Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

Chapter 1171: Yinhua Chen’s Boon

However, the Chen Family is shameless, so a contract is necessary to restrict them. That’s why Elder Xu asked the Xu Family’s housekeeper to write an indenture.

This kind of private indenture allows the master to sell the servant to a private slave market if the servant escapes or disobeys. However, it cannot be taken to the government.

Gu Dagui was finally relieved after hearing this.

Chen Yinhua’s face turned pale, and she looked at Mrs. Chen: "Third Aunt..."

Mrs. Chen frowned at Chen Yinhua, and after a moment, she said to Elder Xu: "Uncle Xu, since Chen Yinhua and her siblings have been a great help to us, can we leave their names out of the indenture?"

Mrs. Chen was still somewhat afraid of Elder Xu, so she asked hesitantly.

Elder Xu gave face to Mrs. Chen and told the Xu Family’s housekeeper, "Leave out the names of Chen Yinhua and her siblings."

"Yes," the Xu Family’s housekeeper replied.

Before long, the Xu Family’s housekeeper finished writing the indenture and gave it to Madam Old Ruan, Chen Cangjin, and Chen Canggu to sign with their fingerprints.

Chen Canggu was reluctant, but Elder Xu said, "If you sign, you will have a place to stay. If not, we’ll take you to the government office immediately, declaring you as vagrants, and have the government send you to the mines to work!"

Two paths lay ahead: one of humiliating survival, the other of immediate death. Chen Canggu and his companions had no choice but to sign with their fingerprints.

Before signing, Ms. Xiao Ruan looked at Chen Yinhua and cried, "Yinhua, from now on, I’ll listen to you completely. Please save me."

Chen Yinhua smiled and said to Ms. Xiao Ruan, "Doesn’t mother show filial piety to grandmother? Since grandmother has signed, if you don’t, it would be unfilial."

With a slap, Ms. Xiao Ruan gave Chen Yinhua a hard slap on the face, angrily saying, "You little brat, how dare you mock your own mother!"

Chen Yinhua touched her aching face and said, "Mother should thank me. If I hadn’t taken Third Aunt’s side, our whole family would have quietly been dealt with by the Xu Family by now."

Given the Xu Family’s influence and Elder Xu’s temperament, they would have disposed of them promptly upon discovering they were vagrants, rather than sheltering them and taking on this huge trouble.

Indeed, Elder Xu may seem ruthless, but by providing the second option, he was actually helping Third Aunt bear the burden of the Chen Family’s huge trouble.

Ms. Xiao Ruan was choked up and had no choice but to sign.

Elder Xu personally collected the indenture and said something to Chen Cangjin and Chen Canggu that almost made Madam Old Ruan faint: "Once your mother dies, I’ll burn this indenture. If you behave, I’ll arrange new household registrations for you, allowing you to live as respectable citizens, no longer vagrants."

Chen Cangjin and Chen Canggu were overjoyed, kneeling before Elder Xu and kowtowing three times. Then, they looked at Madam Old Ruan with a gaze that wished she’d drop dead immediately.

Madam Old Ruan couldn’t take such provocation, spat a mouthful of blood, and fainted.

"Grandmother!" Among the Chen Family, only Chen Xiaoliu rushed over anxiously, shaking Madam Old Ruan. Ms. Xiao Ruan, her actual niece, remained unmoved and glared at Madam Old Ruan, eyes full of satisfaction.

Chen Yinhua witnessed everything, sneering internally. This is the Chen Family; they seemed close to Madam Old Ruan on the surface, but once she was in danger, each one eagerly wished for her death.

Elder Xu said, "Da Gui’s wife, if you have anything to say to the Chen Family, say it now. After tonight, they will be sent away, and it will be difficult to find them if you want to speak with them."

Mrs. Chen looked at Madam Old Ruan and the rest of the Chen Family, finally saying, "Reflect on your actions. If you dare to harm others again, there won’t be a choice between two paths—only a path to death!"

Chen Canggu thought Mrs. Chen would express reluctance, but unexpectedly she said this, leaving him utterly disheartened.

After listening, Elder Xu instructed the Guardian Master, "Detain them and wait; we’ll leave shortly."

"Understood." The Guardian Master immediately led the protectors to detain the Chen Family.

However, Chen Yinhua and her siblings were not taken away; they were left behind.

Elder Xu looked at Chen Yinhua, who immediately knelt with Chen Shengxi.

Elder Xu said, "I know you’re smart. Today’s matter didn’t escalate because of you, and that favor we will remember. If you have any requests, feel free to speak."

Chen Yinhua replied, "I dare not make any demands; I only ask Elder Xu to grant my siblings and me separate household registrations. We no longer wish to be suppressed by the Old Chen Family."

Her father had died, and her mother was useless. They couldn’t continue living under the Old Chen Family. Otherwise, even if Madam Old Ruan died, when Chen Cangjin and Chen Canggu took charge, they would still sell the siblings.

Upon hearing this, Elder Xu nodded in agreement: "Alright, I’ll grant your request. However, you must live in the countryside with the Old Chen Family and only have official dealings with the Gu Family once Madam Old Ruan has passed."

The Chen Family matter must be kept secret now. After all, Madam Old Ruan was Mrs. Chen’s biological mother. If outsiders learned of the Chen Family’s existence, the grudge between the Chen Family and Mrs. Chen would be public fodder.

So the best solution is secrecy until Madam Old Ruan’s death.

"Yes, this junior will obey." Chen Yinhua agreed and kowtowed with Chen Shengxi to Elder Xu: "This junior sincerely thanks Old Master Xu for his tremendous kindness!"

With three loud kowtows, the siblings also turned to Mrs. Chen and Gu Dagui, kowtowing three times: "Thank you, Third Aunt and Uncle, for giving us a lifeline."

Mrs. Chen personally helped Chen Yinhua up and said, "You’re a smart one; I won’t say much. Just know that when it comes to your siblings’ marriages, if elders need to be present, I will be there."

Chen Yinhua and Chen Shengxi were overjoyed upon hearing this. With such a wealthy aunt backing them, their future wouldn’t be too difficult: "Thank you, Aunt."

Mrs. Chen nodded and said no more, but knelt again before Elder Xu, saying, "Uncle Xu, thank you for your assistance. I won’t say much, but I promise you—I will treat Linglong as my own daughter and make sure she never suffers."

Gu Dagui and Gu Dexing, seeing this, also approached and knelt to thank Elder Xu.

Elder Xu, having achieved his goal, personally helped them up and smiled: "We are all family; no need for such formality."

Finished speaking, he looked outside the door.

Standing outside the courtyard gate at the front of the guest hall were a few people. Half of Gu Jin’an’s body was visible at the entrance. Noticing Elder Xu’s gaze, he walked over to the guest hall door and asked, "Is everything resolved?"

Elder Xu nodded: "Everything is resolved."

Elder Xu was pleased to see Gu Jin’an waiting outside the courtyard, taking it as a sign that Gu Jin’an cared about the affairs of Gu Dexing’s family.