Chapter 191: Xu's Mother's Madness
Li Zheng Zhang looked genuinely happy for Qin Fangci and the others, but he didn't want to pull Qin Fangci away. Instead, he grabbed Li Lao Da's hand and patted it again and again on the back of his hand excitedly.
"You have no idea how anxious I was when I heard the news. I told you that your dried meat would be fine. How could such a kind-hearted family do such a thing? Unfortunately, I am a small person and my position is low, so my anxiety was of no use. Fortunately, God has mercy on you and you have returned safely."
Mr. Li struggled hard but couldn't break free, so he simply grabbed Zhang Lizheng's hand and said, "Zhang Lizheng, we just got back and the bad luck is still with us. We can talk to you another day. We are here today to take charge of my sister. When we are not at home, some bad guys want to bully people."
"This is Brother Xichuan who serves the county magistrate, Lord Deng." Boss Li introduced him with a show of force.
Xichuan bowed slightly, his expression serious: "Zhang Lizheng, hand the person over to me. I will take him back and the adults will make the decision."
"Yes, yes, I'm watching you carefully!" Zhang Lizheng nodded hurriedly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. "It's the most difficult to deal with a scholar who commits a crime. Now that the officer is here, it will be easy, easy!" He was obviously relieved by Xichuan's arrival, and he couldn't hide his happiness for successfully standing in line.
"Sir, wait a moment. Boss, quickly bring Xu Xiu and Xu Jiahuai out."
Boss Zhang pushed Xu Jiahuai out with his hands tied. His hair was disheveled, his scholar's scarf was tilted to one side, and his green robe was wrinkled and covered with dust. He had lost his usual noble appearance.
Seeing someone coming, especially Xichuan, his face turned pale, but he still forced himself to remain calm, "You vulgar people, do you know what crime it is to detain students privately?"
Xichuan sneered, "Xu Xiucai, the adults will investigate everything you have done. If you have done anything disgraceful, how can you keep your reputation? Threatening me won't work. Come with me back to the county government office to meet the adults!"
Xichuan stepped forward to arrest the person.
Xu Xiucai was really panicking at this point, struggling and shouting, "How dare you! How dare you! I am a scholar with great honors, how can a mere servant like you belittle me! Mother! Mother, save me!"
At this moment, a shrill cry suddenly came from outside the yard, and Xu's mother stumbled in with Xu Jiahuai's three daughters.
When he saw Xu Jiahuai being tied up, he immediately fell to the ground, beating his chest and stamping his feet and crying, "You evil people, let my son go. My son is a scholar. How dare you bully him like this? We will report you to the authorities and make you pay for it!"
The three daughters of the Xu family knelt in a row. They did not throw a tantrum, but kowtowed and begged for mercy with tears streaming down their faces. They looked so pitiful.
Xichuan said coldly, "If you want to sue the officials, come with me. I will personally take you to the adults to argue properly."
As Xichuan let go of Xu Jiahuai and was about to catch Xu's mother, Xu's mother's crying stopped abruptly. Like a duck with its neck strangled, she rubbed her feet in fear and backed away.
Glancing at Qin Fangci beside her, she immediately crawled to her and hugged her legs, "Please, have mercy on my son! He knows he's wrong, he really knows he's wrong! You're a mother too, please understand my feelings as a mother! If anything happens to him, how will our family survive!"
This indirectly amounted to an admission of Xu Jiahuai's guilt.
Xu Jiahuai felt a mouthful of blood choking in his throat before he started to scold his mother.
Xu Shuangyan, who was kneeling, rolled her eyes and began to plead, "Grandma Li, my father... he was just possessed by a ghost for a moment. He will never dare to do it again!"
"Shut up!" Xu Jiahuai roared.
It’s over, it’s all over!
Mother Xu, however, was unaware of Xu Jiahuai's inner fear and anger. She looked at her son with tears in her eyes, then continued to cry while hugging Qin Fangci, her voice miserable. "He's our only child. If he's ruined, our Xu family will have no descendants! Sister Li, please be kind. If you're willing to let my son go, we'll work like slaves to repay you! I'll set up a longevity tablet for you and pray for your blessings every day!"
Qin Fangci looked at Xu's mother, who was nearly fainting from crying, and then at the three other equally tearful girls, a mixture of emotions washed over her. She was also a mother, and she knew how to care for her children. But precisely because she was a mother, she couldn't let anyone who tried to harm her children go unpunished.
She took a deep breath and slowly but firmly pulled her legs out of Xu's mother's arms.
Qin Fangci's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable force. "I understand your love for your son, and I hope you can understand my love for my son as well."
She glanced at the three terrified and helpless daughters of the Xu family, "You said he was the only child of the Xu family. If he is ruined, there will be no descendants. I have an idea for you. You can keep two of these three girls at home and marry them. The children born will be your great-grandchildren. Your Li family will not be extinct, don't worry. I am doing this for the benefit of the people in Dongshi Village, Liantang Village and several nearby villages. If I let him go this time, and he continues to do evil things in the future by relying on his status as a scholar, and really hurts the girl, then wouldn't I become the sinner who fanned the flames of evil?
You're crying and begging for your daughter, but have you ever thought about how my Yulan would live in the future if his evil plan succeeded? How would our Li family cope with this? Put yourself in his shoes. If it were your daughter who suffered this disaster today, how would you react?
Xu's mother, with tears streaming down her face, opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
The people in Dongshi Village originally thought that the Li family was too bullying, but after hearing what Qin Fangci said and thinking about how Xu's mother usually treated her son as a scholar and a master, they felt that what Qin Fangci said made sense.
Qin Fangci continued, "Your son has violated the law. We, the Li family, can't just let him go. The great justice will make the final decision. Brother Xichuan," she turned to Xichuan, "please follow the law."
Xichuan nodded and picked up Xu Jiahuai, who had just been gagged. Xu Jiahuai was escorted out with a deathly pale face. He was no longer arrogant. His legs were so weak that he was almost being dragged along. No one could hear what he was mumbling.
"No, my son, arrest me, sir, arrest me if you want. It's my fault. I'll pay with my life. I'll pay with my life for the Li family. Please let my son go!"
Xu's mother was about to stand up and hit the wall, but Li Laosan was quick to hug her. Xu's mother bent down and bit Li Laosan's arm.
Let me go, let me go!
Wang was shocked, "Ah! Let go, let the boss go!"
Immediately, people from Liantang Village came forward to help. They used so much force that they broke Xu's mother's jaw before they could get Li Laosan's arm out.
Xu Shuangyan, who had just been secretly happy, was so frightened by this sudden change that she hurriedly took her sisters to kowtow to Qin Fangci.
"Grandma Li, please spare my life. My grandma is worried that Daddy might have done something wrong because he was anxious. Please don't beat her to death."
Even if she wants to die, she has to wait until she finds a son-in-law or gets married...
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