Chapter 3713

"Alright then, I'll head back to the village committee and wait for you. If you don't show up, don't blame me for being heartless in enforcing the law." With that, Zhang Huaixian clasped his hands behind his back, turned around, and strolled leisurely out of Mei'er's courtyard gate.

Watching Zhang Huaixian's retreating figure, Mei'er felt a wave of tension. She knew very well that this Zhang Huaixian had been eyeing her for more than a day or two. Fortunately, she had never given him a chance. Once, he had almost succeeded, but thanks to having another woman by her side that day, she had narrowly escaped disaster. If she went to register with him today, wouldn't that be like a sheep walking into a tiger's den?

But what else could she do? She couldn't just watch as the village head sent people to drive away the entire family of Shuanzhu. If Shuanzhu were here, it would be easier to handle, but now that he was away, if she let the village head drive them out, how could she answer to Shuanzhu? Besides, her family had already accepted money from Shuanzhu. After weighing the pros and cons, Mei'er steeled herself and decided to go, resolving to just be extra careful. Mei'er tidied up a bit, settled her husband, and went to the tile-roofed house where Zheng Jie and Zhao Da were staying. She said to Zheng Jie, "Big Sister Zheng, I'm going to the village committee for a moment. Could you please keep an eye on things at home for me?"

Zheng Jie had just heard the conversation between Mei'er and the village head Zhang Huaixian from inside the room. She looked at Mei'er with a worried expression and asked, "Mei'er, does the village not allow outsiders to stay? Will they drive us away?"

Seeing Zheng Jie's anxious look, Mei'er forced a smile and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, Big Sister Zheng. I've already told the village head that you are distant relatives of mine. We just need to go to the village committee to register, and it will be fine." Seeing Zheng Jie and her husband relying on each other for survival, Mei'er couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy. Her own family situation was currently the same as Zheng Jie's—the women were strong while the men were weak, with her husband bedridden. This made Mei'er feel a shared sense of fate with Zheng Jie.

Hearing Mei'er say this, the worried expression on Zheng Jie's face eased slightly. She nodded reluctantly and said, "Sister Mei'er, then go ahead. I'll watch the house."

Mei'er smiled sympathetically, turned around without looking back, and walked out of the courtyard gate toward the village committee. She wanted to get this over with during the lunch hour when there were more people around, so she could feel at ease.

Mei'er arrived at the village committee and gently knocked on the door of the village head's dilapidated tile-roofed office. She heard a cough from inside, followed by a shout: "Come in, the door isn't locked."

Mei'er gently pushed open the village head's office door and stepped inside. She glanced around the room and saw the village head, Zhang Huaixian, sitting alone on a bench smoking. She said softly, "Village Head, I'm here."

"Hmm, good that you're here. Sit down over there first." Zhang Huaixian didn't rush, gesturing with his chin toward a stool opposite the chair he was sitting on.

Seeing a hint of ill intent in Zhang Huaixian's eyes, Mei'er pursed her lips, forced a smile, and said, "Village Head, I'd better not sit. I still have things to do at home. Please just register me quickly."

"Register?" Hearing Mei'er's words, Zhang Huaixian squinted at her, curled his lip, and said, "It's not that easy."

Seeing Zhang Huaixian playing hard to get, Mei'er asked anxiously, "Why is that?"

"Why? Don't you know that in your own heart?" Zhang Huaixian said, deliberately being coy.

"I really don't know. If there's anything I've done improperly, I ask you to please be lenient, Village Head." Mei'er was just that kind of person; whenever she encountered a difficult situation, she was always the first to soften.

"You've already broken the village rules, and the villagers are demanding an explanation from me." Zhang Huaixian glared with his triangular eyes and said fiercely.

"What? I haven't done anything to wrong the fellow villagers." Mei'er said, feeling quite anxious.

"Still arguing? The people who came to your house have been staying for days, and it's not like you don't know. The authorities are currently hunting for a fugitive. What if that fugitive is mixed in among the people who came to your house?" Zhang Huaixian began to spout nonsense.

"What? A fugitive? How come I haven't heard of this?" Mei'er was truly frightened, her large, watery eyes flashing with fear.

"What do you know? By the time you find out, it'll be too late." Zhang Huaixian said bluntly.

"But, the people who came to my house are distant relatives, not fugitives." Mei'er said, trying to bolster her own courage.