novelraw Chapter 433 - 0414: Overnight Trial (3)
Chapter 433 - 0414: Overnight Trial (3)
Li Xing’an paused for a moment. It wasn’t until he heard Song Jinxiu’s sigh that he realized why Li Yuzhu was tugging at his sleeve.
He awkwardly said, "Well, Miss Song, don’t overthink it. Even though your family is small, and no one can beat Tian Sanbao, we can use other methods to ruin his reputation in the village, so he won’t dare to bully you anymore."
Li Yuzhu added, "Jinxiu, my brother speaks directly, but he’s not wrong. Each family situation is different, and the solutions vary. In any case, I won’t let you be embarrassed. Trust me."
Song Jinxiu nodded, "I know you’re doing it for my good, but..."
What if they couldn’t subdue Tian Sanbao? Wouldn’t her reputation suffer even more?
Li Yuzhu held her hand, "Jinxiu, the reason Tian Sanbao comes to harass you repeatedly is because he sees you as easy to bully. You don’t even have the courage to curse him to his face, let alone hit him. He is sure you will always behave this way, which is why he grows bolder each time. You just need to gather your courage and teach him a hard lesson, beat him until he begs for mercy, so he knows you’re not to be trifled with."
"..."
"Also, beating him quietly won’t make him truly afraid. You have to publicly expose his wrongdoing, tell the villagers that it’s he who harasses you, not the other way around. As long as the villagers aren’t blind or deaf, they’ll sympathize with you."
"..."
"Moreover, Mu Yuanxiu has gone to invite the Pavilion Chief. With the Pavilion Chief stepping in to uphold justice for you, even if the villagers don’t care about your and Mr. Song’s face, they have to respect the Pavilion Chief. By then, no one will gossip about you anymore."
Song Jinxiu bit her lip, hesitating.
Li Yuzhu continued, "Jinxiu, think of it this way: Mrs. Tian Song speaks ill of you everywhere and spreads rumors. Your reputation is already out there, so why not seize this opportunity to create a little drama? These days, the soft fear the hard, and the hard fear the unreasonable. Be unreasonable this time and shock everyone thoroughly."
Li Xing’an circled a few times outside the front courtyard, found a handy stick, and brought it into the house, thrusting it into Song Jinxiu’s hand, "Take this!"
Song Jinxiu looked at him in a daze, "Wha... what?"
Li Yuzhu glanced at Li Xing’an and, with a smile, said, "Jinxiu, my third brother means for you to take this stick and give Tian Sanbao a good beating so that he’ll always be afraid of you."
Song Jinxiu had never hit anyone before, and she hesitated, gripping the stick.
Li Yuzhu shook her head, "Jinxiu, think about how he bullied you, how he slandered you. The one at fault is Tian Sanbao, not you! You should return the favor."
Song Jinxiu looked at her, considering her words and reflecting on her own grievances. She gritted her teeth, dragged the stick, and headed towards the backyard.
Li Yuzhu and Li Xing’an followed her.
Song Jinxiu walked up to Tian Sanbao and suddenly swung the stick down on him.
Tian Sanbao immediately screamed in agony, "Ah..."
He jumped on the ground in pain, but being tied to the tree by Mu Yuanxiu, he could only manage a few inches.
Song Jinxiu’s pent-up anger descended from the stick onto Tian Sanbao’s legs, "I’ll beat you to death! Bully me, will you? Try bullying me again, and I’ll break your legs!"
After the first hit, her long-held internal frustration suddenly felt much eased.
So, she struck a second time, then a third.
Tian Sanbao’s mouth was gagged with a cloth, allowing him only to wail, not speak.
This place was far from the other villagers’ homes, and being nighttime, no one noticed the commotion here.
Song Jinxiu vented her anger thoroughly.
Tian Sanbao’s howls had made his voice hoarse.
Song Jinxiu, tired from the beating, leaned on the stick, catching her breath. She pointed the stick at Tian Sanbao, who reflexively moved aside.
Li Yuzhu snorted internally — so he did know fear? Why did he wait so long?
"Jinxiu, that’s enough. If you beat him to death, you’ll have to pay for his burial. Let him breathe; we’ll have the Pavilion Chief handle the case later." Li Yuzhu supported Song Jinxiu.
Song Jinxiu took a few deep breaths, "Okay."
Exhausted and excited, she trembled all over, dropped the stick, and ran into the house to sob softly.
Li Yuzhu turned to Li Xing’an and said, "Third brother, you watch this guy. I’ll accompany Jinxiu. When the Pavilion Chief arrives, you can fetch Song Lizheng and call a few neighbors."
Li Xing’an raised his eyebrows with a smile, "You two just sit inside waiting. Leave the rest to me."
Li Yuzhu entered the house and lit a small stove, preparing some tea.
Judging by the time, Mu Yuanxiu should be arriving soon, right?
Song Jinxiu cried for a while and, realizing it was Li Yuzhu who was busy, felt embarrassed to remain idle, so she hastened to find some tea leaves.
Just as a hint of dawn was breaking in the east, a flicker of firelight gradually approached on the road in front of the Song family house.
Li Yuzhu rose on her toes to look.
In no time, the firelight drew nearer, and several people approached, among them quite a few riders.
Li Xing’an chuckled, "Mu Yuanxiu is quick. I suppose I should get busy now."
Li Yuzhu worried that he might not find the Song Lizheng’s house, so she stuffed the address Mu Yuanxiu had drawn earlier into Li Xing’an’s hand.
He took a sip of the hot tea Li Yuzhu brewed, and went out through the back door to find someone.
Soon, those torch-bearing riders arrived at the steps of Mr. Song’s house.
Everyone dismounted and invited the Pavilion Chief out of the carriage.
Mu Yuanxiu cupped his hands toward the Pavilion Chief and said, "Pavilion Chief, this is Mr. Song’s house."
The Pavilion Chief glanced at the high steps, stroked his beard, and nodded, "Mr. Song has been running the school for forty years, teaching all his life. Who would have thought that in his old age, he would be bullied by ruffians. Hmph, today I must uphold justice for Mr. Song and his grandson!"
He gathered his cloak and strode up the steps.
Li Yuzhu and Song Jinxiu came out to greet him together.
Mu Yuanxiu introduced them, "This is the Pavilion Chief."
The two young ladies curtsied and introduced themselves.
Upon learning that one of the charmingly pretty girls was the daughter of Mr. Li, a relative of the county magistrate, he immediately returned the courtesy respectfully to Li Yuzhu, comforted Song Jinxiu briefly, and then asked where the thief was now.
"Please follow me." Li Yuzhu led the Pavilion Chief to the backyard.
The Pavilion Chief waved to the house servants, and they all went to the backyard together.
Tian Sanbao had been beaten, feeling both painful and exhausted, hungry, with the cold wind blowing unkindly on him, he was more dead than alive at this moment. Suddenly noticing many people surrounding and watching him, he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.
Frightened, he quickly sat up straight.
"Pavilion Chief, this is Tian Sanbao. He ran into the backyard sneakily and got caught by us. When we asked if he was here to steal, he denied it, saying he came to see Miss Song, but Miss Song said she didn’t invite him. Therefore, coming uninvited in the middle of the night, he must have bad intentions. Please decide, Pavilion Chief." Li Yuzhu said loudly.
She then spoke of Song Jinxiu’s ordeal, mentioning that Mr. Song was also aggravated to illness and was now asleep, hence couldn’t come to greet the Pavilion Chief.
The Pavilion Chief listened with a frown.
Recalling the sad past, Song Jinxiu turned pale and her body trembled slightly.
The Pavilion Chief said to the people around, "Find this village’s village chief, I want to ask him how he manages the villagers?"
Someone responded, "Yes."
Just then, as he turned around, footsteps and voices came from outside the backyard gate.
It was already dawn, and those who came didn’t carry torches.
They spoke loudly, and everyone heard someone calling one of them "Song Lizheng."
Soon, the figures came closer.
The arrivals were none other than Li Xing’an and Song Lizheng, along with several neighbors from the village.
Li Xing’an paid no mind to which neighbors he found, whoever had a light in their house, he asked them to come; saying it was to watch the excitement. Those people, seeing Lizheng was there, came along.
On the way, Li Xing’an encountered someone out early to open the fields, and he persuaded them to come too.
About ten people walked into the Song Family’s backyard.
Mu Yuanxiu first introduced Li Xing’an, specifically mentioning that every time Li Xing’an went to the county town, he stayed at the county magistrate’s house and had followed the Lord County Magistrate many times to meet guests and run errands.
When Li Xing’an returned to the village, the county magistrate would personally prepare gifts.
And it had spread among the big families in and out of the county that the county magistrate brought a young and handsome gentleman frequently visiting the families of the county.
The Pavilion Chief also became aware of this, so it was the Third Young Master Li whom the county magistrate brought to various places?
It must be with great fondness to do so.
The Pavilion Chief became even more respectful towards the Li Family’s siblings.
Though he was older, he first saluted Li Xing’an, "Third Young Master Li, I am the Pavilion Chief of this township."
Li Xing’an, having seen big occasions, responded without arrogance, "Pavilion Chief, you’ve worked hard coming to investigate the case overnight."
The Pavilion Chief smiled and said, "It is my duty."
While Lizheng, seeing the Pavilion Chief there, was greatly startled, "Pavilion Chief? So early in the morning, why have you come to the village? Oh my, you should have sent someone to notify me, I would have prepared wine to welcome you."
In cold weather, everyone loved to drink warmed wine.
The Pavilion Chief snorted lightly, "Song Lizheng, take a look at this person first, resolve this matter, and then it’s not too late for the old man to drink wine at your house."
Song Lizheng followed his gaze and couldn’t help but be shocked, nephew?