He Shi stared at Dongyu for a long while, her gaze sweeping across the girl's face. Dongyu knew He Shi was testing her, so she summoned her courage and forced herself to meet He Shi's eyes steadily. Seeing nothing revealing, He Shi finally looked away.

Huang Shi, watching from the side, commented, "Sister-in-law, if that's the case, there is no proof that Song Yuemei did this. Perhaps a separation isn't appropriate after all. Yue Mei is still carrying Qingshan’s child. Find a time to bring her back. I imagine Qingshan and Dajiang would agree. As for the other matters, you all need to think carefully about whether you should report this to the magistrate to get to the bottom of it." As Huang Shi spoke, she glanced at Dongyu.

Hongyun and Hongxia and the others voiced their agreement. He Shi listened, nodded without comment. Lin He analyzed the situation carefully. She intuitively felt this matter was inextricably linked to Dongyu, but the fact remained: there was no evidence. If they involved the authorities, given the current state of affairs, nothing would likely be uncovered, ending in a whimper. However, the Lin family’s reputation would surely become fodder for gossip again.

Even if she suggested it, she doubted her grandparents would agree. People at this time valued reputation above life itself. Lin He decided not to mention it. Moreover, if Dongyu truly was behind this, she was reaping what she sowed. Lin He intended to find an opportunity to discuss the matter with her mother, see if her uncle would listen to reason. If they did, action would follow; if not, there was nothing to be done. They were outsiders, after all; this was as much as they could manage.

Huang Shi and the others stayed at He Shi's house for the better part of the morning, spoke little more on the subject, and then departed.

When Qingshan and Dajiang returned and heard the story, Dajiang merely advised Qingshan to fetch Song Yuemei and let the matter drop as if it had never happened. But Qingshan refused. The usually meek Qingshan had suddenly hardened his resolve this time.

He had spent the last two days pondering these events, recalling all the kindness Song Yuemei had shown him, remembering their shared past affection. He deeply regretted his decision. Now that he knew Dongyu had been lying, Qingshan felt she had malicious intentions, deliberately using this incident to drive Song Yuemei away.

Thinking it over and over, Qingshan became increasingly convinced that Dongyu was not a good person. From the moment she had seduced him, Dongyu had done nothing right. The previous incident with the childbirth was like this, and now this—thoughts of which filled Qingshan with an intense fury. He insisted that Dongyu must be divorced, declaring he wanted nothing more to do with her, no matter the cost.

Truthfully, Dongyu was less worthy than a mere concubine. She had simply fallen pregnant by Qingshan and, without title or status, packed her things and come to his home. There was no betrothal letter, no formal observance of the Three Letters and Six Rites; she didn't even have a matchmaker. Now, a formal letter of divorce was unnecessary; she could simply be driven out.

He Shi and Dajiang felt pity for Dongyu, thinking the fault wasn't entirely hers, and tried to persuade Qingshan to let it go. But Qingshan’s mind was made up, hard as iron. He declared that Dongyu absolutely had to leave—first, because he wanted no woman capable of fabricating such lies for him, fearing she might even resort to murder next time; second, because if Dongyu remained, he feared Song Yuemei would never forgive him. Thus, he insisted on casting Dongyu out.

Eventually, even Elder Lin and Zhao Shi came to intercede, but it was all in vain. Qingshan remained steadfast in his decision to expel Dongyu, stating that even if Yuemei refused to return, Dongyu still had to go.

When Dongyu realized she was about to be expelled, true terror gripped her heart. She frantically begged Qingshan for forgiveness, admitting she had only pushed the blame onto Song Yuemei out of panic over the child. She swore she never intended to harm Yuemei and would apologize to her personally. She promised to behave docilely from now on, never making a mistake again, even agreeing to serve as a mere maidservant as she had before. Dongyu wept hysterically before Qingshan—this time, the tears were real, for she knew if Qingshan cast her out, she would truly have nothing left. She was already past her prime, penniless, and had nowhere to go.

Dongyu’s wails did not move Qingshan, but they became unbearable for Dajiang and He Shi to listen to. Finally, Dajiang devised a solution. His family owned a small thatched hut not far away that could be tidied up for living. They proposed Dongyu move there. They would give her a small monthly allowance so she wouldn't be homeless, while still ensuring she left the main household. Qingshan agreed this arrangement was acceptable; leaving the house was the main goal, and a monthly stipend was better than nothing, after all they had shared.

Dongyu cried for a long time, pleading ceaselessly, but Qingshan remained unmoved, offering only two choices: expulsion or the hut. With no other recourse, Dongyu conceded to the thatched hut, seeing it as a place to land, and knowing she would still be considered kin to the Lin family, receiving money monthly—far better than wandering destitute.

The next day, Qingshan and Dajiang tidied up the hut, planning to have Dongyu move in a few days once she was physically able to walk around properly.

Meanwhile, concerning Yuemei: Song Yuemei’s brothers had been furious when they heard she had returned home after the proposed separation, ready to confront Qingshan’s household immediately. But Song Yuemei stopped them, insisting it was her own choice and that she did not want the entire community turning the situation into a spectacle. She wanted the matter dropped. Her parents also felt it was best to swallow the insult and move on with their lives.

After resolving the situation with Dongyu, Qingshan planned to go and bring Song Yuemei and her daughter back. When Qingshan arrived at Yuemei's parents' home, her brothers, already stewing in anger, had been looking for an excuse to teach Qingshan a lesson. Qingshan’s arrival to apologize offered the perfect opening. Song Yuemei’s brothers gave him a severe beating, then tossed him outside and ignored him.

Yet, Qingshan was unyielding this time. Even bruised and battered from the beating by Yuemei’s brothers, he refused to leave. He stood right outside Song Yuemei’s door for several days, refusing food or water. Finally, he knelt there for an entire day until he passed out from exhaustion. Dajiang and Qingshan’s family arrived and repeatedly implored Song Yuemei’s family to assure them that such an incident would never recur and that Song Yuemei would be treated well henceforth.

Initially, Song Yuemei adamantly refused to return. However, seeing how genuinely contrite Qingshan appeared this time, her relatives felt the blame might not rest solely on Qingshan’s household. Furthermore, Qingshan had repeatedly guaranteed such events would cease. Despite her strength, Yuemei was still a woman, and if not for herself, she had to consider her child. If the divorce finalized, she wasn't sure she could raise two children alone. The fact that Qingshan had banished Dongyu finally moved Song Yuemei, and she eventually agreed to return with him.

Later, Lin He heard the story when her two aunts visited for a chat. Upon learning the details, Lin He inwardly felt that Qingshan had truly asserted himself this time, acting with such decisiveness. If only he had possessed such resolution and judgment earlier, the family wouldn't have faced so many troubles.

Since the absolute truth remained unknown to everyone, Lin He thought that, on the surface, Qingshan’s punishment of Dongyu seemed harsh for merely telling a lie, especially considering she had also lost her child, which might warrant forgiveness if thoroughly investigated. Nevertheless, Lin He felt it was better for Dongyu to leave sooner rather than later; otherwise, the household would face continued disruptions, and such incidents might occur frequently. But given that Dongyu had been with Qingshan for so long and borne him two children, having Qingshan support her for the rest of her life was compensation for his past wrongdoings.

Huang Shi and the others certainly didn't think as deeply as Lin He. Though they felt Qingshan had been somewhat excessive, their impression of Dongyu was already poor; they considered her no good. Furthermore, they preferred not to meddle in their elder brother’s domestic affairs, so they didn't say much, concluding that the outcome was favorable—at least the two women were separated, and their home wouldn't be filled with constant discord. For a farming family like theirs, attempting to enjoy the 'blessing of two wives' was never good fortune; it was a disaster.