waiting to receive the apology.
Jiang Huaiyu stepped forward.
Xu Chunhua's grin widened. The village head watched silently.
Jiang Huaiyu took a few more steps—almost within arm's reach.
Xu Chunhua finally turned back, cleared her throat, and raised her eyes at her.
"This—"
Jiang Huaiyu had only uttered a single word when her foot slipped on something. Her body pitched forward. Her hands flailed instinctively—and grabbed Xu Chunhua's collar.
No one expected the accident.
At an angle no one could see, Jiang Huaiyu's lips curved slightly.
If the pendant wasn't in the house, then by Xu Chunhua's way of thinking, she'd likely hide it on her body. Normally, unless official constables were involved, no one would dare conduct a body search.
So Jiang Huaiyu chose a fake fall—for a real search.
But the moment her hand touched Xu Chunhua's collar, the reaction was violent. Xu Chunhua practically jumped.
The first cloth button tore loose.
A jade pendant—clear and lustrous—flew out.
Jiang Huaiyu lost her support and staggered, but managed to steady herself.
Everyone stared at the jade pendant on the ground.
Xu Chunhua's house wasn't paved with stone—there was dirt mixed into the floor. The pendant seemed uncracked.
But where it had come from—
Everyone saw it clearly.
The village head's hand trembled.
Clang.
The pipe fell onto the table.