After Becoming the Villain Mother-in-Law, I Launch My Redemption Arc Chapter 5: Severing Ties

The difference between murder and causing a miscarriage is quite significant.

Even if things got out of hand, the charges between the two would be worlds apart.

Even without being deeply familiar with Zhou Country's laws, ng Yao knew it was impossible to demand a life for a life.

Moreover, Mrs. Li was still Song's biological mother.

ng Yao said this only to scare Mrs. Li a bit.

"You, you're just trying to scare , a country woman. With the village chief here, do you think you can call the shots?" Mrs. Li retorted bravely but inwardly timid.

"Of course I can't make the final decision. That's why I've made up my mind to report this to the officials, ask the great lord to stand up for our Zhao family, and give justice to our unborn child!" ng Yao said righteously, "When my second son returns, I'll have him write down everything that happened and send it to the governnt office!"

Unexpectedly, the biggest reaction wasn't from Mrs. Li, but from the village chief and the onlookers.

Why? Because once this matter reached the governnt office, it would be known to everyone.

A murderer from the village would greatly affect its reputation.

"ng, after all, Mrs. Li is still your in-law. Just sending her to the governnt office, can you bear it?"

"Xiu'er, try to persuade your mother-in-law. We know you're angry now, mad at your mother, but no matter what, she's still your birth mother! Entering the governnt office, regardless of whether a cri is determined, her reputation will be ruined! And you, for a mont of satisfaction, your reputation will be destroyed too! Sending your birth mother to the governnt, won't others call you cruel and heartless? You're still so young, how will you live with such a reputation?"

"Didn't the doctor also say if your mother didn't get physical with you, you couldn't have kept the child anyway. At most, she's guilty of mistreating her biological daughter! Not enough to warrant death!"

"Before, everyone didn't know your mother was so overboard. Now that we do, we'll make sure she doesn't bully you again. A married daughter is like water poured out; you're now the Zhao family's daughter-in-law, which makes you part of the Zhao family. During the holidays, send so filial respect to your birth parents, that's right. Otherwise, just live your life well in the Zhao family!"

Everyone chid in, one after another.

The central idea was that while Mrs. Li was bad, she wasn't bad enough to report to the authorities. If you insist on reporting, then you are cruel and heartless.

"ng," the village chief said solemnly, "According to our Zhou Country's laws, Mrs. Li's actions would at most earn her a few blows and a reprimand. That punishnt, to Mrs. Li, is just a few days of pain. But for the village... let's not talk about other families, but your family, Song is your daughter-in-law. If her reputation is damaged, the Zhao family's reputation will be damaged too. Dahe is a scholar, and the reputation of a scholar is precious. If it's damaged, the loss would outweigh the gain."

ng Yao suddenly rembered so information she read about clans before traveling through ti, which basically said that many matters are resolved internally and would definitely not seek outside help, all to preserve the reputation.

One bad apple shouldn't spoil the whole barrel.

Or perhaps, family scandals shouldn't be exposed.

"We can't just let it go like this either." ng Yao knew that with her strength alone, she couldn't shake the entire village. After all, Mrs. Li hard not everyone in the village, only Song Xiu'er and Song Xiu'er's child. With the protective amulet of being a biological mother, Mrs. Li was fearless.

ng Yao took a deep breath and calmly said, "People's courage grows gradually from repeated chances. This ti, it was her biological daughter, disregarding the village's reputation and not reporting to the authorities. What about the next ti? Old habits die hard. No one can guarantee that Mrs. Li will repent because of this. If she gets worse... after all, everyone disagreed on reporting to uphold the village's reputation."

If they didn't report to the authorities, they couldn't let Mrs. Li off easily either.

The village chief's heart trembled as he realized he hadn't considered so much earlier, only thinking that the village's reputation couldn't be tarnished by Mrs. Li.

After listening to ng's words, he understood that even if they didn't escalate it to the governnt, they couldn't let Mrs. Li off lightly, or she might not restrain herself in the future and cause a bigger disaster.

"Our Shanghua Village is a mixed surna village without clan restraint. But we can't be without rules because of that. You must know, without rules, there's no order. To make our village better, everyone must follow the rules." The village chief said seriously.

Seemingly moved by ng Yao, believing she wasn't just being alarmist, no one refuted the village chief's words. Instead, they urged, "We should discipline Mrs. Li properly!"

"Then let's convene in the ancestral hall."

Apart from offering sacrifices during festivals, Shanghua Village's ancestral hall hadn't been opened in nearly twenty years.

Anyway, ng Yao didn't find any mories about convening in the ancestral hall to discuss matters.

When entering the ancestral hall, Mrs. Li was still indifferent, thinking it would only be a reprimand to end it, after all, she hadn't done anything wrong, had she?

But when the village chief and several senior villagers discussed it, Mrs. Li was dumbfounded—

The Song Family must cover all the expenses for Song Xiu'er's health. If they fail to do so, they will be expelled from Shanghua Village.

In addition, ng Yao added a condition that Mrs. Li must eat the sa amount of food Song Xiu'er ate every day, letting her experience what it's like.

Making Mrs. Li go hungry, the Song Family had no objections.

Song Hu was even quite pleased because it ant he could eat more.

As for compensating with silver, the Song Family was utterly furious.

Regardless of Song Xiu'er's father, Song Shizhu, or Mrs. Li and Song Hu, none of them agreed.

Their tune was the sa: why should a money-losing daughter like Song Xiu'er use the Song Family's silver? The silver was saved to marry a wife for Song Hu!

Mrs. Li even played the rogue, saying they had no silver, and if they must, they should just send her to the governnt office, or sothing along those lines.

They couldn't genuinely send soone to the governnt office. The Song Family's unruliness left the village chief montarily unsure of what to do.

"Xiu'er, earlier when I said Dajiang should divorce you, it was just angry words; don't take it to heart. Let ask you, do you want to stay with our family?" ng Yao asked Song Xiu'er.

Song Xiu'er's nose tingled, and she choked up, "Mom, I want to stay."

"What if you have to sever ties with the Song Family?" ng Yao asked again.

Before Song Xiu'er could answer, Mrs. Li erupted again, accusing, "You evil ng, you're really heartless! Instigating my daughter to break ties with her own family!"

ng Yao ignored Mrs. Li and looked steadily at Song Xiu'er.

Sever ties with her family? In her past life, when she was sold into the mountains, Song Xiu'er often thought how wonderful it would be if she hadn't been born into the Song Family! She often dread of having no relation with the Song Family.

"I am willing." Song Xiu'er said, word by word, firmly.

"You ungrateful wretch, I worked so hard to give birth to you and raise you, and this is how you repay ?" Mrs. Li wailed.

"Mom, isn't losing a child and my weakened body enough repaynt?" Song Xiu'er asked expressionlessly.