Chapter 50 The Mad Horse
When Lin Changxiao returned home, it was already late. Liu Shi fainted from anger and distress. Lin Changqing asked Fu Bao to ask his uncle to treat her, but Shi Lang's family declined, making excuses that Shi Lang was home and had no time, and told Fu Bao to find another doctor.
Ten-year-old Fu Bao cried all the way home. Lin Changqing frowned when he saw his sister wiping away tears: "Where is Uncle?"
Fu Bao, hiccuping and sobbing, said, "I didn't see my uncle. My great-uncle and aunt said that Shi Lang couldn't come home and they were too busy, so they told us to go find a doctor elsewhere."
Lin Changxiao swept the food off the table angrily and said, "That's clearly an excuse! Fu Bao, you stay home and take care of Mother, I'll go and ask someone for help!!"
As he was about to leave, Lin Changqing closed his eyes to catch his breath: "Come back, Fourth Brother, why are you still so impulsive? Tenth Brother is on good terms with Uncle's family, and Sixth Brother is now a centurion. Who would risk offending them?"
After saying that, he rubbed his temples and said, "Fourth brother, go and get some money and go to the neighboring village to fetch a doctor. Fu Bao, go and heat up some warm water on the stove so that Mother can have some water to drink when she wakes up."
Lin Changxiao hummed in agreement, went back to his room, rummaged through a few taels of silver, and then ran out the door into the night. Fu Bao looked at his elder brother's face with some unease, feeling a little uneasy. He glanced at his brother several times before going to the stove to boil water.
Lin Changqing sat there for a long time, waiting until Lin Changxiao returned with the doctor before standing up and going back into the inner room.
The doctor took her pulse, prescribed two doses of medicine, and left, leaving the three siblings alone in the room. Fu Bao was too frightened to make a sound by the oppressive atmosphere and lay helplessly by the bed. She had already told her second brother the whole story when he returned in the afternoon.
Lin Changxiao, holding the medicine, said sullenly, "I'll go brew the medicine..."
After a long while, when the dim candlelight was almost extinguished, Liu Shi finally woke up. Fu Bao hugged his mother and tears suddenly welled up in his eyes: "Mother, you're awake!"
After a moment of confusion, Liu touched her daughter's head and suddenly remembered that her husband had been taken away by her nephew: "Where's your father? Your father..."
Lin Changqing took the medicine bowl from his younger brother: "Drink your medicine first, Mother. Father was taken to the county government by Liu Lang. He was beaten more than a dozen times this afternoon, but his life is not in danger for now."
Liu beat her son, saying, "That's your father! Do you think he'll get away with anything good if he goes to the county jail?! He'll be lucky to escape with his life, if not dead!!"
After saying that, she started to weep again: "I told you long ago, I shouldn't have been so cruel to your uncle's family. What I did was really despicable. Now look what's happened, with Liu Lang's good behavior, what will become of our family in the future?"
Lin Changqing put down the medicine bowl and looked at his mother with a heavy gaze: "Life still has to go on, Mother. Sixth Brother only has the testimony of Father bribing the constables; there's no evidence that he harmed Uncle. Those two constables died on the road long ago; there's no way to corroborate their story."
According to the law, Liu Lang joined the army voluntarily, so his presence on the roster isn't a major issue. Even if he were sentenced, it would only be for instigation and bribery. Liu Lang is still alive and well; the most severe sentence would be seventy strokes of the cane and exile a thousand miles away.
Liu paused her sobbing, then grasped her son's hand hopefully and said, "My son, you've met many important people at the school. Can you think of a way to help your father?"
Lin Changqing sighed: "Liu Lang is now a sixth-rank centurion, and the evidence has been found for this matter. The magistrate will probably give Liu Lang face and sentence him severely. Although I have gained the magistrate's favor, it is impossible for me to be given a lighter sentence because I offended Liu Lang. There are still three months until the provincial examination. If I become the top scholar, my father may be given a lighter sentence, but my father may not live to see the results of the autumn examination."
Liu sat on the bed, crying her heart out. Fu Bao looked at her older brother and asked, "Isn't there any other way, brother?"
Lin Changqing shook his head: "Unless the constable recants or dies suddenly, leaving no way to verify the testimony, my father might be able to offer some explanation and have his sentence reduced when he goes to court."
Fu Bao was sullen and unhappy: "If the witness could suddenly die, would Daddy be saved?"
Lin Changxiao patted his sister's head to comfort her: "Fubao, don't think too much. Go back and get some rest today. Your brothers are here with me."
Lin Changxiao felt that Fu Bao was still a child and shouldn't get involved in adult matters, so he sent Fu Bao to rest. Lin Changqing also patted Fu Bao's shoulder: "Fu Bao, go to sleep. Your brother and mother still have something to discuss."
Fu Bao glanced at his brothers and mother and went back to the west room, looking back every few steps. Lying on the bed, Fu Bao stared at the roof of the house. He knew in his heart what had happened. His father was bad. He had harmed his eldest uncle and three cousins. His sixth cousin had become an official and found evidence to arrest his father.
As her father made a mistake and she grew older, she vaguely understood many of the various shady things. In the spring, her father had tricked her into falling into the water with her fifth sister. Whenever she thought about it, Fu Bao felt secretly regretful.
Fifth Sister is the kindest and gentlest person. She shouldn't be like this, but when she thinks of her father being beaten with sticks and imprisoned, Fu Bao can't help but feel scared and wronged.
She knew her father had done something wrong, but he was a very, very good father to Fu Bao. She didn't want to be a child without a father, nor did she want her father to be exiled.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and onto the pillow. In her hazy state, Fu Bao thought, "If only the witness were dead, then Daddy would be alright..."
It was late at night, but the lights were still on in Lin Changning's house.
After a tantrum at home, there was a pleasant surprise; nothing is better than getting something back after something is lost.
Lin Changning reached into a wooden box and pulled out a few hairpins that were not particularly exquisite but had a certain charm: "Mother, these are the hairpins that my second brother and I picked out. These few simple silver hairpins are for you and my sisters-in-law, and the remaining hair ties and pearl flowers are for the two maids."
Er Ya and San Ya happily accepted the beaded flower and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Sixth Uncle."
Lin Changning smiled at the two little girls: "Go play. There are pastries in the carriage for you. Share them with yourselves."
The girls responded and happily left hand in hand. Lin Changning had something to say to her mother, and glanced at her two sisters-in-law with some hesitation. Her second brother had taken his medicine, cried, and then went to sleep when he returned. Now, only the four of them were left in the room.
Niu was a very perceptive person. After receiving the silver hairpin from Wang, she pulled Wang along and said, "Brother-in-law, you've really gone to a lot of trouble. These two mischievous monkeys might startle the horse. My sister-in-law and I will go out and keep an eye on it."
After saying that, the two left the room and thoughtfully closed the door behind them.
Without wasting words, Lin Changning looked intently at his mother and said, "My second uncle has been imprisoned by me and will be handed over to the magistrate for judgment the day after tomorrow."
Chang lovingly touched her daughter's face, and tears welled up in her eyes when she felt the calluses on the child's hands and the raised scars on her arms: "I'm so sorry you've suffered like this. Shilang told me you were injured. Does it still hurt?"
Lin Changning paused for a moment, then lowered her long eyelashes and shook her head: "Mother, it's all better now, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Chang hugged her daughter, feeling both heartbroken and gratified. Heartbroken that her daughter had gone to the battlefield for her family, but gratified that her child was indeed very successful.
After the initial relief came constant worry: what would become of my daughter in the future?
Lin Changning grabbed her mother's hand and pressed it against her cheek, saying coquettishly, "Mother, don't worry. When I become a general in the future, I will earn you a title of Lady of the Imperial Decree, and I will also lay out ten miles of red dowry for Er Ya and San Ya, so that you and your sister-in-law will be so happy that you can't sleep every day."
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