Chapter 2045: Ruan Hai's Daughter-in-Law (Patreon)

Chapter 2045: Ruan Hai's Daughter-in-Law


Ruan Chengqian spoke candidly, "Back when he led the bullying against us brothers, causing us to have no way out, I thought that since he was such an incompetent Village Chief, someone else might be better suited."

It had been about seven years since those incidents took place.

"But at the time, I was weak, and it was just a passing thought. I only seriously considered it after Dalai became the manager of the Lu family's oil mill. During that time, many villagers in the village showed goodwill towards our family. Even Ruan Hai, though sometimes sarcastic, didn't dare to openly bully us. Even the elders from Ruan Village occasionally came to check on us."

"In retrospect, it's all thanks to the County Princess. I thought back then that Ruan Hai's position as Village Chief wasn't as secure as it seemed. Over the past two years, I've been monitoring the situation closely and noticed that there aren't many people closely tied to Ruan Hai who would always support him. This means there's a good chance to remove him from office. Without the County Princess's help, it might have taken me several more years. With the County Princess's assistance, now is the perfect opportunity."

Shu Yu nodded. "Stand up first."

Once Ruan Chengqian had risen to his feet, Shu Yu asked, "How certain are you about this?"

"With the County Princess's support, ninety percent." Without it, he might only have a forty percent chance, at best achieving a draw.

"What do you need me to do?"

Ruan Chengqian replied in a low voice, "I can manage the villagers in the village myself. The most crucial part is Ruan Hai's close relationship with the county magistrate. If the County magistrate stands by him, then I..."

Shu Yu nodded in understanding. "I understand about the county magistrate. However, pulling Ruan Hai down without any apparent reason might not be easy. We'd need to find some fault of his."

"Yes, I've been secretly keeping an eye on that matter. However, Ruan Hai acts cautiously. For example, when he took over the fertile land from other villagers, he would give them some money and let them sign agreements themselves." As he mentioned this, Ruan Chengqian furrowed his brow.

Mainly because he hadn't expected the County Princess to come today, and he hadn't made any preparations.

Shu Yu thought for a moment. "What about his neighbors?" Village Chief Ruan's interest in her mother's affairs had been revealed by Ruan's neighbor to Aunt Axiang.

Ruan Chengqian nodded. "I understand the County Princess's intention. Ruan Hai's neighbors do indeed pay close attention to his family. However, what they hear are just some trivial matters. Even if they occasionally hear about his schemes, there's no solid evidence."

Just then, Ruan Chengchun, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, suddenly spoke up. "Perhaps there's someone who can help us."

"Who?" Shu Yu and Ruan Chengqian turned to look at him simultaneously.

Ruan Chengchun cleared his throat. "Ruan Hai's daughter-in-law."

Ruan Chengqian asked, "Lou Shi?"

"Yes."

Shu Yu wasn't very familiar with Ruan's family. "What about Lou Shi?"

"County Princess, Lou Shi is Ruan Hai's daughter-in-law. However, she has had a very difficult life since marrying into the Ruan Hai family in recent years. The Lou family is also from our Ruan Village, but Lou Shi's grandfather moved here from the mountains and settled alone. So, by the time it reached Lou Shi's father's generation, they only had one family member and no relatives to rely on."

Shu Yu understood. Settling in Ruan Village without any relatives to rely on, especially encountering a family like Ruan Hai's, meant that Lou Shi might have faced mistreatment, with no one to turn to for help.

"You should tell me more about Lou Shi's situation."

"Yes."