Give you a chance
"Okay, sure."
Without much hesitation, Gu Heng grabbed a teacup from the table and threw it. It hit Sun Laizi squarely on the head with a loud crash. Sun Laizi turned and yelled in pain, "Who? Who's meddling? I'm selling my own daughter..."
Before he could finish speaking, Gu Heng stepped forward, tackled him to the ground, and swung the long knife at his waist, smashing it into the unclean mouth, knocking out a tooth. The man bent over in pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"If you treat your own flesh and blood as a commodity to be sold for money, then I'll beat you up!"
Having come from a brothel, Gu Heng had witnessed countless instances of buying and selling people. He knew firsthand how difficult life was for women sold by their parents. Seeing that Sun Laizi was not ashamed but rather proud, he hated this scoundrel even more and beat him even harder.
Throughout history, domestic abusers have always been all bark and no bite. They only dare to beat their weak wives and children. When they encounter a tough opponent, they become incredibly docile. Sun Laizi was no exception. Even though Gu Heng beat him so badly that he could only curl up on the ground and cry out in pain, he had completely lost the arrogance he had shown when disciplining his daughter.
Pei Qingwu glanced at Sun Laizi with disgust, picked up the giant sesame seed cake from the table, and got up to walk towards the little girl who had been frightened and hid to the side.
When the little girl saw her coming, she blinked timidly twice.
"What's your name? How old are you?" Pei Qingwu squatted down, handed over the food in her hand, and asked softly.
"I, my name is Sun Pan'er, I'm ten years old..." The little girl was still very scared, but she knew in her heart that Pei Qingwu was a good person, and answered hesitantly.
Pan'er...
Pei Qingwu felt a pang of disgust. It was a bit nicer than names like Zhaodi, Pandi, or Laidi, but the meaning was the same: equally disgusting.
Moreover, this little girl is actually ten years old, but because she is so thin and small, you can't tell at all.
Over there, Gu Heng was too rough with his hands; Sun Laizi was lying on the ground, barely breathing.
"Aheng, that's enough. Don't really hurt him." Pei Qingwu stopped when he saw that the situation was under control.
"yes."
Upon hearing this, Gu Heng snorted coldly and stopped kicking, but still glared fiercely at Sun Laizi.
Pei Qingwu patted Sun Pan'er's thin shoulder reassuringly, stood up, walked to Sun Laizi, and looked down at the blood-stained, disheveled man: "Sun Laizi, you just said you were selling your own daughter? You have some nerve!"
Sun Laizi was terrified, and when he met Pei Qingwu's gaze, he trembled even more. He barely managed to raise his head and begged for mercy in a slurred voice, "Honorable sir, spare my life... I... I will never dare to do it again..."
"Dare not?" Pei Qingwu's lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Do you know what crime you should be charged with according to the laws of the current dynasty?!"
Upon hearing this, not only was Sun Laizi stunned, but even the onlookers around held their breath and listened intently.
When it comes to the law, it's no joke.
Pei Qingwu said, “The ‘Law Commentary on the Household and Marriage Law’ states: ‘Anyone who abducts or sells off his own children or grandchildren into slavery shall be punished in the same way as those who fight and kill.’ As the biological father, you actually intended to sell your own daughter, Sun Pan’er, as a commodity. This is a serious crime of ‘abducting and selling off one’s children and grandchildren’! According to the law, you should be sentenced to ‘one year of penal servitude’. This is just one of the crimes!”
"Secondly!" She swept her gaze across Sun Laizi's mouth, where his teeth had been knocked out: "What you just said and did clearly indicate your intention to force your daughter into becoming a slave. Such behavior constitutes assault on one's own child. According to the 'Law Commentary on Laws - Law on Fighting and Litigation,' 'Those who assault and injure their children or grandchildren shall be punished three degrees less than ordinary people.' Although you did not sell her immediately, your intentions are despicable, and your actions are clear. You cannot escape your guilt!"
"Thirdly! You physically assaulted a young girl, committed atrocities against your own flesh and blood, violated human ethics, and disregarded the law! Now that there are witnesses and physical evidence, you can't deny it!"
Sun Laizi trembled all over upon hearing this, cold sweat pouring down his back.
He was nothing but a street ruffian, and he knew nothing of these profound laws. He only understood the deadly phrases "one year of penal servitude" and "inescapable punishment."
The thought of being locked up in jail and forced into hard labor terrified him. Ignoring the pain, he repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "I know I was wrong! I was a bastard! I'll never do it again..."
As he spoke, he even tried to pull his daughter away.
Sun Pan'er shrank back in fright.
Just then, the sound of footsteps and the clanging of metal came from behind.
A group of patrolling warriors dressed in black robes and carrying swords at their waists parted the crowd and walked over.
The squad leader, who had clearly heard the commotion, asked in a deep voice, "What's all this noise? Who's fighting in the street?"
Pei Qingwu stepped forward, his expression calm, and clasped his hands in a salute: "This Martial Marquis has arrived at just the right time. This man is named Sun Laizi, and he is vicious in nature. Not only did he attempt to sell his own daughter, Sun Pan'er, in the street, but he also kicked a young girl. Just now, he shouted that he was selling his daughter. Many neighbors can testify to this. Such behavior, which violates human ethics and the law, is outrageous!"
She paused, then emphasized, "We saw injustice and intervened to stop him. We have subdued him. His words and actions have violated the laws concerning 'selling off one's children' and 'beating the young.' We request that Marquis Wu arrest him and hand him over to the Prefect for proper punishment."
The squad leader of the Wuhou squad knew that she was a favorite of Princess Shouchun, and Lord Zhao also treated her differently. When he heard that she was involved in such a serious crime as selling children, his expression immediately became serious. Moreover, after looking around, he heard the people quietly echoing his sentiments.
"Yes, we all heard him say he was going to sell his daughter!"
"He even hit that poor child!"
Without hesitation, he waved his hand and ordered his men, "Lock this prisoner up!"
Two military officers immediately stepped forward and swiftly lifted the limp Sun Laizi up, ignoring his repeated pleas, and tied him up with ropes.
The squad leader turned to Pei Qingwu and Gu Heng, his tone becoming more polite: "Thank you both for your righteous help in stopping the evil deeds. We would like to ask you and this young lady to come back with us to the prefectural government to make a statement as witnesses, so that this case can be confirmed."
He glanced again at the timid Sun Pan'er: "As for this child..."
Pei Qingwu said gently, "This child is the one who suffered the loss, so naturally we should go along to explain the situation. Don't worry, Marquis Wu, we will definitely cooperate."
Sun Pan'er looked at her father being locked away, her little face still showing fear, and subconsciously moved closer to Pei Qingwu.
Gu Heng sheathed his sword, glanced coldly at Sun Laizi who was being dragged away, and nodded to Pei Qingwu.
Pei Qingwu took Sun Pan'er's thin little hand and said softly, "Pan'er, don't be afraid. Come with your sister and explain what your grandfather did. Then you won't be beaten anymore."
The crowd parted to make way, and Wu Hou led the dejected Sun Laizi in front, Pei Qingwu held Sun Pan'er's hand, and Gu Heng guarded them on the side, as they walked together toward the prefectural capital.
Sun Laizi was temporarily imprisoned, and Pei Qingwu and Gu Heng took Sun Pan'er to see a doctor at the clinic.
This time, the little girl's injuries were not serious, but after taking off her clothes, Pei Qingwu still gasped – on her thin, bony body, new wounds overlapped with old ones, a mixture of blue and purple, which stood out starkly against her pale skin, silently telling the story of years of abuse.
The female doctor who was applying medicine to the little girl also had tears in her eyes and cursed, "You scoundrel! How could you treat your own daughter so cruelly!"
Pei Qingwu tenderly stroked Sun Pan'er's hair and softly asked, "Does it hurt?"
Sun Pan'er shook her head: "It doesn't hurt, I'm used to it."
When they came out of the clinic, it was almost curfew. Pei Qingwu wanted to take Gu Heng back quickly, but Sun Pan'er grabbed his sleeve.
"Sister, can you... can you come back with me to see my mother... she was also beaten by Grandpa, beaten so badly, I'm scared..."
Looking into the little girl's big, watery eyes, Pei Qingwu couldn't bring himself to refuse and nodded, "Okay, I'll go with you."
After many twists and turns, the Sun family's house was so secluded and remote that Pei Qingwu would not have dared to come to such a place if it weren't for the strong and robust Gu Heng accompanying him.
If it weren't for the fact that she was the one who saved Sun Pan'er and that the authorities hadn't verified her identity, Pei Qingwu would have been genuinely afraid that she might have been bait set up by human traffickers.
Finally, Sun Pan'er stopped in front of a crooked, about-to-collapse wooden door.
The door was covered in cracks, as if it would fall apart with the slightest push. Once opened, a whiff of despair and mildew hit you.
“Mother…” Sun Pan’er called out timidly, her voice barely audible.
A rustling sound immediately came from inside the door, accompanied by the faint whimpers of a baby. With the help of the dim light coming in from outside, a figure staggered to the doorway.
That was Cai Jinniang.
Pei Qingwu's heart sank at just one glance.
Cai Jinniang was probably not very old, but the burdens of life and the brutality of violence had ravaged her beyond recognition. She was thin as skin and bones, her face sallow, her eyes sunken, and her lips cracked and bloodless. Most striking were the injuries on her face: her left temple was swollen high, covered by a large patch of dark purple bruises that almost obscured her eye; her mouth was split open, with congealed dark red scabs; and faint purple finger marks were visible on her neck.
She was wearing a faded, coarse cloth dress covered in patches, and she was tightly holding a baby wrapped in an equally tattered swaddling cloth.
When her gaze passed over Pei Qingwu and Gu Heng and landed on her daughter, her dull and desperate eyes instantly lit up, only to be overwhelmed by a torrent of tears.
"Pan'er! My Pan'er!" Cai Jinniang cried out hoarsely, her voice broken by injury and agitation.
She even forgot that she still had a nursing baby in her arms, staggered forward, and hugged Sun Pan'er tightly, as if she wanted to meld her daughter into her own bones and blood.
"You scared me to death! I thought... I thought..."
She sobbed uncontrollably, her withered arms tightly clutching her daughter's frail body, her whole body trembling violently. The baby in her arms was uncomfortable from being squeezed and cried loudly.
Sun Pan'er also cried, her little hands tightly clutching her mother's tattered clothes, sobbing intermittently, "Mother, don't be afraid, Pan'er is alright. It was this sister and that Brother Gu who saved Pan'er... Grandpa... Grandpa was arrested by the officials..."
Upon hearing this, Cai Jinniang was startled. Holding her daughter and baby, she raised her tear-filled face and finally saw Pei Qingwu and Gu Heng standing at the door.
Although Pei Qingwu's clothes were not luxurious, the material was of good quality. Gu Heng was even more upright, with sharp eyes and a sword at his waist, exuding an imposing aura.
Therefore, Cai Jinniang instinctively wanted to kneel down while holding her two children.
"My lord, my lord, please forgive me... This humble woman..."
She was incoherent, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
The news of her husband's arrest made her already terrified heart even more distraught. In this era, losing a husband meant utter destruction for a poor woman, even if that husband was a devil.
Pei Qingwu reacted quickly, stepping forward to support Cai Jinniang's swaying body.
Upon touching her, through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could clearly feel the woman's bony bones and several hard lumps on her arms that had not yet subsided.
“No need for formalities.” Pei Qingwu said softly, “I am not a distinguished person, but just the owner of Sushan Market. I am not here to ask questions. Pan’er brought us to see you. You… are badly injured.”
Supported by Pei Qingwu, Cai Jinniang dared not stand up completely, her back still hunched, large tears falling to the ground: "Thank you, thank you for your concern, Your Excellency... I'm fine... It's just superficial injuries..."
She tried to force a smile to show she was alright, but it aggravated the wound on the corner of her mouth, causing her to gasp in pain.
In the dim light, Pei Qingwu's gaze swept over the dilapidated house.
The phrase "a family with nothing but bare walls" is given its most authentic interpretation here.
In the corner, a makeshift stove was built with stones and mud, containing only cold ashes. A crooked, low table, missing a leg, was propped up with stones. The so-called bed was a thin layer of blackened straw spread out in the corner, on which was piled a tattered quilt with the cotton wadding showing.
The sky had completely darkened, and in the distance, one could faintly hear the heavy sound of the gates closing and the clanging of the gongs of the yamen runners patrolling the streets.
The curfew is about to begin.
Pei Qingwu heard the voice and knew that time was of the essence. He gently patted Cai Jinniang's arm and said, "I'm giving you a chance. Are you willing to come with me and start a new life?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
