Chapter 144 Justice
"Aunt Tong, if you have any grievances, please tell me. I will definitely seek justice for you."
Someone brought a chair to the upright judge, County Magistrate Liu. However, the judge did not sit on it. Instead, he helped Tong Huaqiong sit down.
In the eyes of everyone, this scene meant that the Xu family was in big trouble.
"Aunt Tong, can you tell me what's going on?"
Lord Liu spoke in a gentle tone. He had already learned about Widow Tong's deeds from Liu Tielian.
He had to take care of a bunch of burdens, sell cakes in the town, and tighten his belt to support his youngest son's education.
In addition, he already had a filter for Tong Huaqiong because she saved his son without asking for anything in return, so Tong Huaqiong was shining even more in his heart at this moment.
The whole character of self-reliance, tenacity, magnanimity, and not succumbing to poverty, fate, injustice, and village tyrants has been established.
Tong Huaqiong half sat on the chair and said, "Master Liu, why are you here? This matter is really too embarrassing! How can I say it out loud? I am too embarrassed to live. Woo woo woo..."
Tears come easily, and the Oscars also owe Tong Huaqiong a little golden man.
"People say that widows are prone to gossip. Everyone knows that I closed the door of my house early on for the sake of my reputation. I wish that not even a male mosquito could fly into my house. When I meet a man in the village, I don't even say hello for fear that some unpleasant words will be spread. To be honest with you, Lord Liu, I even castrated the boar at home... wuwuwu..."
County Magistrate Liu: “…”
"Master Liu, please don't make the decision for me. I might as well hang myself! Although Xu Si didn't do anything to me, my clean reputation is gone. What's the point of living?"
Tong Huaqiong cried so hard that she couldn't speak.
Xu Kun and Xu Yong were troubled. She didn't look so weak when she forced the Xu family to pay the money.
"Master Liu."
Gu Jingzhe went forward to meet him.
At this time, Gu Jingzhe had to take the leading role. Unlike Gu Jingzhe, the brothers Gu Dahan and Gu Dashu had never met the academician or the prefect. When they saw County Magistrate Liu, their calves trembled.
Before Gu Dashu, he said that he wanted to become sworn brothers with County Magistrate Liu. In Tong Huaqiong's opinion, her adopted son was just bragging.
County Magistrate Liu looked over at Gu Jingzhe.
Even though this young man's body was covered with wheat thorns, his brilliance could not be concealed. This must be the youngest son of Widow Tong that Liu Tielian mentioned.
Since they both came from a background of hard study, County Magistrate Liu had a natural liking for Gu Jingzhe.
"My mother is really frightened. Please have mercy on her, Lord Liu, and let me, her son, explain the whole story to her." Gu Jingzhe said.
County Magistrate Liu waved his hand and said, "Tell me the whole story. Don't hide anything."
Gu Jingzhe narrated how Tong Huaqiong turned over the wheat in the wheat field, how she met Xu Si, how Xu Si had ill intentions, how Tong Huaqiong fought back, how the Gu family beat up Xu Si... He described everything clearly without hiding anything.
The more County Magistrate Liu listened, the gloomier his expression became.
This Xu Si is too bold!
Tong Huaqiong cooperated with Gu Jingzhe and started a new round of suicide attempts, but was held back by Gu Taohua and Liu Yue'e.
"Lord Liu..." Old Lady Yan fell to her knees with a plop and said boldly, "My son's roots were cut off by Widow Tong."
She thought it was better for both of them to be punished than for her son to suffer alone.
"Lord Liu, I beat him in a desperate situation. If I didn't beat him, my innocence would be ruined. It doesn't matter if I am ruined. I still have sons and daughters at home. They don't care about their reputation. What I did was justified..."
In desperation, Tong Huaqiong almost uttered the modern legal term "self-defense".
County Magistrate Liu said: "Aunt Tong is right. She was justified in defending her innocence and injuring Xu Si."
"Lord Liu, my son would not bully Widow Tong for no reason. There must be..."
Granny Yan wanted to continue her story of "Tong Huaqiong took the initiative to seduce" but was interrupted by Liu Tielian, "You occupied Dashu Niang's land in the spring, and Dashu Niang took it back two days ago. You and your son must be feeling unhappy and want to take revenge."
After Liu Tiejian finished speaking, he turned to County Magistrate Liu and said, "Everyone in the village knows about this. You will know once you ask, Lord Liu."
"Yes, yes, that's right. When we were planting in the spring, Mrs. Yan occupied Aunt Tong's land."
"A few days ago, Aunt Tong brought it back, and on the riverbank, Mrs. Yan cursed Aunt Tong and said she would not have a good death."
"This is obviously Xu Si's revenge."
The villagers boldly told Magistrate Liu everything they knew about the feud between Mrs. Yan and Tong Huaqiong.
"To put it bluntly, this matter is due to the inaction of the village chief and the head of the Xu family. Why did Mrs. Yan dare to occupy my mother-in-law's land? Why did Xu Si dare to bully my mother-in-law so blatantly? If it weren't for the indulgence of the village chief and the head of the Xu family, today's incident would not have happened at all." Liu Tiechui said.
Uncle and nephew Xu Kun and Xu Yong were suddenly called upon and had no choice but to speak.
Xu Yong considered and said, "Master Liu, please understand. As the village chief, I have been the one who has dealt with justice when Xu Si bullied Sister Tong. When I asked the two families to negotiate whether to report to the police or compensate Sister Tong, Sister Tong insisted on not reporting to the police and chose to let Xu Si pay compensation..."
Mrs. Yan continued, "Yes, Widow Tong wanted five hundred taels, and she paid one hundred and fifty taels as compensation. She also lost fifty taels of chickens, ducks, geese, and wheat at home, and she also wrote an IOU for three hundred taels. The evidence is all in Widow Tong's arms."
"Why shouldn't I want to report to the police? Lord Liu, you also know that I saved your son last time. I'm afraid that if I report to the police, you will seek justice for me and people will accuse me of seeking repayment for a favor, which will ruin your reputation." Tong Huaqiong said crying.
County Magistrate Liu was moved. Look at the character of Widow Tong.
How can we compare with the unreasonable and unreasonable old woman Yan?
"Aunt Tong didn't dare to report to the authorities. She must have been forced to do so by you guys setting up a private court. I know too much about the private courts set up in some villages." County Magistrate Liu looked at Xu Yong.
Xu Yong was so frightened that he fell to his knees and defended himself, "Master Liu, please understand that I did not set up a private court. Everyone can testify that I sought justice for Sister Tong today."
County Magistrate Liu did not look at Xu Yong, but asked with his hands behind his back, "I just heard that this is not the first time Xu Si has made a mistake. Why doesn't the head of the Xu family restrain him?"
Xu Kun wanted to explain himself, but he was so scared that he quickly slid to his knees and said, "Master Liu, the fourth Xu is a jerk. As the clan leader, I really didn't control him well enough. When I go back, I will punish him according to the family rules so that he won't dare to do anything stupid again."
"Xu Yong and Xu Kun, stop it. Who are you who always says in the village that the Xu family's descendants can do whatever they want as long as they are in Qinghe Bay, and they are not afraid of even the sky falling? If it weren't for you two being Xu Si's backers, would he dare to act so domineeringly in the village?" Aunt Qin couldn't help but spit.
She also wants to seize this opportunity to seek justice for her daughter-in-law.
"Lord Liu, in addition to taking revenge on Sister Tong for occupying land, there is another thing I want to tell you. Last time, my daughter-in-law went to the town to work, and was molested by Xu Si on the ox cart. Sister Tong and Miss Taohua helped my daughter-in-law to reprimand Xu Si. Xu Si was protected by Xu Yong and Xu Kun in the village, and he had never suffered such humiliation, so he just wanted to take revenge today." Aunt Qin said.
Xu Yong and Xu Kun were exposed in public for favoring the Xu family and wanted to defend themselves, but a look from County Magistrate Liu frightened them so much that they dared not say a word.
"Sister-in-law Qin is right. Xu Yong and Xu Kun indulged Xu Si in the bad things he did in the village, and they will never be able to make up for it in their next life." Gu Xiaocao's mother Zhang was encouraged by Aunt Qin and fell to her knees beside County Magistrate Liu and cried bitterly.
"Lord Liu, please give my Xiaocao some justice."