Horse Bandit Officer (14)
Xiao Lin was only slightly skeptical at first, but it was not until she saw Si Niang's reaction to her questioning that she became certain.
Faced with the sudden accident, Si Niang's eyes were wandering and she muttered something in her mouth, trying to explain herself, but she couldn't say it.
Tong Huan didn't understand what they were talking about, so he positioned himself between Si Niang and Xiao Lin. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Even so, Xiao Lin's expression remained unchanged, his eyes filled with pressure: "Fourth Lady, please answer me."
Not only Xiao Lin, but when Mu You learned about what Si Niang had done, he also became angry and immediately turned his attention to Si Niang.
Seeing that she could no longer hide the truth, Si Niang suddenly burst into tears, covering her face and weeping, she kept confessing: "It was Liu Mancang! It was that bastard Liu Mancang! He had agreed with another family that he could use his connections to contact Zheng Juyi and others quickly, buy a woman at the lowest price, and give him some compensation after the deal was done. But...in the end, the master hurriedly sent people to wipe out the thieves' den, ruining his business. So he was so angry that he asked me to poison the master!"
Si Niang cried so hard that her voice gradually choked. Ai Ye rushed over when he heard the sound, but just as he was about to reach out his hand, he retracted it.
"But the master is so good to you..." Xiao Lin shouted, "Why are you still helping Liu Mancang?"
"I was trying to protect myself!" Si Niang's voice became much louder, provoked by Xiao Lin. "At first I refused! I refused him! But he whipped me without a word! I really couldn't stand it! It hurt so much! I really couldn't stand it..."
Everyone was speechless, looking at Si Niang who was kneeling on the ground and lifting up her sleeves, revealing a pair of red marks covering her arms like thorn bushes, and their facial features couldn't help but frown.
"Liu Mancang said that if he sees you alive and well tomorrow, he'll beat me and A-Ling to death! I... I have no choice, sir! I don't want to die! A-Ling is still so young, he can't die either..."
The more she spoke, the harder she cried. Si Niang knew better than anyone who she was going to kill, and who she would face when she returned.
Xiao Lin suddenly remembered what Si Niang had said to her earlier: "You'll understand once you get married. We women are practically powerless in front of them."
Yes, now that the truth has been revealed, Si Niang won’t be able to hold out for long if she goes back, and she will ultimately die.
"Damn Liu Mancang..." Mu You listened quietly to Si Niang's words for a rare moment, and finally couldn't help but wrinkled his nose. "I've never met this guy before, I want to see how evil his heart is!"
In a blink of an eye, Tong Huan, as the victim, was quietly immersed in the noisy discussions of the crowd, as if thinking about something.
Then he leaned over and pulled up Si Niang who was kneeling on the ground.
Si Niang was frightened. She put her elbow on Tong Huan's palm and kept apologizing.
However, Tong Huan just smiled and said nothing.
At this moment, Ai Ye no longer remained silent and immediately stepped forward to grab Tong Huan's forearm.
Even though his vision was hazy, his gaze remained firm: "Sir, Liu Mancang is suspected of being involved in the trafficking of women and children and maliciously injuring others. Please issue an official document and have him thrown into prison."
"Yes, sir!" The county residents nearby were furious at Si Niang's plight, determined to punish this beast. "He has lost all conscience and done such evil things. He should have been executed long ago. Today, he instigated others to poison you. His crime is even worse!"
"Yes, sir, quickly rid the people of this evil!"
"Yes, yes..."
…
The voices of the people trying to attack Liu Mancang became louder and louder. Tong Huan, who was among them, raised his hand and interrupted the commotion.
Ai Ye's hands tightened a little, but Tong Huan pried them apart the next moment.
He gave an order, calling over several yamen runners on duty, his tone full of determination: "Take this official's token and go to Liu Mancang's home to bring the child to the county government office. As for Liu Mancang, he will be temporarily detained on the charge of assault and injury."
This time the yamen runner was very obedient. After bowing neatly, he immediately set off in the rain to rush to Liu's house.
Seeing Tong Huan letting bygones be bygones, Si Niang felt extremely regretful.
As he finished speaking, Yu took advantage of his unpreparedness and slapped himself hard several times: "I am sorry, Master. I am useless! I was confused for a moment and almost caused a big mistake! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"
Ai Ye hurried forward to stop her and grabbed her wrist.
Tong Huan also turned around and said kindly, "You are already a miserable person, so why make it harder on yourself? For the next few days, you and your daughter should stay at the county government office. I will make other arrangements after I have tried Liu Mancang."
"Thank you so much, sir! Thank you so much, sir! May you be rich and powerful! May you live in good health for the rest of your life!"
Si Niang cried so much that her legs went limp and she fell directly into Ai Ye's arms.
Ai Ye hugged Si Niang, who was crying heartbrokenly, and felt as if he had bitten a piece of coptis in his heart, which was very unpleasant.
Although she was also abducted, fortunately she was saved by Zhao Mugen, and he was not a criminal.
In comparison, Si Niang's life was much more miserable than hers.
The raindrops hit the tiles of the county government office with a crackling sound. Soon a strong wind blew, blowing the raindrops as dense as silver needles into the inner courtyard.
Perhaps the rain was too heavy, so the few remaining county residents decided not to attend the banquet. They said goodbye to Tong Huan, put on their straw raincoats and hats, and rushed into the heavy rain.
The thunder and rain became louder and louder, and the cats and dogs that used to go in and out of the county government office often huddled in the corner to avoid the rain.
Tong Huan had no choice but to raise his voice and warn Xiao Lin and the others, "It's getting late! I'm so grateful for your kindness in coming here! But the rain is so heavy! If your home is too far away, please don't mind! Stay in the inner office for one night! It won't be too late to return after the rain passes!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a thunder roared, shaking all his internal organs.
Xiao Lin was not afraid of thunder, but when he looked up at Mo Kong, he still felt fear. After careful consideration, he exchanged glances with Chu Mo and Mu You in turn and decided to stay.
Ai Ye couldn't leave either, after all, Si Niang was here, and she was physically and mentally exhausted tonight. To be on the safe side, she had to stay overnight no matter what.
Just as several people agreed one after another, a yamen runner suddenly broke into the inner office with a farmer.
"My Lord, this is terrible!" The yamen runner was so anxious that he felt like he was on fire. "The mountains west of the city have been hit by heavy rain, causing the rock walls to collapse and rocks to fall, unfortunately blocking the farmland water channel! If we don't find craftsmen to dredge the water quickly, I'm afraid the land will be in ruins and the losses will be heavy!"
This news was like a blow to Tong Huan's heart.
He had just recovered from the poisoning incident and had to set out to clear the blood stasis without even a moment's rest.
"Quickly gather all the people in the county government office, bring your tools and follow me!" Tong Huan knew that this matter was urgent, so without saying a word, he picked up a hoe in the backyard and rushed into the rain.
Fortunately, Ai Ye was careful and although he could not see clearly what tools Tong Huan took, he could confirm that he left in a hurry and failed to put on his raincoat.
Seeing Tong Huan had already run out of the small door, she hurriedly called out to him, "Ah Huan! Put on your straw raincoat and bamboo hat!"
Perhaps Ai Ye herself did not realize that the word "Ahuan" slipped out of her mouth, revealing the myriad of secrets she had deliberately concealed without any preparation.
Fortunately, this affectionate nickname stopped Tong Huan, and fortunately, he thought it was just an ordinary matter. He turned his ankle without stopping, pulled off the heavy raincoat hanging on the wall, and dived into the rainy night again.
He walked too fast and couldn't wait to hear Ai Ye's warning: "Be careful! Go home early..."
Looking at Tong Huan's fleeting back, Xiao Lin gradually understood the heavy burden on Tong Huan's shoulders under the beating of wind and rain.
Sometimes she really didn't understand why Tong Huan, such a good man and good official, was being held hostage by a group of county residents because of his humble background?
Is it so important to be born into a noble family? Is it so important to have a pure heart that works hard for the people?
But soon, her thoughts were shattered by the loud thunder.
"This rain is too heavy, even heavier than the one in Wu County..."
Heavy rain poured down, and the sky and the earth were plunged into a vast desolation.
The rain poured down the mountain, forming a torrent that washed away the rocks and soil. The huge rock that the yamen runner mentioned was like this. It collapsed from the mountainside, rolled down, and crashed straight into the farmland drainage ditch at the foot of the mountain.
When it fell to the flat ground, the ditch was instantly blocked, and the flood had nowhere to drain. In an instant, it overflowed the ridges and submerged large areas of rice fields.
Tong Huan walked quickly along the muddy road and nearly slipped several times, but he refused to slow down. Several yamen runners followed closely behind him, holding shovels, ropes and other things in their hands, with serious expressions on their faces.
When we arrived at the scene, we saw that the flood had already overflowed the ridges of the fields, and the seedlings were leaning and tilting in the water, almost drowning.
Dozens of farmers stood by the fields in the heavy rain, at a loss, their faces full of despair.
What’s worse, there were several old men who had not had time to put on straw raincoats and hats, and they stood helplessly in the strong wind, unable to roar.
Upon seeing this, Tong Huan quickly took off his straw raincoat and draped it over the shoulders of the oldest old man.
Looking at the sewage overflowing the ridges of the fields, he felt a pang of pain in his heart and shouted loudly: "Don't panic, folks! I am here to help you overcome this difficult time!"
After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves, stepped into the mud and water himself, and directed everyone to break the stones and clear the ditches.
Tong Huan was the first to roll up his sleeves, pick up a hammer, and stride into the mud.
The mud was above his ankles and icy cold, but he was completely unaware. He walked straight to the boulder, raised the hammer, aimed at one corner of the boulder, and smashed it down hard.
"Bang!" There was a dull sound, and stone chips mixed with rain water flew everywhere. Tong Huan's arm was numb from the shock, but he gritted his teeth, raised the hammer again, and smashed it down hard.
Several farmers inserted iron pickaxes into the cracks in the rocks and pried them apart, while others hit the boulders with hammers in an attempt to break them.
Even though it was raining heavily, the sound of hammers hitting stones continued, mixed with the sound of rain and the breathing of the crowd, echoing in the mountains.
"Everyone, remember! Put yourself first! Don't hurt yourself!" Tong Huan repeatedly reminded them while taking action himself.
Fortunately, he had been practicing martial arts since he was a child and had plenty of strength, so he didn't become a weak scholar who could only shout in the rain.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Everyone's clothes were already soaked. Sweat mixed with rain and flowed down their cheeks.
Tong Huan's official robe was covered in mud, and its original color could no longer be seen.
He didn't care and continued to swing the hammer with all his might.
Tong Huan felt pain on his cheeks from the raindrops, so he shook off the rainwater accumulated on his eyelashes and continued to work hard to save the people.
The scary thing was that he hadn't done any rough work for a long time, and blisters appeared on his palms. The repeated grinding of the wooden splinters on the hammer handle caused a dull pain.
But he didn't bother to scream, he swallowed the pain and said nothing.
Suddenly, the boulder made a crisp sound and a crack spread from the top.
Seeing this, everyone cheered up and shouted in unison: "Hurry harder! The stone is about to crack!"
Tong Huan shouted, "Come on, some people, tie the rocks with ropes, and pull them together!"
Several yamen runners immediately brought thick hemp ropes and tied the boulder tightly.
Everyone divided into two lines and held the ropes.
Tong Huan was closest to the boulder, standing in front and shouting, "One, two, three, pull!"
Everyone shouted in unison, and the rope tightened, making a creaking sound.
With the combined efforts, the boulder slowly moved, and finally with a "boom", it rolled into the open space on the side.
They thought that the ditch would be unblocked after the huge rock was removed, but the rain was so heavy that after everyone moved the huge rock, the mud and sand that spread down from the foot of the mountain suddenly blocked this life-saving ditch.
"Get a shovel! Start digging!"
There was no other way but to bite the bullet and fight Lei Gong for a few more rounds.
However, there were not enough shovels. Tong Huan wanted to grab the shovel from the yamen runner, but he held it tightly: "Sir! Just leave it to us! You have done enough!"
But given Tong Huan's personality, how could he just give up like that?
If he didn't have any tools, he would just use his hands as a shovel. He could dig up the pile of sand just by shoveling!
So he didn't plan to compete with the yamen runners and walked upstream of the ditch.
At this time, his official robe was soaked by rain and had become extremely heavy. Moreover, it was restrained by the mud and became a stumbling block that he could not get rid of.
It took him a lot of effort to get through the crowd and come to the foot of the mountain alone. He threw down his hat, knelt in the mud, plunged his rough hands into the cold mud and sand, and dug hard.
He was breathing rapidly, his chest heaving violently, but he didn't dare to stop for a moment.
The mud and sand mixed with gravel rubbed his fingertips so hard that blood oozed out from between his nails, but he seemed not to feel the pain and just repeated it mercilessly over and over again.
The rain hit his back, chilling him to the bone, but beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.
Then the hard work paid off, the mud and sand were dug out little by little, and the water finally found a gap, making a "gurgling" sound.
Tong Huan was overjoyed and sped up his hands.
But good fortune never comes alone, and misfortune never comes singly.
Just as he was indulging in the joy of the ditch being slightly unblocked, he forgot to pay attention to the falling rocks above his head.
Just as he dug out an inch of mud and sand, a loose rock on the mountainside began to shake. Finally, pushed by the wind and rain, it followed the small boat made of strong wind, raced with the raindrops, and fell on Tong Huan's bent waist.
A sharp pain came from his waist, and Tong Huan was hit by the falling rocks and fell to the ground.
He didn't want to care about the pain, but the moment he stood up, a fishy and sweet taste came to the tip of his tongue.
In an instant, blood dripped stickily onto Tong Huan's chest in the night.
However, the taste of human blood was not unfamiliar to him, and he was used to swallowing it with gritted teeth.
This little bit of blood is nothing at all.
So he tidied up for a moment and continued with the work at hand.
Not long after, a few people came over from downstream, but everyone was still busy hoeing the fields as usual, and no one heard Tong Huan's suppressed cough.
We dug all night until a glimmer of light appeared in the sky and the heavy rain gradually slowed down.
After digging and blocking, blocking and digging again, Tong Huan led a group of elders to work all night before they completely cleared the ditch, and fortunately the fields were preserved.
"That's...that's great--!" Light from the sky poured down to the ground, and a yamen runner slumped in the mud, raising his arms and shouting.
Afterwards, cheers rose one after another, replacing the thunderstorm and becoming the mainstream in this small county.
Until a minor official came forward and patted Tong Huan on the shoulder, intending to celebrate with him, but he only paled.
After enduring the pain all night, Tong Huan's whole body was numb, and the official uniform on his chest was also stained with shocking blood stains, perhaps because of the rain, or because the injury was too severe. From his chin to his waist where he locked the jade belt, there was no place that was not stained with blood.
"Sir!" the clerk exclaimed.
At this moment, Tong Huan's eyes rolled back and he fainted on the ground.
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