Chapter 80: Beating the Drums and Gongs
The Jiang family has always been the leader in Quanzhou, and they have embezzled millions of silver and money, involving five bridges and some official business. Two days had passed by the time the storytellers finished telling the details and the matters involved.
At this time, the people in the countryside also got the news. Unlike the people in the town, they spread the news faster. Each person gave a handful of melon seeds and added some exaggerations to make the story come alive. It was at this time that Shu Niang entered the city.
She was Yu Huatang's cousin, and today she happened to bring some eggs from home to give to Yu Huatang.
Due to the lively atmosphere these days, the business of Dengshitang has become better.
From morning to night, Yu Huatang sold a total of 108 chandeliers. He also had to explain the uses and values of these lamps to people from time to time. It was only at sunset that he had some time to drink a few glasses of water.
At this time, Shu Niang approached, pulled her quietly to the back, and asked, "Sister, I heard from Ji An a few days ago that your ex really came to Quanzhou and is now the governor?"
Just as he finished speaking, the second group of officials from the government office arrived. They were singing as they walked along. Shu Niang had heard about this this morning, and now after listening to the lyrics, she couldn't help but sigh, "How greedy! Such a huge sum! I have lived for more than 30 years and never dreamed of it."
The guys at the Dengshitang were the first to know about it. These days, whenever there are customers who are unclear about it or are interested in it, they will tell it again like nosy people.
Zhang Hu quickly added, "Indeed, besides the silver, the government office also listed a number of jewels, such as coral beads and pearl necklaces. When we followed the yamen runners there that day, those pearls were as big as bird eggs. I heard that even a prince might not have such a thing."
"Ah?" Shu Niang was surprised. "This Jiang Huaxiang is so bold. I remember there are some things that ordinary people can't use. Isn't he afraid of being beheaded before?"
Zhang Hu said, "That's right. This guy himself didn't dare to use these jewels openly, so this corrupt old official came up with a plan. He made his dozen or so concubines wear them every day and never let them go out, so they could only admire them in the house. When the government sent people to search his house, this guy surnamed Hua was crying, holding a palm-sized piece of white jade. He said that he had never enjoyed the things he had coveted in his life, and now these treasures would fall into the hands of others. He really made clothes for others and could not rest in peace..."
Zhang Hu spoke attentively, and Shu Niang also listened carefully. Many of the passers-by, including those from other states and counties who came to stock up on goods, gathered together to listen to Zhang Hu continue.
At this time, Zhang Liang said, "That's all you have to say. I also know something you don't know."
Shu Niang followed the crowd and looked over. Zhang Liang, seeing everyone, including Zhang Hu, looking at him, suddenly felt proud. He cleared his throat and said, "This Jiang Huaxiang is just a few dollars and cents, how can he compare to the Wang Niang who will be executed next autumn? It is said that she used to live with a local constable and they were about to get engaged. The constable was promoted by his superiors and was about to move up a level. It is inevitable that he looked down on Wang Niang. But Wang Niang is a hard-working person, a pitiful person. She worked hard to give all her earnings to the constable, hoping that he would work hard for their future, but she didn't expect that all she got was a reply of 'you are too old and not worthy of me.'"
When the crowd heard this, many began to speak up for Madam Wang and asked, "Why was such a good person like Madam Wang executed?"
Zhang Liang continued, "This whole thing is the fault of that greedy, unscrupulous constable. His name is Chen Dong, and Madam Wang's real name is Wang Yi. That day, before Wang Yi even reached the house, she heard that Chen Dong wanted to marry her off to one of his brothers. Not only was the daughter of that brother ugly, but she was also useless. It turns out Chen Dong was afraid that some noble lady would fall for him, so he wanted to use this incident to redeem Madam Wang's favor. Madam Wang was already thirty years old, and he felt this was a favor for her."
"When Madam Wang refused to comply, Chen Dong ordered her to be tied up and taken away. Even an honest man would jump over a wall if angered. In a fit of rage, Madam Wang personally dealt with this scumbag. Not only that, she also dumped his body in the back mountains. After doing all this, she went to the government office to surrender herself."
"Alas," someone sighed, "this world is so cruel, it's like it's forcing good people to death. What's wrong with this lady Wang? She just met the wrong person."
"Yes. The authorities were also in a difficult position when they heard about this. Some said they should give Madam Wang a chance, others said the law was strict and no one should be given preferential treatment. However, considering that Madam Wang did not intend to murder, but was guilty of manslaughter, they agreed to serve three years in prison before being executed in the autumn. But Madam Wang herself said she did not want this, so please decide and deal with her next year. She also wanted to use her own experience to remind the world that women should have a solid foundation and not pin their hopes on others..."
Everyone sighed for a moment. Some people wanted Zhang Liang to continue, but someone said, "If you want to hear about these things, why don't you all follow the yamen official tomorrow and he will explain it to you. It's getting late today, so please move on, my inn is about to close..."
Shu Niang originally wanted to show some concern for Yu Huatang, but now seeing that she did not show any sign of dejection, she put down the eggs and followed the crowd back.
Yu Huatang breathed a sigh of relief as he watched them leave and heard sounds related to the case from time to time.
After the Chen family incident, everyone was paying special attention to her. Later, she heard that the new governor was her ex-husband, and the rumor spread very quickly. Before that, she could see many guests looking at her from time to time.
Everyone wanted to know what happened to her in the capital and why she got divorced and came back.
Although Xu Fu helped to scold a few people, he also stopped so many people from talking.
Just when she thought rumors were going to spread everywhere, the government office started beating drums and making a lot of noise, putting the Jiang family's case directly in front of the people, and made the stories of several death row prisoners into storybooks for everyone to remember.
At this point, everyone's attention and discussion finally shifted. She didn't know whether Zhao Yan did it on purpose or it was just a coincidence.
No matter what, she thanked him, thanked him for what happened this time, and also remembered what Madam Wang had just said. A woman should have the foundation to establish herself in life and not pin her hopes on others!
On this day, the weather was cold and everyone was resting in the inner room. Yu Huatang was thinking about what his senior brother had said that day. At this time, a lady came hurriedly holding a child and asked for help, "Is there anyone? Is there a doctor? Save my child..." The lady's crying alarmed everyone in the Dengshi Hall. When Yu Huatang came down, he happened to see his sister-in-law Ji Guifen doing CPR on the child. The crowd was scolded by her and stepped back. Not long after, the child, whose lips were originally black, finally exhaled and opened his eyes.
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