Hearing this, Chen Zhancai rolled his eyes in anger, cursing inwardly, "This idiot! He's already got it all out in the open, and he still can't understand!"
"Second brother, you're really stubborn. The yamen gate faces south, and if you have reason but no money, don't come in. Do you know what it means to get up early for nothing? If the magistrate can't get anything out of you, even if you're in the right, why would he bother with this?"
Chen Zhanliang immediately understood what he meant by "reason". This kid was full of lies and kept asking for money. Did he want to take advantage of the situation?
He sneered, "As long as you can get Qingya out of prison, I'll give you whatever money you want."
Chen Zhancai laughed in anger, "Second brother, you can't do things like this. If I really went to the magistrate empty-handed with my head on my shoulders to beg for mercy, what would I say if the magistrate asked for money? Would I say that you would get a share of the benefits after it's done? He would kick me out for sure!"
"That's right, how can you do things like this? You've really wasted our good intentions." Old Mrs. Chen got angry when she saw that they were stingy. "We came here with good intentions to help you, but you won't spend any money. Since that's the case, Zhancai can't help you or save Qingya."
As she spoke, she turned to Chen Zhancai and said, "Let's go, we can't handle this, let's go home!"
Chen Zhancai quickly stopped the old lady Chen, who was about to turn and leave, his anger rising.
This old woman is more trouble than she's worth; she has absolutely no shrewdness and never knows when to throw a tantrum. She deserves to be poor her whole life.
A hint of impatience flashed in his eyes, but knowing his mother's temperament, he could only patiently try to persuade her while giving her meaningful glances.
“Mother, what are you doing? Even if they are unwilling to spend money, I, as their third uncle, will do everything I can to save Qing’er.”
Old Mrs. Chen immediately understood and joined in the act.
"Oh, my good son, I know you're soft-hearted, and I also know you have the ability to save Qing'er's life."
But pleading for leniency is one thing, but you need a reason. After all, if you don't have a legitimate reason, what if the county magistrate asks you, "What's your relationship with the murderer?"
What should you say? Should you say you're her third uncle?
Silly son, please don't say that.
If the county magistrate were to come down and investigate, and finds out that you and Qingya's parents had long since separated and severed ties, that would be a great disrespect to the county magistrate.
If anyone's really going to blame, forget about saving Qing'er; you'll be dragged into this mess too!
Hearing this, Chen Zhancai really wanted to give Old Lady Chen a thumbs up. Old ginger is spicier, and young loaches are more slippery.
Just as I was wondering how to steer the conversation towards the letter severing ties, my mother delivered the message.
He feigned surprise and widened his eyes, "Yes, Mother, thank goodness you reminded me. If I had rashly gone to the county magistrate to plead for mercy, things might have been very difficult."
"That's right, Zhancai, you must listen to your mother and not do anything foolish in a moment of impulse, understand?"
"Mother, you're right, but I can't just stand by and watch Qing'er suffer!"
As Chen Zhancai spoke, he glanced at Chen Zhanshan and the Lin family, deliberately raising his voice.
"You don't know, the prison is no place for humans. Anyone who goes there, whether they're right or wrong, will first be flogged."
Although it wouldn't kill them, it would still leave their skin torn and blood gushing out...
That's not all; the most brutal form of torture is the clamping of metal objects between the legs.
Don't be fooled by those three poplar sticks; if they clamp your calf, a little force can make someone faint from the pain.
If you were to strike it hard with a heavy mallet, it could cause anything from minor foot injuries to broken shinbones and fractured tendons.
And those heavy shackles, any one of them weighs dozens of kilograms.
If you put this around your neck, you can't stand, you can't sit, and lying down is out of the question. It will rub the skin on your neck and shoulders raw and infest them with maggots.
If the prisoner still doesn't confess, there are all sorts of cruel tortures, like being chained, confined, or forced to ride the wooden donkey—any one of which can easily take a person's life...
To make Chen Zhanshan and his wife feel heartbroken, Old Mrs. Chen exaggeratedly opened her mouth wide and shouted,
"Oh my god! How can Qing'er endure these tortures? This is practically torturing her to death! Zhanshan, you must think of a solution quickly. Qing'er is a great contributor to our family. You can't just stand by and watch her suffer!"
The two men spoke in unison, making Chen Zhanshan's heart pound with fear. He looked at Chen Zhancai with urgent eyes and said, "Third brother, you must go and plead with the county magistrate. I'm willing to spend any amount of money as long as we can get Qingya out."
Madam Lin was already trembling with fear; her heart ached as if it were being ripped out.
This family is entirely managed by Qingya. She has never enjoyed a single day of happiness since she was born. Now that life has finally improved, this kind of thing has happened. It's all because her mother is incompetent and can't protect her.
Madam Lin had made up her mind that no matter how much money it cost, even if it meant mortgaging her house, she was willing to give it all up to rescue her daughter.
"Third brother, your sister-in-law has never asked you for anything all these years. Since you say you can plead for Qing'er, then hurry up and go. Don't let Qing'er suffer in jail. The money from the sugar factory is all in Da Bao's hands. As long as Da Bao comes back, I'll have him send the money to you. Is that alright?"
Seeing this, Chen Zhancai was secretly delighted. They'd finally taken the bait. Wanting him to help them? They were dreaming!
Once the separation agreement is destroyed, all your family property will belong to me, Chen Zhancai.
As for that brat, even if I had the ability, he wouldn't care...
He coughed lightly, suppressing the smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Brother, sister-in-law, don't worry, leave Qing'er's matter to me. You don't have to rush to give me the money, but there's one thing you have to promise."
Lin asked hurriedly, "What is it? Tell me."
"It's nothing serious. You all probably heard what Mother said earlier. I need a reason to plead with the county magistrate. Being an outsider isn't as effective as having family connections."
Therefore, you need to bring out that old document severing family ties and tear it up in front of everyone. Then we'll be family again, and your daughter will be my niece. It's only right for an uncle to save his niece.
With this connection, the county magistrate wouldn't dare to refuse me, and I'll be able to rescue Qing'er within ten days to half a month." Chen Zhancai stopped beating around the bush and directly stated his intentions.
Upon hearing these words, Madam Lin frowned, and her heart skipped a beat.
She hadn't expected Chen Zhancai to make such an unreasonable demand. If the separation agreement were destroyed, it would be tantamount to re-establishing ties with the old family home.
Knowing Old Mrs. Chen's temperament, she'll definitely take charge of the household, and who knows what kind of mess she'll make of it then.
But thinking of her daughter's suffering, she had no choice but to agree.
She subconsciously looked at Chen Zhanshan, "Honey, what do you say we do? I'll listen to you."
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