Going to the County Office
"No way, I don't agree!" Old Man Su shouted loudly, "Third Son, you little brat, getting cocky, huh? I raised you up, and now you want to kick me away? No chance!"
Su Sanyun's face turned bright red with anger, but he stubbornly refused to relent, determined to sever ties with the Su family's elders and the main branch; no one could change his mind.
Mrs. Sun stood nearby, watching her husband so resolute this time, and couldn't help but tear up.
After all these years, it was the first time she saw Su Sanyun so furious. At this moment, her usually honest, even somewhat meek husband appeared incredibly tall and heroic in her eyes.
A real man is one who can tell right from wrong and protect those who truly care for him!
Old Man Su and Su Sanyun were still arguing about cutting ties, while Yuanbao quietly watched nearby and gave a signal to the Xiao family undercover guard disguised as a constable.
The fake constable immediately understood, pushed through the crowd, and stepped forward.
The simple villagers from the countryside saw the officials arrive and were all very fearful.
"Enough noise, shut up all of you!" the constable shouted loudly, scaring Old Man Su into trembling and quickly shutting his mouth.
Su Sanyun also fell silent, staring at the constable.
The constable cleared his throat and looked down at Old Man Su: "Is it you who kidnapped the young girl to sell?"
Old Man Su trembled and hurriedly waved his hands: "No, no."
"You scoundrel! My men clearly followed you and saw you selling a person. And now you dare spout nonsense and lie to the officials!" The constable shouted fiercely, frightening Old Man Su so much that his legs went weak and he knelt, pounding his head hard: "It's injustice, officer! We're truly innocent! That girl is my own granddaughter. I'm her grandfather; selling my own granddaughter? She was never stolen. Even if this goes to the magistrate, I have reason on my side."
"Nonsense! The girl's parents don't even know about this. If you didn't steal her, then what?" the constable said. "If you want to sell, you can only sell your own children. That girl is your son's daughter; if anyone sells her, it should be her parents, not you, an old man!"
Once the constable spoke, the crowd found it reasonable.
Although Old Man Su was the grandfather, by logic, Su Lanxiang's parents were still alive, so the grandfather had no right to sell her.
And doing it secretly only showed guilt.
Old Man Su originally thought selling his granddaughter was justified and beyond the magistrate's control, but now hearing the constable, he realized he couldn't sell her after all.
"You old scoundrel, trafficking people is against the law. I, the constable, am ordering your arrest along with those involved!" With a shout, two officers came forward and tied up Old Man Su and Su Daqi.
Old Man Su and Su Daqi collapsed weakly on the ground, utterly shocked that selling their own granddaughter could be illegal.
Facing the prospect of going to the magistrate, Old Man Su was terrified half to death. He begged Su Sanyun: "Third Son, say something! This is our family matter; why drag it to the magistrate? Would you really watch your own father and elder brother go to jail?"
Su Sanyun clenched his fists. He hated his father and elder brother, but sending his own father to jail was something he never considered.
The village chief pulled Su Sanyun aside and whispered, "Old Third Su, you can't let the officials take your father and the others away. If this spreads, our Haizi Village will become known as the 'Kidnapper Village.' No one will dare marry our girls or bring their daughters here. Villagers will lose business because no one will trade with us... What your father did is terrible, but I think it should be settled within the village. Don't make it public. As village chief, I promise to handle it fairly. Just do this for the village's reputation and livelihood. What do you say?"