Chapter 42 Retribution for Zhu Shi

Neither the wolves in the back mountain, nor Zhu Shi, nor the Wang family’s affairs had any impact on Qin Ruo.

After Qin Ruo and Old Lady Qin had a heart-to-heart talk that day, Old Lady Qin’s attitude towards Qin Ruo had visibly changed.

She always seemed to want to be close to Qin Ruo, but didn’t know how to do it.

Her slightly flattering and accommodating manner made Qin Ruo feel very awkward.

Even Qin Zimu felt uncomfortable, a strange feeling.

After dinner, Old Lady Qin took the initiative to clean up the dishes and bowls, and then took it upon herself to help Qin Ruo wash her clothes.

However, Qin Ruo snatched her own basin of clothes and said coldly that she didn’t like others washing her clothes.

Even when she wanted to wash clothes for Qin Zimu, he also hurriedly refused her.

Old Lady Qin was somewhat dejected after being rejected by her grandson and granddaughter, and she was in a daze all evening.

The people of Changhe Village were destined to have a sleepless night.

The series of events today had been too shocking.

They were worried about wild wolves coming down from the mountain at night, while also thinking about the series of events that had happened in the village recently.

Those who were a little quicker-witted had already thought of some key points.

Recently, all the people who had died in Changhe Village were those who had been against the Qin family, those who had bullied the Qin family, and they all seemed to be related to the Qin family’s girl.

For example, Tian Shi, who loved to spread rumors and gloat over others’ misfortunes, had become blind overnight.

Zhu Shi, who had been trying to scheme against the Qin family’s eldest daughter, had her son Bao Gen become the food of wild wolves.

As for the Wang family, they lost three members in one day, and the deaths were so tragic that even Zhu Shi and Wang Lizheng were taken away by the officials.

In short, those who had offended the Qin family seemed to have no good end.

Qin Qiuxi had been known to be dull and cowardly since Qin Huaizheng left.

But in recent days, those who had been eager to pick a fight had all suffered a great loss.

Could it be that the Qin family’s girl had divine protection and suddenly became enlightened? Otherwise, how could she suddenly become a different person?

The villagers thought more and more about it, and they became more wary and respectful of the Qin family.

They also made up their minds to never offend the Qin family, especially Qin Ruo.

The next day, the once cold Qin family, which had been quiet since Qin Huaizheng left, welcomed its first visitor, Zhang Dahua’s mother-in-law, Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi carried a half-basket of steamed buns she had made and a dozen eggs into the Qin family’s courtyard.

Last night, she had ordered her son Chen Laosan to send Zhang Dahua back to her parents’ home to “reflect” overnight.

Jiang Shi directly stated her purpose, which was to apologize for her daughter-in-law Zhang Dahua.

She was polite and sincere.

The meaning was that Zhang Dahua’s actions were due to their family’s poor upbringing. She hoped that the Qin family would be magnanimous and not hold it against her.

Jiang Shi’s words were directed at Qin Ruo.

Qin Ruo didn’t care. People like Zhang Dahua existed in any era.

It wasn’t a big deal anyway, and besides, Jiang Shi had no grudge against the Qin family.

The guilty party was Zhang Dahua, who had already been punished, and she didn’t take it to heart at all.

Jiang Shi’s visit was undoubtedly due to her thinking about those supernatural things.

She didn’t care what others thought, and she wouldn’t easily take action against anyone unless they crossed her bottom line.

She just hoped that they would not interfere with each other.

Old Lady Qin, who was always quick to argue, wanted to say a few sarcastic words when she saw Jiang Shi’s visit.

But when she glanced at Qin Ruo’s half-smiling expression, she shut her mouth in annoyance.

Jiang Shi was sensible and, seeing Qin Ruo’s expression as if she wanted to send her away, she took the initiative to say goodbye, but insisted on leaving the things she had brought at the Qin family’s.

The whole morning, villagers came to the Qin family one after another to send things.

A jar of pickled vegetables, a piece of smoked meat, or a bunch of scallions from their fields…

And these people were basically those who had had arguments with the Qin family in the past, or who had ridiculed the original Qin Qiuxi.

Old Lady Qin’s smile was numb, not because she was happy.

It was because Qin Ruo had thrown her a sentence: “Leave a way out for people, the Qin family’s reputation is already bad enough.”

Because of Qin Ruo’s words and her indifference, Old Lady Qin had to force herself to stay cheerful and deal with the villagers who came to visit one after another.

She knew in her heart that these people were all coming for her.

Old Lady Qin didn’t dare to think deeply about the recent changes in Qin Ruo.

By the time Old Lady Qin had forced a smile and sent away the last group of visitors, she was almost exhausted.

She thought to herself that when she had money, she would definitely replace the Qin family’s low bamboo fence with a high brick wall.

In the evening, the Li family returned. Li’s parents, along with their several half-grown children, were both crying and laughing.

At the village head, they shouted to the onlookers that the heavens had brought justice for their eldest daughter.

After Li Chuncao’s suicide, the Li family had been shrouded in gloom, with no way to redress their grievances.

They had thought about going to the government office, but they had old people and young children to take care of, and they were afraid of being retaliated against if they stayed in Changhe Village.

When the Li family saw that the Wang family had died and been injured, and even Wang Lizheng had been taken away, and that Bao Gen had also died in the jaws of wolves, they finally dared to stand up.

The Li family hated Zhu Shi, Tian Shi, and the Wang Lizheng family to the core.

But because of the harsh realities of life, they had to swallow their anger since Li Chuncao’s incident.

When Zhu Shi exposed Wang Lizheng’s crimes, the Li family quietly asked the constable who had come with Constable Yu.

The constable told them that if what Zhu Shi said was true, not only would Wang Lizheng not return, but the whole Wang family would be implicated.

So, the Li family seized this opportunity and mustered their courage to stand up.

Li Chuncao’s case was not complicated. Zhu Shi, when she arrived at the government office, may have been driven crazy by the impact of Bao Gen’s incident.

She first exposed the Wang Lizheng family, revealing all the wicked things they had done in secret over the years, including what roles she and Bao Gen had played in them.

Zhu Shi had the intention of dying when she exposed Wang Lizheng, thinking that if she had already committed so many crimes, she might as well confess everything.

She didn’t even try to defend herself against the Li family’s accusations.

Before she was even punished, she confessed everything, including how she had conspired with Tian Shi and her son Zhao Bao Gen to scheme against Li Chuncao and force her to death.

Zhu Shi was sentenced to one hundred lashes and three years of hard labor for forcing and humiliating others, leading to their death, and she was ordered to pay the Li family burial expenses.

Since Zhu Shi’s money was not enough to compensate the Li family for the burial expenses, the county magistrate ordered that Zhu Shi’s land be confiscated and part of it be used as compensation for the Li family. The Wang Lizheng incident was handled separately.

However, Zhu Shi died before she could receive the one hundred lashes. As for Tian Shi, she was also sentenced to one hundred lashes and three years in prison for spreading rumors and causing damage to her own reputation, indirectly leading to the death of another person.

Tian Shi was considered lucky. Perhaps because she was younger and her physical condition was better than Zhu Shi’s, she endured the one hundred lashes, although she was beaten to a pulp, but she was already on the verge of death.

The day after Tian Shi went blind, her mother-in-law, Sun Daniang, called her son back from his work outside.

She gave Tian Shi a letter of divorce and sent her directly back to her parents’ home, so she was not implicated.