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“Village Chief, are you just going to stand there and watch them harm our village people without any concern? Is this what a village chief should be doing?”
“That’s right.”
Xie Kui found their stern words quite amusing, “Why didn’t you dare say these things when Xiao He was here just a moment ago? When Xiao He wasn’t from our village, you all acted the same way. Now that Luo shi is a part of our village and has caused such an incident, why are you discontent? You can go directly to Luo shi and express your grievances instead of coming to me and saying these disgusting things.”
“As for the matter of making money by planting vegetables, there’s no need to discuss it with me anymore. It’s futile to say more. I can’t control Xiao He. If you have the ability, go find Xiao He and ask her to help you. But you probably won’t have that opportunity anymore.”
“Wife, please close the door.”
Luo shi, in front of everyone, promptly closed the door, leaving everyone stunned by the scene.
Everyone exchanged glances, realizing they had not only offended Wang Jinhe but also the village chief. What should they do now?
“What should we do now?”
“The situation might not be as bad as it seems. Perhaps Wang Jinhe was just trying to scare us? Let’s not worry too much. There might still be a way to resolve this.” They still couldn’t believe that Wang Jinhe would actually report the village people.
However, the next day, when they learned that Luo shi had indeed been taken away the previous night, they were completely dumbfounded.
When Luo shi was arrested, she was utterly shocked and had never expected that Wang Jinhe and Su Yu would dare to do this.
“Sir, we were just joking and didn’t mean any harm.” Luo shi looked at Wang Jinhe in a state of desperation, constantly shifting her gaze in the hope that she could intercede on her behalf.
“My Lord, she wasn’t joking. She cursed me and wished for my death several years ago. Now, when my fiancé finally found us, and our lives were starting to get on track, she’s here smearing my name, claiming that I seduced her son. But I’ve never even met her son, so there’s no question of seduction.” Would Wang Jinhe let Luo off the hook?
If she could easily dismiss the matter with a simple “joke,” she wouldn’t be the Wang Jinhe they knew.
Upon hearing Wang Jinhe’s words, Luo Shi angrily retorted, “Wang Jinhe, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to kill me?”
“Am I trying to kill you just by speaking the truth? When you were falsely accusing me, did you consider that your words could have cost me my life?” Wang Jinhe said seriously, looking at Luo Shi.
“Over these years, haven’t you grown accustomed to false accusations and slander? You’ve heard even more malicious things. Now, I’m just saying you seduced my son, and you want to take me to the authorities?” Not only did Luo shi not believe she had done anything wrong, but she also thought Wang Jinhe was being overly petty for wanting to involve the authorities over such a trivial matter.
Not only Wang Jinhe, but even the county magistrate couldn’t stand it any longer. What kind of talk was this?
“That’s enough! Whatever someone else does is their own business, and it’s none of your concern. Just because you’ve heard something doesn’t mean you can casually defame someone,” the county magistrate said sternly.
“I haven’t lied, Your Honor. Wang Jinhe is like that. She got pregnant before getting married, and she…”
“Why does it matter to you? Did she lose your family’s money or disgrace your family? Is it any of your business?”
This person’s words were truly repulsive.
“Your Honor, she’s just making a fool of herself. She should be dunked in a pigsty along with that illegitimate child,” Luo shi , displeased that the county magistrate was siding with Wang Jinhe, immediately vented her anger and began to berate Wang Jinhe.
The county magistrate furrowed his brows and angrily stated, “Three years ago, when His Majesty ascended the throne, he made it quite clear that there would be no more ‘virtuous chastity arches.’ He encouraged widows to remarry, and the idea of dunking someone in a pigsty is absolutely forbidden. If you actually go through with it, your entire village will be in trouble. Your village should be grateful for your village chief. If it weren’t for your village chief, you wouldn’t have a life worth living.”
What kind of absurdity was this? How could these people dare to talk about dunking someone in a pigsty and taking their life? Who did they think they were? Just because someone got pregnant before marriage, it didn’t give these people the right to pass judgment in such a manner.
Though getting pregnant before marriage might not be ideal, it was a private matter, and it wasn’t their place to moralize about it.
Wang Jinhe stared at the county magistrate in disbelief and then turned to Su Yu, silently asking if there was really such a policy.
Su Yu nodded with a smile, confirming that such policies existed.
Suddenly, Wang Jinhe felt a newfound appreciation for the county magistrate. He was indeed a very reasonable person.
“No…,” Luo shi hadn’t anticipated this turn of events and was about to say something, but the county magistrate cut her off.
“Luo Shi, you baselessly defamed someone’s reputation. You’ll receive fifteen lashes as a lesson, so you’ll remember not to do it again. If there’s a next time, you’ll go straight to the prison,” the county magistrate said firmly, without any hesitation.
Before Luo shi could even plead for mercy, the lashes came down one by one on her buttocks. Watching her being disciplined in this way, Wang Jinhe’s feelings were complex. She also looked at the county magistrate with gratitude and said, “Thank you, Your Honor, for standing up for me.”
“It’s nothing. These people are just full of themselves, thinking they can wield power with a mere feather. It’s sheer ignorance.” Furthermore, the fact that such people could raise a successful son who became a scholar puzzled him.
After being punished with the lashes, Xie Yongzhen rushed to the scene. When Luo shi saw him, she erupted in anger and delivered a hard slap to his face.
Xie Yongzhen, who had hurried over as soon as he heard the news, held his face in shock and disbelief as he gazed at Luo shi. But Luo shi, seemingly oblivious to Xie Yongzhen’s reaction, made a move to strike him again. This time, however, Xie Yongzhen didn’t allow her to continue and firmly grasped her wrist, saying, “What are you doing now? Can’t you stop causing trouble even after getting punished like this?”
For the first time, Xie Yongzhen felt that the county magistrate’s punishment had been too lenient, given how she had reacted after receiving it.
“Xie Yongzhen, what good is becoming a scholar? You see your mother being punished, and yet you can remain so indifferent. You’re simply useless,” Luo said hysterically.
As Xie Yongzhen hurriedly arrived and was subjected to Luo’s attacks and insults, Wang Jinhe surprisingly began to sympathize with him.
The county magistrate, in astonishment, looked at Xie Yongzhen. This was his mother? He was well aware of Xie Yongzhen and had high hopes for him, given that he was a steady and hardworking individual. Although his academic performance was average, he had the potential to excel in the future, especially in the world of officialdom. However, having a mother like this woman could significantly impact his prospects.
“Xie Yongzhen , both I and the prefect have high hopes for you. But if you can’t manage your mother’s behavior, it will only bring trouble to your future career,” the county magistrate advised.