Chapter 87: Going to the Countryside to Work
In the end, he saw that there were only three people in Wang Aniu's family, so he directly snatched the land and said that if he didn't give it to him, he would not let water flow into the field even if seedlings were planted in the field in the future.
People in the countryside rely on a canal to irrigate their fields. If someone blocks the canal, the water will not flow down.
But the Chen family was a local bully. There were eighteen able-bodied men in the family, and ordinary farmers did not dare to mess with them.
Chen Ergen happened to be Chen Juezi's cousin from last time! He also received the fifty lashes of the cane last time.
Not only that, Zhao Yan also knew that among the thugs sent by Ding Gui that surrounded Yu Huatang's yard, several of them were from the Chen family.
It was because these bullies were in collusion with the wealthy families that she was forced to abandon her house and flee overnight, coming to the capital city without any relatives.
He read the complaint for a long time, and after confirming the details, he asked Wang Zhubu, "My holiday is coming up in a few days, and I'd like to personally handle this case. Do you want to go home or come with me?"
Wang Zhubu said, "I have nothing to do. Your Excellency is not from here and may not understand the local dialect. I will go with you."
Zhao Yan nodded and said, "Okay, later you will retrieve all the cases related to the Chen family, including those that we have learned before. I want to see what other evil deeds this village bully has done."
Wang Zhubu nodded and thought while sorting out the things that happened that the Chen family's case was just a small case and there was no need to trouble Lord Zhao to try the case in person.
He carefully looked at the relevant relatives information of Chen Ergen. It turned out that Chen Juezi was his cousin. In a country family, Chen is a common surname. He had not thought of this before.
So Lord Zhao wants to severely punish this cancer that is harming the neighbors and avenge Miss Yu?
A few days later, Zhao Yan and Wang Zhubu changed into coarse cloth gowns and took a carriage to Hui'an County.
Here, in addition to the Chen family's affairs, there is also her previous hometown, which he wants to come and see.
When they arrived at the place, they changed to walking. Wang Zhubu walked in front to lead the way. The reeds were now a little withered and yellow, and a village was vaguely visible.
Zhao Yan had read the clan records here before. Originally, everyone in this area was surnamed Yu. Later, floods occurred in several places and some villages were submerged. Those who escaped by chance settled here.
After the local county magistrate reported the matter, he also recorded their names in the county annals. Over time, more and more people came to seek refuge, and later some local families with the surname Yu moved away, leaving fewer native family members.
It was at this time that Chen Ergen's grandfather brought his entire family here. Over the past few decades, people with the surname Chen actually accounted for half of the population, and naturally they became bullies.
Most of the houses in the countryside are made of mud, and those with a little more money live in brick houses. Some people sit in front of their homes and chat when they have nothing to do, and they talk about nothing but trivial things.
As soon as Zhao Yan and Wang Zhubu came in, they attracted everyone's attention.
It’s no wonder that the country people are rude. The capable young people in this village have all gone to the city to find work, and most of those who stay here have never seen the outside world.
The two of them have extraordinary demeanor and are naturally eye-catching.
Zhao Yan walked here, bowed and asked several old men where Chen Ergen's home was.
Several old men heard this and said, "What can you do when you are old and aging?"
——What are you looking for this bastard for?
Wang Zhubu was a local, so he understood what was going on. He said, "Wang Aniu filed a complaint with the government office, alleging that Chen Ergen had taken over his family's land. We are officials on duty, and we were ordered by the county magistrate to come and verify the matter."
The old man said in English, "Oh, that's true. Wang Aniu was beaten by him and his arm was broken."
One of the young men spoke some official language and continued, "His house is from here. It's the fourth house in the bamboo forest at the back."
Wang Zhubu thanked him and continued walking forward with Zhao Yan.
Several ladies vaguely asked, "Is that the man from the Yu family last time?"
"Did you see clearly? It's him?"
"Yes, I went there with Yu last time. It must be this person."
Zhao Yan didn't understand these words at first, but the people behind him were speaking not entirely local dialect, so he understood them. For a moment, he was a little unable to raise his head.
But after a while he walked with his head held high again. This was her hometown and there were people here who knew her. He couldn't let people look down on him and think that the man she had married before was not a good person.
Ignoring the discussions behind him, he continued walking forward. Before long, they arrived at the place the villagers mentioned. Wang Zhubu called out several times, but no one answered.
At this time, a man jumped out from the one-meter-high weeds nearby. It was Chen Ergen. There was also a group of people nearby. When they heard about the lawsuit that Wang Aniu casually handed over, some people actually came to help investigate.
Everyone also brought Wang Aniu over.
When enemies meet, their eyes are filled with jealousy. They cursed at each other in front of Zhao Yan. Zhao Yan saw that Wang Aniu did have a broken arm, and thought that he had no money to see a doctor, so he made a stent and hung it around his neck.
He is the only male in the family. Now that he can't help, his life must be difficult.
Zhao Yan felt even more disgusted with the Chen family's evil deeds.
In front of everyone, Zhao Yan asked, "Chen Ergen, Wang Aniu is accusing you of illegally occupying farmland. Do you admit it or not?"
Chen Ergen spat out the thatch roots in his mouth and said, "If he says it is, then it is. I also said that his wife is mine." The Chen family members following him laughed.
Wang Aniu was so angry that he was shaking all over. Zhao Yan told him to calm down. "Now we need to verify these circumstances. I'd like to ask someone with knowledge to lead the way so we can go and see Wang Aniu's fields. In addition, the oral testimony of relevant witnesses can serve as evidence."
Wang Aniu volunteered to lead the way, and the group walked along several ridges, talking about the size of their own fields and the evil deeds of the Chen family.
When they arrived at a place, Wang Aniu said, "It's not just me. This family was also badly harmed by the Chen family. Her surname is Yu, and her family died early, leaving only a cousin. At that time, there was a rich man named Ding who fell in love with her. Poor girl, she was only in her teens. This group of evil people surrounded the yard at night. The thugs were hired by the Chen family, and they said they would receive three cents each. Her cousin took advantage of the night to take her away. I heard that she later got married and divorced. Now she has learned a craft in the city and has a place to live."
Zhao Yan felt his body tremble. He raised his eyes and looked at the withered reed marsh. In front of the reed marsh was a large patch of weeds. The weeds grew in a circle around the house, making it look very desolate.
There was a jujube tree in front of the door, but it is dead now, leaving only lonely branches. So, did she live here alone before?
He felt a heat in his eyes, choked up for a moment, and asked, "Is there anyone living in this house now, or..."
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