Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 23 - 0 Labor

Qi Yi's gaze swept past Qian Guangzong and settled on Granny Gu, shaking his head in refusal: "Granny, the handprint was pressed by Gu Youfu. I cannot take away Gu Dashan's family."

Qi Yi, being a scholar and official's son, was familiar with the Great Chu Criminal Law. Legally, a fingerprint not pressed by the person himself cannot be considered valid.

Furthermore, the fingerprint on the indenture was blurry, and there was a sesame-sized black spot, which also rendered it invalid.

Therefore, not to mention Gu Dashan's family, he couldn't even take away Gu Youfu's family. To take any one of these families, a new indenture must be signed.

Granny Gu became anxious and started lying again: "Young Master Qi, don't listen to their nonsense. That handprint was indeed made by Gu Dashan. Guangzong and Ding Changwang are both witnesses."

Third Grandma, quivering with anger, pointed at Granny Gu and said, "Ms. Pan, Sister Rong has already admitted that it was her father who made that handprint, yet you still try to frame Dashan!"

"Xiǎo Yú frightened Sister Rong into talking nonsense; it shouldn't count." Granny Gu now went all out. Since Gu Dashan's family couldn't stay, and with such a ruckus already made, she wouldn't swallow her pride unless Gu Dashan's family was sold. She also wasn't going to return the grain and money to Qi Mansion.

Qi Yi, witnessing Granny Gu's spluttering manner, saw for the first time what a shrewish village woman could be.

He didn't want to waste his breath on such an old woman and ordered the Protector to remove the cloth gag from Ding Changwang's mouth, asking him: "Tell me, whose handprint is on the Gu family's indenture? Speak the truth, and don't dare to lie half a sentence; you know the rules of Qi Mansion."

The not-too-harsh words frightened Ding Changwang half to death, as he stammered: "Yes, it was Gu Youfu who made it... Granny Gu said that the thumbnails of the two brothers both have double whirls and similar fingerprints; smudge it a bit on purpose, add a black spot, and no one can tell the difference in the future—Gu Dashan can only be wronged and the whole family sold."

He began to wail again: "Young Master, I was wronged; it was Granny Gu who wanted to sell her stepson and came up with this dirty trick to frame me, I regret it."

So, it wasn't his own son, no wonder Granny Gu wanted to sell off Gu Dashan's family.

Qi Yi waved to the Protector, who once again gagged Ding Changwang's mouth with the cloth strip.

Qi Yi looked at Granny Gu and said, "Granny, Ding Changwang said it was Gu Youfu who made the handprint, I will not take Gu Dashan's family. If I were to take anyone, it would only be Gu Youfu and his family of five." He pointed his finger towards Gu Youfu, scaring him into quickly hiding behind Elder Gu.

Seeing that Young Master Qi was not easy to deceive, Elder Gu had to compromise: "Young Master Qi, if you do not take away Gu Dashan's family, then let this matter be."

"Let it be?" Qi Yi laughed: "Old Master, the house slaves bought by Qi Mansion with grain and money can't just be settled with your words."

Elder Gu's face changed, raising his head to look at Qi Yi with a slight panic, asking, "Then what do you want?"

Qi Yi, not beating around the bush, raised the indenture in his hand: "What Qi Mansion paid in grain and money, your Gu family must return to Qi Mansion, not a grain less."

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Before Elder Gu could respond, Gu Dagu jumped out and said: "Don't even think about it! Why should our Old Gu Family return the grain and money to you? We give the person, and if you take Gu Dashan's family away, then we are even."

Her family had taken five taels of silver from Gu Dashan's family; if they had to give back the money, they would have to give up their five taels, and she wouldn't agree to that.

"Jinzhi is right, we give the person, you take Gu Dashan's family away, just take them quickly!" Granny Gu said, gesturing to shoo them away.

Qi Yi frowned deeply. What kind of people are these? His words were clear, why couldn't this family understand?

"Young Master, Young Master, hurry back, the Young Madam is about to give birth!" Just as Qi Yi was about to get angry, Housekeeper Lin from Qi Mansion, accompanied by two servants, hurried over and shouted from a distance upon seeing Qi Yi.

Qi Yi, startled, quickly stepped forward: "Housekeeper Lin, what did you say? Young Madam is about to give birth? How could she be giving birth when it's not yet time? How is Young Madam doing?"

Housekeeper Lin gasped for breath as he said, "I'm not very clear either, it was said by Nanny Chen, the companion of the Young Madam, that the Young Madam suddenly went into labor. The situation is not good; the amniotic fluid has ruptured."

Qi Yi's face turned pale upon hearing this. He and Ah Shu had a daughter, and during her birth, spotting occurred first, but the breaking of the amniotic fluid first is not a good sign. It could mean the child would die in the womb.

"Hurry, hurry back." Qi Yi quickly gathered the people from Qi Mansion, needing to rush to the camp.

Upon hearing Housekeeper Lin's words, Gu Dagu saw Qi Yi caring about his wife and had a sudden thought. She, along with her two sons, blocked him and threatened, "No one leaves. If you leave, take Gu Dashan's family with you and finish this business of buying people."

Qi Yi's expression chilled, "What did you say?"

Gu Dagu was startled by the coldness exuding from Qi Yi but for the sake of the silver, she still insisted, stiff-necked, "I want you to take Gu Dashan's family away. They are now your Qi Mansion's house slaves. Don't think about leaving them in my house to consume our provisions."

Hearing this, Qi Yi turned to Master You and ordered, "Bring some men. Tie this entire family up and take them to Qi Mansion's camp!"

Villains, indeed true villains. Try to reason with them, they wouldn't listen; they had to be despicable and threaten him when his wife was in a life-threatening labor. Did they really think Qi Yi was tolerant?

"Yes." Master You, leading several dozen Protectors, surged forward and began capturing the people from the Old Gu Family, with Gu Dagu being the first caught.

Gu Dagu was stunned, crying and screaming trying to escape, but she was no match for the martial master Protectors and was quickly tied up.

Granny Gu, wielding her walking stick, struck at the Protectors while crying out, "Murder! Murder! There's no justice at all! The wealthy are abducting good folks."

Unfortunately, she had already offended all the villagers of Gu Family Village earlier, and now no one came to her aid; she had just thoroughly enraged Qi Yi. The louder she shouted, the faster the Protectors from Qi Mansion tied everyone up.

In mere minutes, the Protectors from Qi Mansion had tied up about twenty members of the Old Gu Family.

Gu Youwen shouted at Qi Yi, "Qi Yi, do you know that I am a student, a scholar with credentials? Release my family at once, otherwise I will report you to the government office!"

"A scholar? You call yourself one?" Qi Yi looked at Gu Youwen. "I have lived for more than two decades, all my associates are literate. I've never seen any scholar watch their mother sell their brother and do nothing. You're a disgrace to scholars."

Gu Youwen was left red-faced and speechless by Qi Yi's words. Before he could retort, the Protectors gagged him with a cloth strip and started escorting them toward Qi Mansion's camp.

Qi Yi looked at Gu Dashan and said, "Brother Gu, the matter of the indenture is not yet settled. You also have to come with me to the camp. Rest assured, I, Qi, am not the kind of despicable person who would forcefully make you become house slaves."

Qi Yi hurried back, not waiting for Gu Dashan to consider, and directly strode off.

Seeing this, Gu Dashan became panic-stricken.

Gu Jin'an persuaded, "Dad, let's go with him. Young Master Qi is a reasonable person; he won't harm us."

Gu Jinli also advised, "Dad, we have to go. If we don't go, Granny will again bring up the indenture."

Today, the issue of the indenture must be settled, and if possible, the Old Gu Family should be dealt with as well. She did not want to continue staying with such wolves, subjected to their cunning schemes.

Father Luo, Third Grandpa, and Third Grandma all urged Gu Dashan to follow along.

Gu Dashan finally gritted his teeth and nodded: "Alright, we'll go to Qi Mansion's camp."

Seeing that about twenty members of the Old Gu Family had been captured, Village Chief Gu, left with no choice, also led the village's able-bodied men to go along.