The village chief, upon hearing it was about the house, already had an idea in his mind.
The news about the Tofu Beauty running away had already spread throughout the village. When the Tofu Beauty signed the contract with Su Li, the village chief was the witness. So the village chief immediately understood that Su Li was here to make the Su family fulfill the contract and reclaim the house that belonged to her.
The village chief then calmly lit his pipe and listened to Old Man Su's complaint about Su Li.
"Village Chief, Su Li forged the contract and wants to forcibly take our house. You must not let her off, you can't ignore village rules just because she has money! You should even brand her a thief on her face! Parade her through the village so everyone can see the consequences of being wealthy and ruthless, oppressing their own family!" Old Man Su was so angry his eyes bulged out.
Unexpectedly, the village chief blew a smoke ring and calmly said to Old Man Su, "You're old now, don't get so worked up. Come, sit down and talk calmly. As the village chief, I naturally won't take sides. But regarding this house matter, it is indeed your Tofu Beauty who ran away, violating the contract. Su Li reclaiming the house is following the rules and is not improper."
The Su family was dumbfounded. Zhao Shi grabbed the village chief's arm, almost in tears: "That was between the Tofu Beauty and Su Li, it has nothing to do with our Su family!"
"But the Tofu Beauty signed the contract with Su Li using your Su family's house deed. I was the witness for them at the time," the village chief shrugged off Zhao Shi's arm: "The Tofu Beauty is part of your Su family. This is an internal conflict within your family. You should settle it behind closed doors. Now, the old house is compensation to Su Li. The house now belongs to Su Li."
Su Li smiled sweetly at the group of Su family members with their colorful expressions and said, "Now that everything is clear and you all understand the cause and effect, which do you want: to compensate me fifty taels of silver, or give me the old house? Choose one!"
The Su family gritted their teeth. They definitely couldn't come up with fifty taels of silver; but if Su Li took the old house, where would the whole family live? Were they all going to become beggars?
"We, we don't have fifty taels," Su Daqi said with difficulty, pleading to Su Li, "A Li, after all, we're your relatives. You can't be so ruthless!"
Su Li looked at Su Daqi with a perfect smile, standing gracefully: "Ruthless? When you deliberately ruined my mother's reputation and drove us out, did you ever think that my mother and I would be left with no one to rely on? Wasn't that driving us out ruthlessly?"
Su Daqi was choked off, recalling how mercilessly they had driven Su Li and Wang Shi away back then.
At that time, Su Li and Wang Shi had almost left empty-handed. The stingy Su family refused to give them anything. For the first few months after leaving the Su family, mother and daughter survived by foraging wild vegetables and relying on the kindness of villagers.
Back then, the Su family never showed any pity for Su Li and her mother, not even giving them a single meal.
Now they talk about not being ruthless to Su Li, but the Su family really has no right to say that!
"I only took your house; I never thought about selling you off as concubines or servants," Su Li said, remembering how when she first transmigrated, the original owner was targeted by the Su family to be sold to an old man as a concubine, which made her want to end her life.
Back then, it was so miserable and hard, being trampled and abused by the Su family. Now the tables have turned—thirty years east, thirty years west. It's Su Li's turn to rise and become the master. The Su family now has to look at her face.