The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 144: Upholding Justice

"Aunt Tong, you may speak freely about any grievances you have. I, as the official, will ensure justice for you."

Someone brought over a chair for County Magistrate Liu, but instead of sitting, the magistrate helped Tong Huaqiong to take the seat.

To everyone watching, this scene meant bad luck for the Xu Family.

"Aunt Tong, can you tell us what actually happened?"

Lord Liu’s tone was gentle, as he had already learned about Widow Tong’s story from Liu Tieshan.

Struggling to support a heap of stepchildren, selling pastries in town, tightening her belt to send her youngest son to school.

Moreover, already having a favorable view of Tong Huaqiong for saving his son without asking for repayment, in his heart, Tong Huaqiong shone even brighter.

Her character established as one who is resilient, tenacious, facing poverty without yielding, confronting injustice without submission to the village bully.

Tong Huaqiong sat half on the chair and said, "Lord Liu, why did you come here? This matter is utterly disgraceful! How can I even speak of it? It’s as if I can’t bear to live. Boo hoo hoo..."

Tears flowed instantly, and even Oscar owed Tong Huaqiong a little gold statue.

"People always say there’s much gossip at a widow’s door, who doesn’t know I’ve shut my doors early for the sake of reputation, wishing even a male mosquito can’t fly in, to the point where I don’t even greet the village men for fear of nasty rumors. To be honest, Lord Liu, I’ve even castrated the boars in my house... boo hoo hoo..."

County Magistrate Liu: "..."

"Lord Liu, you don’t need to fight for me, I might as well hang myself! Although that Xu Si didn’t do anything to me, my reputation is ruined, what’s the point of living?"

Tong Huaqiong cried so much she couldn’t speak.

Xu Kun and Xu Yong were stressed, moments ago she was forcefully extorting money from the Xu Family, not showing a trace of weakness.

"Lord Liu."

Jingzhe stepped forward.

It was essential for Jingzhe to take the lead now; his brothers, Gu Dahuan and Gu Dashu, were intimidated by County Magistrate Liu, unlike Jingzhe who had met scholarly administrators and magistrates before.

Previously, Gu Dashu had even talked about swearing brotherhood with County Magistrate Liu, but according to Tong Huaqiong, her silly son was just boasting. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

County Magistrate Liu looked over at Jingzhe.

This young man, even though he was rough around the edges, still couldn’t hide his brilliance; surely he was the little scholar son of Widow Tong that Liu Tieshan had mentioned.

Since they both endured hardships, County Magistrate Liu felt a natural affinity towards Jingzhe.

"My mother is utterly frightened, please, Lord Liu, for my mother’s sake, allow me to explain what happened," Jingzhe said.

County Magistrate Liu waved his hand: "Explain everything clearly, without hiding anything."

Jingzhe recounted how Tong Huaqiong was threshing wheat at the threshing ground, how she encountered Xu Si, how Xu Si attempted misconduct, how Tong Huaqiong fought back, and how the Gu Family beat Xu Si severely... He narrated everything without omission.

The more County Magistrate Liu listened, the grimmer his face became.

This Xu Si was too audacious!

Tong Huaqiong joined Jingzhe’s narrative, starting a new round of wailing, and was held by Taohua and Liu Yueer.

"Lord Liu..." Yan Pozi knelt down with a thump and said boldly, "My son’s leg was broken by Widow Tong."

She thought it better if both sides were punished rather than her son bearing it alone.

"Lord Liu, I acted in panic. If I hadn’t hit him, my reputation would have been destroyed. My destruction is one thing, my children still need their reputation. What I did is justified..."

In desperation, Tong Huaqiong almost used the modern legal term "justifiable defense".

County Magistrate Liu said, "Aunt Tong is right, it’s understandable that she defended her purity in panic and injured Xu Si."

"Lord Liu, my son would not bully Widow Tong for no reason, there must be something more..."

Yan Pozi tried to continue with the "Tong Huaqiong’s seduction" narrative but was interrupted by Liu Tieshan: "In spring, you took Dashi’s mother’s land, and a few days ago when she reclaimed it, you and your son were dissatisfied and retaliated."

Liu Tieshan then said to County Magistrate Liu, "The whole village knows about this, you can just ask, Lord Liu."

"Yes, correct, in spring, during planting, Yan Pozi occupied Aunt Tong’s land."

"A few days ago when Aunt Tong took it back, Yan Pozi cursed her terribly at the riverbank."

"It’s clear Xu Si sought revenge for this."

The villagers, gathering courage, rushed to supplement the details of Yan Pozi and Tong Huaqiong’s feud to County Magistrate Liu.

"This matter is solely due to the village chief and Xu Family Patriarch’s inaction, why did Yan Pozi dare to take my mother-in-law’s land, and Xu Si dare to bully my mother-in-law so openly? Without the inaction of the village chief and Xu Family Patriarch, none of this would have happened," said Liu Tiechui.

Xu Kun and Xu Yong, uncle and nephew, were directly pointed out and couldn’t avoid speaking.

Xu Yong cautiously said, "Lord Liu, please discern, when Xu Si bullied Aunt Tong, I, as the village chief, did uphold justice. I had both families negotiate whether to report or compensate Aunt Tong, and Aunt Tong insisted on not reporting, instead opting for Xu Si to compensate with silver..."

Yan Pozi chimed in, "Yes, Widow Tong demanded five hundred taels, received one hundred and fifty taels, with another fifty taels worth of chicken, duck, geese, and wheat, and a promissory note for three hundred taels. The evidence is in Widow Tong’s possession."

"Why didn’t I report? Lord Liu, you know I saved your son last time, and I feared that if I reported and you sought justice for me, people would accuse me of exploiting gratitude, thus harming your reputation." Tong Huaqiong cried as she spoke.

County Magistrate Liu was moved; look at the broad-mindedness of Widow Tong.

How could troublesome Yan Pozi compare?

"Aunt Tong dared not report because you all practically forced her into making a private settlement. I’m quite aware of these unauthorized settlements in villages," County Magistrate Liu said as he looked at Xu Yong.

Frightened, Xu Yong fell to his knees with a thud, defending himself, "Lord Liu, I didn’t set up an unauthorized court, everyone here can testify that I sought justice for Aunt Tong today."

County Magistrate Liu didn’t even look at Xu Yong, instead, he asked, "I just heard this isn’t Xu Si’s first offense, why didn’t the Xu Family Patriarch restrain him?"

Xu Kun, who originally wanted to defend himself, was so frightened that he hurriedly slid to his knees, saying, "Lord Liu, Xu Si is indeed a rascal, as the patriarch, I failed to restrain him adequately. I’ll punish him with family law so he won’t dare to misbehave again."

"Xu Yong and Xu Kun, stop with your empty words, who boasted that as long as you’re from the Xu Family in Qinghe Bay, you could do whatever you want, even if the sky falls. Without you two as Xu Si’s backing, would he dare to run rampant in the village?" Aunt Qin couldn’t help but interject.

She wanted to use this opportunity to seek justice for her daughter-in-law.

"Lord Liu, aside from the land issue and revenge against Sister Tong, there is another matter I’m willing to risk saying. Previously, when my daughter-in-law went to work in town, she was groped by Xu Si on the ox cart; Sister Tong and Miss Taohua rebuked Xu Si. Xu Si, being shielded by Xu Yong and Xu Kun, was unaccustomed to such treatment, so he harbored ill intentions waiting for today’s chance for revenge," Aunt Qin said.

Exposed in public for siding with the Xu Family, Xu Yong and Xu Kun wanted to defend themselves but were silenced by a glare from County Magistrate Liu.

"Sister Qin is right; Xu Yong and Xu Kun’s indulgence of Xu Si in the village caused so many bad deeds that even reincarnation wouldn’t make up for it," encouraged by Aunt Qin, Mrs. Zhang, mother of Xiao Cao, fell to her knees sobbing beside County Magistrate Liu.

"Lord Liu, please grant justice for my Xiao Cao’s family."