The more the servant said this, the angrier the crowd became.
They concluded that this was an attempt to shirk responsibility.
Why ride a horse that isn't your own?
"compensation!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and the crowd, stirred up by the incident, felt that the matter couldn't be left unresolved and joined in the shouting.
"What's going on here!" A loud shout rang out, and everyone immediately fell silent, for the voice was simply too authoritative.
"The county magistrate?" A voice came from the crowd. Although the county magistrate was dressed in plain clothes, some people still recognized him.
But why is the county magistrate here instead of presiding over cases in the courtroom?
Before anyone could think twice, upon hearing that it was the county magistrate, they knelt down without hesitation.
"This humble subject greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate!"
What a mess! It's all because I didn't check the almanac before going out today.
Just as Cheng Yue was hesitating whether to kneel down, a voice came from the other side: "Get up, all of you!"
"Jingzhi, the carriage, the carriage has been found!"
Cheng Yue looked over and saw an elegantly dressed old lady, leaning on a cane and panting, walk to the carriage, with the county magistrate supporting her.
The magistrate looked to be in his early forties, and the old lady, being that age, must be the magistrate's mother.
As soon as the old lady finished speaking, a man ran forward fearfully and took the reins from the boy's hand.
Judging from his attire, he looks like a coachman.
Fearing the horse would be startled again, the boy stood on the carriage, holding the reins tightly. Now that he saw the carriage owner had arrived, he jumped off the carriage.
Someone wondered, "Could it be a horse thief?"
"Bullshit! Our young master can have any horse he wants! Why would he want to be a horse thief!"
The servant was so angry that he jumped up. The water was getting dirtier the more it was splashed!
The boy ignored the crowd and explained the situation to the magistrate: "I just saw some naughty children passing by, which startled the horse. I was worried that they might hurt the pedestrians, so I mounted the horse to stop them. That's what happened. I hope Your Excellency will investigate this matter thoroughly."
He already had things to do, and he never expected to encounter such a thing while just stopping by for a quick meal.
Xu Jingzhi looked at the boy in front of him. Despite his young age, he had such an imposing presence. Especially his face, the more he looked at it, the more it resembled someone he knew, but he just couldn't remember who it was.
I was about to speak when my mother interrupted me.
“Good boy, the coachman at home has already told me about this. Thank you so much. You are a kind-hearted person. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid this old woman would have had to suffer many more sins.”
Old Mrs. Xu was Xu Jingzhi's mother. She had just returned from her eldest son's place in the prefectural city. Before she even got home, she was already craving the Eight Treasure Duck at Sanyuanlou Restaurant, so she went into the restaurant to pack one to take home.
The coachman was waiting outside, but when the old lady didn't come out for a long time, he went to the outhouse. When he returned, he saw the runaway horse and was so frightened that he immediately reported to the old lady.
Xu Jingzhi waited and waited, but his mother still hadn't returned. Worried, he went out to greet her. As soon as he arrived, he met his mother, who looked anxious and said that the horse had been startled.
The family then followed the street, but they never expected that their poor legs and slow pace would cause the young man in front of them to suffer so much injustice.
The young man politely replied, "Grandma, you flatter me."
Now that the truth has come out, everyone is filled with shame, realizing that they had truly wronged an innocent person.
If it weren't for the young man before them, they might have truly died under the horses' hooves.
Having just made such a vehement accusation against others, they are now too ashamed to face anyone, each one of them hanging their heads and remaining silent like quails.
Looking at their appearance, the servant felt a surge of pride; they were truly a bunch of fools!
Xu Jingzhi looked at the crowd and said, "The frightened people can go to the county government office to collect their compensation later."
As the county magistrate, he should set an example. Although this matter cannot be blamed on his mother, it was still their carriage after all, so compensation was the right thing to do.
They were lucky; if it weren't for the boy in front of them, someone might have died, and the consequences wouldn't have been as simple as just paying compensation.
One of the bolder members of the crowd stammered, "No, no, no, we're not injured, we don't need compensation..."
They were just demanding compensation from the boy, but now that the county magistrate is offering it, they dare not accept it.
It's hard to say that they weren't just taking advantage of the boy's easygoing nature.
It is evident that, regardless of wealth or poverty, there will always be people who abuse their power to bully others.
Cheng Yue sneered inwardly. After hearing Xu Jingzhi reprimand everyone, they wiped the unfounded sweat from their brows and dared not utter a sound.
After apologizing to the boy, they scattered, and the street suddenly became quiet.
Xu Jingzhi ignored the crowd. Guangyun County has always been known for its simple and honest people, and he felt ashamed that such a thing had happened.
He said sincerely to the young man, "Young master, I am very grateful to you today. Would you mind coming to my residence for a chat so that I can express my gratitude?"
He had intended to ask the boy's name so he could pay his respects, but he hesitated about the boy's identity. His intuition told him it was best not to inquire.
The young man smiled faintly, "Your Excellency is too kind. It is only right that human life is of utmost importance. The matter has been resolved, and the carriage has been returned to its rightful owner. We have other matters to attend to, so we will not disturb Your Excellency any further."
Xu Jingzhi invited the young man several more times, but seeing his firm attitude, he had no choice but to give up. He thanked him again before getting into the carriage and leaving.
As soon as the carriage left, Chen Tong ran over, her heart churning with resentment, "My wooden sword..."
Cheng Yue pulled them too hard, and the wooden sword slipped from her hand and was trampled in two by the horse.
Cheng Yue knew Chen Tong was upset, but no one expected this to happen, so she could only comfort her, "It's okay, if it's broken, just don't keep it. Mom will buy you a new one."
Chen Tong picked up the wooden sword, tears streaming down her face. It was a gift from her mother, who had just apologized to her. Buying another one would have a different meaning.
The boy was about to leave when he saw this scene: the little girl was crying sadly, and they weren't dressed in very nice clothes, so they must have saved up money for a long time to buy this wooden sword.
He quickly gestured for the servant to take out his purse, took out a tael of silver and handed it over, saying, "I'll compensate you for your wooden sword."
Chen Tong looked up in surprise and said, "No need, it's not your fault..."
The boy smiled, didn't say much, stuffed the money into Chen Tong's hand, and turned to leave.
The mother and her two daughters looked at each other, wondering whether to call him kind or simply wealthy...
After the boy interrupted her, Chen Tong didn't know why, but she didn't feel so sad anymore.
Cheng Yue asked the stall owner to bring out another sword, but unfortunately, it was the last one.
Fortunately, the wooden sword was made by the stall owner himself, who told Cheng Yue and the others to come back in three days to pick it up, guaranteeing that it would be made exactly the same.
After the mother and her two daughters agreed, they went directly to meet up with Chen An and Chen Lin. The family then boarded an oxcart and headed straight for Houshui Village.
After what just happened, not to mention the three children, even Cheng Yue and Chen An were still terrified.
If nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected will definitely happen.
Everyone agreed that they should avoid crowds and crowded places in the future, and that they were lucky to have escaped the horse accident today.
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