Chapter 104: People don't care, ghosts and gods care (For alliance leader

Xiao Yu asked: "Mother Zhang, where is the Xianghe Pawnshop?"

Mother Zhang pointed to the east and said: "Cross the bridge, look south, you can see the flag of Xianghe Number, walk another twenty steps, and you will almost be at the door of the shop.

Oh, a two-story gray-brick and gray-tile house, a four-opening red lacquer main gate, very imposing."

Xiao Yu looked up; across the bridge was a wide street along the river, with many pedestrians on the street, and even more stalls for writing letters, fortune-telling, and selling melons, fruits, and vegetables, lined up under the willow trees.

Someone died nearby at this moment, the small stalls were more than half empty, and even the stall owners squeezed over to watch the fun.

"If Xu Feng Niangzi sold the jade pendant to someone else, surely a passerby would have seen it."

"This little heroine is speaking honest words!" Hu Laosi trembled with his goat beard excitedly.

He looked around and shouted aggrievedly: "Which neighbor is kind, you must have seen it, stand up and say a word of conscience.

Do you want to be reincarnated in the Chinese Upper State as a good person in the next life?

Now is a good opportunity to accumulate hidden virtue!"

Xiao Yu immediately saw several people in the crowd hesitating.

She coughed lightly and said: "Actually, judging from Xu Feng Niangzi's reaction, the fake silver shouldn't have flowed out from the pawnshop.

If she got fake silver from the pawnshop, she would only drag the shopkeeper Hu to fight for her life, and wouldn't be desperate enough to jump into the river and commit suicide."

"Little heroine, you have accumulated great virtue, you deserve to be reincarnated in the Chinese Upper State in the next life!" Shopkeeper Hu was tearful, looked around, and shouted: "You all heard it?

This is a very simple truth, right? Before Xu Feng Niangzi jumped into the river, she didn't even go to Xianghe Number to make a scene.

Put yourself in her shoes; if you were cheated by the old man with fake silver, could you honestly jump into the river?

You wouldn't tear the old man alive, and you wouldn't be able to close your eyes even if you died."

Everyone showed a thoughtful and approving expression, and no one denounced Shopkeeper Hu for being rich and unkind anymore.

Old Xu was anxious, glared at Xiao Yu fiercely, "You are in the same group as Hu Laosi, my poor old wife, you died so miserably and unjustly! This girl is young, and has already started to treat human life like grass—"

"Pa!" A small bearded man with a short knife at his waist on the side raised his hand and slapped him hard, shouting: "Shut up! This is Miss Yu, is this someone you can randomly bite?"

After speaking, he also gave Xiao Yu a flattering smile.

Xiao Yu looked at him with a conflicted expression.

Because of this sentence, this attitude, the way everyone around looked at her changed... It wasn't the change she liked.

"Who are you, do I know you?"

"Big sister Yu, I am 'Down Mountain Tiger' of Never Return! Of course, you and Aunt Liu can just call me 'Little Tiger'."

"Sorry, I don't remember." Xiao Yu also turned her head to emphasize to Mother Zhang: "Mother knows I live in the Red Sleeve Pavilion, I really don't know this guy."

Mother Zhang nodded vigorously.

Xiao Yu coughed twice and added: "Xu Feng Niangzi didn't sell the jade pendant to Xianghe Number, which doesn't mean Xianghe Number has nothing to do with fake silver.

Why did Xu Feng Niangzi happen to meet the person who bought the jade pendant outside Xianghe Number?

Knowing that the Dong Qilin jade pendant is worth five hundred taels, would a normal businessman watch the silver ingots fly away?

Everyone put yourself in their shoes; if you were in Shopkeeper Hu's position, seeing another person wanting to snatch your business worth five hundred taels with two ingots of silver, would you be indifferent, or would you take a few steps, pull Xu Feng Niangzi, and advise her kindly, and also pay two ingots of silver?"

Everyone's expression changed again, thoughtfully looking at Shopkeeper Hu.

Old Xu shouted again, "Oh, so that's it, you and that guy who used fake silver are in the same group!"

"No, it's not like that." Shopkeeper Hu waved his hands repeatedly, shouting anxiously: "Little heroine, your analysis is very reasonable, but you don't know, when Xu Feng Niangzi left, I didn't follow her at all.

I thought she was in urgent need of money and would return sooner or later.

If you don't believe me, you can ask Wang Er; Wang Er, was I saying that at the time?"

Wang Er nodded.

Xiao Yu shrugged and said: "You don't need to look at me; I am not the government official.

Now that a human life has been created, only the Magistrate can judge, and it must be judged by the Magistrate.

Human life is at stake, and five hundred taels of silver is not a small amount."

Beyond Xiao Yu's expectation, Old Xu, Hu Laosi, Wang Er, and even the "Little Bearded Man" of Never Return, all changed their expressions and shouted in unison: "Cannot find the Magistrate!"

"Why not find the Magistrate?"

Several people looked embarrassed and opened their mouths but didn't speak.

Xiao Yu turned to look at others again; Mother Zhang opened her mouth, wanting to say something but held back.

The neighbors around all had rich expressions, their mouths tightly closed.

Xiao Yu was thoughtful and said: "The two big ingots handed to Xu Feng Niangzi certainly didn't appear out of thin air.

Today there are two fake silver ingots, and it wouldn't be strange if ten or twenty appeared tomorrow.

Big ingots are hard to sell, perhaps they will be turned into broken silver, one or two, buying everyone's fat pigs, fat chickens, cloth... In short, if the maker of fake silver is not caught, everyone may become the next 'Xu Feng Niangzi'.

And Shopkeeper Hu is also not having a good time.

Today Xu Feng Niangzi was caught at the door of your pawnshop, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the maker of fake silver will continue to catch people.

If it happens too many times, how can everyone not suspect that you are in the same group as him?

Of course, I am just a weak young girl, my words are light, how to decide, everyone chooses.

Only one point, it's summer now, the weather is hot, Xu Feng Niangzi should be settled early!"

"Yes, yes, human life is the greatest, let the dead rest in peace." Mother Zhang nodded repeatedly, saying: "Regardless of how the fake silver case is judged, it has nothing to do with Xu Feng Niangzi; there is no need for a coroner to examine the corpse, she can be put into a coffin early!"

"How to put into a coffin? There isn't even a copper coin left in the family, just counting on the Dong Qilin jade pendant to exchange for money!" Old Xu grabbed Shopkeeper Hu and cried out miserably: "You harmed her, and stole my treasure jade, causing her to have no peace after death, you are heartless~~~"

"Shopkeeper Hu, Xu Feng Niangzi's matter has something to do with you; be kind, spend some money, and prepare a thin coffin for Xu Feng Niangzi!" An old neighbor sighed.

Shopkeeper Hu stiffened his neck and shouted: "Listen to what Old Xu is shouting! If I show even a little bit of weakness, he will eat me up!

I don't lack the money to buy a coffin, but I can't carry the human life lawsuit, and I can't carry the 'crime of fake silver'!"

Hearing him say this, the old neighbors were also helpless.

Mother Zhang reached into her pocket and fumbled for a while, took out a small cloth bag, poured out all the thirty-something copper coins and two silver corners the size of fingernails in her palm.

Finally, she left four copper coins and placed the other silver money beside Xu Feng Niangzi, saying: "Oh, Xu Feng Niangzi was bitter enough when she was alive, let her rest in peace early."

The passersby and neighbors on the bridge all walked up silently, putting down a silver corner, a few copper coins...

There were also rich ones who threw out a small ingot directly.

Even Chun'er touched a handful of copper coins and sent them to Xu Feng Niangzi's side.

In a while, the ground was piled with money.

A forty-year-old "Squire" in a brocade robe walked out and cupped his hands toward the crowd, saying: "My name is Zhou Fu, the owner of 'Fu Shou Lai Coffin Shop' on Hexi Street; now I shamelessly accept this money and prepare a twelve-yuan 'Old House' made of tung wood for Xu Feng Niangzi, plus a set of Shu brocade burial clothes, what do you think?"

An old man who knew the goods and had prepared burial clothes and coffins for himself early praised immediately: "Shopkeeper Zhou is a great philanthropist; a twelve-yuan tung wood old house, these money are not even half, let alone a set of Shu brocade burial clothes."

Zhou Fu waved his hand and said: "I am a businessman; selling coffins to others, of course, it won't be the cost price."

He pointed to the pile of money on the ground and said: "Just this money, I definitely won't be able to earn a single word, but I won't lose much either. Like everyone else, it's all a heart."

The neighbors nodded lightly.

Zhou Fu immediately arranged for the shop assistants to carry the coffin, and the people on the bridge gradually dispersed.

"Hu Laosi, don't think about running!" Shopkeeper Hu also wanted to follow the crowd to leave, but was grabbed tightly by Old Xu.

"I have already said it very clearly—"

Before Shopkeeper Hu could finish, he was interrupted by Old Xu, saying: "Don't tell me, let's go to the government office, you go tell the Magistrate."

"You are crazy, going to see 'Zhu Yitao', can you withstand his 'Seven Big Bowls'?!" Shopkeeper Hu screamed.

Old Xu was now unprecedentedly sober.

Before, he pestered Shopkeeper Hu, but it was really just to extort a sum of money to solve the current predicament.

But Shopkeeper Hu wouldn't even pay for the coffin for his old wife; counting on extorting his money was almost impossible.

Then he had no other choice.

Can only report to the official!

Then bite Hu Laosi and the person who used fake silver are in

"I would rather eat Zhu Yitao's seven big bowls, even if it means avenging my old wife!"

Seeing the determination in Old Xu's eyes, Shopkeeper Hu realized something and sneered: "Good, good, good, you have guts; Old Hu will accompany you to the end! Let's go see the Lingjun and see who ends up unlucky in the end."

"Wang Er, immediately bring mutton, wine, and fresh fruit, and go find Officer Sa of the criminal room. Explain clearly what we encountered and ask Officer Sa to help write a petition."

Although this was said in a lowered voice by Shopkeeper Hu, he didn't deliberately avoid others.

"Litigation tricksters" were born as early as the ancient Spring and Autumn period.

The "School of Names" in the Hundred Schools of Thought of the great Chinese upper nation is the ancestor of litigation tricksters.

Asking someone to help argue for oneself, or writing a petition explaining the case and submitting it to the Lingjun, is also common in Western Shu.

"Sigh, Xu Niangzi died so unjustly; you should have come back to find me, let me also contribute a little."

After learning what happened on the bridge, Jin Lian not only didn't blame Xiao Yu for causing trouble but also regretted that she hadn't been able to help at all.

"Sister has the heart; I gave a few pieces of broken silver, and Sister Chun'er gave a handful of copper coins, which can be counted as your contribution."

Xiao Yu comforted Jin Lian and then asked curiously: "Why are they all afraid to see the official? What is special about the Tianmen Town Lingjun?"

Jin Lian laughed: "Hehe, our Lingjun's surname is Zhu, nicknamed 'Zhu Yitao,' because when he tries cases, he is accustomed to using a whole set of seven types of punishments to beat the criminals into submission alive.

Not only does he beat the evil ringleader, but as long as he thinks one side is wrong, he beats them regardless of whether they are the defendant, the plaintiff, or even the bystander.

Everyone who enters the government office may get beaten.

Old Xu gambling and owing debts is considered the root cause of Xu Niangzi's disaster, so he will definitely be beaten to death by Zhu Yitao.

Busigui forcing Old Xu to sell his daughter to pay off debts is also a crime, and he will likely eat the whole 'seven big bowls.'

Even if Shopkeeper Hu is truly unrelated to the fake silver case, his greed and indirect causing of Xu Niangzi's death will similarly not escape Zhu Yitao's brutal beating.

So they are all afraid of seeing the official."

"Oh, so it seems Magistrate Zhu is not a bad person."

Xiao Yu suddenly had a bit of a good impression of the "Zhu Yitao" she had never met.

"Not bad, but not good either; the methods are too harsh," Jin Lian said.

Jin Lian guessed more than half right.

"Hey, Mr. Lan, please wait a moment!"

Xiao Yu sat on the eaves, her two small legs dangling below, a bowl of porridge placed on her left hand, an oil pancake in her right hand, eating with relish while listening to Aunt Zhang below narrating "Zhu Yitao trying the fake silver case" with vivid descriptions.

"Zhu Yitao is worthy of being Zhu Yitao! Old Xu hadn't even finished his petition; just hearing that he had gambled away his family fortune, Zhu Yitao couldn't hold back, cursed 'dog-fucking gambler,' and threw down a red-headed sign.

He gave Old Xu ten heavy board beatings.

After the beating, Old Xu continued his petition; hearing that he wanted to sell his daughter, Zhu Yitao threw out another red-headed sign and a capture sign, dragged eight ruffians from Busigui, and without even saying a word, beat each of them with forty heavy board beatings.

Below, the runners were beating, and Zhu Yitao was cursing above, cursing their ancestors for eighteen generations one by one.

He cursed so nastily that even a vulgar woman like me, nearly fifty years old, blushed and felt ashamed upon hearing it.

But the board beating was just the beginning!"

Aunt Zhang's voice carried a bit of a tremor, as if she were very terrified, but her big face was full of smiles.

"This is called 'evil people have their own evil people to grind them'!"

On the side, Li Daye avoided the gap on the edge of the bowl and slurped a mouthful of porridge happily.

A thirty-year-old woman surnamed Huang, while breastfeeding the baby in her arms, said: "Zhu Yitao has 'seven big bowls'; the board beating counts as the first hard dish, cursing people counts as the second 'beautiful soup,' and there are still five big bowls left!"

Aunt Zhang nodded and said: "Old Xu was later finger-clamped because he used his hands to gamble.

The ruffians of Busigui had their legs clamped with clamping sticks, howling so miserably that my heart and liver were trembling~~"

Sun Ergou, a soy sauce worker wearing a short-sleeved shirt with exposed arms, carrying a soy sauce vat, stood on the side and asked: "What about Hu Laosi?"

"Hu Laosi is fine, he didn't get beaten." There was obvious regret on Aunt Zhang's face.

"Even if Hu Laosi is not the main culprit, his crime is not small; is Zhu Yitao actually willing to let him go easily?" Li Daye's expression was serious and puzzled, and his squatting body stood up.

"Zhu Yitao originally wanted to send him to eat the 'seven big bowls,' but Officer Sa of the criminal room submitted a petition, saying a bunch of 'zhi hu zhe ye' (classical particles), seemingly discussing the 'Great Shu Law'; I didn't understand it.

I just saw Zhu Yitao slap the gavel angrily, saying that regardless of whether the fake silver came from Xianghe Firm, Hu Laosi devaluing someone else's treasure worth five hundred taels to fifteen taels was simply insane, and not beating him would not be enough to extinguish the evil fire in his heart.

Officer Sa then said, merchants buying and selling goods are like farmers farming.

Merchants pursuing heavy profits in the buying and selling of goods are like farmers longing for a bumper harvest the following year; both are natural instincts, neither a crime nor a fault.

If the Lingjun beats Hu Laosi in the name of guilt, how should other profit-seeking merchants in Tianmen Town be dealt with?

If the Lingjun beats Hu Laosi just to vent his own anger, the common people will have nowhere to follow, because the Great Shu Law is in black and white, with laws to follow; no one can control the Lingjun's anger except the Lingjun himself."

Aunt Zhang sighed, spread her hands, and said: "Zhu Yitao's teeth were grinding, he stared at Officer Sa for a long while, and in the end, he still let Hu Laosi go."

"Sigh, Officer Sa is actually a good person; he is very kind on weekdays. Asking him to help write a petition, he does it seriously even without gifts, and he does it very well, it's just that sometimes he is too..." Li Daye sighed and continued drinking porridge.

No longer "slurping slurping" in small mouthfuls, he drank very loudly, silently and quickly sipping into his mouth.

"How was the case finally judged?" Sun Ergou asked.

Aunt Zhang's eyebrows twisted into a ball; no longer looking as spirited as before, she sighed: "Later, the 'Man-Eating Tiger' of Busigui also came to the county government with a petition.

After saying a bunch of words about legal operation and fair dealing, he took away the eight ruffians whose buttocks were beaten to a pulp...

They weren't even Busigui's people; they were ruffians caught by the Tong brothers (runners) at the entrance of Busigui, probably owing Busigui gambling debts and coming to take the punishment."

"It shouldn't just be a petition, right? Chief Du of Busigui has a lot of face in Yingxiang Mansion and is a guest of Prefect Wen. Our Tianmen Town is not even 10 li away from the West Gate, which is the outer city of the Commandery government.

No matter how powerful Zhu Yitao is, he is only a county magistrate attached to the prefecture!" Li Daye sighed.

Sun Ergou nodded and said: "The Man-Eating Tiger must have gone to Yingxiang Mansion, which is why he was delayed for some time."

Aunt Zhang shook her head and said: "I don't know; I was just watching outside the county government.

Even if they really used Prefect Wen to pressure Zhu Yitao, they wouldn't shout it out directly for us common people to hear."

"That is the right principle!" Li Daye nodded.

A bowl of porridge had been finished; he sighed lightly, turned around, and walked toward his home entrance.

Sun Ergou continued to carry the soy sauce vat, delivering goods to the "Ke Zailai" eatery at the end of the street.

Before Aunt Zhang left, she also looked up at the top.

The two small legs dangling under the eaves were gone; Xiao Yu had left silently.

Two more days passed.

Xiao Yu, who was practicing sword on the roof, saw Aunt Zhang setting up a "Longmen Array" in the back alley with a glowing face again.

This time, her voice was even louder than the day before, and her "hahaha" laughter was continuous.

"Heaven has eyes! If people don't collect, Heaven will collect; if the official doesn't care, the City God will care. Hu Laosi is finished this time, hahahaha!"