Peace and tranquility returned to the courtyard when the unsightly visitors left.

"Duo Er, do you still want a nap?" Ye Ling asked her gently.

After the ruckus, Liu Duo did not feel like napping anymore.

Ye Liu put the broom back and came over, "Little Duo, you should take a nap. The weather's fine today, it's perfect for one."

She shook her head. She was no longer sleepy, and villagers would be coming shortly to sell tomatoes anyway. She supposed she would just go to bed earlier that night.

Ye Yang glanced at them before resuming his work.

Ye Xuan, who had been by the sidelines observing everything like an invisible bystander said, "Do you think Mrs. Li might go to the government officials?

She did not look like she would heed the village chief.

Ye Mo rolled his eyes at him and brushed off his statement. "Whatever, it's not like we're afraid of her."

It's Li Chunmei's trick anyway. It should have nothing to do with them.

Liu Duo paid that no mind either. She kept her hands on Ye Ling's and reassured him not to overthink. "Ling, let's return to your writing. I'll teach you how to write our names."

"Right."

Ye Ling was not worried, and he would not dwell on it, because he knew he had been tricked. The village chief was a sensible man. He knew about it and cleared Ye Ling's name. Ye Ling had no reason to fear Li Chunmei and her mother now.

After all, a clean hand wants no washing!

On the other side of the village, Li Chunmei ran all the way into the woods, knelt in a random spot, and cried her eyes out.

She knew Ye Mo would scold her if he found out what she did but she never imagined he would berate her that badly.

She cried until her eyes got puffy. Then she stared at a random spot, her mind gone blank.

Her mother, who had been on her tail, came looking for her, shouting her name, "Chunmei! Chunmei! Get out here this instant!"

She had to get to the bottom of this. Wasn't it an accident?

If not, the village chief would not have helped.

Foolish girl! How could she do such a scandalous thing! She had brought nothing but disgrace to the Li family!

She heard her mother calling but continued staring into space.

"Foolish girl, where did you go?" Mrs. Li was already sweating.

Finally, she found her daughter, huddled in a corner, hands hugging her feet and looking dazed. Mrs. Li approached the girl with an air of ferocity, holding in her hands a wooden stick she had found randomly scattered on the ground. It was as thick as three fingers put together.

When she finally stood in front of Chunmei, the mother did not waste any time and went straight to the beating. "Foolish girl, you're telling me that this isn't an accident at all? Why did I give birth to you, such a useless thing..."

As if she had lost all feeling, Li Chunmei did not respond to any kind of aggression.

Mrs. Li beat Chunmei even harder when the younger woman remained quiet. She only stopped when the stick snapped into two.

Gasping for breath, Mrs. Li added, "Foolish girl, say something! Why must you do something so stupid?"

"..." Li Chunmei stayed silent.

Mrs. Li got so mad she felt she could cough out blood!

She was about to go look for another piece of wood to teach Li Chunmei a lesson when the younger girl began to speak. "Because I want to marry into the Ye family! Because I want to stay close to Ye Mo! Because I don't want to marry anyone else! And because I don't want Liu Duo to live a good life!"

She had agreed to marry Burly Du in the first place because she obeyed her parents then, but she was crossed that her marriage was canceled because of Liu Duo!

Hehe... After that happened she felt equally lucky and mad.

She hated how Liu Duo coul