Chapter 52 Mrs. Huang
Xu Qingmeng's face remained expressionless, but her tone was unquestionable: "Mother, let's help Grandma Sun go in and talk. It's broad daylight now, so the neighbors can be witnesses. When the officials come, we can find out the truth as soon as possible and recover Grandma Sun's gold hairpin, right?" Xu Qingmeng deliberately emphasized the last sentence and glanced sharply at Grandma Sun.
He didn't understand what Xu Qingmeng was up to, but her daughter-in-law's words were flawless, so she was naturally willing to cooperate and hurried forward to "support" Old Lady Sun.
He had been working as a helper in the kitchen for many years and was quite strong. With the help of Xu Qingmeng, the two of them lifted up Old Lady Sun and half-dragged her towards the Gu family restaurant.
She cried out "Ouch!" and howled like a pig being slaughtered: "Murder! Murder! The Gu family is going to kill someone! They are trying to silence the witness!"
She struggled desperately, twisting her fat body in an attempt to break free from the two men's restraints.
"Why are you howling, Old Lady Sun? Didn't you say that I accepted your favor and took your gold hairpin? Such a valuable item, of course we have to get it back for you."
Old Mrs. Sun was really panicking at this moment. How could she give any benefits to He, let alone a gold hairpin?
This was a lie she made up in order to extort money from the Gu family!
She quickly thought of a way to escape. Her eyes rolled and she continued to shout at the top of her voice: "Oh, you Gu family, you just think that I'm an old woman who is easy to bully. It's just a golden hairpin. Why do you need to bother the official master? Oh, I won't live anymore..."
Xu Qingmeng sneered and ignored her. She just wanted to make a big deal out of it, the more people knew about it, the better.
Since this old lady Sun dared to throw dirty water on us, she must be prepared to bear the consequences, so that no one will come to cause trouble like old lady Sun in the future.
Seeing that Xu Qingmeng was not moved at all, Old Lady Sun became even more flustered. She knew that she was probably in trouble today.
She continued to shout while struggling: "You Gu family bully others by taking advantage of your power! You oppress the good people! You even colluded with the government to harm an old woman. You are unworthy of being a scholar. What a case! The heaven is blind..."
"Grandma Sun, you are old, and we believe you will not lie." Xu Qingmeng walked up to her slowly and looked at her. "Since you said so, our Gu family should wait for the official to come so that he can investigate it clearly. This way, we can give you justice, right?"
Old Mrs. Sun's face was pale and her lips were trembling, but she couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Her eyes rolled around as if she was thinking of a way to escape.
Throwing a tantrum, crying, trying to commit suicide?
In the past, Old Lady Sun relied on these tricks to get ahead, but who would have thought that the Gu family would not buy into it at all.
Just then, there was a commotion outside the door...
"My master has been an official for decades, and he has just taken office in Yan County. How could he be linked to something like this?" A gentle voice came.
A woman wearing a goose yellow jacket embroidered with a Baoxiang flower pattern walked over gracefully.
The woman had a dignified appearance and her every move showed her nobility. Behind her were not only two maids, but also a tall young man holding a folding fan.
"This seems to be Madam Huang?"
"who?"
"She is the wife of our newly appointed County Magistrate Huang, Madam Huang."
Although County Magistrate Huang is not a local, his wife, Mrs. Huang, is a native of Cheng County and has an imperial decree. This time, County Magistrate Huang was transferred back to Cheng County because he wanted to come back to be with his wife and children.
Old Mrs. Sun was really scared now.
Xu Qingmeng and Gu Yunyi took He's luggage quickly. The people around them also bowed, and Old Lady Sun also bowed subconsciously.
Madam Huang waved her hand and said in a gentle voice, "I heard from my son that the set meal at Gu's restaurant is very different. I am just here to eat today, so there is no need for you to be polite."
He hurried forward, smiling: "Mrs. Huang, please come this way."
"No hurry, I just heard that this old man has a grievance?"
Just as He was about to open her mouth to explain, Old Lady Sun got the upper hand and started crying, "Mrs. Huang, please help me. The Gu family is greedy and wants to buy me a gold hairpin."
"That's for sure."
Madam Huang turned to look at Xu Qingmeng: "Madam Gu, what's going on?"
Xu Qingmeng briefly recounted the whole story, and at the end, she added: "I just wanted to invite Grandma Sun into the house for a cup of tea, and wait for the official to come so that we can investigate the matter thoroughly. But Grandma Sun kept saying that our Gu family colluded with the government and oppressed the good people, and she also slandered us for killing people to silence them."
After listening to this, Mrs. Huang did not express her opinion immediately. Instead, she walked to the side of Old Lady Sun and sat down slowly. The goose yellow skirt spread out in front of Old Lady Sun like a blooming peony.
Huang Boyang stood silently behind Mrs. Huang, his eyes coldly sweeping over Old Lady Sun, an invisible pressure looming over her.
Madam Huang gently waved the round fan in her hand, her tone gentle but with unquestionable majesty: "Old Lady Sun, you said that the Gu family colluded with the government, do you have any evidence?"
Old Mrs. Sun was intimidated by Mrs. Huang's aura and was unable to utter a word.
She originally wanted to use Mrs. Huang's arrival to get herself out of the situation, but she didn't expect that Mrs. Huang would directly ask her for evidence.
Where is the evidence for her?
It's nothing but nonsense.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Madam Huang asked again, "You said that the Gu family wanted to take your gold hairpin by force, so where is your gold hairpin? Take it out and let me see it."
Old Mrs. Sun’s face was pale and she was sweating profusely. How could she have a golden hairpin?
"My...my gold hairpin..." Old Mrs. Sun was speechless and couldn't utter a word for a long time.
She looked at the neighbors around her for help, but found that they all avoided her gaze, and some even looked at her with contempt.
Madam Huang put down her fan, stared at Old Lady Sun with sharp eyes, and said word by word: "Old Lady Sun, slandering an official of the imperial court is a serious crime." She paused, and her tone became even colder, "Think it over carefully before you speak."
Old Lady Sun's legs went limp, and she fell to her knees with a thud, crying and wailing, "Mrs. Huang, please spare me! I know I was wrong! I was confused for a moment and said something careless! I won't do it again!"
Madam Huang looked at her expressionlessly, her tone icy, "Are you confused for a moment? Are you just talking nonsense? Do you know what it means to slander an official appointed by the imperial court? The punishment is either caning or exile! You will pay a heavy price for your confusion for a moment!"
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Sun was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
When the neighbors saw this, they started talking about it. Some of them gloated over it, while others sighed.
Mrs. Huang was not angry when she saw this. She just calmly ordered the maid behind her: "Go and ask the doctor to see this old man." The maid took the order and soon called an old doctor.
The old doctor took Mrs. Sun's pulse and pinched her Ren Zhong point, and only then did Mrs. Sun slowly wake up.
She opened her eyes and saw people surrounding her. She was so frightened that she trembled and dared not speak nonsense anymore.
(End of this chapter)
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