The magistrate of Yan County agreed.
Zhang Rushan turned to Huang Jia and asked, "What is the interest rate of the bank now?"
"3...3 points." Huang Jia stammered.
Zhang Rushan said, "3% interest, borrowing 10 taels, you actually get 9 taels, and you have to pay 300 wen interest every month. In this case, you would rather leave the 10 taels of silver at home untouched and go to the bank to borrow money. Is this reasonable?"
Before Huang Jia could argue, Zhang Rushan continued, "Your family can't even afford rice recently, and the rice shop owner has refused to give you credit. So you'd rather go hungry than keep the 10 taels of silver?"
"What's it to you!" Huang Jia said angrily, "I just like to save money and save up for my coffin."
The gavel slammed, and the Yan County Magistrate shouted, "Huang Jia! Come here quickly, or you will be beaten with a stick!"
Huang Jia cried out, "My Lord, I am innocent. I really didn't do it!"
Seeing that Huang Jia was very stubborn, the Yan County Magistrate raised his eyelids and said, "Beat him!"
Several yamen runners came forward and pushed Huang Jia to the ground. They hit him with ten boards in a row. Huang Jia could no longer resist and kept howling, "I confess! I confess!"
According to Huang Jia, when he heard that Xu asked Zou Cai to just play a supporting role, he had evil thoughts in his mind.
Just as Zhang Rushan said, after he returned home from the tavern, he changed into a black robe, climbed over the wall, and waited on the bridge that Zou Cai must pass by when he returned home.
If they tried to use force, it would definitely not work as the difference in their body shapes was too big. Fortunately, Zou Cai was a greedy drinker and drank a little too much.
As soon as Zou Cai passed by, Huang Jia hurried to borrow five copper coins from him. It was just five copper coins, so Zou Cai naturally would not refuse.
The moment he took out his purse, Huang Jia snatched the purse, and when the man was not paying attention, he pushed him off the bridge.
After getting the purse, Huang Jia ran away without looking back.
What happened next is known to everyone. Zhang Erniu passed by the river while on night watch. When he pulled Zou Cai out of the water, he was already dead, and the silver and money in his arms were missing.
"You beast!"
When Old Lady Lu heard Huang Jia confess his guilt, she didn't know where she got the strength from, but she pounced on him and tried to tear him apart.
The bailiff had no choice but to pull Old Lady Lu away again.
Huang Jia was imprisoned in the prison and his sentence would be decided at a later date. Zhang Erniu was released on the spot.
Only the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were left in Zou Cai's family. Xu kept her head down and said nothing, while Lu lay on the ground and cried loudly.
Zhang Erniu's injustice was cleared and everyone in the Zhang family cried for joy.
Zhang Rushan helped Zhang Erniu up, and after paying his respects to the magistrate of Yan County, the family walked out of the court in a dignified manner.
Zhang Erniu bowed to the villagers and said, "Thank you all for your concern."
"Go see your mother quickly." Zhou Lizheng waved his hand.
"Erniu, can we go home now..." Grandma Jin asked in a trembling voice.
Zhang Erniu held onto Grandma Jin and said in a choked voice, "Mother, let's go back now."
"Good! Good!" Grandma Jin said excitedly.
Zhang Erniu quietly pulled the hand of Tang who was standing beside him.
Tang Shi's eyes suddenly overflowed with big tears. Zhang Erniu smiled at her and said, "Let's go home."
"Well, go home."
Tian pushed Mrs. Mu back home.
Just as Song Yuehua was about to leave, the yamen's legal advisor waved at her.
"The girl is such a kind person." The lawyer looked in the direction where Mrs. Mu left.
Song Yuehua followed his gaze and smiled, "It was just a coincidence."
The master shook his head and said, "Miss, you don't know that Li Dayan has caused some trouble in prison recently. The master was angry and extended his sentence to one year. Miss Song, you should do what you can."
"What trouble did you get into?" Song Yuehua asked.
The lawyer said, "He beat up the people he was imprisoned with. Although Li Dayan was also injured, he was the one who started it, so the county magistrate mainly punished him."
Song Yuehua was stunned. Is this Li Dayan not going to come out?
Seeing that Song Yuehua didn't say anything, the master whispered, "From what I know, Li Dayan is just looking for trouble. Girl, don't be too kind!"
The hint was so obvious that Song Yuehua smiled bitterly and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Master."
Zhang family.
After taking a shower, Zhang Erniu changed into clean clothes.
The family sat together, and Tang was calculating with Zhang Rushan, "Master Ma and Master Lizheng helped a lot this time. I will prepare some things to send over tomorrow. And Grandma Mu from the county, I have been staying at her house these days in the county, so I will also send some things over to thank them."
Zhang Rushan said, "Mother, you can arrange it."
"Our Rushan has really made great progress," said Grandma Jin with a look of satisfaction, "He is really amazing to be able to speak so much in front of the county magistrate. He must have studied hard to have such ability."
Zhang Rushan laughed and said, "If it weren't for my uncle running around with me these past few days, searching for evidence everywhere, I wouldn't be able to explain it even if I had eight mouths."
"This is what I should do." Zhang Daniu said embarrassedly.
Zhang looked at her man and a rare smile appeared on her face.
Grandma Jin smiled and said, "Yes, as a family, we should work together as a team."
The Zhang family slaughtered all the egg-laying hens they had raised for two years and prepared a sumptuous dinner to welcome Zhang Erniu.
After these few days, Zhang Erniu finally had a full meal.
Zhang Rushan lay on the bed, thinking about the entire case, feeling as if something he had overlooked.
During the day, Huang Jia and Lu's words went through his mind again.
In the middle of the night, he woke up suddenly.
soy sauce!
What made Huang Jia want to commit the crime was that when Xu was leaving, he asked Zou to just sit there and watch.
Anyone who has ever drunk knows that once you start drinking, there's no telling when you can go back. So why did Xu want Zou Cai to come along and even mentioned money? Didn't Xu know who Huang Jia was?
Lu said that Xu had dealings with Huang Jiaguan.
In the court during the day, Xu looked submissive. Why would such a person have anything to do with the Huang family?
Thinking of this, Zhang Rushan broke out in a cold sweat.
The next day, at the Zou family.
While packing up her belongings, Xu said, "I have found a house in the village. Let's move in. I have found a real estate agent for this house and it will be sold soon."
"Sell it?"
Mrs. Lu stood up suddenly, pointed at Mrs. Xu's nose and shouted, "Do you have the right to make the decision? I have lived here for most of my life, and I want to die here!"
"Zou Cai is dead. How do you plan to live for the rest of your life?" Xu asked calmly.
"You bastard!"
Lu was about to slap her, but her hand was caught by Xu in mid-air.
A strange smile appeared on Xu's face. "Your son is dead. I am the only one you will have for the rest of your life..."
Mrs. Lu never expected that Mrs. Xu, who had always been cautious, would one day rebel against her, and she was frightened for a moment.
Originally, Mrs. Lu had not yet gotten over the grief of Zou Cai's death. She could only watch as Mrs. Xu packed up all her belongings and the two of them got on a ox cart and left the county together.
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