The crying broke the tranquility of the rainy night, but soon everything returned to normal.

I don't know how long it took, the rain stopped, and the summer insects resumed their humming.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the courtyard late at night and soon stopped in front of the corner gate.

The lock of the corner door was half hung and not locked.

Fang Jinxiu watched silently for a moment and couldn't help but look back.

The night was pitch black with lights flickering occasionally. She seemed to see a figure in the darkness looking at her closely, but it also seemed that she was just dazzled. Was she expecting someone to come and see her off?

Fang Jinxiu smiled self-deprecatingly and lowered her head to look at the small bag in her hand.

This was given to her by Yuanshi. She originally planned not to take anything with her.

Since you are no longer the third daughter of the Fang family, you will come empty-handed and leave empty-handed.

But Yuan said that people should not be so rigid and stuffed a small bag on her.

"At least take the spare clothes you have with you," she said.

Fang Jinxiu put the bag on her shoulder, raised her head, unfastened the lock of the corner door, pushed the door open, and strode out.

The door was closed, blocking the girl's figure. Fang Yunxiu, who was standing behind the tree, could no longer hold back her tears.

"Is she okay? It's so late at night. It won't be too late to leave after daybreak." She cried.

Fang Yuxiu stroked her shoulder to soothe her.

"Let her do what she wants," she said. "Don't worry, Third Sister is a very powerful person."

On the other side, looking at Yuanshi kneeling in front of her, Old Lady Fang sighed lightly.

"You go and have rest," she said.

Yuan kowtowed twice.

"Thank you, ma'am," she said.

"Don't thank me. There's no point in thanking me. We still have a lot to do tomorrow. Let's get some rest." Old Mrs. Fang said, looking at the night sky. The east was about to get light, and a new day was coming.

When it was daybreak, the streets were already crowded with people. It seemed that all the people in Yangcheng had come out. In fact, it was not just the people from Yangcheng. People from the countryside and neighboring counties who had received the news in advance and brought their elderly and children with them had lined up in front of the city gate last night.

Because today is the day when Yangcheng County interrogates the criminals in the Zhan Deshengchang case.

When the prison van carrying Song Yunping came out of the prison, the crowd waiting on the street immediately started to make noises. The rotten vegetable leaves that had been prepared long ago also rained down on them.

Although the specific crimes of Li County Magistrate Song Yunping have not been announced, all kinds of rumors have already spread everywhere because it involves Deshengchang and involves an old incident from more than ten years ago, which makes people feel very anxious.

Although this was not a case of corrupt officials, and even to be more specific, it was a personal grudge that had nothing to do with anyone else. But first of all, the official status of Li County Magistrate made the people fearful and chilled. With such a black-hearted official who was calculating other people's money, who could guarantee that others would not suffer in his hands?

Secondly, Song Yunping was a slave who was strictly speaking the manager of someone else's shop, but he did such a thing to deceive his master. Anyone would be terrified. Who can guarantee that the people around him don't have such sinister intentions?

So everyone was filled with righteous indignation and felt the same pain and was fighting for justice.

More importantly, many baskets of rotten vegetable leaves were placed on the street in advance for everyone to use.

It would be a waste not to do something that is easy, effortless and fun.

These rotten leaves were of course placed there by the Fang family.

If it weren't for the executioners specially invited from Taiyuan Prefecture, these rotten leaves would have been placed from the gate of the county jail to the beheading platform on East Street.

By the time the executioners and the soldiers escorting the prisoners walked down the street, bells ringing to clear the way, the first wave of rotten vegetable leaves had ended.

Song Yunping in the prison van also became a mess. The prisoner tag on his back was crooked, and the words "Prisoner Song Yunping" were covered by vegetable leaves.

Song Yunping felt not only angry but also inexplicably fearful.

This fear should not be surprising. People are going to die, so of course they will be afraid. But in addition to the fear of death, there is also the fear of the emptiness that everything will become nothing.

Song Yunping has lived in Yangcheng for nearly twenty years. He has worked hard to become a well-known good man who is loyal, filial, chaste and righteous. Everywhere he goes, everyone knows him as the head shopkeeper Song, and everyone gives him a thumbs up behind his back to praise him.

It's not easy to gain fame, but it's so easy to fall.

Song Yunping looked around vaguely through his hair. He saw the people's undisguised disgust and anger, and the disgust and disdain of the wealthy and prominent people in the restaurants on both sides.

He never thought this day would come, it was like a dream.

After waking up from the dream, is he still the respected and admired head shopkeeper of the Fang family?

Actually, it wouldn't be bad if you could live your life like that.

Song Yunping suddenly felt a little regretful.

But it was too late to regret, because with the soldiers leading the way, the prison van quickly passed through the crowded streets and arrived in front of the execution platform.

In front of the execution platform, officers and soldiers surrounded an open area, and sitting on the platform were officials of all ranks from Taiyuan Prefecture.

Song Yunping was dragged out of the prison van, causing a commotion at the scene, but the commotion suddenly dissipated and the surroundings became quiet.

The silence came suddenly. Song Yunping looked over subconsciously and saw that there was a clearing in the dense crowd.

A group of people in mourning came over.

These people were almost all women, led by the white-haired old lady Fang. Fang Chengyu, who was supporting the old lady, was the only man.

Everyone was stopped outside, but when the officers and soldiers saw this group of people coming, they were obviously told in advance to make way.

"We can't kill our enemies with our own hands now."

An official couldn't help but think.

The death of County Magistrate Li has been announced as suicide due to fear of punishment. Regardless of whether the truth has spread or not, this cannot be said.

Song Yunping was also a little scared.

Would these women kill him on the spot? It would be better to be beheaded.

Fortunately, the people of the Fang family did not rush forward, but stopped at the foot of the execution platform, staring at him with hatred and sorrow.

Song Yunping lowered his eyes.

After a moment of silence, the crowd became agitated again because the performer came on stage.

Just like the executioner, the executioner was specially invited from Taiyuan Prefecture. It was said that he was an old master with more than ten years of beheading skills. He was very majestic, burly and ferocious. When he came on stage with the ghost-head knife, the people of Yangcheng gasped in fear. It was very enjoyable in the hot summer.

As the executioner stood in position, the people held their breath, and the officials on the stage began to read out the charges.

Although various versions of the story have been circulating for a long time, it was not until today that we heard the definite official verdict. The people pricked up their ears, and the storytellers who came from all over the country took notes with their pens, for everything that happened today would become their livelihood in the future.

The charges were much more detailed than before, firstly because the case had to start from more than 20 years ago, and secondly because it was the Fang family's request.

The Fang family wants the people to understand that the curse they have been carrying over the years is not a natural disaster but a man-made disaster.

The charges were read out in a long and dignified manner for a full half hour. The people listened attentively, sometimes realizing, sometimes sighing, sometimes sad, and sometimes angry.

As the storytellers wrote furiously, they were convinced in their hearts that the crime must have been polished by their colleagues, otherwise it would not have been so easy to understand.

After the verdict was read, the people were still a little unsatisfied, but the next part would be more lively and more anticipated, so the crowd could not help but surge again.

The executioner straightened his body sternly and called out Song Yunping's name. The executioner took a step forward. Under the sunlight at noon, he looked like a demon from hell. The people in the place suddenly fell silent, and all eyes were focused on the executioner's sword.

Song Yunping was already numb, but instead he felt a sense of heroism.

"Twenty years later, I'll be a good man again." He shouted.

This sound excited the people and they cheered loudly.

"Start cutting!" The official on the platform obviously didn't like this reaction and shouted while throwing down the fire sticks.

The executioner pulled out the card of acquittal and raised the dagger high.

"Please go on your way." He shouted loudly, causing the hearts of the people nearby to jump three times.

As he shouted, the knife that was raised high fell down.

The people held their breath and clenched their teeth, but they did not see any heads falling to the ground or blood spurting out.

The executioner's machete chopped off Song Yunping's shoulder, narrowly missing only half of his neck.

Blood gushed out and people fell down screaming, but no one died with their heads falling off.

This is scary.

It was more terrifying than seeing a person's head fall off, because the person whose half head was lost was still alive and screaming.

The onlookers screamed in unison.