Tao Laoda and the others writhed on the ground, scratching incessantly, in agony. "Father, Father, quickly give her the house deed! We're itching to death."
Old Master Tao refused. He wasn't the one itching, and he would never give the house deed to Tao Lengshuang.
"Dream on!"
He pointed furiously at Tao Lengshuang and threatened, "I'll give you an hour. If you don't leave my house, I'll report you to the village chief."
"The village chief won't do, I'll report you to the county yamen."
Just as Tao Lengshuang was about to say 'sue me if you want,' she heard Mo Lingxi's cold voice.
"Let him sue."
Mo Lingxi exuded an oppressive aura, standing at the main entrance. "Old Master Tao, I'll be waiting for you to report me to the county yamen."
Upon seeing Mo Lingxi, Old Master Tao was reminded of the day he wielded a knife, hacking at people. He trembled and retreated.
"This, this is my home," he shouted, his bravado waning.
Mo Lingxi said indifferently, "If you want to get the house back, just compensate according to the rules."
Old Master Tao had no intention of compensating. In his eyes, his family had done nothing wrong.
All the property of his children was his. He was merely taking back his own belongings.
"Fine, fine, you two are very good. Just you wait!"
With that, he scurried away alone, completely disregarding the fate of his sons and grandsons.
Seeing this, Madam Yu abandoned her children and grandchildren and fled with Old Master Tao.
The remaining Tao Laoda and his kin, still scratching, fled in awkward postures.
"Remember to bring the house deed to exchange it soon."
Tao Lengshuang closed the main door with a smile, shot an displeased glance at Mo Lingxi, and turned to enter the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Mo Lingxi noticed Xiao Feng rubbing his eyes as he walked out. He led the boy to the kitchen to wash up, then brewed his own medicine.
After breakfast, Aunt Shen Er arrived with a basket of eggs and a large piece of meat.
"Thank you so much, Mo family."
She insisted on handing the eggs and meat to Tao Lengshuang, saying cheerfully, "Zhu Zi is much better this morning. My husband asked me to come quickly to thank you. Please accept them."
Tao Lengshuang would not refuse, but she didn't accept so much, taking only half. "Aunt Shen Er, you've helped me so many times. This time, I'll take half."
Aunt Shen Er was unwilling, insisting Tao Lengshuang take it all.
Tao Lengshuang politely refused, and after much persuasion, managed to dissuade Aunt Shen Er. Then she heard her say softly.
"Mo family, be careful. I just heard from the villagers that the Tao family has gone to the village chief to file a complaint."
Aunt Shen Er said with disgust, "Also, regarding Luo Yang, the village chief and his wife are very displeased with you. Be careful that the village chief and his wife don't cause trouble for you."
"After all, the village chief and his wife are the most respected in our village."
Tao Lengshuang knew this very well. She thanked Aunt Shen Er with a smile. If the village chief and his wife dared to cause her trouble, she wouldn't mind teaching them a lesson.
After seeing Aunt Shen Er off, Tao Lengshuang considered whether to go to Dongdu to sell medicinal herbs.
Considering the practical situation, she decided to wait a couple of days before going to Dongdu. Since she now had a place to live and some money, she wasn't worried about her livelihood for the time being.
With her mind made up, she prepared to go back into the house to mix medicine. However, she saw Mo Lingxi walk straight out the door, and then heard Xiao Feng's words.
"Mother, Father said he's going out for a while and will be back in the afternoon."
Tao Lengshuang casually said "oh" and began doing her exercises in the yard, contemplating how to deal with the Tao family to make them behave.
She performed her exercises with difficulty, clearly hearing her bones crack and feeling the stiffness in her body. She knew the journey to lose weight was still long.
After finally finishing her exercises, before she could even rest, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps, accompanied by the village chief's slightly raised voice.
"Today, I will rid the village of a menace."
As Tao Lengshuang looked up, the main door was pushed open forcefully.
The village chief, his wife, and daughter appeared, followed by a large crowd of villagers, including Old Master Tao and his wife.
She signaled Xiao Feng to hide back in the house, telling him not to be afraid or worried. "Mother will handle it. Be good, okay?"
Xiao Feng obediently returned to his room.
Tao Lengshuang stood there, coldly observing the village chief and his group, her voice as calm as water. "If anyone steps foot inside, I will report them to the county yamen for trespassing on private property, and I will sue them until they are imprisoned."
The village chief and the others, who had been about to barge in, immediately retracted their feet and stood at the doorway, glaring at Tao Lengshuang.
No one could guarantee that Tao Lengshuang wouldn't actually sue them.
"Tao Lengshuang, you have been a menace to your neighbors and have committed evil deeds in the village for years. Now, you are also so unfilial. Today, I represent the entire village in expelling you from Shili Slope Village."
The village chief put on a righteous facade. "Pack your things and get out of our Shili Slope Village immediately."
"You're the only one being expelled from Shili Slope Village. We'll help Mo Lingxi look after Xiao Feng."
He had deliberately come to deal with Tao Lengshuang while Mo Lingxi was away.
When Mo Lingxi returned, he would shift all the blame onto Tao Lengshuang, and then Luo Yang could marry Mo Lingxi.
The villagers chattered.
"That's good! How many wicked things has Tao Lengshuang done in the village over the years? I've long wished to expel her from the village."
"With this menace gone from the village, I feel so much better. When I get home later, I must celebrate properly."
"With such a wicked mother gone, Xiao Feng will surely grow up healthy and safe."
"Please, don't say that." Luo Yang, with a gentle demeanor, said softly, "No matter what, Tao Lengshuang was once a member of our village."
"You're not calling me sister-in-law anymore?"
Tao Lengshuang let out a calm, disdainful laugh. "How dare you, Luo Yang, have the face to do this? You know Mo Lingxi has a family, yet you shamelessly cling to him, eagerly wanting to be my son's stepmother."
"No matter how bad I am, I am Mo Lingxi's lawfully wedded wife, and a decent girl from a proper family. I would never do something so shameless.
Even if the villagers praise you, it doesn't change the fact that you are promiscuous and seduce married men."
Her blunt words directly exposed Luo Yang's hypocritical facade and trampled her face into the dirt, making everyone suddenly realize the truth.
The villagers' gazes towards Luo Yang changed, and they began whispering amongst themselves.
"Several times I've seen Luo Yang hovering around Mo Lingxi. For a young lady to hover around someone else's husband, what kind of behavior is that?"
"Exactly. What kind of girl dares to hover around a man so openly like Luo Yang, and be so good to a man everywhere?"
Luo Yang, having never been so humiliated, buried her face in her mother's arms and cried aggrievedly, "No, I've never done such a thing."
"I just saw that Brother Mo worked hard to take care of the family and thought I'd help share his burden. How can you say such things about me?"