Chapter 187

“Officer, what’s happened to Wang Er? Where is he?” Madam Zhang’s urgent voice snapped Wang Yuan’er back to reality.

Wang Yuan’er composed herself, supported Grandpa Wang, and walked over to the officer at the gate. She gently pulled Madam Zhang aside and asked, “Officer, we are Wang Er’s family. My second uncle, Wang Er, is a deputy overseer of the second group at the river bureau. Someone just came to our house saying he was arrested and taken to prison. My grandmother was so shocked by the news that she fainted. Could you tell us what’s going on?” As she spoke, Wang Yuan’er discreetly slipped a silver ingot into the officer’s hand.

Grandpa Wang saw this clearly, and his face darkened further. Rushing here to find out what happened, it hadn’t even occurred to him to bribe someone—his granddaughter was far more thoughtful and resourceful than he was!

The officer weighed the silver in his hand, quickly tucked it into his sleeve, and said, “Wang Er, you mean? He accepted bribes and replaced the good timber meant for dam construction with rotten wood that had been eaten by termites, passing it off as decent material. Embezzlement is a serious crime. Once it was discovered, Lord Li was furious and ordered all those involved to be thrown into prison while the matter is investigated.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhang’s legs gave out, and she sank to the ground. “Officer, this… this can’t be true! My husband isn’t that kind of person—how could he be accused of embezzlement? Someone must be framing him!”

Grandpa Wang’s lips quivered as he asked shakily, “Officer, could there be a mistake? My second son hasn’t been a supervisor for long, and he’s always been diligent and honest. How would he dare to do such a thing?”

“Whether it’s a mistake or not, and whether he’s guilty or innocent, the officials will investigate thoroughly. The point is that this batch of timber is rotten and unusable. Think about it—if the dam is built using wood that termites hollow out, how long could it withstand a flood?” the officer replied coldly.

“Exactly! Doing something so unconscionable—they’re not even afraid of divine punishment. It’s like treating people’s lives as worthless!”

“Yes, yes! Such people deserve to be imprisoned and subjected to harsh punishment.”

The townsfolk surrounding them began voicing their anger and condemnation.

Harsh punishment—the words sent a shiver through Grandpa Wang, and his whole body trembled. Wang Yuan’er gently patted his hand, pressing her lips together as she picked up the windproof lantern and walked over to inspect the batch of timber. She crouched down and examined it closely.

What she saw made her gasp. The coarse round wooden beams appeared fine from the outside, but inside, they were riddled with termite infestations. The wood had been hollowed out, making it completely incapable of bearing any load. If such wood were used to construct a dam, it would never withstand the force of a flood.

Furthermore, termites are natural enemies of dams. They form dense colonies, reproduce rapidly, and create networks of tunnels that crisscross through the structure. Some tunnels even connect the inner and outer slopes of the dam. If such termite-infested timber is used to build the dam, the termites would only accelerate its destruction. During a flood, as the water level rises, a dam hollowed out by termites would inevitably collapse. This demonstrates just how destructive termites can be. And now, Wang Er is accused of replacing quality timber with rotten, termite-ridden wood—essentially inviting disaster!

Wang Yuan’er suddenly recalled the Dengwen Drum Case, which had also involved cutting corners and using inferior materials, resulting in a dam breach that caused countless deaths and injuries. Now, how is this situation any different from that case? If this timber had been used and the issue had gone undiscovered, the consequences…

Wang Yuan’er dared not think further. She stood up and saw the officer urging Grandpa Wang and Madam Zhang to leave. She quickly stepped forward to support Grandpa Wang and said, “Grandfather, we won’t get any more answers here. Let’s head home first and go to the government office tomorrow when it’s daylight.”

Grandpa Wang, still at a loss, nodded in agreement with his granddaughter’s suggestion.

“I’m not leaving! They’ve clearly got the wrong person! Your second uncle isn’t that kind of man!” Madam Zhang protested loudly.

“Ha! With witnesses and evidence all in place, how could he be wrongly accused? You woman, leave! If you have grievances, take them to the officials!” The officer gave Madam Zhang a shove.

Madam Zhang collapsed to the ground. She had never been treated like this before and immediately sat there wailing loudly.

Wang Yuan’er, overwhelmed by frustration, had no choice but to walk over and lower her voice. “Second Aunt, let’s go home. Crying here won’t help. It would be better to go back and figure out a way to get Second Uncle out.”

She also needed to ask Madam Zhang if Second Uncle had been acting strangely lately so they could plan a course of action.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang immediately grabbed her arm and exclaimed, “Yes, we need to save your Second Uncle. Quick, let’s go home!”

The group started heading back home, trailed by gossiping townsfolk who pointed fingers and made all kinds of unpleasant comments.

Just as they stepped into their house, the sky began to sprinkle with fine snow, the wind howling as it whipped against the papered windows, creating a sharp rustling sound. The chill pierced right to the bone.

Wang Yuan’er tightened her coat and entered the courtyard. The main room was brightly lit, and the sound of Grandma Wang sobbing could be heard, accompanied by Wang Chun’er’s soft words of comfort.

It was unclear when Grandma Wang had woken up.

Wang Yuan’er didn’t return to the east wing. She blew out the windproof lantern in her hand and followed Grandpa Wang into the main room.

The moment Grandma Wang saw them return, she immediately stopped crying, stood up, and asked, “What’s the situation? What happened to Wang Er?”

Grandpa Wang briefly explained the situation. He reached for his tobacco pouch at the foot of the bed, but his hands were trembling so much that he couldn’t light it even after several attempts.

Grandma Wang collapsed onto the bed, her face pale as she cried, “How is this possible? How could he have the courage to embezzle? He came from my womb—don’t I know him? This must be a mistake. Old man, you have to get him out. He’s our only son!”

Wang Yuan’er felt a pang in her heart. Looking over, she saw Grandma Wang’s pale face under the lamplight. Her tear-streaked face, usually well-kept, now looked haggard. Her meticulously combed hair was slightly disheveled, and a few new strands of white hair had appeared at her temples.

Grandma is getting old… Wang Yuan’er felt a twinge of sadness. First, Grandma Wang endured the pain of losing a son and daughter-in-law. Then came the incident with Wang Min’er. And now, Wang Er’s arrest for embezzlement. This series of blows had almost broken the once-strong and resilient matriarch.

Madam Zhang began crying, “Father, you must save Wang Er! If—if anything happens to him, I… I won’t live either!”

“Be quiet! What ‘if’? Watch your tongue, you cursed mouth!” Grandma Wang suddenly shouted harshly.

Madam Zhang choked back her sobs, unable to lift her head.

Wang Yuan’er, seeing that another argument was brewing, rubbed her temples and stepped in before they could start quarreling. “Stop fighting! The priority now is to figure out how to get Second Uncle out, but we don’t know much about the situation yet, so we can’t jump to conclusions. Second Aunt, you’re the closest to Second Uncle—have you noticed anything unusual about him recently?”

Wang Yuan’er looked at Madam Zhang. After sharing a bed with Wang Er for so many years, she should know his personality inside and out. If anything about him had seemed off, as his wife, she ought to have noticed.

Madam Zhang shook her head and said, “Your second uncle hasn’t been acting strange. The river bureau has been rushing construction recently, and he hasn’t even come home for lunch. He comes back late at night, and when he does, he’s often drunk. How would I know if there was anything unusual?”

“And what about who Second Uncle interacts with? Who does he drink with? Or whom he frequently meets?” Wang Yuan’er pressed, frowning.

Madam Zhang wiped her tears and shook her head.

Grandma Wang became furious and scolded her harshly, “How are you even a wife? Don’t you notice when your husband acts strangely? What’s the point of you? Pack your things and go back to your family!”

Unable to bear it, Madam Zhang retorted, “A wife has no place interfering in her husband’s affairs. If I ask too much, he complains I’m annoying and nagging.”

“You…” The enraged Grandma Wang bent down, picked up a shoe, and threw it at her.

Wang Yuan’er, feeling a headache coming on, quickly intervened, “Grandma, this isn’t the time to argue!”

Though she also felt frustrated with Madam Zhang, now was not the moment to blame her for failing as a wife. It was more important to figure out Wang Er’s recent activities to plan their next steps.

Grandpa Wang said a few calming words, pointing out that quarreling at such a stressful time served no purpose.

Wang Chun’er also tried to mediate and offered Grandma Wang a cup of hot tea to soothe her nerves.

For a moment, the room fell silent. Wang Yuan’er suddenly recalled seeing Wang Er talking to someone outside the gate a few days ago and receiving something—her mind sparked with realization.

Since Second Uncle was accused of accepting bribes, there must be some illicit money or evidence. Could what she saw that night have been related to this?

With this thought in mind, Wang Yuan’er asked Madam Zhang, “Second Aunt, has Second Uncle been spending money unusually lately? Did he give you anything?”

“No, he hasn’t,” Madam Zhang replied after thinking for a moment, puzzled by the question.

“If the officer said Second Uncle is guilty of embezzlement, then if it’s true, he must have received something tangible. Second Aunt, go back to your room and check carefully to see if there’s anything,” Wang Yuan’er suggested.

“That’s impossible. If your Second Uncle had money or anything, he wouldn’t have kept it from me,” Madam Zhang responded without hesitation.

“Just go and check, will you? Why are you making excuses? Be thorough,” Grandma Wang snapped, glaring at her.

Muttering under her breath, Madam Zhang went to search.

While Madam Zhang was rummaging through the house, Wang Yuan’er’s mind raced, trying to figure out what to do next.

Uncovering the truth based solely on the officer’s words was impossible. The key was to find Wang Er and ask him directly to understand what was really going on and decide on a plan of action. Since Wang Er was still in prison, they’d have to go to the government office to see him. It seemed they would need to pay a visit to the courthouse tomorrow.

“Grandpa, Grandma, we need to find Second Uncle and ask him directly to understand what’s happening. I think we should go to the courthouse tomorrow to figure this out,” Wang Yuan’er said, looking at the elderly couple.

Grandpa Wang nodded, and Grandma Wang added, “Of course we must go! I’ve heard that they use torture in prison. Your Second Uncle, he might…” Her voice trailed off, her eyes reddening. Her slightly hunched body trembled, and the sight was heart-wrenching.

Just as Wang Yuan’er was about to speak, loud wailing came from outside.

“Wang Er, you scoundrel! You had money and kept it hidden—what were you planning to do with it?” Madam Zhang cried as she walked into the main room, carrying a cloth bag. “Father, Mother, look! That scoundrel really did hide silver!”