Notes on Leisurely Living in the Farm

Chapter 49

Although it is the end of summer and early autumn in the back house of the county government office, it is still full of flowers and willows.

Madam Wu took the porcelain basin from the servant girl, and was about to turn around and enter the door, but she saw the lips of the person under the steps move, and her eyes drooped quickly after looking at her.

"Wait a minute, are you okay?"

The servant girl stopped in her footsteps, clasping her fingers in her palms: "Mother Wu, this servant girl just heard that the shopkeeper of Wu Qiong Pavilion is beating drums outside to appeal for grievances."

"Oh, what do you know?"

The servant girl let go of her ten fingers: "It seems that someone damaged the pearl hairpin in the pavilion, and the person who destroyed it was indecent, so he was tied up here. By the way, the servant girl heard that this incident seems to be related to the girl Yiyou whom the lady recruited a few days ago."

"You go back first."

Looking at the little maid's light footsteps, Mama Wu thought about it.She is clever, she will not reject such a manpower, but this alone cannot make her fully trust.

Forget it, the matter of Wu Qiongge is more important now.After leveling the porcelain basin, she entered through the door.With a wet towel, she wiped her face evenly for the madam.

"The master went to the front."

"Yes, speaking of it, this matter is also related to the old slave's useless younger brother. His elm head has never asked anyone for it these years, and now that something has happened, he doesn't know how to send someone to let him know."

The county magistrate's wife became interested: "You should talk about it carefully."

"The old slave also listened to what the servant girl said. This matter is probably related to the Shen family, and Miss Yiyou is also the one who beat the drums and complained."

"The Shen family...it's been heard a lot lately. Under the master's rule, the residents are healthy, how could such absurd things happen."

"Madam's words are reasonable, I'm afraid that Siya Shen. Once this matter happens, the entire family will feel sorry for Madam."

Mama Wu's words sound flattering at first glance, but they are actually extremely skillful.She is very smart to be able to survive as a non-dowry person and become a popular person around the wife now.

Because of her personal experience on the day the family was separated, she knew very well about the affairs of the Shen family.In her opinion, if the family doesn't change the person in charge, it will lose sooner or later.So that day, seeing that Miss Yiyou was capable, she made a decisive decision, and only in this way did Yiyou have a smooth two months.

Although she is a slave, in her position today, she doesn't need to curry favor with others.In this way, when she mentioned Yiyou and Siya, she praised and criticized, showing her loyalty to her wife.

The county magistrate's wife twitched her wrists, and Mama Wu hurriedly took off the wet wipe and put it behind her in an inconspicuous place.

"Go and have a look, the master's name cannot be ruined."

"Yes."

Mama Wu backed away with small steps, Madam could not explain it clearly.Only by being impartial and acting in accordance with the law can an official be kept clean for the rest of his life.

Above the courtroom, the magistrate raised his hand high and finally slowly placed it on the gavel.If it wasn't for sitting high in front of the stage, everyone would be able to see his pale complexion.

The shopkeeper under the hall is not tall, with small eyes and a high nose, and he looks shrewd.This person is none other than the younger brother of Madam Wu's capable wife.

Mother Wu was sold by her family when she was only a child, and she served his wife several times.Although they live in the same county, they have never stepped into the house for many years.Everyone in the yamen only thought that she had a bad relationship with her family, but he knew it was just the appearance.

It is true that Wu's mother and her family are bad, but the shopkeeper Wu who runs the jewelry store is a compatriot with her mother, and her relationship is different from that of the cruel father's step-wife who sold her, and the younger siblings of the step-wife.

In his opinion, shopkeeper Wu is really a wonderful person.This person is as timid as a mouse and cherishes money like life. Mother Wu has saved for many years and opened Wu Qiong Pavilion instead.Whatever happened in this way, he never knew to report his sister's name, so he just racked his brains to solve it.

Because of this peculiarity, the county magistrate remembered this person clearly.Now that this person suddenly appeared in front of him, he suddenly thought of his wife who lived firmly in the back house.The experience of losing the fire three months ago is still vivid in his memory. For a month in a row, he only had porridge and side dishes, and there was no oil or water in the food, which really made him feel like a bird was fading out of his mouth.

Now if the sentence is changed based on his temper, and he provokes Mrs. Ji, then there will be more than just porridge and side dishes to welcome him.Thinking of this chill travels down the spine, from the tailbone to the base of the neck.With a shake of his hand, the gavel sounded.

"Legendary work!"

Although she is in the hall, Yiyou's position is shady, and she will not be noticed if she makes a small move. Just now she clearly saw the malice in the eyes of the county magistrate.

Three months ago, when she presented the peony cake, she put forward three conditions: first, to remove Shen Fuhai as the head of the family; Mrs. Cheng only agreed to two or three.As for the first one, it was replaced by Xu Siya as the maid of the county magistrate.

Because of this, she solved the crisis of the Shen family and won the gratitude and trust of the clan, but it was only smooth afterwards.It's just that there are no absolutes in the world. Although Siya is a housekeeper and has a humble status, she is the only master in the county government's back house except for the eldest lady.Although half master and half servant, the position of master and servant depends entirely on what the county magistrate says.

She had already prepared in her heart, so when she saw the county magistrate's face, she had already prepared for the worst.Now the situation has taken a turn for the worse, which is beyond her expectation.

"Second girl."

When Li Shi reminded her in a low voice, Yiyou hurriedly pulled herself together.Now the facts all depend on what Wu Zuo says, and since she is prepared for the worst, she is also fearless.And looking at the face of the county magistrate, she always felt that she would not return without success today.

She squeezed the veil tightly, because she was facing the county magistrate, so she couldn't see what was going on behind her.Listening intently, the county magistrate's startled tree fell, and the sound of light and heavy footsteps came from behind, and two figures, one tall and one short, rushed towards her.

"See your lord."

The shadow with the knife should be Mu Ran, and the rest of the person should be the county yamen's master Wu Zuo who sees his head but doesn't see his tail.

The dead are big, but in the previous dynasties, the work was insignificant, and it was generally performed by untouchables.At the beginning, the people were reluctant to break this bad habit when Taizu Taizu of Dayue broke it. It was not until the news that the imperial physician in the palace solved a century-old case spread throughout the heavens that the people were able to change their minds.

Taking this as a starting point, most of the work is done by doctors.Wu Zuo in this county is nothing more than this, but in recent years, the weather has been smooth and peaceful, and there have been few murders, so everyone is not familiar with Wu Zuo.

"The two girls, please hand over the veils."

As soon as Wu opened his mouth, Yiyou knew that what he was asking for was the Yuan handkerchief in her hand.As for Shen Fu'ai, it should be the handkerchief she personally carried and embroidered by herself.

After handing over the handkerchief to Mu Ran, she just saw the original appearance of Wu Zuo.Seeing this, she put the heart that was hanging in the air back into her stomach.Wu Zuo is none other than a regular customer who comes to buy buns every day.Because she loves her steamed stuffed buns so much, she even handed over a piece of silver to her as an account, and she took some meat buns every day, and all the coins needed were deducted from it.

There is no discord between the two families, so he will be able to act fairly.And all she wants is this impartial attitude.

Wu Zuo knew the mother and daughter himself, and had heard a little about the Shen family.After receiving the two handkerchiefs, he thought he was sure of everything, but after seeing it, he frowned.

There is no other reason. These two handkerchief embroidery workers are definitely not from the same hand.After deliberating for a moment, he said the truth: "Yuan handkerchief and handkerchief are not the property of one person. The powder has been aged for a long time, and its medicinal properties have been lost. It is hard to say at this moment."

The whole hall was in an uproar, Yiyou frowned.Three months have passed since the Dongchuan incident, and Shen Fu'ai's relevant dowry has been destroyed long ago, and the fabric can no longer be verified.In the previous life, the Cheng family cried and complained that it is now vivid, and all kinds of things in Shenjia Village can testify that there is absolutely no problem with Yuanpa.Now, this problem can only be on the things that Shen Fuai carries with him.

Women in Dayue all have a pair of skillful hands, and most of the things used by farmers come from the hands of housewives.Moreover, the daughter's family pays the most attention to fame and integrity, and the personal belongings are generally not leaked out.So now for a while, she couldn't think of a reason.

Compared with her melancholy, Shen Fu'ai, who was originally terrified, now feels elated.In broad daylight, the conspiracy of the two mothers was exposed, which is really an eye-opener.

Li was anxious: "Why did Mr. Wu Zuo come to this conclusion?"

Shen Fu'ai came over, her fat body looked down upon Li's family: "The Qing is self-cleaning, your mother and daughter's morals are corrupt, so it's fine to make trouble at home. Now you dare to openly deceive the magistrate of the county, but fortunately, the magistrate is aware of the details, and finally the conspiracy has no way to escape shape.

My lord is the reincarnation of Bao Qingtian, please make the decision for the women. "

After uttering these words in one breath, and seeing the mother's face sinking into the water, she felt very happy.This pair of mother and daughter dared to expose what she had done, it was really abhorrent.Thanks to her Shen Fu's love for Hong Fu Qi Tian, ​​she made her suffer the consequences.

Most of the onlookers outside the county government office were women. Everyone watched Li's old age, still standing tall and slim.

"Looking at her like that, I know she is not a woman."

"The mother and daughter were carved out of the same mold. They must not be able to bear the pain of working in the field. They love leisure and work hard. They want to set up a memorial archway after becoming a bitch, so they framed their natal sister-in-law."

Those close to the Shen family are also sparing no effort to smear at this moment: "I heard that the girl is not old, and she was known to have framed her cousin. Fortunately, the county magistrate's wife is generous, and the fourth girl of the Shen family has kept her wealth."

"What is this?"

The man explained in detail, ignoring Siya's frame of Yiyou, and only talked about the second half.Those who heard it shared the same hatred: "It's really the most poisonous woman's heart. The daughter-in-law of the Cheng family has a generous heart and a fat body. She looks generous at first sight. This time, the matter of Wu Qiongge must have been framed by the mother and daughter."

As the saying goes, three women are worth a group of ducks, but now a group of women are muttering loudly.The voices of Piansheng have their own characteristics, and they are clearly heard in the hall.

Shen Fu'ai's eyes were red, and she chanted and beat everyone: "It's still the people in the county who are smart, thanks to everyone's insight. The aunt and nephew, I finally felt a step back, and used this to persuade my husband and second brother to let his mother and daughter go. Never Thinking, the two of them actually got worse."

After being beautified by everyone, Shen Fu'ai's fat body became simple and honest.Now hearing her snot and tears, everyone is even more convinced.Because of the guards of the yamen, it was difficult for them to wait for the county yamen, so they had to turn their anger into sharp eyes.

In her previous life, Yiyou was used to eye-knives. Now she took a step back to block behind Li Shi, frowning thinking about the deviation.Before she could straighten out her thoughts, a familiar voice came.

"Little sister, the second brother can't find it everywhere, so you are actually in the county government."

When the siblings were reunited, they covered their faces and wept. Shen Fuhai protected his sister behind his back. After getting the consent of the county magistrate, he went up to the hall and bowed his hands to everyone.

"Thank you folks, for treating my little sister with justice, and for my Shen family's reputation."

Then he knelt in front of the county magistrate, the seven-foot man's eyes were red: "Your Excellency is the sky above the grass people, you don't know, these two people have had quarrels with the grass people earlier."

Kneeling on the ground, he told the whole story.The black-and-white kungfu that has been inherited from the old lady has been brought into full play at this moment.In his mouth, Yiyou became that top-notch niece who disregarded the five-year upbringing and closeness, once she burned her head, and rebelled with the clan to fight against her uncle.

Everyone gasped, pointed at Yiyou and said, "There are such Zhongshan wolves in the world."

The county magistrate directly slapped the table with his hands: "It's unreasonable. If such a bad girl is not severely punished, it will not be enough to anger the people, and if it is not severe, it will not be enough to prove the sanctity of the saint."

Mrs. Li pointed at Shen Fuhai, with a trembling voice: "Turn black and white, my lord, none of this man's words are true, everyone in Yunlin Village can testify!"

The county magistrate still maintains the posture of bowing his hands and respecting the holy majesty. Hearing this, it is like a basin of cold water pouring down: "Bold woman, do you mean that this official is incompetent and does not distinguish between loyal and evil?"

The heavy hat was pressed down, even if Li Shi thought so, she didn't dare to confirm it.Tighten her daughter's hand, if the punishment is lowered again, she will definitely protect Er Ya completely.

Mu Ran was anxious, he was used to seeing people's faces since he was a child, and he knew that what Li's mother and daughter said was true.However, he also understood the temperament of the county magistrate, so in desperation, he had no choice but to look at his friend for help.

Pei Zihuan put down his pen, smiled ambiguously at his friend, and only opened his mouth after being glared back by him.

"My lord, wait a minute."

"What's the master's opinion on this?"

"Your Excellency is well-educated, so he knows everything. However, Da Yue cannot judge the case favorably, why don't you listen to what this mother and daughter have to say?"

"unambiguous evidence……"

"It's still early in the day."

The county magistrate touched his nose, and finally nodded in agreement.

There hasn't been such a case in the county for a long time, and it will be widely spread, and people who have been busy all day come to check it out.

In it, Yiyou forced herself to calm down.The facts are undeniable, there must be something she has overlooked, which led to the current dilemma.

"My lord, how do you tell the difference? This veil was not embroidered by one person."

Wu Zuo didn't expect that a fair statement would lead to such consequences, and he felt a little guilty in his heart, so he explained it very carefully.

"Look, girl, female red is different from person to person. Although the two handkerchiefs are both exquisite, they are not afraid of thick stitches and large needle holes, while the other handkerchief is completely opposite, with fine stitches and different stitching methods. No need. If you take a closer look, you can see that this was not done by one person."

Yiyou stared at the ground, at this moment all her mind was attracted by the "fine stitches".Guan Shen Fu loves fingers, his five fingers are as thick as pig's trotters.As a man, Wu would not pay too much attention to it, but she often embroiders these days but understands that an embroiderer must have nimble fingers.

The brocade handkerchief that Shen Fuai carries with her is definitely not from her own hands!

Thinking of this, the many problems that bothered her just now disappeared.It was her who blinded her eyes. Although the women of Dayue are all good at female celebrities, most of the things used by the wives of rich and noble families are from the hands of servants.Although Cheng's family is not rich, there are quite a few maids in the house, and the embroidery they produce will be donated to Shen Fu'ai, the head of the family.

With confidence, she raised her head: "My lord, the girl has something to say."

"speak."

"The brocade handkerchief Miss Shen used was not made by me."

The brothers and sisters of the Shen family who were so complacent just now turned pale.Shen Fuai recalled her mother's instructions when she gave her Xiruan. She said that Erya was born in poverty and had never seen wealth, so she would never have thought of this place.

But now, she thought about it, and said it in front of so many people.

Shen Fuhai barely maintained his composure: "How could the personal belongings of my daughter's house be handed over to others?"

Yiyou saw the sweat scarf on his waist with his own eyes, his feet crooked.Lifting her lips and smiling sarcasticly, she strode towards Shen Fuhai's waist, pulled out the square handkerchief, and after a little comparison, it turned out that the formation was the same.

"This square handkerchief should be made by Miss Shen, I also ask you to test it."

Wu made a comparison and nodded: "It's the same hand."

Shen Fu'ai couldn't believe it, his mother urged Wan Qian, how could he still put this thing on his body.It's over, it's all over now.

How proud she was just now, how disheartened she is now.

"My lord, this thing was not made by my little sister."

Shen Fuhai still wanted to deny it, so a servant ran out from the back house of the county government office, pasted it into the ear of Chen Xiancheng and whispered: "Madam ordered Wu's mother to pass on the message, my lord must keep his name forever."

The county magistrate shuddered, and sure enough, Madam Wu made a move.He will never forget that a classmate who was born in poverty was sent to a place of bitter cold, and within a few years he fell ill and took office.He was able to gain a firm foothold in the affluent Yunzhou, all because of his wife's various actions.

Because of what happened to Siya earlier, Madam was already very dissatisfied with him.If he shows his partiality again today, the consequences can be imagined.

"Bold and unreasonable, how dare you lie to me. Come here, fifty sticks!"

The punishment is the same as that of the county yamen, and the punishment stick needs to be taken off.Seeing Shen Fuhai like this, the women and children onlookers covered their faces with handkerchiefs, fearing that they might get needles.

"My lord, the grassroots are wronged!"

Shen Fuhai never thought about it, but the situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.The usual bribery gestures are always unfavorable, but now the county magistrate has never seen it.In front of so many villagers, he exposed his glistening private parts, what face would he have in the future.

Yiyou stood beside Li Shi, looking at Shen Fuai with a good eye.With the sound of sticks, she seemed to feel that all the idleness she had suffered in those years was slapped on the ground and disappeared invisible.

Clenching her fists tightly, she can get back the injustice that the Shen family imposed on her in the past without relying on Chen Deren.But this kind of feeling is much better than all kinds of flattery and tyranny to please the queen fox and fake tiger's prestige to bully others.

The fifty shovels were only for a short while, and the yamen servants didn't despise such beasts, each time they beat them with full strength, they made the two of them howl incessantly.

It's just that the two brothers and sisters are different. The seemingly strong Shen Fuhai is torn apart at the moment, while the weak Shen Fuai, because of the fat in the buttocks, is only slightly red at the moment, without any wounds.

Yiyou looked away from the blood drop, and faced the setting sun with her head held high, these alone were not enough.Relying on the people's admiration accumulated over the years, Shen Fuhai opened up many relationships, and now he is still firmly seated as the head of the Shen clan.Today, she will fight to pull him off the horse completely.

Picking up the medicine bag, she looked at the sunset for a while, and gradually saw something.

"My lord, the girl has something else to say."

The women and children who talked enthusiastically earlier had already shut their mouths now.The evidence is solid, no matter how envious the Li family's mother and daughter are more beautiful than themselves, they can only shut up.Most people who speak freely feel guilty to some extent at this moment.

"What happened back then has nothing to do with Eldest Miss Shen, because it was caused by Shen Fuhai's greed for the younger sister, and by sending off his relatives, he took advantage of the time when the groom toasted for sex."

When the word "***" was mentioned, the county magistrate's face was quite embarrassed.The woman in the hall was in the prime of life, and it was a matter of beauty and beauty, and he had evil thoughts in his heart.

"How do you know?"

"I also ask Mr. Pei to borrow rice paper for use, and ask the county magistrate to bring a water basin."

Both things are ready, Yiyou shakes out the medicine powder carefully, and throws the remaining empty paper into the water basin.The medicine powder and dust stuck to the paper over the years were submerged in the water, and the paper gradually became clean.

"After the women and mothers left Shen's house in person, they made a living selling steamed buns. The oiled paper used for selling steamed stuffed buns is the same as that used for packing medicines in medicine shops. The paper is firm, but handprints are often left on it.

Please look, my lord, the clearest thumbprint on the paper should be the person who administered the drug that day. "

When everyone approached the water basin, they saw that they were facing the sun, and their thumbs guided them very clearly.

The yamen servant dragged Shen Fuhai who had fainted, and touched Zhu Ni to leave five finger marks on the rice paper.After comparison, the two fingerprints are traces of one person.

"My lord, just now the medicine powder has melted into water, and the color has changed slightly. In addition to its residual taste, this medicine must be banned by the imperial court."

The last retreat was also blocked by Wu Zuo, and Shen Fuhai, who woke up faintly, was struck by lightning.He has loved his little sister for many years, and he is extremely gratified to have his wish fulfilled.I regret it, I left this thing as a souvenir by a mistake in my mind.

Now that the trouble is like this, the old mother at home is still waiting for him to support him, so he can only wrong the younger sister.The younger sister has only had one daughter for many years, and now Siya doesn't have to worry about it anymore, he will treat this daughter as his own, and it is better than her staying in the Cheng family to be tortured by others.

Thinking of this, he said weakly: "My lord, when the grassroots went astray back then, Gain was seduced by the younger sister. Over the years, because of guilt, he concealed it many times, and please forgive me."

Shen Fu'ai had never experienced such pain, and she had already passed out at this moment, so there was no way to refute it.The reason Shen Fuhai gave was very good. Being around Cheng's family, he also had a loyal dowry. If it wasn't for the cooperation of the newlywed mother, how could he accomplish this so easily?

Yiyou glanced at Shen Fuai who was lying on the ground like a dead pig, and didn't say much.One is that she has no way to refute this matter, and the other is that her direct siblings have committed adultery. Even if she is lucky enough to save her life, Shen Fuhai may have a dark future for the rest of his life.

Chen Xiancheng saw Shen Fuhai's pinched fingers, and he was hinting at his filial piety a few days ago.As a man, he is indeed biased in this matter.

Then he ordered that Shen Fu'ai should be punished for his crimes, and Da Yue ordered that the county town should not kill criminals, and sent people to the capital to wait for the autumn execution.As for Shen Fuhai, he was locked in the county government prison on the spot, waiting for the trial of the governor of Yunzhou.

Yiyou exhaled the depression in her chest and thanked the county magistrate.The way of heaven is clear, and the cycle of cause and effect, today's results are all due to the actions of the brothers and sisters themselves.

After this battle, the Shen family's reputation was naturally damaged, so she had already left.What happens to the Shen family has nothing to do with her.

(End of this chapter)