Crushing Her with the Servant Deed

At the Village Chief's house, the Village Chief, rubbing his tired eyes, looked at the bruised and battered Mrs. Thompson and asked John Thompson, "John, are you sure you want to sell your wife to Lily Evans for five taels of silver?"

John Thompson kicked Mrs. Thompson and said, "I've thought it over. Getting five taels of silver for this woman—Lily Evans is being merciful. Why would I refuse?"

The Village Chief looked at Lily Evans and said, "Alright, since both families have agreed, I'll bear witness along with the villagers. Once the Servant Deed is signed, Mrs. Thompson will be Lily Evans's bonded servant."

John Thompson happily sold Mrs. Thompson, and Lily Evans handed over five taels of silver on the spot.

John Thompson’s face lit up with joy as he clutched the silver. He stuffed it away and headed straight for Greenfield City, ready to enjoy himself at the brothel and try his luck at the gambling house.

Mrs. Thompson knew exactly what kind of man John was. She hurried after him and grabbed his sleeve. "That silver is for repairing our house for winter! You can't squander it!"

John Thompson kicked Mrs. Thompson aside. "You wretched woman, how dare you boss me around! It's my silver—I’ll spend it however I want!"

With that, John Thompson strode off with Charlie Thompson.

Mrs. Thompson hung her head and looked back at Lily Evans. Lily watched her with a half-smile, and Mrs. Thompson was furious—she’d meant to force Lily to give her money for a new house, so how did she end up selling herself as a servant instead!?

"Auntie Thompson, you can go home now. I'll keep the Servant Deed for now—whenever you bring me five taels of silver to buy your freedom, I'll return it to you. In the meantime, just live as usual; you don't need to work at my house." Lily Evans put away the deed and spoke to Mrs. Thompson.

The Village Chief puffed on his pipe and said to Mrs. Thompson, "Don’t take it to heart. The Servant Deed is just a way to make sure your family pays back the money. Look at Lily Evans—she’s not charging interest, nor did she set a deadline for repayment. That’s more generous than most. You should be grateful—go ahead and thank her."

Mrs. Thompson gave a reluctant, squeezed-out 'thank you' to Lily Evans, her face turning all shades of blue and purple—like a dye shop had exploded.

Mrs. Thompson hurried home in a puff. The Village Chief looked up at Lily Evans, admiration in his eyes. "You're a clever young woman, aren't you?"

Lily Evans chuckled, "The older the ginger, the spicier it gets. Nothing escapes you, Village Chief."

The Village Chief waved his hand, his tone full of praise. "You handled this beautifully. You’ve helped a neighbor through a tough time, and the Servant Deed keeps others from borrowing money from you. It's a win-win solution—impressive for a young woman to come up with."

The Village Chief looked at Lily Evans, eyes brimming with admiration. "Lily, I can tell you’re destined for great things. When you make it big, don’t forget your roots. Clearwater Village is poor, and life is hard for everyone. As Village Chief, I worry about leading the villagers to prosperity, but I don’t have a path forward. Lily, you’ve got a sharp mind. If you ever come up with a good way to help us get rich, come find me—I’ll give you my full support."

Lily Evans grinned, "Don’t worry, Village Chief. If I ever strike it rich, I won’t forget everyone. I’ll go home and give it some thought—if I come up with any good ideas, I’ll come to you first."

After returning home, Lily Evans slapped Mrs. Thompson’s Servant Deed onto the table. Margaret Evans’s eyes widened in shock. "Lily, did Mrs. Thompson really sell herself to our family and become our bonded servant!?"

Lily Evans grinned mischievously, "She tried to swindle us out of silver today! I couldn’t let her get away with it. Five taels of silver for Mrs. Thompson’s Servant Deed—now she’s our household servant. If she behaves, we’ll let her live quietly. But if she acts up, this Servant Deed is enough to crush her! With this in hand, she won’t dare be arrogant again!"