USWHC -Chapter 355 Jumping Into One’s Own Trap (Part 5)

“Hey? Isn’t that the Ji family’s cheap daughter-in-law? Why is she back?”

“Yes, yes, it’s her—she really came back!”

Zhu Jie strode boldly through the village, carrying herself like a lioness on the prowl.

Ji Yi followed behind her helplessly. Seeing her triumphant return, he couldn’t help but smile sweetly. This girl—once she’s let loose, she’s all bite. Still, that made him feel at ease.

At that moment, Ergou’s mother came bustling over again, eager for gossip. “Oh my, isn’t this Erhan’s wife? You really came back? Didn’t you go with your parents?”

“No. They’re not my parents at all!” Zhu Jie said angrily. “I followed them back and found out—it wasn’t even my home!”

“But they even came to the Ji family to make a scene, you know?” Ergou’s mother said seriously. “They didn’t look like easy people to deal with!”

“Exactly! Good thing their own daughter went back. Turns out she ran off with someone!” Zhu Jie sighed again. “I didn’t even look that much like her. How could they mistake me?”

“Really?” Ergou’s mother hesitated. “What a muddle-headed family…” Though she said that, the look on her face clearly showed she wasn’t entirely convinced—most likely she still thought Zhu Jie was lying.

“So they won’t come back to cause trouble again?” another aunt leaned over and asked curiously.

“They won’t. They’ve found their own daughter—why would they come back?” Zhu Jie answered immediately, as if she had been waiting for that very question.

Even so, everyone still looked doubtful. But Zhu Jie had no intention of explaining further—time would prove everything.

“Did you really have someone send them away?” Zhu Jie couldn’t help asking again once no one else was around.

“They should’ve already been sent to the yamen by now,” Ji Yi said with certainty.

It seemed those people wouldn’t be coming back. Zhu Jie laughed heartily. “Good. It’s better someone deals with them!”

But unexpectedly, just a few days later, new visitors arrived in Xiangshui Village. With gongs and drums, and carried in an eight-man sedan chair, they came in grand procession—it was an impressive sight. Who could it be?

Hearing the commotion, all the villagers came out. Another spectacle to watch?

When they looked, they were stunned. Oh my—why had the county magistrate come to Xiangshui Village? Not only had he come, he was heading straight toward the Ji household.

Had the Ji family committed another offense? Or had Old Zhu really gone to report them? The villagers immediately widened their eyes—the Ji family was in trouble!

Before the magistrate’s sedan even reached the Ji residence, someone had already run ahead to warn them.

“Old Madam Ji, this is bad—something’s happened to your family! The county magistrate is here!” Ergou’s mother was the first to rush in.

Old Madam Ji was in the courtyard washing clothes with Ji Mei. Hearing this, she threw down the laundry and said in shock, “What? That can’t be!”

But just as she finished speaking, a yamen runner walked in. “Is this the Ji residence? Prepare to receive the magistrate!”

What? The magistrate really had come for their family? Old Madam Ji immediately panicked. Turning her head, she shouted to Ji Mei, “Hurry and go bring that troublemaker back here!”

At the same time, she pleaded with the officer, “Sir, our family has always obeyed the law! That girl came back on her own—we didn’t abduct her!”

But the yamen runner looked dull and puzzled, his gaze toward Old Madam Ji rather strange. “You’re told to receive him—why so much nonsense?”

Hearing that, Old Madam Ji grew so anxious she was almost in tears. She had no strength left to prepare anything, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Soon, the sound of gongs and drums drew closer and closer, until it truly stopped right in front of their door. Not only that, the chatter and laughter grew loud—almost the entire village had gathered. Old Madam Ji felt dizzy. Was life really going to become impossible now?

With a bang, the door was pushed open. Two yamen runners stepped in first. Ji Laoda craned his neck to look—and his legs immediately began trembling. “Ma… they’re the ones who said they’d arrest me!”

Indeed, weren’t those the very same Magistrate Hao and his men?