The magistrate walked over to Jin Xia and looked at her arms and back, which were covered with dense bruises and red marks, as well as burn marks from a fire poker. It was a truly horrible sight.
"This is what your mother-in-law did?"
Jin Xia looked at the magistrate and nodded: "Yes, that's right! I beg you, Your Excellency, to do me justice! I just want to leave this house!"
Old Mrs. Wang immediately shouted, "You shameless woman, how dare you talk nonsense in front of the magistrate? Do you believe I'll beat you to death? You married into our Wang family because your ancestors accumulated good karma, and you still dare to think about divorce?"
This old woman, Wang, is truly arrogant and domineering to the extreme. She actually said such things in front of the county magistrate.
"Fine, I've never seen such an arrogant and domineering old lady in this county. I'm telling you today, if it's confirmed that you beat your daughter-in-law like this, you'll go to jail. According to the laws of the Great Zhou, it's at least two years. This is considered serious assault!"
"Your Excellency, please don't! Our ancestors were generals!"
The old lady Wang mentioned more than once that her ancestors were generals, and then turned around and asked, "You say your ancestors were generals, do you have any evidence?"
"What kind of evidence do we need? We have it in our Wang family ancestral hall. As for which generation, I can't say!"
"In that case, your crime isn't just serious assault, but you're also framing the general. The general is a high-ranking official in the court, and you, a ruthless old woman, are supposedly a descendant of him? This is clearly framing a high-ranking official. Take him away!"
When Old Lady Wang saw that the county magistrate had really come, she hurriedly exclaimed, "I didn't lie! I still remember our ancestors saying that it was General Wang Qingwei!"
Liang Shuyan snorted coldly: "Your Excellency, no matter what, this old woman has already committed the serious crime of falsely accusing a high-ranking official. So, I would like to ask, is it really okay to leave my Jinxia like this?"
What do you mean?
Liang Shuyan looked at Aunt Liu, who was crying and pleading, "Sir, please do justice for us and compensate us so we can get our daughter medical treatment. Also, please, Magistrate, grant us a divorce!"
"Of course, get up. This county will certainly make a fair judgment! This matter is related to my promotion!"
Aunt Liu didn't understand what the magistrate meant, but Liang Shuyan understood perfectly. She glanced at her coldly and then said, "Your Honor, no matter what, my Jinxia is injured like this, she should at least pay 50 coins for medical treatment. Also, please grant Jinxia a fair divorce, and it would be best if we could get the divorce papers today!"
The county magistrate pondered for a moment: "I didn't realize this peasant woman was so extraordinary. She just said she had a way to get the county magistrate promoted. All she had to do was find out that someone was framing a high-ranking official in the court. Naturally, those officials would give the county a chance and say a few good words to the emperor. Of course, the county magistrate of this county would be promoted!"
Thinking of this, the magistrate's heart was filled with hope, and he looked at Old Lady Wang: "Since you hit someone, then you can come up with these 50 coins, right? Otherwise, we'll search your house and sell all your valuables!"
"My lord, I beg you, look, we really have nothing of value left in our home, why are you treating a poor woman like this?"
The magistrate narrowed his eyes: "What? There's nothing of value left? Then sell this mansion of your Wang family. If no one else is willing to sell, I'll buy it and take it with me!"
The old lady was immediately taken away by a large group of yamen runners.
The magistrate instructed his clerk: "Give this woman one tael of silver to see a doctor, and lock up the Wang family's courtyard!"
Aunt Liu and her two daughters knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "Thank you, Your Honor! It is thanks to Your Honor's judgment that my daughters have regained their freedom!"
"Get up, this magistrate will now give your daughter the divorce papers!"
The magistrate instructed his clerk to take out a document and a pen from a wooden box. The clerk, trembling, held an inkstone and whispered, "Sir, Wang Dahai is not here. Can this document be signed as an exception?"
"Why is that wrong? Look what they did to that girl! If Wang Dahai cared even a little bit about his wife, how could he let his mother treat her like this? She deserves it!"
The magistrate signed the document and handed it to the judge. The judge glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction: "If the magistrate agrees, I, the judge, have nothing to say. Let it be."
Aunt Liu held the document, glanced tremblingly at the county magistrate, and thanked him again.
"Alright, I have important business to attend to in this county, so I'll be leaving now."
The county magistrate left with a large group of people. Yushuwan belonged to Shanhe County, and it was clear that Shanhe County was even poorer than Dongyang County.
Liang Shuyan glanced at Aunt Liu and instructed Sanwang, "Let's go, Sanwang, let's hurry back and find a doctor in town to take a look at your sister Jinxia."
Aunt Liu hurriedly grabbed Liang Shuyan's arm and said, "Auntie, we are so grateful to you today. If we hadn't brought you here, Yinxia and I wouldn't have been able to get by."
"Hey, what are you saying? We're old neighbors, why are you still talking about these things?"
Yinxia said excitedly, "Auntie, you are really amazing! Those two slaps were so loud and satisfying! And that action of pouring feces and urine on me was even more enjoyable. However, we were all disgusted by it!"
Sanwang glanced at Liang Shuyan and whispered, "Of course, otherwise, how could she be my mother?"
"Oh my, look at Sanwang, he's so happy to see how capable your mother is!" Aunt Liu said.
Jin Xia, however, remained silent, sitting on the donkey cart with her back turned.
Liang Shuyan tugged at Jin Xia with some concern: "Jin Xia, what are you thinking about? Are you a little reluctant to part with her?"
"No, Auntie, thank you. I was worried that my father wouldn't want me anymore. He married me off to Wang Dahai for those five coins. Now that I'm going back, he definitely won't want me."
Liang Shuyan looked at the pitiful Jin Xia and said, "Don't worry, your father doesn't want you, but your aunt does. Anyway, there's plenty of room at my house!"
Aunt Liu was still a little worried. This Liu Sen always thought about his son and daughter-in-law. How could he care about his daughter's life or death? After all these years, how could she not know about this?
"Forget it, Auntie, you've already done me a huge favor. As for Jinxia's matter, I'll take responsibility. If that old bastard dares to utter a single arrogant word, we'll kick him out!"
Yinxia patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, I've got this covered. Even my dad wouldn't dare!"
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