Chapter 192 Confession
If Dad was arrested and Grandma died, the house and land would be taken back and they would be left with nothing.
Thinking of this, Xu Shuangyan pinched Xu Shuangfeng suddenly, and then pinched the still confused Xu Xiaomei.
Xu Shuangfeng and Xu Xiaomei cried loudly in pain, looking so miserable and pitiful.
Xu's mother's jaw was dislocated and she collapsed to the ground, only able to make hoarse "ah ah" sounds. Turbid tears mixed with mud flowed all over her face, looking very pitiful.
People's hearts are naturally sympathetic to the weak.
Some people in Dongshi Village whispered that since Xu Xiucai had failed, the Li family was fine and suffered no losses, so they should show mercy.
Qin Fangci laughed out loud. Zhang Lizheng, who was about to plead for mercy, was frightened by Qin Fangci's sudden laughter, and the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.
"Oh, you want to be a good person just by saying a few nice words. There are so many good people these days. You don't know how much pain you feel when the trouble doesn't happen to you, right?"
"Where did I say I wanted to kill her? Did I say I wanted to kill her? Look at her, she goes crazy and threatens to die when she doesn't agree with something. If she really dies here today, it's because I forced her to do it. She wants to die peacefully, but you're throwing the shit pot on my head and making me infamous forever!" Qin Fangci raised Li Laosan's bloody hand high. "If my third brother hadn't reacted quickly, she would have succeeded today. Look at what she bit my third brother. You are kind-hearted and can say nice things to a mad person who bites people, but can you spare the effort to take my third brother to see a doctor? After all, he is the victim, isn't he?"
Qin Fangci's voice became louder and louder, each one touching the heart.
The Dongshi Villager who was speaking shrank back silently, not daring to say another word.
Xu's mother looked at Qin Fangci with a pair of resentful eyes. Her hands were held by Zhang Lizheng's daughter-in-law, so she could not rush towards her again. She was so angry that she was breathing heavily through her nose.
Xu Shuangyan hugged her two frightened sisters and cried so hard that her whole body was shaking, but she didn't dare to plead easily. She just secretly looked at Qin Fangci and the Li family's faces with tearful eyes.
The yard suddenly became quiet, with only the heavy breathing of Xu's mother and the sobbing of the children.
The old village chief slammed his cane on the ground. "Don't be so careless when you're talking. We in Liantang Village are not to be bullied!"
The people of Liantang Village who followed the old village chief echoed in unison, their voices like a loud bell, shocking the people of Dongshi Village so much that they dared not say anything more.
Zhang Lizheng looked at the chaotic scene and sighed inwardly. He had no choice but to step forward and scold, "Xu Mengshi, what are you still doing?! Are you really going to throw all of you into jail?!"
Xu Jiahuai, with a pale face, struggled to get out of Xichuan's hands and turned back, "Mother——"
Xu Jiahuai's cry of "Mom" was so miserable and desperate, like the last bit of life squeezed out of his chest.
Xu Jiahuai looked at his mother who had a hideous face but was helpless, looked at his three daughters who were crying and trembling, and then looked at Qin Fangci's calm and resolute face that showed an attitude of never giving up. Suddenly, he stopped struggling, his body softened, and he almost completely hung on Xichuan's arms.
He lost.
Lost the bet again.
But he knew clearly that he had no chance of turning things around this time.
Why is the Li family so lucky? He clearly heard that this was a dead end for the Li family, so why did they come back intact?
"Xichuan, sir..." His voice was hoarse, with a kind of resigned dejection, "I plead guilty. Everything was done by me alone. My mother and my daughters have nothing to do with it. They... know nothing."
He turned his head with difficulty and looked at Zhang Lizheng and the surrounding villagers. "I was blinded by greed. I was jealous of the Li family's prosperous business. I was also proud of my status as a scholar. I thought I could control Li Yulan, so I came up with such a despicable trick. I am ashamed of the teachings of the saints and ashamed of this royal robe..."
His public confession silenced many who still wanted to watch the fun or who felt the Li family was too powerful. Seeing this, Xichuan's expression softened slightly, but his grip remained firm. "Since you've pleaded guilty, follow me back to the county yamen and await your sentencing. As for your family," he glanced at the sobbing women of the Xu family, "if they weren't involved, your Excellency will not implicate them."
When Xu's mother heard her son confess, she screamed "Ahhh" in panic and struggled to pounce on him again, but was held back by Zhang Lizheng's daughter-in-law.
Xu Shuangyan, however, seemed to have grasped the last straw. She suddenly looked up, tearfully looking at Qin Fangci, her voice trembling but clear, "Grandma Li, my father has confessed his guilt. He knows he was wrong! Please... please, for the sake of our fellow villagers and our young age, please ask the county magistrate for mercy and a lighter sentence! We are willing to do anything to make amends. We sisters are willing to serve as slaves in your family."
As soon as she said this, a low murmur of discussion suddenly arose around her.
Qin Fangci looked at her with a complicated expression. This girl was smart, knew how to judge the situation, and even knew how to use the weak to gain sympathy, but this cleverness, used in such a place, made people feel heavy-hearted.
"As slaves?" Qin Fangci shook her head slowly, her voice low, but drowning out the surrounding noise. "Although our Li family isn't wealthy, we never oppress the good or take advantage of others. You are from good families, and you have your own way to live. Your father violated the law, and the adults will make the final decision. It's not my place to interfere. What I can do is not pursue the matter of your grandmother injuring our third child. As for the rest, you can handle it yourselves."
For a moment, Xu Shuangyan's face turned pale and she could no longer speak. She could only hug her sisters and cry silently.
Seeing this, Xichuan did not delay any longer and said to Zhang Lizheng, "I'll take the person away. I'll have to help you comfort him later." After that, he walked out with the limp Xu Jiahuai.
Xu's mother whimpered in despair, but her mouth was blocked and she couldn't even bang her head against the wall. She could only watch her son being taken away.
Zhang Lizheng quickly responded, directing his two sons, "Hurry, help Master Xichuan get the people out. Eldest wife, help Aunt Xu back home and find a doctor to check her jaw. Everyone, disperse! Stop crowding around!"
Qin Fangci was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Zhang Lizheng, Dongshi Village is under your jurisdiction. The future arrangements for the Xu family will naturally be decided by you and the village elders. We from Liantang Village have come here today simply to seek justice. Now that the criminal has been handed over to the authorities, we will not stay any longer."
Her words not only meant that she would no longer pursue the matter against the women and children of the Xu family, but also meant to pass the buck back to Zhang Lizheng, so that the Xu family would not suffer in the future and outsiders would say that it was the Li family that pushed them too far.
Zhang Lizheng was an experienced man, so how could he not understand what was said? He nodded immediately, "Of course, of course! The village will see to it and will definitely not let them starve to death. Alas, it's also Jiahuai's own fault for not living up to the teachings of the saint..."
The old village chief also spoke at the right time: "Sister Fangci is right. Now that justice has been sought, let's stop blocking Zhang Lizheng's yard. Let's all go home. You've been busy all day, and the children at home must be waiting anxiously."
The crowd began to disperse slowly, but the discussions continued for a long time.
Today's incident was full of twists and turns, enough for them to gossip about for several days.
Seeing how united the people of Liantang Village were, the people of Dongshi Village looked at the Li family with a bit more awe in their eyes, and when they looked at the elderly, the weak, the women and the children left behind by the Xu family, they sighed and showed a little imperceptible contempt.
Qin Fangci walked out with her family with her chest held high.
A good man is often bullied, and a good horse is often ridden.
Her kindness is not the kind that allows others to ride on her head!
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