My domineering ex-husband is living off his wife in ancient times.

Chapter 26 Being Sent Back

Li Lao Er didn't believe in any divine punishment!

This must be what this woman did to his parents.

But he couldn't figure out exactly what he did.

Even if he could figure it out, he couldn't put it into words.

In Lao Li's family, he held a similar position to Si Dalang in Si's family: someone who listened to his wife's instigation and was also blindly filial.

And he's not good with words.

So Li Lao Er was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged, but when he pointed at Cheng Ruo'an, he couldn't utter a single curse after a long time.

Li Ersao was quick-witted. Seeing that only she and her husband were left to fight, she worried that the rest of the Si family would come after them, so she quickly picked up the letter of divorce from Master Zhou's hand.

She didn't dare approach Cheng Ruoan, but she walked around in front of the villagers holding the letter of divorce.

"Fellow villagers, look, look! This is a divorce letter personally signed and sealed by Si Erlang. It states that my sister-in-law committed adultery, one of the seven grounds for divorce, and that she and two sons who are not from the Si family are being divorced and sent back to their parents' home!"

Everyone knows that our Li family has had a run of bad luck and suffered a lot. We couldn't afford to support my divorced sister-in-law and two teenage sons. My father took it upon himself to find them a new family. What's wrong with that?

The Si family must have heard that my sister-in-law is going to become a concubine of a wealthy man, and they're trying to extort money from her, so they've come to kidnap her. You're all my neighbors and fellow villagers, shouldn't you lend a hand?!

The people living on the outskirts of the city are slightly better off than the farmers in the villages, and many of them can read a few words.

The words on the paper, such as "letter of divorce" and "adultery," were all recognizable.

Furthermore, whenever something is associated with words like "cuckold" or "extortion," ordinary people at the bottom of society are particularly prone to empathizing with the victims, and the prevailing opinion instantly changes.

People are starting to say that it's wrong for Cheng Ruoan to come and snatch people away like this.

"That Si family, your second brother-in-law has already written the divorce papers, and you, as his sister-in-law, are coming to snatch him away? That's not reasonable."

"Yeah, and what about that 'divine punishment' thing? Could it be that you used some tricks to bully the honest people of the Li family?"

"That can't be fake, I saw it myself, the Si family's daughter-in-law didn't lay a hand on her. But one thing is one thing, it's wrong of her to try and take someone away!"

Cheng Ruoan was truly speechless.

The kindness and simplicity of people in ancient times can be heartwarming at times, but also infuriating at others.

Being easily swayed is truly a double-edged sword.

She clenched her fists secretly.

Li had been hiding behind Cheng Ruoan. When she saw Cheng Ruoan's profile, her expression became much more serious. She quickly tugged at Cheng Ruoan's sleeve and said, "Third sister-in-law, you can't just stand by and watch me die! If you don't take me away, I'm really going to be sold to the rich man's house as a maid!"

You wouldn't want Sanlang to have a sister-in-law with such a background, would you? Your Sanlang is destined for high office through the imperial examinations!

Cheng Ruoan clicked her tongue: "Shut up!"

Even now, this Li woman is still subtly using moral blackmail against her!

Cheng Ruoan glared at her with exasperation: "If you have the ability to threaten me, you might as well sit on the ground and cry at the top of your lungs."

After saying that, she pinched Li's waist hard.

Li let out a loud scream.

She grimaced and rubbed her back, not even having a chance to curse Cheng Ruoan, when she saw out of the corner of her eye that everyone was looking at her. She simply sat down on the ground and started slapping her thighs and crying.

"Ah...why is my life so miserable..."

At this moment, Cheng Ruoan cleared her throat and pretended to scold Li Shi: "You'll have even more suffering times ahead of you!"

She took out the "IOU" signed and stamped by Si Erlang from her bosom!

"Everyone, look here! I accept the divorce letter signed and sealed by Si Erlang of the Li family, but I also have an IOU signed and sealed by Si Erlang on behalf of Li Xianglan! If you don't believe me, compare them and see if they are the same person's handwriting and fingerprint!"

Despite her disability, Cheng Ruoan, leaning on her crutches, limped around and showed the IOU to those around her.

Just like Li Ersao just now!

"It really is the same person's handwriting and fingerprint; it was written by Li Xianglan's husband!"

"Good heavens, this note says that Li Xianglan stole a lot of jewelry from this Lady Cheng and owes her... five hundred taels!"

Cheng Ruoan nodded with a smile: "That's right. If you believe that the letter of divorce was written by Si Erlang, then my IOU is also genuine. Li Shi can be taken away by the Li family, but the prerequisite is that they return my five hundred taels first."

At this point, she looked at Li Lao Er and his wife, her eyes suddenly turning sharp, and her entire aura changed.

"If it is reasonable and legal for a divorced woman to be remarried or sold by her parents, then it is only right and proper to pay back debts!"

If you want to sell Li Xianglan, fine, but pay me back first, otherwise I'll take you to the authorities.

My husband is the youngest person in the surrounding area to pass the imperial examinations, and he has a lot of influence with the county magistrate.

"We'll see. I'll take this IOU to the county magistrate and see if he'll make you pay me back these five hundred taels!"

Li was still on the ground, sobbing and pretending to cry.

Hearing Cheng Ruoan say this, I felt that this must be a plan that Si Sanlang came up with, just an expedient measure to save her.

She was very satisfied.

That third sister is clever; let's see if her heartless family dares to sell her now!

Therefore, when others whispered to her whether she really owed her sister-in-law five hundred taels of silver, she nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, yes. It's all my parents' fault. They forced me to steal my younger brother and sister-in-law's jewelry to help my older brother and sister-in-law."

I can't help it, I'm so sorry to my brother and sister-in-law... Waaaaah..."

With one twist after another, onlookers said that today's gossip was truly delicious.

Big and sweet, it'll fill you up!

"It is indeed right to pay back debts."

"If there are still those who don't believe, then let's go to court and see the officials."

“She’s a young scholar’s ​​wife, she might become a scholar’s ​​wife soon. She’ll be fine when she sees officials, but we commoners will suffer a lot when we see officials. The Li family should either return her to her husband’s family or return those jewelry or silver.”

Hearing the people around her start speaking up for her again, Cheng Ruoan looked at the two from the Li family with amusement:

“Don’t say I’m being unreasonable. Hand over Li Xianglan, and I’ll take her back. As for the money she owes, she can just work like a slave to pay it back.”

Li Ersao and Li Lao Er exchanged a glance, both seeing fear and hesitation in each other's eyes.

Li Ersao: "Honey, even if we can't sell Li Xianglan, it's the eldest brother who won't be able to make up for the public funds, right?"

Li Lao Er: "Yes, it's the eldest brother who goes to jail for not paying back the money, but right now we're the ones holding people hostage and not paying back the money, so we're the ones being dragged to the authorities!"

At this moment, both of them came to their senses.

Li Ersao was a woman of flexibility; in an instant, her harsh face transformed into a friendly smile: "Then... Si family's sister-in-law? Madam Cheng? Good sister!"

Why did you walk all the way here to pick up Xianglan? Look at your injured leg.

"Come, come, we have a donkey cart, we'll take you home!"

This is a ruthless devil who demands five hundred taels of silver the moment he opens his mouth!

Isn't the only goal to take Li Xianglan away?!

She wished she could pack Li Xianglan up immediately, tie her to this wicked old woman's belt, and send her a thousand miles away without stopping... no, without stopping!

"Hmm? There's a donkey cart to take us? Okay then."

Cheng Ruoan looked down and exchanged a glance with Li Shi, both of them flashing a sly smile of triumph.