Linxia

Chapter 116, it’s over

On the other hand, Mr. Zhuo San washed off the feces, changed his clothes, and came to the government office. On the way, he met a large group of people who were denouncing him and rushed to the government office like a tide.

Zhuo Sanye is a man who knows what is happening, so he will not resist. If there are so many people, and he foolishly rushes forward to resist and suppress them, and angers everyone, he will probably be beaten to death. If he angers everyone, he will die in vain, and the law cannot punish everyone!

"Three..." Zhang Qiren shouted subconsciously.

But when he saw the glare from Master Zhuo San, he reacted instantly and shut up.

Coincidentally, two people nearby looked over, and Master Zhuo San instantly broke out in sweat on his forehead. If he was recognized by the angry people, the result would be no different from being confronted.

He thought quickly and waved his fists, shouting "Down with the dung tyrant" and "Punish Master Zhuo San severely" to fool the crowd.

After following the petition for a while, he slipped away halfway, with cold sweat still lingering on Zhuo Sanye's forehead: "Alas, how did the situation suddenly come to this point?"

He was a little confused. He didn't care about a few people alone, but what he saw just now was more than tens of thousands of people. These people were also being called and beaten by everyone. It felt like something bad was going to happen.

"Third Master, it's probably the people who threw manure at you this morning who secretly instigated us... In recent days, because we asked for money to collect manure, the people in the city have accumulated a lot of resentment. We are not afraid of one or two of them, but if these people gather together, then... What's worse is that if the news of Third Master being thrown manure spreads out, many people will probably think that we are doomed and no longer afraid, and even follow suit to add insult to injury... Hiss, this is a cruel move!"

Zhang Qiren reacted quickly and thought of all this, but the more he saw it, the more panicked he became. At this time, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He hurriedly said, "The most urgent thing is to go to the government office and ask the prefect to disperse the people."

"Why don't you get going quickly!" The two of them took a shortcut to the government office and handed in the invitation.

But after a while the doorman came out and said that the prefect was out.

Zhuo Sanye is a man who understands the ways of the world. He naturally knows that this is an excuse. What does it mean to avoid meeting him? There are two possibilities. One is that he doesn't care and doesn't want to get involved. The other is that he took this opportunity to make a big deal out of it and attack him.

He realized that something was wrong and said immediately, "Let's go back... No, let's set off for Yingtian right away!"

But just as he turned around and hadn't walked far, a yamen runner chased after him and stopped Master Zhuo San: "Master Zhuo San, come with us!"

'broken! '

Master Zhuo's heart skipped a beat. Before he was taken away, he only had time to say to Zhang Qiren: "Go to Yingtian and invite my brother!"

……

Half a month later, someone came from Yingtian. It was Zhuo Yanxiu, the brother of Master Zhuo San, and he went straight to the government office.

Today, there are tens of thousands of people gathering outside the county government office every day, petitioning for severe punishment for Master Zhuo Sanye.

Speaking of this, it was also Master Zhuo San's own fault. He turned the free manure collection into a paid one. The people have accumulated a lot of resentment over these days. They dared to be angry but not speak out before. Now that Master Zhuo San has been arrested, they naturally want to give the fallen dog a beating and demand severe punishment. The momentum is so huge!

Zhuo Yanxiu thought it was a minor incident, but he did not expect so many people to come to the government office to demonstrate. After entering the government office, he immediately ordered Prefect Pu to disperse the troublemakers: "How can you make such a fuss outside the government office?"

"There are reasons for this. Zhuo Yuhu has been bullying the market and has incurred the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people. It is not easy for me to go against the will of the people." Prefect Pu said.

Everyone knows that Zhuo Yuhu, also known as 'Master Zhuo San', is his brother. To use this remark to stop him is undoubtedly to scold him directly. Zhuo Yanxiu naturally understood the meaning, but officials need to be thick-skinned. At this time, he sneered and said, "A prefect cannot deal with a group of unruly people. Whose side are you on?"

"I stand on the side of the people." Magistrate Pu said this cleverly. Being an official should serve the people. This is politically correct. No matter if one is sincere or not, once this banner is raised, no one can refute it.

Zhuo Yanxiu was so angry that his teeth itched, but he had no choice but to settle for the next best thing: "Zhuo Yuhu's case was a business behavior, not a serious crime. I will be your guarantor and let him go!"

"Master Zhuo, I'm afraid that won't work. Zhuo Yuhu is a bully, let's not talk about that first. Let's just say that he is a criminal, and the murder case he has on his hands... I have sentenced him to death in the autumn, and sent him to the Ministry of Justice for retrial."

Prefect Pu not only expedited the delivery of the case to the Ministry of Justice, he also wrote a letter to impeach Zhuo Yanxiu, and the time was almost up.

Zhuo Yanxiu was not stupid. When he heard that his brother was sentenced to death in the autumn and that the relationship was so bad, he knew that Prefect Pu would definitely impeach him. He secretly cursed his brother for being a fool and having actually gotten him killed.

If he was just bullying the market, maybe he could still keep his life, but this was a murder case and the evidence was obtained, which caught him off guard. He didn't even have time to turn things around, not to mention that Prefect Pu obviously wouldn't give him a chance... What's worse is that now he has been handed over, confirming the name of sheltering him. Now that the yellow mud has fallen into his crotch, it's all shit, and he's probably finished!

……

Sure enough, a month later, news came from the government office that Zhuo Sanye was executed and Zhuo Yanxiu was dismissed from office. When the people heard the news, they all applauded and many families even set off firecrackers at their doorsteps, making it as festive and lively as if it was Chinese New Year.

At the same time, the government sent a large number of people to clean the ditches in the city, and the city was finally clean; Dong Zugao also contacted the dung collectors, quickly gathered and set up racks, and announced that the collection of dung would be free of charge.

The people are satisfied with the change from paid manure collection to free; the city appearance has been restored, business has improved, and the merchants are happy; there is no more bad smell when traveling, and the dignitaries are also in a better mood.

All are happy.

……

Donkey restaurant.

At noon that day, Fang Lin and Dong Zugao gathered here to celebrate this event.

The friendship between the two men was already very strong, and this time they worked together to defeat Master Zhuo Sanye. The experience of being in the same trench, and the joy of doing something big together and succeeding, made the two men much closer and became close friends.

"Brother Fang, we paid the dung men in full and left a bond of loyalty to them. A few days ago, when Third Master Zhuo fell ill, they contacted each other and came back as soon as they heard that we were going to start the dung business again... So they quickly set up their business and seized the market. They also took advantage of the vacancy and occupied some of the dung business in the powerful areas."

Dong Zugao said: "Nowadays, the profit of the feces business is 100 taels of silver per month."

At the beginning, the total investment of the two was less than 100 taels, which is equivalent to a monthly profit today.

Fang Lin was happy but remained sober: "Brother Dong, the feces business in the area for ordinary people is fine, but if we occupy the area for dignitaries, will there be any problems?"

"It's okay for now. Master Zhuo has fallen, and there's no one to fill this area. The excrement of the dignitaries must be collected by someone, right? In the future, if someone more powerful than us takes a fancy to it, the worst that can happen is that we can just spit it out and go back to the way it was before. Alas, it's a pity that I'm only a scholar, not a juren. Otherwise, even if I take up all the excrement business in the dignitaries' area, who would dare to say anything?"

Dong Zugao sighed, and Fang Lin said: "Brother Fang, after this incident, I feel my own shortcomings. As I said, if I were a juren, this incident might not be so difficult... I plan to take the exam again this autumn. A thorough understanding of worldly affairs is knowledge, and a thorough understanding of human nature is writing. These days we have worked together, and I have gained a lot of insights. I am no longer just studying blindly like before... I have a feeling that I might pass this time."

"Then congratulations in advance, Brother Dong."

Fang Lin and Dong Zugao clinked their bowls together. The bright golden afternoon sun was reflected into the bowls, creating ripples and adding a festive touch. They both drank it all in one gulp.

……

Return to Xixiang Hutong in the evening.

The Xin family's ten fluff-like chicks are growing very fast. They look different every time they come back. Now they are taller than the kitten Guaiguai.

Things have changed. Guaiguai, who used to bully them, has now become the bullied one. These vengeful little chickens cackled and chased after Guaiguai.

Guaiguai was chased so hard that he climbed up the osmanthus tree and didn't dare to come down. When he saw Fang Lin coming back, he immediately meowed in grievance.

"Okay, you bullied others in the past, and now you're getting retribution, right?" Fang Lin grabbed the guy by the neck and pulled him down.

At this time, Xin Jiasha Xiaoyun went out. Before the other party greeted him, he brought a basin to feed the chickens. A group of half-grown chickens clucked and went to have dinner.

As the weather got warmer, Mr. Ou started to carry his rattan chair outside after school and go under the osmanthus tree to rest and drink tea.

The sounds of chickens and ducks, the sounds of children chasing and playing, the sounds of pots and pans colliding while cooking...

The ordinary alley was full of life and peace. In such an environment, Fang Lin felt that the fatigue from months of tense nerves and scheming with Mr. Zhuo Sanye seemed to be gradually easing away.

When he got home, Fang's father had already returned and was talking to Fang's mother. A rich aroma wafted from the kitchen. Tian Xuan poked her head out and said, "Brother Lin, are you back? We've been waiting for you. Let's eat now!"

"Yeah, I'm here!" The reassuring feeling of having someone waiting for him at home and having food to eat when he gets back made Fang Lin smile unconsciously. He washed his hands and went to the kitchen.

……

(End of this chapter)