Drive a RV and go farming in ancient times.

The couple's guess was correct. Meng Chonglou's madness was indeed caused by Meng Yao. However, no one in the capital suspected her. After all, how could a six-year-old girl have such a vicious and terrible heart?

Therefore, Pingyuan Bo became the scapegoat. Many people talked about him secretly and compared him with Dingyuan Marquis. They all felt that they had misjudged Dingyuan Marquis in the past. They used to think that Dingyuan Marquis was a hard-hearted person who didn't care about his illegitimate sons and was cold-hearted. Who would have thought that when something really happened, Pingyuan Bo was the cruel one. He drove his own son, a legitimate son at that, crazy without any reason. Why did it come to this?

The worst that can happen is three years in jail. That's better than going crazy, right?

Some people couldn't figure it out, while others thought a lot and couldn't help wondering that there must be a reason why Pingyuan Bo suddenly became so ruthless and did this. Either he was afraid that his eldest son would say something he shouldn't say in prison and bring about greater disaster, so he had to "silence" him, or he was just acting, pretending to be crazy for a few days and then finding a chance to recover after he was released.

Moreover, madness is a useful card. In the future, if there is anything that threatens the Earl's house, you can blame it on madness, and it will work every time.

When Marquis Dingyuan learned about this, he felt extremely regretful. Why didn't he think of this trick?

He was not as quick as Pingyuanbo in confessing his guilt, and his countermeasures were not as good as his. He was tortured and could not fall asleep that night.

Similarly, Uncle Pingyuan couldn't sleep either. The pain in his back was far less piercing than the chill in his heart. Whenever he thought of his granddaughter calmly saying that she had fed her son a drug that would cause insanity, he felt a chilling fear as if he had been struck by lightning and fallen into an ice cellar!

They are biological father and daughter!

Each one is worse than a beast!

He was so angry that he vomited blood and almost fainted. His granddaughter just looked at him expressionlessly. There was no worry in her eyes. Instead, she said sarcastically, "Grandfather, don't blame me for being cruel. I had no choice but to do this. Otherwise, the entire mansion would be ruined. You are the head of the family, so you should support me. After all, I saved everyone for you and made decisions for you that you didn't want to make. You can't be so naive as to think that my father would be willing to spend three years in prison, right?"

What was his response? He said, "That won't drive your dad crazy!"

If you have any sense of humanity, you won't do such a chilling thing.

Meng Yao sneered, "If you don't drive me crazy, you can only kill me? Does grandpa want to send me to hell?"

His face turned blue with anger. "Is that what I meant? There are many ways to make him shut up. If all else fails, you can feed him a mute potion..."

Meng Yao interrupted, "He can still write, so do we have to cripple his wrist? Wouldn't that be cruel? I think it's better for him to go crazy. If his mind is not clear, he won't remember the pain and embarrassment. Living a muddled life is also a kind of happiness and relief."

He was so choked that he couldn't say anything. He just felt that the six-year-old child in front of him was so strange and scary.

Finally, he fled.

The Su family also suffered that night. The punishment inflicted on the Dingyuan Marquis' Mansion and the Pingyuan Earl's Mansion had become known to everyone. The heads of the family were beaten with a stick, which was not only humiliating but also hurting them. It was said that the pain almost killed them. Their positions were also temporarily taken away and they were ordered to reflect on their mistakes at home.

In addition, they also lost money. Those in the capital who were well-informed privately sighed that the two families donated half of their property to clear their suspicion and avoid disaster.

This is still a small matter. The most terrible thing is that the young masters in the family can no longer be saved. Pushing a few servants out to take the blame is of no use at all. The masters are in jail!

This is so rare. Over the years, how many times have we seen a young master from a wealthy family confess his crime and go to jail? There was always a scapegoat.

It’s all customary!

But apparently this time, an exception was made!

This also made the Su family even more panicked and desperate. Those two families were more powerful than the Su family, but they still ended up like this. Wouldn't the Su family, a mere merchant, be even more miserable?

That night, the lights in the Su family's meeting room were on all night, illuminating every worried and anxious face.

Su Zhe was also called in to discuss how to calm the Gu family's anger and let the matter go. Someone suggested that he come forward to plead for mercy. After all, in the Su family, he was the only one who had a close relationship with Xu Huaiyi, and it was not a shallow one. They had cooperated in business many times and were classmates.

For these reasons, the Gu family should show some face and show mercy, right?

Su Zhe refused on the spot and even said sarcastically, "How dare I enter the Gu family? If I am slandered again, will I be able to survive? After all, although one concubine Liu died this time, Su Rui still has more than a dozen concubines in his backyard. Who knows which concubine will come out to throw dirty water next time? I can't stand it!"

With just a few words, everyone present was blushing. They were all shrewd people, and everyone knew that this was a veiled attack.

That concubine Liu was just a scapegoat; the real culprit was Su Rui.

But Su Rui has Su Jian to protect him, and Su Jian is now too sick to get out of bed, and looks like he may collapse at any time. Who would dare to provoke him?

In this case, I can't give a decent explanation.

In desperation, they could only wait for Su Ting to come to Beijing and let him take charge of the board.

Su Zhe had no objection. He was too embarrassed to go to the Gu family to beg for mercy and couldn't open his mouth anyway.

He would accept any revenge the Gu family wanted, because it was the Su family that made the mistake first. In Xu Huaiyi's words, the one who started it was the cheap one and deserved to be abused.

In fact, Gu Huanxi really didn't intend to take action against the Su family. It was not just for Su Zhe's sake. Firstly, the nature of the rumors spread by the Su family was different from those of the other two families. The Su family mainly targeted Su Zhe, and she was implicated. Secondly, the rumor was spread only by Su Rui personally, and no one else in the Su family was involved. Afterwards, Aunt Liu also died to apologize. Thirdly, the business dealings between the two families were getting closer and closer, and they had no intention of breaking up at the moment, so it would be bad to be too harsh to avoid creating a rift.

Moreover, she believed that the Su family had many smart people and would definitely show enough sincerity to end this matter.

as predicted.

Only one day later, someone came from the Su family. It was not Su Zhe, but Su Ting, who was more important than him. In order to avoid gossip, he brought his wife with him, and he also found a middleman, who was not an outsider, but Sun Yu's younger brother, Sun Sanye.

Mr. Sun Sanye is popular, has a good temper, a wide range of friends, and high emotional intelligence. He has little contact with Su Ting, but Su Ting, through a few twists and turns, became friends with him through friends of friends.

After his sincere expression, Mr. Sun was moved and he came to apologize.

It is not very convenient to have no man in the house. Gu Huanxi has no choice but to send someone to Hutian Village to call Xu Huaixiao. He originally wanted to call him Uncle Xu, but ever since the farce of the Xu family being expelled from the clan and the village, he has been ill and has been in low spirits ever since, so he is really not suitable to entertain guests.

Xu Huaixiao looked simple but not stupid. He understood that he was a mascot, so he did not get involved in the conversation of others. He just lowered his head to drink tea and eat roasted chestnuts.

Gu Huanxi didn't say much. With Master Sun around, the atmosphere was lively. Moreover, Su Ting was a man who knew how to handle things. His attitude and sincerity in apologizing were just right, making it impossible to refuse and there was nothing wrong with him.

She agreed with a smile, and said that every wrong has its perpetrator and she would never vent her anger on innocent people, nor would she affect the cooperation between the two families.

No matter what the situation is now, it will remain the same in the future. Her husband Xu Huaiyi will not blame Su Zhe. The two of them are still good friends and will not develop a rift because of malicious rumors.

After hearing this, Su Ting secretly put his heart at ease and praised the couple again. His attitude was sincere and there was no sign of socializing at all.

Gu Huanxi was humble and polite. After a few rounds of exchanges, she picked up the teacup calmly.

Su Ting immediately found an excuse to leave.

After sending the person away, Gu Huanxi breathed a sigh of relief. He was really tired!

Xu Huaixiao dared to speak, "Sister-in-law, is this matter over?"

Gu Huanxi nodded, "Those who should be dealt with have been dealt with, and those who should be punished have been punished. That's it."

Xu Huaiyi asked tentatively, "Will they be willing to accept this? Will they hold a grudge and look for an opportunity to take revenge?"

Gu Huanxi smiled and said, "Before the war in the south is over, it shouldn't happen."

Unless, they haven't learned their lesson yet.

Xu Huaixiao felt relieved. "That's good, that's good. Otherwise, it would be too hard for you if Huaiyi wasn't at home..."

Gu Huanxi thought that there was nothing difficult about her, she just hated trouble.

Xu Huaixiao muttered a few more words and then turned to talk about the village. "The villagers all trust you. No one gossips. The village chief is watching. If there are people who talk nonsense, those whose family members work in the workshops and farms will be driven out. Everyone will be honest now..."

Gu Huanxi's mouth twitched. This was a clever move. They were holding their economic lifeline. How dare they disobey? If it affected the work of their family members, they would probably get their legs broken, right?

It has to be said that the system of collective responsibility, at certain times, although unreasonable, is effective.

"Where's uncle? Is he feeling better?"

"Ah, he's better now, but he's not in high spirits, eats less, and can't sleep well at night. His family has tried to persuade him, but he just can't get over it. Don't worry, he's still working hard at the charity. I've taken the opportunity to visit him. The children are well fed, well dressed, and well educated. They've been busy collecting firewood lately to make sure they have enough to burn during the winter..."

Hearing this, Gu Huanxi asked, "Have the villagers started burning charcoal?"

Xu Huaixiao nodded. "However, this year many people are going up the mountain to chop wood. If you don't go far enough, you won't find suitable firewood. It is said that..."

He paused, frowning, "There will be a snowstorm, which scared everyone into trying to get firewood home, fearing that it would not be enough."

Gu Huanxi had also heard this rumor. She also had someone secretly observe the Pingyuan Marquis's Mansion and found that they were indeed secretly storing food and large amounts of charcoal, as well as cotton fabrics and medicinal materials, apparently in preparation for the snowstorm. She just didn't know whether Meng Yao had reminded Emperor Jianxing so that he could take precautions in advance.

Xu Huaixiao asked, "Sister-in-law, do you think this rumor is reliable?"

Gu Huanxi said, "It is better to believe it than not to believe it. It is better to be prepared. Anyway, it won't hurt to chop more wood."

"That's right. I'll tell my father when I get back, and the village chief..."

"Well, buy more cotton and grain. When it snows, the prices will definitely go up."

Hearing this, Xu Huaixiao smiled bitterly and said, "The price of grain in the city has already risen out of proportion. Fortunately, we have harvested some from the fields, and thanks to you and Huaiyi, we have made some money. Otherwise, with the taxes and grain collection, our family would have been unable to make ends meet. Our village is the best. As for other villages, well, just because of this, the young men in our village are in great demand. There are even many young girls willing to marry into our village as second wives. But if there is another snowstorm this winter, life will be difficult for everyone..."

The two chatted for a while, and then Xu Huaixiao left. Gu Huanxi asked someone to see him off and packed a carriage with things, including food, drinks, cloth and cotton, and distributed them to his family, as well as to several other familiar families, including Village Chief Xu. These people had made great contributions in dealing with the rumors and the Xu family, so they should be thanked afterwards.

She didn't ask about Old Xu's family, and Xu Huaixiao also avoided the topic, but Gu Huanxi was very clear about the fate of those people today, and she had people watching them secretly, fearing that they would still have evil intentions and cause trouble.

So far, there has been no substantial action. The whole family is just Xu Huaili who keeps cursing the heavens and the earth all day long, but he is lying in bed unable to get out of bed, so he can only vent his anger, and there is no one around him to agree with him.

It seems that everyone else has learned their lesson, except Xu Huaili who still cannot see the situation clearly and insists on making trouble. Now that his family lives in the Qiao family's farm, their treatment is not as good as before. People who are expelled from the family are inferior to others no matter where they are. They have also completely offended Xu Huaiyi and have lost their value. Who will still look at them?

It's just that the Qiao family doesn't lack food, so they haven't turned against us and chased us away for the time being. But how can life be easy when you have to live under someone else's roof and have to depend on other people for anything?

Gu Huanxi thought that maybe it wouldn't be long before the Xu family could no longer hold on. By then, he could find someone to give them some hints and send them all back to their hometown in Qingzhou, and they would never have to see each other again.

At night, the couple met again in the RV. Gu Huanxi said, "The Su family has shown their sincerity. Guess what it is...?"

Xu Huaiyi disliked the smell on his body and was taking off his outer clothes to take a shower. Upon hearing this, he said casually, "It will definitely cost a lot of money, right? Give our family some money, give the Sun family some money, and the court must also make some representations. It seems that there will be no worries about military funds this year, and the master can sleep well..."

"anything else?"

"Madam Liu is dead. In order to save her life, the Su family will definitely not be willing to throw Su Rui into jail. So they can only take away his inheritance rights. As for other punishments such as kneeling in the ancestral hall, house arrest, and whipping, they will also be punished. Such punishments are more severe than imprisonment. Without the inheritance rights, he will be nothing. Falling from a height is the most painful. As for Su Jian, I'm afraid that the position of the head of the family has been temporarily replaced by his brother, right?"

Gu Huanxi praised, "You guessed it right. Su Ting has come to Beijing. He is now in charge of the Su family. Su Jian's illness is not fake. It's hard to get rid of the depression. He won't get better in a short time."

Xu Huaiyi snorted, "It's what he deserves. He has to blame himself. He has a capable son whom he doesn't like, but he has to support a bunch of useless people. Who can he blame?"

"Now, Su Zhe's hope of inheriting the position of the family head is much greater."

"Not necessarily. Su Ting is only in his early forties, in the prime of life, and he doesn't feel old. Once a man sits in that position and tastes the power, it is difficult for him to stay sober. If he uses the excuse of not letting go, Su Zhe will be at a disadvantage if he tries to take it away. After all, Su Ting was invited back by the Su family to take charge of the situation. We can't just throw him away after using him, right? That's not fair. Besides, he is indeed capable and much stronger than Su Zhe..."

Su Jian just occupies the status of the eldest son. In terms of ability, he is not as good as Su Ting. Therefore, out of this subtle psychology, he insists on pushing Su Rui to the position even though he knows that Su Rui is not the best heir. What he is protecting is not Su Rui, but the dignity and status of the eldest son.