Chapter 126 Return Gift
The yamen runners took Qiu's mother and son back to the prison without any explanation.
Qiu cried out in injustice: "We have absolutely not committed any fraud, this is a false accusation! Please understand!"
Yin Shi also looked aggrieved.
"My lords, I have never been to that mother's place, nor do I know any Miss Xianxian. The allegation of defrauding a brothel girl of her money and property is completely false. You will know the truth once you investigate."
As soon as the words fell, more than a dozen voices rang out behind him: "Huh, if you don't know Xianxian, you should at least know us."
He was startled.
Turning his head, he saw more than a dozen familiar faces - all of them were prostitutes he had deceived.
His mother sent him to school when he was five years old. After studying for more than ten years, he achieved nothing and failed to even pass the examination to become a student.
I have learned a lot from miscellaneous books.
For example, there are always poor scholars who are favored by prostitutes who want to escape from their misery. They give them all their money and property in the hope that the poor scholar will become successful and redeem himself and become a good woman.
He was deeply inspired. After studying it carefully, he found a girl in a brothel to try his hand at it. He really managed to coax the girl into giving him all her private money.
From then on, he was unstoppable and tricked more than a dozen girls in different brothels into falling head over heels in love with him.
He lived a carefree life of feasting and drinking.
Even if someone finds out that something is wrong, there is nothing they can do about it.
——He exaggerated the kindness that the Zong family had shown to them mother and son. Not to mention those lowly prostitutes who didn't even have freedom, even the madams and pimps wouldn't dare to act rashly.
Now they actually dare to sue him in court?
Who gave them the courage?
Of course it was given by the Zong family.
While Wuhua was arguing with Qiu in front of the main gate, the Zong family followed the plan given by Feng Qingsui and went to the red-light district to find the girls who had been cheated by Yin Shi, and asked them to come to the government office to jointly report the case.
These girls were originally intimidated by the power of the clan and could only swallow their anger.
Now they suddenly learned that Yin Shi was not protected by the Zong family, but was at odds with them. They suddenly felt that the situation was brightening, so they informed each other and appeared together to sue Yin Shi.
The accusations made by Wuhua, the mother, against Yin Shi are false, but the accusations made by these girls against Yin Shi are true.
The Yin family also hid a lot of property that was cheated away from these girls by Yin Shi.
After the criminal justice department searched out these properties and had witnesses, they sentenced Yin Shi to 100 strokes of the cane and exile 3,000 miles away.
Qiu was also beaten with a hundred sticks and exiled three thousand miles for fabricating rumors, slandering and framing the third daughter of the Zong family and maliciously defaming the Zong family's reputation.
As for whether the mother and son can survive, it is not a concern of the ladies of the clan.
After Qiu's mother and son were taken away by the yamen runners, the crowd dispersed.
The lintel of the clan's gate remains as majestic and spotless as ever.
A disaster that had made them extremely anxious was resolved by Feng Qingsui's casual description of it.
It's like a dream.
"Thanks to your help, we didn't let that mother and son succeed this time."
Madam Zong said gratefully.
"Yan Tang and I will never forget this kindness."
Madam Zong Er smiled and said, "When I woke up early this morning, I heard the chirping of magpies. I thought that a distinguished person would come to visit. But two wicked people came instead. I thought my ears were failing and I mistook the crows for magpies. It was only when you came that I realized that the distinguished person was here."
"We must treat our distinguished guests well," Mrs. Zong San agreed. "I'll have the kitchen prepare the newly acquired venison and bear paws."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zong instructed Mother Ling.
"Send the shark fin and bird's nest in my warehouse to the kitchen and ask them to make braised shark fin and bird's nest in clear soup."
Feng Qingsui had not originally planned to have dinner at the Zong family, but since he could not refuse the hospitality, he had no choice but to stay.
During the banquet, he met several young ladies of the Zong family, including the third young lady of the Zong family, Zong Yantang, who was slandered by the Qiu family. He felt that they looked familiar.
After the banquet, when she returned home, the old lady and the eldest lady of the Zong clan gave her a lot of gifts.
Pearls and agates, kingfisher-inlaid headpieces, famous artists' inkstones, ancient books, calligraphy and paintings...it was as if she was here to confiscate the house.
After returning home, she called a few servants over and sent the things to Polangxuan.
I just happened to meet Ji Changqing.
Ji Changqing felt a sinking feeling in his heart when he saw that she had brought back so many things from the Zong family.
"Is this the... medical fee that Madam Zong gave you?"
He asked in a deep voice.
Feng Qingsui chuckled: "It's a thank you gift."
After saying that, he told about how he solved a problem for the Zong family.
Ji Changqing's expression eased slightly.
He thought it was a meeting gift.
But the thank-you gift didn't seem to be that good either - the more capable Feng Qingsui was, wouldn't Mrs. Zong appreciate her more and wish to have such a daughter-in-law?
For a moment, his eyes became even more gloomy when he looked at these thank-you gifts.
Feng Qingsui saw him staring at an inkstone and thought he was jealous, so he simply gave him the inkstone.
"Rather than letting this precious inkstone gather dust here, it would be better to add fragrance to Second Master's desk."
Ji Changqing: “…”
How could he possibly accept the Zong family's things!
He was about to refuse, but then he remembered that she had accepted the basket of baby mice and had not yet given him a return gift.
Although this inkstone came from the Zong family, once it was in her hands, it was hers. She gave it to him to please him...
It’s a bit pathetic to accept it.
If I don't accept it, wouldn't it be a waste of her kindness?
After struggling for a while, greed finally overcame shame.
"Thanks."
He took the inkstone from Feng Qingsui.
"I will treasure it well."
Feng Qingsui smiled and said, "Second Master, please take it and use it as you please. It's not a waste if you make the best use of it."
Ji Changqing nodded slightly.
After returning to the study, he stroked the inkstone for a while, but was reluctant to use it, so he placed the inkstone on the treasure box facing the desk.
When reading documents at night, I would look up from time to time.
Baifu saw that his master, who usually would bury his head in his desk for an hour, was frequently absent from work today, so he whispered to Shi'an.
"What's so good about that inkstone? Why do you keep looking at it?"
Shi An rolled his eyes at him and said, "This is a gift from the eldest lady."
Baifu still doesn't understand.
"The Madam gave him more than just one inkstone. I remember that Miss Qiao from Fanlou gave the Madam a batch of inkstones a few years ago, and the Madam gave them to me. Why don't I just stare at those inkstones all day long?"
Shi An: “…”
That's a good question.
Those ink sticks and this inkstone are clearly the same thing, so why are their attitudes so different?
He rolled his eyes and said to Baifu, "You can ask me when you have time."
Baifu snorted coldly.
"I'm just a little stupid, not stupid. I want to ask you."
Shi An looked up at the sky.
Don't break up when things are tough.
I am enjoying myself, he won't ask for a beating.
After Ji Changqing finished his work at the desk, he looked at the inkstone for a while before going to wash and rest.
Perhaps because he felt relaxed, he fell asleep as soon as he touched the pillow.
In another corner of East City, someone was so angry that he couldn't close his eyes.
"This Feng is really meddling in other people's business! She's just trying to meddle in the Zong family's affairs! Why is she giving them advice when she should just be seeing a doctor? She's ruining my plans for nothing!"
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