Ruan Meng immediately got up, glanced at the person on the bed, and said, "My family has been incredibly busy lately. You know my older brother's health; we have a new patient in the family..."
"If you truly care about me, please come to my house and help my sister-in-law fetch water, cook, and take care of the sick. That would really be a great help to me!"
Without waiting for Ah Chun's reaction, Ruan Meng bid farewell to her two sisters-in-law and Aunt Feng from the outer hall, and hurriedly went down the mountain.
The eldest brother and the third brother sat together. The Song and Fan brothers also came. Magistrate Deng, Feng Da, Feng Si, and the village chief sat in the center, drinking tea.
Xiao Kai was sitting in the back, and A Yuan was sitting right next to him.
Upon seeing Ruan Meng and the second son return, the county magistrate began to discuss the situation.
"After hearing about the situation from the old village chief, I ordered Feng Da to take some men to the mine yesterday to find out what was going on."
"Those sly foxes dared to fool even me! They only used the rules as an excuse, but they didn't make this requirement for exiles from other villages!"
"This morning, I sent Feng Da to invite them again, intending to have a feast and talk, but to my surprise, the commanders only sent a soldier to send them away!"
"However, we also managed to find out some information about the mine. The people working there, who used to have disagreements and each had their own factions, have been quite friendly these past few days, and their attitude towards you guys is surprisingly consistent!"
Seeing that none of them were outsiders, Song Shiyuan spoke up, saying, "I'm afraid our interests align!"
Song Shiwen glanced at his younger brother, apologized to Magistrate Deng, and on behalf of the three families, thanked Magistrate Deng again for his concern and actions.
Magistrate Deng nodded reassuringly and continued, "Although I am just a mere magistrate, I am not without any connections."
"We are all from the same court, and if we trace our lineage back a few generations, we can find some connection between us. But their disrespect shows that the benefits of offending me are clearly greater than the face they would give me."
"Through inquiries, it is said that someone has tipped them off. You should be prepared. Even if it's not the mine, the government will make things difficult for you."
Wanyou: Sir, you might as well just state my name!
The third brother could not hide his anger, "Shameless scoundrel, how dare he be the head of a village!"
Fan Zizhong also said, "We have no grudge against them. If we have to draw a connection, it's about Ah Chun's matter..."
"But our suspicions about Ah Chun's matter were just a pretext; he had his eye on our business from the very beginning!"
......
Ruan Meng had moved a stool and was sitting in a row with her second brother, Xiao Kai, and A Yuan when she suddenly saw Magistrate Deng look up and look at her.
"Miss Ruan, why don't you tell us your opinion?"
Magistrate Deng said.
The three men turned around and looked at them with conviction.
Ruan Meng stood up without any hesitation, "Since the adults asked, and we're all family, I'll just talk about it casually for the adults, the village chief, and my brothers to consider."
"Right now, we are outnumbered and outmatched, so it's not wise to confront them head-on. But if we compromise, this forced labor won't last long, and we'll be held captive in their hands, leaving us at their mercy."
Everyone nodded.
"Even if we have to bribe them, we absolutely cannot let these scoundrels get away with it! We need to find a way. Right now, even the three of us are somewhat weak in this area. May I ask, sir, do you have any connections on the other side, or know any officials who can control them?"
"It doesn't matter if the position is big or small, as long as we can keep them in check. We can look for other avenues later."
Magistrate Deng nodded. Even if he tried to bribe them, neither he nor the Ruan family were well-off, and they would only offend them.
What do you have, either Ruan or the other two, that you can offer something that ordinary people don't have?
Magistrate Deng's gaze swept over A Yuan behind him.
I want to visit the extended house next door, and the Sun family girl who is receiving medical treatment...
Magistrate Deng's eyes lit up, but he immediately showed a hesitant expression.
Ruan Qian, keenly aware of this, couldn't help but ask:
"Sir, have you thought of any method?"
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