Chapter 116 The Best Mother-in-law's Handbook 38
Because Ji Changsheng had already informed the yamen officials, the adultery charges against the convicted woman Jiang and the convicted man Lü Tingxuan were heard that same day. The two men, disheveled, were in the same room. Many people in the restaurant witnessed their passionate intimacy, making it impossible for them to deny it.
Even Jiang's maidservant revealed that Jiang had poisoned her husband, causing him to lose his fertility and be unable to have offspring. Moreover, the two children Jiang gave birth to were both born to Lu Tingxuan.
After being tortured, Jiang could not bear the punishment and confessed to what he had done. After signing and sealing his name, the magistrate sentenced him on the spot.
The criminal woman Jiang was paraded through the streets for three days, and three thousand people were exiled.
The sentence for men guilty of adultery was relatively light: they would be paraded through the streets for three days, but if they paid a certain amount of silver, their exile would be exempted.
By the time the Lu family arrived at Baipan Town from Yixian Prefecture, the adulterous duo had already been tied to a wooden donkey by the yamen runners. The leader of the runners, holding a gong, slowly began to parade through the streets of the yamen.
When the gong sounded, the crowd immediately became excited. Many people took out rotten eggs, rotten vegetable leaves, and even animal feces from their baskets and threw them at Jiang.
The yamen runners were stunned by the outraged crowd. What kind of person had Jiang offended? Almost all the stinking things were thrown at her, with only one or two occasionally missing their target and affecting Lu Tingxuan beside her.
Feng Wu held her son in her arms, standing at the window on the second floor of the teahouse. She witnessed Jiang's fate with her own eyes, and then she gently kissed her son's little face.
Ji Changsheng and Ajiu, who were watching with envy, followed suit. Ji Changsheng kissed his wife, while Ajiu kissed his younger brother.
"Revenge, Ajiu is happy to protect his brother." Ajiu held Dundun's lively and active little hand, expressing his feelings at the moment.
The couple smiled at each other. Feng Wu pinched the child's chubby cheeks and joked, "Our Ah Jiu seems to have gained some weight. He looks even more adorable."
"Haha, you're the only one, Little Phoenix, who thinks this wooden-faced brat Yuxue is cute. However, Jiu has gained a lot of weight and seems to have grown a lot taller. He used to only reach my chest, but now he's reached my shoulders."
In just four months, Jiu has changed the most. He used to love talking, but now he can express his thoughts clearly.
"It's a rare trip to town, my dear, I'll take you to the newly opened Zuixianlou for a good meal."
"My dear, it would be disrespectful to refuse your invitation. Ah Jiu, please eat more later. There is no need to save money."
Ah Jiu frowned and disagreed, "Give the silver to your brother, baby, it's your brother's. I have it all, and I'll give it all to your brother."
Feng Wu: "..." Okay! I know you're obsessed with your brother.
The two adults and two children had a delicious meal at Zuixianlou and then got on the carriage to go home.
When they got home, the doorman said that the third young master was back. Since the master and his wife were not back, the doorman did not let anyone in.
Feng Wu nodded, asked nothing, and carried her sleeping son back to the main courtyard.
Ajiu did not follow, but stood beside Ji Changsheng. After knowing the identity of the child, he treated him as an ordinary child at first, but seeing how much the child loved his son, he gradually softened his heart and often kept him by his side.
Some things are learned through observation and exposure, especially for such an extremely intelligent child.
…
Three days later, Feng Wu and others were on the road when they saw two yamen runners escorting a woman with disheveled hair coming from afar. Qiu Shi, holding a basket, invited the two yamen runners to go aside and have some wine.
At this moment, Jiang was covered in dirt and stench, wearing a wooden yoke, and had a lifeless and pitiful look on her face.
"Jiang, are you okay?"
Jiang smiled sarcastically, "Mother-in-law, are you here to laugh at me? You must have played a big role in my current situation, right?" Ever since she entered the county government, she knew that someone wanted to harm her, but she never imagined that the person who wanted to harm her would be an unsophisticated country woman.
"You definitely won't believe me if I say I didn't do anything. You chose your own path. When you set your sights on my son, you should have anticipated the consequences. You're not innocent either. I was simply acting bravely."
"Hahaha, mother-in-law, you are so cruel. Aren't you afraid that Zhu Sanlang will hate you?" Jiang's eyes suddenly flashed with sinisterness, and the corners of her lips curled up unconsciously.
Feng Wu couldn't stand the strong stench of the man approaching, so he took a step back in disgust and said lightly, "You don't have to hide it for him. Those things were ostensibly prepared by your maid, but in reality, those vicious things were all the work of Zhu Sanlang. That maid named Chunxue was also assigned to him by you, right?"
"Yes! That girl is so pretty! It's really funny to see Zhu Sanlang getting so anxious because he wants to eat but can't. What a self-righteous fool, he thinks he can control me, but he doesn't know that he is just a toy in my hand." Until now, Jiang still doesn't repent, and proudly shows off to Fengwu how she plays with the toy in her hand.
Feng Wu, however, remained calm and unmoved.
Knowing that her purpose of instigating the conflict had failed, Jiang was surprised and said, "You don't care at all? Haha, Zhu Sanlang is so pitiful. Even his own mother doesn't care about his life or death."
Feng Wu was speechless. In her past life, Liu Fengniang cared about every one of her sons, even committing suicide in despair for their sake. But none of her sons cared about her life or death. They always had various compelling reasons to abandon their biological mother.
The mother whose heart was filled with her son had long since died in despair, and she was just a tasker who appeared here to achieve her own goals. She had no right to forgive or judge.
"Take care and have a safe trip!" Feng Wu turned and left, her pleated floral skirt immediately opening up, leaving Jiang standing there in a daze and panic.
The journey is long and difficult, and she is afraid she will never have the chance to come back in this lifetime.
…
Zhu Sanlang, who had lost his dignity as a man, was not only kicked out of Yongsheng Restaurant, but was also sued by the restaurant owner.
Once again going to the yamen, Zhu Sanlang's mood was completely different. Last time, as a victim, he was pitied by everyone, but this time he became the defendant.
At the suggestion of the owner, the restaurant's account flow would withhold one hundred taels of silver every year for the shopkeeper, but this was just an unspoken deal. The accounts were made by Zhu Sanlang, and the person who signed the account book was also Zhu Sanlang. Now that the owner has turned against him and the shopkeeper has escaped, the unlucky Zhu Sanlang must take the blame for falsifying the accounts and enriching himself.
Zhu Sanlang refused to plead guilty and gave in after being caned twenty times. "Sir, I plead guilty. I am willing to pay the money that my employer needs. I beg you to show me mercy."
However, Lu Tingxuan hated Zhu Sanlang so much that he would never reconcile with him. He promised not to pay compensation just to ensure that the corrupt officials would be severely punished.
The victim was unwilling to settle the matter privately, so he was sentenced according to the severe criminal law: anyone who embezzles 100 pieces of silver shall be sentenced to ten years in prison.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
