“Yes, it’s best not to associate with people who like to isolate themselves and form small groups,” He Tiantian added, trying to comfort the children.
"By the way, Mother, Zhao Xiaocao asked me what cross-stitch is today, and told me to come back and ask you where I got it from."
While eating, Zhao Wanzi stuffed a meat bun into her mouth and then said something as if she had suddenly remembered something.
He Tiantian paused, her chopsticks holding a piece of pickled vegetable. "So what do you say?"
"Of course I won't tell Zhao Xiaocao, but I heard that Third Aunt is asking around the village now."
Sister-in-law Yulan and He Tiantian exchanged a glance. This matter was supposed to be kept secret. Naturally, they couldn't let the people at the Zhao family's old house know.
He Tiantian also believed that Liu would not tell anyone, and guessed that she would not be able to get anything out of Liu, so she thought of starting with a child like Wanzi.
What a cunning scheme!
In fact, Old Lady Zhao did go to see Liu, and more than once.
When Zhao Tingzhang returned home from the county, he happened to run into Liu Shi seeing Zhao's wife off.
"Chief, you're back!" Old Mrs. Zhao greeted him.
Zhao Tingzhang glanced at her and nodded slightly.
"Oh dear, how are those people doing? What did the doctor in the county say?" Old Mrs. Zhao continued to ask.
Zhao, the village head, shook his head and sighed, "Except for Widow Zhang, who can still be saved, the others are probably doomed for the rest of their lives..."
Old Mrs. Zhao chattered on and on for quite a while before finally leaving.
Zhao Tingzhang finally felt some peace and quiet. He glanced unhappily at Old Lady Zhao's retreating figure, "What is she doing here? She's practically worn down the threshold of our house."
After dealing with Old Lady Zhao, Liu breathed a sigh of relief, though she was still in a bad mood.
"It's all because of that cross-stitch. I reckon that old woman Zhao wants to do that kind of work. First, her third daughter-in-law went to the eldest son to inquire, and then she came to me several times to sound her out."
It's really annoying, but unfortunately Liu can't show her displeasure on her face.
"What? You can't tell her, we promised Maruko's mother we'd keep it a secret," Zhao Tingzhang quickly reminded her.
"I know, I know. How could I not know the answer to this? Just ask, Old Lady Zhao. I won't say anything." Liu waved her hand and went back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
At the Zhao family's old house, Zhao Xiaocao returned home with messy hair and a dejected look on her face. At the door, she encountered Old Mrs. Zhao, who looked equally dejected.
The two looked at each other, and Zhao Xiaocao's small face was filled with fear.
"Look at the state you're in!" Old Mrs. Zhao glared sternly at Zhao Xiaocao.
Zhao Xiaocao kept her head down and didn't say anything. She only dared to follow behind her grandmother and deliberately kept a distance of ten meters.
Tao had already prepared dinner at home, and the whole family was there. But since Old Lady Zhao hadn't returned, no one dared to start eating.
Although Mrs. Cheng was sweeping the floor inside the house, her eyes kept glancing outside.
Finally, upon seeing Old Lady Zhao, Madam Cheng greeted her with a beaming smile.
"Mother's back, how was your day... ah."
Seeing Old Lady Zhao's sullen expression, Madam Cheng swallowed back what she was about to say.
Old Mrs. Zhao silently returned to her room, leaving Mrs. Tao unsure whether to start serving the rice.
Cheng's gaze fell on Zhao Xiaocao. It was Cheng's idea to have Zhao Xiaocao go to the Lantern Dumpling sisters to find out information.
"What happened to you? Were you robbed?" Cheng glanced at Zhao Xiaocao.
"They got into a fight," Zhao Xiaocao said expressionlessly.
"What?" Cheng's eyes widened. "You were fighting with the lantern and the meatball?"
"Otherwise what?" Zhao Xiaocao looked at her mother's snobbish expression and sneered inwardly.
Mrs. Cheng was furious. This good-for-nothing! She was sent to gather information, and she got into a fight. What could she possibly find out? It just ruined everything!
She was about to slap Zhao Xiaocao a few times, but Zhao Xiaocao didn't give her a chance at all and stepped into the house.
"That brat..." Cheng felt a surge of anger in her heart.
The next day, before the men in the village had even gotten up to go to work, Director Song arrived with the county officials.
Farmers get up very early every day, roughly equivalent to four or five o'clock in modern times.
He Tiantian's house is located at the entrance of the village, so she must have heard such a loud noise.
Zhao Tingzhang led all the villagers, young and old, to gather under the old locust tree. County officials had come to the village, something that had never happened in the last thousand or eight hundred years.
"Director Song, I have nothing to say about you taking him away today. It is my fault as the village head that I have failed in my duty, allowing such a depraved wretch to appear in the village and even plot against the imperial court."
Zhao San was being escorted by the yamen runners, but ever since he was poisoned, he seemed dazed and unable to react.
Zhang Wulai and the other three were carried over; they are still unconscious and probably won't live much longer.
Song Yun glanced at the group, frowned, and asked, "Weren't there supposed to be six people? Why are there only five now?"
From the crowd, Widow Zhang walked forward hesitantly.
She knelt down before Song Yun with a thud, pleading pitifully, "Lord Song, I'm innocent! I only had a few pieces of coal at home, which I found in front of Zhao San's house. I almost lost my life because of it. If I had known that Zhao San and his gang stole the coal from the mine, I would never have dared to use it!"
Widow Zhang spoke so vividly, as if it were the truth.
Anyway, with Zhao San looking so clueless right now, even if she tries to distort the truth, no one will expose her.
At this moment, Zhao Tingzhang also spoke up: "Lord Song, this widow Zhang is just a woman, she certainly doesn't have the guts to steal."
Zhao San's lips twitched, his eyes wide as he stared at Widow Zhang, mumbling incoherently.
But nobody knew what he was talking about.
"No, my dad is like this, we can't take him away!" Zhao Ergou was anxious at this moment, as he and his father were the only ones left in his family.
If his father passes away, there will be no one left in his family. He will be all alone and miserable, and the children in the village will surely laugh at him!
"Ergou, don't stop Director Song from doing his job. Your father and the others committed a serious crime. It's already a great favor from Director Song that they weren't punished along with their entire family." Zhao Tingzhang ordered someone to quickly pull Zhao Ergou away.
Those families in the crowd who were related to Zhao San's family turned pale with fright when they heard what Zhao Tingzhang said.
Song Yun was speechless. This Zhao Tingzhang was quite good at bluffing... Implicating nine generations of relatives... There was no need for that.
The five men were escorted by yamen runners to the county government office. According to Director Song, they would probably spend the rest of their lives in jail.
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