Chapter 76

The jailer's face turned pale, but he still bit the bullet and said, "At worst, just cut off my head. Anyway, I'm a loner, so if I die, I die."

"You damn..." Wang Bujiu went up and kicked him a few more times.

Damn it, he said it as if he were very responsible, but in fact, he was just being a rascal.

The prisoner escaped from jail; although the guards had faults, as long as it wasn't intentional, the crime wouldn't be punishable by death. This kid clearly saw this point, which is why he was so fearless.

At this time, Yang Dian Feng spoke up.

"What, is Catcher Wang planning to force someone to death? Since Xiao Liu has already admitted his dereliction of duty, his punishment will be decided by the magistrate. Catcher Wang, don't tell me you want to overstep your authority?" He crossed his arms and sneered.

"Kiss my ass!" Wang Bujiu's bull eyes widened, "Don't think I don't know what kind of ghost ideas you, Yang Dian Feng, are playing. If you're a man, go to the martial arts field and have a real fight with real swords and guns; don't play dirty tricks behind people's backs and do those shameful things."

Yang Dian Feng's face turned gloomy.

The dozen or so people standing behind him disagreed and began to clamor for Wang Bujiu to apologize.

Wang Bujiu's side was not to be outdone, and the group behind Jiang Li also became restless. Both sides were very emotional, and some even began to draw their blades.

The scene was tense, and it looked like a fight was about to break out.

"Enough!"

Jiang Li raised his hand to stop them and said coldly, "I will investigate this matter clearly later. The most important thing right now is to catch the person again; we cannot let him continue to do evil outside."

His gaze fell on Yang Dian Feng opposite him, "Catcher Yang, you were the one on duty that night and also the most senior person here. Come with me to see the magistrate and explain the matter clearly."

Yang Dian Feng took a lazy step forward, looking sloppy.

"Fine, you're the head catcher, you have the final say. Anyway, I have a clear conscience."

The corners of Jiang Li's mouth curled slightly, a cold smile, "I hope Catcher Yang can still say these words after the truth comes out."

He turned and walked out of the jail.

Yang Dian Feng shrugged and followed as if nothing had happened.

After leaving the gate of the jail, the gatekeeper came over in a hurry and handed Jiang Li a note, "Someone just sent this, specifically asking for it to be handed to Head Catcher Jiang."

Jiang Li's heart stirred; could it be a clue about Mei Ruxi?

He hurriedly opened it, and after just one glance, his brows furrowed, "Where is the person who delivered the letter?"

"Gone." The gatekeeper paused, glanced at Yang Dian Feng next to him, and then whispered into Jiang Li's ear, "But I recognize that person. If I remember correctly, it should be a servant from the Du residence..."

Someone from the Du residence?

Then it's no wonder. Du Mingzhu really hasn't changed her ways; she actually ran to him to slander his wife, saying she was having an affair with an outsider. It's simply ridiculous.

Jiang Li tore the note into pieces and threw it away.

"Next time that person comes, catch him, beat him up, and then throw him to Lord Du to deal with."

Jiang Li encountered trouble here, but Du Ruo was living very comfortably at home.

She didn't need to worry about most of the work at home; Chunhua scrambled to do it all. Sometimes Du Ruo did it herself, which instead made the child feel terrified, fearing that she would be useless and kicked out.

Du Ruo had no choice but to let her be.

Fortunately, there was no heavy work at home, no fields, no land, no chickens, and no ducks; it was just cooking, washing clothes, and cleaning, which wasn't tiring to do.

After she was free, Du Ruo would run to the fields every day.

The ghost-dudu was growing well and was already as high as a thigh; it could be dug up after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

During this period, she did receive an invitation sent by the Great Song clan; her silly daughter, Zhuniang, and Doctor Gu's son, Gu Fusheng, had set their date for the eighth day of the eighth month. The Great Song clan wanted to invite Du Ruo's family to drink the wedding wine.

Du Ruo didn't go.

There was no friendship to begin with, and the Second Branch of the Jiang Family and Doctor Gu's family were completely at odds, so she was too lazy to go and make herself uncomfortable.

This day, Du Ruo was preparing to go to the fields again when Yao Yulan ran over happily.

"Oh, sister-in-law, something happened at your old residence!"

Ever since Jiang Zongbao came over in the middle of the night to steal things and was punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall, Yan Pozi and the people of the First Branch had been much more behaved. They had stirred up trouble at the threshing floor before, but it was just small stuff and couldn't stir up any big waves.

This was the first time she had heard news from that side.

Du Ruo's spirits lifted, "Is my grandmother still doing well?"

"Doing well, my foot." Yao Yulan was so happy she slapped her thigh, "She's about to be angered to death by Jiang Zongbao, hahahaha."

Du Ruo became interested and hurriedly urged her to speak.

Yao Yulan said, "I don't know the specifics very well, but the matter is quite big. Several men came, shouting that they wanted to beat people up. I don't think it looks good."

"Ignore him." Du Ruo waved her hand, "They can make their scene, we live our lives, don't get involved."

With those people in the First Branch, it's easy to get into trouble if you're not careful.

Yao Yulan leaned against the courtyard gate, looking gloating, "Jiang Zongbao is probably in trouble this time. You have to be careful; what if your good grandmother can't hold on and sends someone to call you? Will you go or not?"

As soon as the words fell, she heard someone outside shouting, "Dalang's wife! Quick, your eldest uncle is about to fight with someone, your grandmother wants you to go over and help immediately!"

Du Ruo: "... Oh, I know."

Yao Yulan slapped herself in annoyance, "Look at this crow's mouth of mine!"

Du Ruo smiled, "It's okay, if I have to go, I'll go. Anyway, I'll manage what I should manage, and I won't manage what I shouldn't."

She didn't want to go, but that was Jiang Li's own grandmother and own eldest uncle. If she didn't know, that was one thing, but if she knew and stood by, her reputation would be ruined, and the villagers would definitely gossip everywhere about her being unfilial.

The two talked as they walked toward the old residence.

Outside the old residence, there was indeed a large group of villagers surrounding it, blocking the courtyard gate tightly. Those who couldn't squeeze out simply lay on the courtyard wall to watch; there were also a few naughty children who climbed up the white poplar tree by the wall, sitting on the branches and making faces, scaring all the cicadas chirping on the tree away.

Du Ruo wasn't in a hurry to go in; she hid behind the crowd and pricked up her ears to listen to what the situation was.

After listening for a while, she finally figured it out.

It seemed that Jiang Zongbao, that lecher, had an affair with someone and was caught in the act by the woman's husband. That man was wearing a green hat, his head was smoking with anger, so he led a few men, tied up his own wife, and came to the door, demanding that Jiang Zongbao pay forty taels of silver, otherwise, they would remove his source of evil.

And then they would go to the government office to accuse him of adultery.

Adultery might lead to jail time.

Du Ruo felt more and more disdain for that Jiang Zongbao. His wife was heavily pregnant and about to give birth, but he was messing around during his wife's pregnancy and caused such a troublesome thing. He is simply a fighter jet among scumbags.

If you ask her, why pay any silver? Such a person should be thrown directly into jail and have the bottom of the jail worn out!

Everyone was discussing it.

"I heard that vixen was picked up by Jiang Zongbao on the road?"

"What picked up? Such a good-looking woman, you go and pick one up for me to see? I think it was clearly a deliberate seduction of Jiang Zongbao to her house, and then she and her husband staged a honey trap."

"Jiang Zongbao is not a good thing either. Back then, his wife Qin Shi looked so good, but she was tortured by him into what she is now. Now that she is pregnant, this heartless person acts as if he would die without women, running out every three days. Before, he just visited flower houses, but now, he's gone straight to another man's wife's belly..."

Regarding vixens outside, women can always instantly stand on a unified front and fight against the common enemy.

The men next to them obviously didn't agree with this point of view and interjected, "That's not how you say it. Didn't you see what that woman looks like? That face, tsk tsk tsk, any man wouldn't be able to hold back, so it's really not Jiang Zongbao's fault."

Several women looked over in unison, glaring at him with hostility.

One of them put her hands on her hips and gnashed her teeth, "Li Gou-dan, if you have the ability, say what you just said again!"

Li Gou-dan saw that the situation was not good and hurriedly licked his face and smiled, "Wife, I drank too much and was talking nonsense."

After saying that, he didn't watch the excitement anymore and slipped away.

Du Ruo was listening with great interest when Gou-dan's wife turned her head and saw her, immediately switching from shrew mode to gossip mode, her eyes shining.

"Isn't this Jiang Li's wife? You're here to support your sister-in-law, right? Quick, quick, everyone make way, let Jiang Li's wife in!"

Before Du Ruo could react, she was pushed to the front by the crowd, narrowly avoiding a face-plant.

Looking up, good heavens, it's really lively in the courtyard.