Gu Changqing didn't want to stay in the house and see Gu Jinbao acting up, so he went out. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw the county magistrate, Zuo Li, and the village headman.
"This humble subject, Gu Changqing, greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate!" Gu Changqing was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
Zuo Li came in official robes, not casual clothes, so it was obvious that he was there on official business, unlike his previous investigations.
Zuo Li didn't let Gu Changqing get up. Instead, he strode into the east wing of the Gu family home, looking at Gu Changqing's two daughters-in-law, Chai Shi and Hui Shi, as well as the young but vicious Gu Jinbao.
Seeing that Gu Jinbao was chubby and had clear, innocent eyes that revealed a hint of ruthlessness, he shook his head speechlessly.
Gu Changqing felt the oppressive atmosphere emanating from Zuo Li, which startled him. He quickly got up from the ground, returned to the east wing, and knelt down before Zuo Li.
Zuo Li asked, "Where are Gu Daniu and Gu Erniu?"
Gu Changqing replied, "Your Excellency, I haven't seen the brothers for several days. I don't know where they've gone!"
"What about Madam Du?" Madam Du undoubtedly went to find that person, but has she returned?
"Mrs. Du has gone out and has not returned home!"
He hasn't come back yet? It seems that Du's relationship with that person isn't very good, otherwise the village head would have already summoned him from the county office, and that person still hasn't shown up.
Shanggui Village is very close to Zhonggui Village, only a 15-minute walk away.
Gu Changqing assumed that Zuo Li had come to their house simply to ask about Gu Sanniu. After all, Zuo Li had asked around the entire village about Gu Sanniu before, so he probably had discovered something new since he came to their village.
Therefore, Gu Changqing was completely unaware that Zuo Li's purpose in coming to their Gu family was not what he thought.
Zuo Li also asked some questions about Gu San Niu. Previously, Du Qin Cai had been saying bad things about Gu San Niu at home, but Gu Chang Qing, Chai Shi, and Hui Shi did not say anything.
But before asking, let the village headman get rid of that bastard Gu Jinbao. After all, Du Qincai raised him herself, and it would be troublesome if their conversation were told to Du Qincai.
The village head took not only Gu Jinbao away, but also the five maids of the Gu family, and took them to play in the outer courtyard.
Zuo Li asked Gu Sanniu about everything that happened from birth to when he joined the army, no matter how small or big it was, and he had to tell her everything.
Chai and Hui could not hide it and had to tell the truth.
Although Chai and Hui had only been married into the Gu family for twelve or thirteen years, Gu Sanniu knew and had some contact with these two sisters-in-law before he joined the army.
Chai and Hui told them everything they knew. When they married into the Gu family, Gu Sanniu had already been driven out of the Gu family and was living in a thatched hut at the end of the village.
Because of his infamous reputation as a jinx, they almost never interacted with Gu San Niu, nor did they speak to him.
However, I heard Du Qincai angrily cursing and swearing at Gu Sanniu quite often.
Gu Changqing was timid by nature, and he didn't dare to lie to Zuo Li, so he told Zuo Li the truth about what he remembered.
Zuo Li had already investigated everything that happened to Gu San Niu in his childhood, so there was no need to ask such detailed questions. The reason he asked was to stall for time and wait for Du Qin Cai and that person to arrive.
But he didn't have to wait long; Du Qincai finally returned as the sun was setting.
Du Qincai not only came back, but she also brought that person with her.
That person was extremely arrogant, and he brought about ten people with him. Each of them was carrying a stick, and they all had fierce faces and a sharp, cold demeanor. You could tell at a glance that they were not to be trifled with.
The villagers who witnessed this scene were startled and quickly closed their doors to avoid watching the spectacle.
Younger men may not recognize these people, but older people will know who they are!
The village head was leading Gu Jinbao to play outside the courtyard when they heard a series of arrogant and domineering voices in the distance. Knowing who was coming, he quickly entered the Gu family courtyard and told Zuo Li, "Sir, he's here, with a lot of people!"
Zuo Li nodded: "Let the yamen runners into the courtyard and close the gate!"
He wanted to see just how capable this person really was!
The constables immediately entered the courtyard and hid in various corners, while the guards also concealed themselves, waiting for Zuo Li's order to take down the man.
Du Qincai and the others had already arrived at the door. Looking at the Gu family's gate, Miao Hongye glared at Qi Weiwu standing beside her, and then grabbed Du Qincai's ears hard and slapped them twice.
Du Qincai was beaten until her head looked like a pig's. Judging from her miserable appearance, it was clear that Du Qincai's trip to Shanggui Village to find someone had backfired, and she had been beaten up instead.
Qi Weiwu felt a pang of pity when he saw Miao Hongye beating Du Qincai and wanted to stop her, but one look from Miao Hongye made him shrink back in fear.
"Du Qincai, you damned old woman, remember this! This is the last time we'll help you out! If you dare to use Gu Daniu and Gu Erniu's names to find my man again, I'll have my brothers hack Gu Daniu and Gu Erniu to death, and you too! Before we kill you, we'll send you to a brothel and let the beggars on the street have their way with you!"
Miao Hongye was Qi Weiwu's legal wife from a prestigious family. She had a very fiery temper. If Du Qincai was bad-tempered and vicious, then Miao Hongye was even more ruthless than Du Qincai. Her viciousness meant that she didn't care about your life or death and only cared about her own comfort. However, she was much more perceptive than Du Qincai.
Du Qincai covered her face in pain, glancing at the silent Qi Weiwu with a resentful expression. She desperately wanted to ask him to plead for her and stop Miao Hongye from beating her.
But Qi Weiwu acted as if he hadn't seen anything, which made Du Qincai's heart ache as if it were being cut by a knife.
However, Du Qincai did not notice that Miao Hongye was glaring at her fiercely and had seen all her little tricks. So before she even entered the house, Du Qincai was beaten up by Miao Hongye. She was beaten so badly that her painful screams could be heard throughout the entire Zhonggui Village.
In the afternoon, Rong Sheng worked in the fields with her brothers. Rong Hua and the others didn't ask Rong Sheng to work, but she couldn't leave their sight because they wanted to know where Rong Sheng had gone at noon, and why she ate chili peppers. Was it really a bet with that bastard Gu San Niu?
But how could Rong Sheng possibly answer their question? So he stammered and changed the subject, refusing to tell them the truth.
This left the brothers feeling helpless, but they didn't want to pressure Rong Sheng, so they could only vent their frustration in silence.
As evening approached, they decided to call it a day and go home, since they still had chores to do at their own homes, so they went home early.
Unexpectedly, before they even got home, they saw a dozen or so menacing-looking men entering their Zhonggui Village.
Seeing this, Rong Sheng and the others were completely confused, so they followed to secretly see what had happened.
When they arrived, they saw Du Qincai being brutally beaten on the ground by a burly woman. Du Qincai could only let out pitiful screams, but dared not fight back!
The Rong siblings: "..." Is this still the Du Qincai they know? When did Du Qincai become so timid?
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