You Are Selfish
With Qingmu and a few servants as witnesses, Madam Sun's string of lies was immediately exposed, leaving her face flushed red with embarrassment, unable to utter another word about the Flowers Family plotting against her.
"The matter is already very clear. Third Aunt thinks that just because she's my relative, she can act arrogantly, not only forcibly occupying the Flowers Family's land but also threatening the villagers under my name, damaging our family's reputation. I absolutely will not tolerate this!" Su Li's voice suddenly turned cold, serious and solemn. "Good deeds should be rewarded, bad deeds punished. I hereby decree that one-third of Third Uncle's land be ceded to the Flowers Family as compensation. Does anyone object?"
The Flowers couple were stunned to hear that Su Sanyun was giving them one-third of his land!? It was an unexpected delight! They hurriedly bowed and kowtowed to Su Li, convinced she was a female version of a just and impartial magistrate, too stern and fair!
"We have no objections. Oh, this is wonderful!" The Flowers couple were so happy they almost jumped for joy.
Su Sanyun lowered his head, feeling ashamed that Madam Sun's actions had brought him dishonor. He wished he could just disappear into the ground. Hearing Su Li's decision, he sighed, "My wife was ignorant and made a mistake, breaking the rules and almost ruining your reputation, A Li. Our family accepts the punishment."
"No, I don't accept this!" Madam Sun suddenly shouted loudly, her voice sharp and shrill, her face flushed purple and blue. "Why should my family's land be given to the Flowers Family? Why? I don't accept it! Losing one-third of our land means losing one-third of our income, twenty to thirty wen a day, how much is that in a year? I won't agree; you can't take our land!"
Madam Sun's expression was as if Su Li was about to take not just land, but her very heart.
Su Li looked at Madam Sun with a faint smile, "Third Aunt, since you know that losing your land feels like losing your heart, why didn't you think about how much it hurt the Flowers couple when you forcibly occupied half of their land?"
Auntie Hua felt Su Li was absolutely right and immediately agreed, "Exactly, you don't know pain until the knife stabs your own flesh! You took my family's land, and we lost at least fifty wen a day. How much is that in a year? Now you feel the pain? Why don't you think about our loss? You're just selfish!"
"So what if I'm selfish? You're not? Then give me all your land!" Madam Sun and Auntie Hua argued back and forth.
"You, how can you be so shameless!" Auntie Hua was so angry her chest heaved up and down. Uncle Hua pulled her aside, "Don't waste your anger on her. A Li is settling this fairly; let's just listen to A Li!"
Auntie Hua thought it over and agreed. No matter how much Madam Sun fussed, the arm couldn't bend the thigh; after all, A Li was the big boss here.
Su Li called for the land division map from Qingmu, then immediately marked off one-third of Su Sanyun's land adjacent to the Flowers Family's, changed the name on the map, and drafted a new contract.
The Flowers Family happily signed the contract. When it came to Su Sanyun's family, although he was reluctant to part with the land, he was an honest man who knew that mistakes come with consequences and punishments, so despite his hesitation, he accepted A Li's punishment.
Su Sanyun was about to press his handprint on the contract when Madam Sun suddenly went mad, rushing over and grabbing his hand, shouting, "Don't press it! You useless thing, you do whatever your mother tells you. You say she's your real mother, that she gave birth to and raised you, so you obey her, fine! But A Li is your niece, and you're her elder. How can you be led around by a little girl? Where's your dignity as an elder? If you don't agree, can she eat you alive!?"