A man barging into a young lady's room in the middle of the night warranted a beating; not doing so would be abnormal. No one thought Qi Zhenzhen's actions were wrong; such a person wouldn't garner sympathy even if beaten to death.
"Yes, Zhenzhen, don't be afraid. I'll stand up for you today," Village Chief Song quickly reassured her.
"My child, what happened to you?" Da Hei's mother wailed, rushing over. Someone must have sent word to fetch her.
Seeing his mother, Da Hei felt even more wronged. He cried out, "Mother, my leg is ruined! I can't feel anything from the waist down. What will I do? I haven't even married yet!"
"Can't feel anything from the waist down?" Da Hei's mother paused, then saw Da Hei lying in an awkward position, his cries shaking the heavens. "You're all from the same village, how could you be so heartless? Not only did you tie up my son, but you crippled him. I'm going to report you to the county yamen and have you all thrown in jail."
"Da Hei's mother, what are you shouting about? Loudness doesn't equal righteousness. Why don't you ask why your son is here?" Madam Yu spat, retorting sharply.
"Right? Why is my son here?" Da Hei's mother looked at Da Hei, puzzled.
"Mother, it was Jin Ping who incited me to come..." Da Hei didn't hide anything, confessing everything about Jin Ping. He portrayed himself as someone who had been lured by Jin Ping's beauty and had made a mistake.
"You shameless hussy! Instead of minding your own husband, you come to ruin my son. My son is a bit wild, but he wouldn't dare do such a thing. What kind of love potion did you give him to make him act like this?" Da Hei's mother yelled, lunging forward. Jin Ping was tied up, and though she twisted her body to dodge, her face was scratched within moments, her hair disheveled, leaving her looking utterly disheveled.
"I'm telling you, you've ruined my son like this, you must take responsibility. When your husband returns, you'll divorce him yourself and come serve my Da Hei!" Da Hei's mother's words were shocking. Grabbing Jin Ping's hair, she said fiercely, "You don't even need to divorce him yourself. When your husband finds out you're a promiscuous woman, he'll discard you! It's your good fortune to enter the Ding family."
Da Hei's mother...
She was completely unpredictable. Without resolving the issue, she was already trying to snatch a woman for her crippled son.
"Preposterous, utter nonsense!" Village Chief Song's beard bristled. "Da Hei's mother, if you continue to babble, don't blame me for being impolite. Your Da Hei isn't a three-year-old child; he's an adult. You think you can absolve him of responsibility with a single sentence about him being bewitched? What a dream! This matter is truly egregious. I don't think we can handle it privately. Even if I'm criticized by the county magistrate for being an unqualified village chief, I must send these people to the authorities!"
Coveting another's property, drugging, trespassing at night, and attempting to ruin the reputation of a mother and child – any one of these was enough to warrant reporting to the authorities.
Village Chief Song had initially intended to handle it privately, but seeing the situation now, it was truly difficult to resolve it without involving the authorities.
Madam Yun's expression changed upon hearing this. If the matter went to the yamen, their family, although the victim, would also have to appear in court. Firstly, she had fled the estate with her children in secret. Secondly, her daughter was an unmarried young lady, and her son might pursue a career through the imperial examinations in the future. Such a court appearance would affect their reputations.
Qi Zhenzhen didn't consider these matters. Hearing Village Chief Song's words, she was about to agree.
Madam Yun gasped in distress, her body swaying precariously as she leaned as if to fall.
Qi Zhenzhen rushed to support her. Madam Yun seized the opportunity to signal to Qi Zhenzhen. Qi Zhenzhen understood her meaning: she didn't want to go to the yamen.
"Grandpa Village Chief, please sit. I'll help my mother back to her room to rest. She was so frightened by last night's commotion that she hasn't slept all night. She's always been frail, and she can't hold on any longer," Qi Zhenzhen said apologetically.
Everyone expressed understanding, and Qi Zhenzhen helped her mother inside.
"Mother, why can't we go to the yamen?"
Madam Yun explained her concerns. Qi Zhenzhen fell silent. She lived a carefree life now and rarely thought about the matters of the Changping Marquisate. But now, she had no choice but to think about it. Although they had been driven out by the Marchioness, they were still members of the Changping Marquisate. Her mother was a concubine, and she and her brother were young ladies and lords of the Marquisate. If the matter went to court, and the other side found out later...
Qi Zhenzhen gave a wry smile. Some things, indeed, could not be done as she pleased.
"Mother, I understand. You lie down and rest."
After settling Madam Yun, Qi Zhenzhen returned to the main room.
"Grandpa Village Chief, for what they did, sending them to the yamen is their own doing, and there's nothing to sympathize with. However, they are people of Xinghua Village, and this matter has become widely known, affecting everyone's reputation," Qi Zhenzhen said earnestly. "There are many unmarried young men and women in the village. When that happens..."
Even if Da Hei and the others were punished, the outside world's perception of Xinghua Village wouldn't change in a short period. Wouldn't that implicate the villagers?
The Qi family was the victim. As long as the Qi family said they wouldn't go to the yamen, others wouldn't push for it.
"They bullied people like this, so we certainly can't let them off the hook," Qi Zhenzhen added. "Our village has an ancestral hall. Perhaps you and the elders can discuss how to punish those who have made mistakes?"
"They are members of the Song family. If they make mistakes, they should be dealt with according to the Song clan rules," Song Yan said from the side. "As for Da Hei and Jin Ping, Jin Ping is the mastermind and should not be let off lightly. However, her husband is not here, so we'll discuss her punishment with him when he returns. As for Da Hei, his lower body is already crippled. This is his own doing. Why not expel him from the village?"
A cripple, expelled from the village, what else could he do but wait for death?
Qi Zhenzhen was satisfied with this punishment.
Da Hei's mother was frightened. No matter how unruly Da Hei was, he was still her flesh and blood, doted on and raised since childhood. In her eyes, Da Hei was already pitiful enough to be crippled. They were also victims. If he were expelled, how would he survive?
"Village Chief, Da Hei made a mistake in this matter, but we know we were wrong, and he has already been punished. Please, for the sake of his father and his deceased grandfather, spare him. I promise, I guarantee I will keep him confined at home and never let him go out again," Da Hei's mother pleaded, kowtowing repeatedly to the village chief. Soon, her forehead was red, and even a hint of blood seeped out.
Village Chief Song was about to agree with Song Yan's suggestion but remembered Da Hei's father and grandfather. Village Chief Song fell silent. The Ding father and son had been kind to his family, and he had promised to repay them when the opportunity arose.
If Da Hei had offended his own family, considering the past kindness of the Ding father and son, he would have agreed. But now...
"Qingcheng, elder brother, this unfilial son... I feel ashamed even asking for mercy for him, but how can parents watch their own child go to their death? Please, help me speak, and ask the Qi family young lady to show some leniency. I will definitely keep Da Hei confined from now on and not let him step out of the Ding family's gate." Ding Cheng pleaded.