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Before long, Lizheng indeed sent someone to summon Jiang Sanlang to the village hall for questioning.

Jiang Dalang went with his third younger brother, leaving his second brother behind to look after Yingbao and Dalu.

The village hall was where Lizheng and the Xiang Zhi worked, and today it would serve as the place where the culprits would be interrogated. Lizheng was in charge of the process.

It was already evening, and lanterns were hung high in the courtyard of the village hall. Several torches were also set up around, illuminating the entire courtyard.

Quite a few people crouched against the courtyard wall. They were the guarantors of the three culprits, amounting to twenty or thirty in total.

For several guarantors who were too old, their sons took their places to receive the punishment, each being beaten with twenty planks.

As the village men were limited in number, they had to take turns administering the punishment.

For a time, the courtyard was filled with the sound of the wooden plank striking flesh, accompanied by cries of pain.

With the help of his older brother, Jiang Sanlang walked into the main hall and bowed to Lizheng.

Lizheng asked him to explain the entire incident, and had a clerk record the details on the spot, before cross-checking Jiang’s account with the testimonies of the three robbers.

After verifying the accuracy of the records, Sun Licheng ordered the families of the three offenders to compensate Jiang Sanlang with fifteen taels of silver for his medical expenses. The fifteen taels had to be delivered within a specified

period, otherwise, severe punishment would ensue.

Tu Da was straightforward, immediately instructing his family to bring five taels of silver, and personally handing it to Jiang Sanlang, saying, “It’s all because I failed to discipline my child. Please, Jiang Mr. Jiang, forgive us.”

Jiang Sanlang accepted the silver without a trace of emotion, saying calmly: “Whether or not I forgive you is not important. The law will make its judgment.”

After all, he would never forgive these people. Those who dared to harm him and his daughter would have to pay the price.

The remaining ten taels were to be paid by the families of Chen San Shi and Chen Donkey.

However, Chen San Shi’s family had nothing, his wife was heavily pregnant, and they couldn’t even afford a copper coin.

Sun Licheng then ordered the ten households that had guaranteed Chen San Shi’s family to collectively pay the sum. Anyone who dared to exceed the deadline would be beaten until the debt was cleared.

Seeing such a situation, Chen Ergou, who was squatting at the door, came up with a wicked idea.

He also claimed that his family had no money, not even a single coin.

Sun Licheng laughed coldly, slammed his hand on the table, and said, “Very well, let the ten families that guaranteed for you collectively pay the money.”

Upon hearing this, the ten families simply hated Chen Ergou, grinding their teeth in secret and vowing to never let his family off in the future.

Among these ten families, was the father of Chen Changping, Old Chen.

Old Chen, who was already fifty, was more humiliation than pain for having been stripped and beaten twenty times in public. To add insult to injury, he had to come up with five hundred coins, which made him feel like vomiting blood from anger.

But there was no choice.

So he let his younger son go home to get the money and handed it over to Sun Licheng.

After being beaten and fined, Sun Licheng justifiably let him go.

Old Chen was then carried home by his younger son Chen Changhai.

All along the way, he criticised Sun Licheng and the village chief for their lack of decency and Chen Ergou for his ungratefulness.

“Indeed, people of the same family are expected to have the same standards, look at what Chen Ergou has become! Ever since he was a child, he was ever thieving. Now, he has even turned into a robber, and it’s all because of the splendid example set by his father!”

Turns out, this Chen Ergou was somewhat related to Old Chen, and who would have thought him to be so shameless, demanding his own family to pay for his fine.

“We must’ve committed some terrible sin in our past lite to have become guarantors with his family. Changhai, tomorrow you go to your cousin’s house and ask him to change our guarantor.” Old Chen grumbled angrily.

Chen Changhai retorted impatiently, “Dad, if you want to change, just go ahead. Now, who would dare to get involved with Chen Ergou’s family? I think, let uncle hurry and drive his family out of the village.”

True enough, trouble lasts for a thousand years. Chen Ergou’s father is a habitual thief. Despite his age, he even went to steal a chicken from a neighbor’s pot during the new year and was caught red-handed.

Alas, they were unfortunately the guarantors of such a family.

Upon returning home, Old Chen lay down on the kang, while Chen’s wife applied medicine to his wounds.

“Why would Chen Donkey be so thoughtless to mix with that street thug Chen San Shi. Now, it’s good, isn’t it? Chen Ergou had a son when he least expected it, and before he could leave an heir, the boy is going to be sentenced…”

While Chen’s wife grumbled, she didn’t forget to complain, “Your cousin is really something too, how could he let you be beaten like this? You won’t be able to get off the kang for a few days.’

Chen Lashuan’s cousin was Chen Changsheng, the head of Xichen Village, and also the one who had pushed them out as guarantors.

For this, Chen Lashuan was very aggrieved.

Not even showing a little bit of decency, causing him to lose money and face, what kind of relative was this?

Humph! When it was his turn to be the village head, he would certainly make him taste the bitterness of inhumanity.

At the guard hour, Jiang Sanlang returned home with his sleeping daughter in his arms.

Chunniang hurriedly stepped forward to take over her daughter and placed her on the kang.

“How are you? Is the injury serious?” Chunniang touched her husband’s head.

“I’m fine, it doesn’t matter anymore.” Jiang Sanlang took out a bag of silver coins from his bosom and handed it to his wife, “This is the compensation silver given by Lizheng to me and Baobao. It’s fifteen taels in total.”

Chunniang took it, set it aside, and asked, “How were the ones who hurt you dealt with? They surely weren’t just fined and then let go, right?”

“They were not let go. Lizheng said they will be sent to the county government office for punishment early tomorrow morning.”

After all, Lizheng was not an official of the government, he had no power to sentence criminals, but he could fine some silver or beat a person a few times.

Chunniang was relieved, she put away the money and asked: “Have you eaten? I have dinner warming in the pot, would you like some?” “I’ve eaten. I had chicken porridge at my elder brother’s house.”

Jiang Sanlang then spoke to his wife, “Baobao was not well today. Doctor Li said she might have been frightened, so he prescribed her a calming medicine which I’ve fed her.

Let Baobao sleep with you tonight, you look after her a bit, I’ll go to the west room.”

“Alright.” Chunniang took the oil lamp and led her husband to the west room.

“You sit down first, I’ll go get you some hot water.”

Jiang Sanlang nodded, took off his shoes and sat on the kang, feeling very heavy and sleepy.

Soon, Chunniang brought hot water for him to wash his face, and then brought a basin of footwashing water for him.

After Jiang Sanlang washed up, he laid down and fell asleep.

He had lost a lot of blood today, and he felt cold all over, his eyelids trembling. If he didn’t lie down and sleep, he might faint.

At that moment, Chunniang brought a bowl of golden ear porridge, insisting that he finish it before he slept.

Chunniang covered her husband with a quilt, then returned to the east room with another basin of water to wash her daughter’s face and hands, and then fetched more water to wash her feet.

Yingbao’s eyelids twitched as she became immersed in a memory from her past life.

In the coldest winter month, when she came back from washing clothes by the river, her birth mother of the Han family, who had always been unfriendly to her, unexpectedly called her into the house, produced a set of brightly colored skirts, and even a pair of anklets for her to put on.

Yingbao took the skirt and shook it out for a look, her face sinking slightly.

The fabric was thin, the hem only reached her calves, and the waist dangled with long tassels, it was the kind of dancing skirt worn by Hu Xuan dancers.

“Ying’er, we have a distinguished guest at home today. Since you have learned Hu Xuan dance at Wuchun Yard, why don’t you perform it for the guest.”

The Han family’s sweet cries of “Ying’er” likely sounded odd even to herself, and the fake motherly smile she put on was particularly phony.

“Your father’s chance to be an official relies on this special guest, so you must behave well and never offend the guest.”

Yingbao dropped the skirt in her hands on the table and sneered, “Why don’t you let your second daughter do it, I’m young and ugly, I’m afraid I’ll spoil the guest’s eyes.”

Her hands, feet, and face were all covered with frostbite. To ask her to wear such a thin dress in this cold weather, let alone dancing for a man’s viewing, even just walking on the street, she would be scolded by people.

Performing? She simply wanted to sell her off again.

Over the years in the Wuchun Yard, what kind of people hadn’t she seen? Fortunately, she had good relations with Sister Wen and was still young, which was the reason why she hadn’t been pushed out by the Yard’s class leader. She didn’t expect that her birth mother who redeemed her was actually intending to use her to please the rich..