Zhan Feiyu spoke of child traffickers and abducted children with an air of nonchalance, but Tu Da Niu’s dark face changed drastically, losing the憨实 (han shi - honest and simple) demeanor of a farmer.
Watching Tu Da Niu stare blankly, Zhan Feiyu delivered another harsh blow, "I heard that to cut the grass and eliminate the roots, to prevent future trouble, they kill the parents and family of those children to silence them."
Like father, like son; like mother, like daughter. Regardless of whose child it was, they would inevitably bear some resemblance in features to their parents and siblings. If abducted children were merely sold for a good price, it wouldn't matter if they were recognized by their families later.
However, if abducted children were secretly trained to become "left and right arms," recognition by their families would undoubtedly lead to endless trouble.
As if struck by a thought, Tu Da Niu’s robust and strong body could not bear it and stumbled back several steps, crashing into the tree trunk behind him with a bang. He stood there, stunned, as if his soul had been ripped away.
Tu Da Niu himself had done such a thing. Last summer, he had set fire to three rooms, and all twelve members of a family perished in the blaze.
The villagers had brought wooden basins and buckets to fight the fire, but the flames were too fierce. By the time the fire, which had burned all night, was extinguished the next day, only twelve charred bodies were found in the ruins.
The yamen also came, but after investigating, they only found that the fire had started in the kitchen. It was estimated that the fire in the hearth had not been fully extinguished, and sparks had flown out, landing on a pile of dry grass, which eventually caused the conflagration.
As for why the entire family could not escape, the yamen could not find out. After all, farmers did not have enemies. Neighbors might argue a few times, but they would never set fire to a whole family. In the end, the matter was left unresolved.
Tu Da Niu’s face turned pale, and he suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp and fierce, staring at Zhan Feiyu, "Who exactly are you?"
Even a meticulously trained heir of a noble family would not possess such composure and calmness at her age. This young girl was definitely not ordinary.
Zhan Feiyu glanced sideways at the two constables standing not far away, "Who I am is not important. Whether you are using Zhao’s Pastry Shop as a cover, or have other schemes, it’s simply a matter of meeting force with force and blocking water with earth."
Not receiving the answer she wanted, Tu Da Niu stared at Zhan Feiyu as she turned to leave and couldn't help but say, "You crippled several of our men. Do you think you can get away unscathed?"
Unfortunately, Zhan Feiyu’s footsteps did not stop as she continued to walk forward.
...
One hour was enough for Constable Miao and his men to find twenty households in Liuxian County. The side rooms behind the court were now filled with people, a dense crowd. If one didn't know better, they would think a major case was being investigated. m..oΓg
The dozens of people brought by the constables were also tense and uneasy. Even though the constables repeatedly said it was just a routine inquiry, it still caused people to feel apprehensive.
"You will wait here for now. If the official summons you, someone will bring you to the court," Constable Miao said, then gave a few instructions to some yamen runners before striding towards the back office.
On the court, Magistrate Zhu’s face was stern. Upon hearing Constable Miao’s words, his expression changed slightly, "Bring Wang Dongming's family up."
The Wang family consisted of six people. After being led in by the yamen, they all knelt down with trembling voices, "Your humble servant Wang Dongming pays his respects to Your Honor."
"Wang Dongming, lift your heads!" Magistrate Zhu said in a deep voice.
As the old and young of the Wang family raised their heads, everyone in the court, or rather, their gazes, instantly fell upon their earlobes.
Was it really so? Still kneeling before Tu Laotai's corpse, Tu Da Niu’s hands, hanging by his sides, clenched into fists. Wang Dongming and his wife had no earlobes, so his three sons and one daughter also had no earlobes.
Except for Constable Miao and his men, everyone else had initially thought Zhan Feiyu was speaking nonsense, but who would have thought it was actually true?
After the Wang family left, the second family, Mao Wang's family, was brought to the court. The Mao family was prosperous. Old Man Mao and Old Woman Mao were still alive and had not separated. Therefore, their two sons, along with their wives and children, were also brought.
Magistrate Zhu took a closer look. Old Man Mao and Old Woman Mao had no earlobes, so their two kneeling sons also had no earlobes. However, Mao’s eldest daughter-in-law had earlobes. Of the four children of the eldest branch, two had earlobes, and two did not.
But by coincidence, Mao’s second daughter-in-law also had no earlobes. Everyone saw that the second branch of the Mao family, the couple, and their three children, all had no earlobes.
As for the infant daughter held in the daughter-in-law’s arms, she was less than three months old and was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so her ears could not be seen.
"Constable Miao, go and take a look," Magistrate Zhu ordered, his gaze complex as he looked at Zhan Feiyu standing below. What was this young girl’s background?
"Officer, Si Bao..." The young woman trembled upon hearing this and instinctively hugged her infant daughter tighter.
Constable Miao walked over, "There's no need to be alarmed, I just need to take a look."
As he spoke, Constable Miao lifted the swaddling clothes. The sleeping infant did not wake, but it was clear she had no earlobes.
Two quarters of an hour later, the group brought back to the county yamen left in a daze. Fortunately, the common people gathered outside the court explained the reason in a flurry of chatter, and the group’s anxious hearts were finally put to ease.
At this moment, there was an eerie silence in the court. If what Zhan Feiyu said was true, then Tu Da Niu was an adopted child of Old Man Tu.
With a bang, the gavel was heavily slammed on the desk. Magistrate Zhu sternly declared, "Tu Qishu, why don't you confess the truth!"
Old Man Tu remained kneeling on the ground, his head bowed, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.
Zhan Feiyu curled her lips into a smile. Even without speaking, anyone could see the mocking smile on her round face.
"Stubborn and unrepentant! Guards, drag him out and give him twenty strokes with the plank!" Magistrate Zhu, with a dark face, threw down the order. Even a middle-aged man would likely not withstand twenty strokes, let alone an elderly man like Old Man Tu. A beating like this would probably cost him his life.
Tu Da Niu knelt on the ground, unmoved, still seemingly stunned by the fact that he was not a biological child.
Old Man Tu was dragged away by the yamen. Until the dull thud of the court planks hitting his body was heard, Old Man Tu still did not speak.
One plank followed another. It was likely that the county yamen constables knew Magistrate Zhu enforced the law strictly, so no one dared to go easy on Old Man Tu because of his age.
"Miss?" He Nuan withdrew her gaze and said softly to Zhan Feiyu, "If you keep hitting him, he might die."
Old Man Tu gritted his teeth and did not beg for mercy, but his buttocks and back were already bloody. Coupled with his heavy breathing, He Nuan knew without taking his pulse that Old Man Tu could not hold on.
Master Zhao and Zhao Ling frowned, instinctively suspecting that the constables carrying out the punishment were taking the opportunity to silence him. However, as long as Magistrate Zhu did not speak, they, uncle and nephew, dared not say anything, no matter how suspicious they were.
Young Master Jiao remained seated, his expression arrogant yet emotionless. As for Old Man Tu, who was being beaten to death, Young Master Jiao paid him no mind.
No one spoke. After twenty strokes, Old Man Tu was already on the verge of death. He was dragged by the constables to the center of the court, lying completely on the ground.
"Tu Qishu, why don't you confess the truth! Whose child is Tu Da Niu, and how did you and your wife bring him back to the Tu family?"
Old Man Tu, in great pain, finally seemed to understand Magistrate Zhu’s question after a long while. He raised his head with difficulty, "Your humble servant knows nothing..."
As his voice fell, there was a bang. Old Man Tu, struggling to get up, forcefully kowtowed to the ground, instantly splashing blood.
Constable Miao’s expression changed, and he quickly went to check, "Reporting to Your Honor, the person is not dead."
However, although he was not dead, Old Man Tu had knocked himself unconscious. Coupled with the twenty strokes he had just received, it was unknown if he would wake up.
Magistrate Zhu’s face turned dark, "Take him to the prison and send a doctor over."
What was originally just the case of Zhao’s Pastry Shop had now, upon investigation, involved Tu Da Niu’s origins. If he was truly an adopted child, Old Man Tu would have no reason to conceal it, yet he gritted his teeth, preferring to be beaten half to death rather than confess. This made one inevitably ponder if there was some earth-shattering secret involved.
After the court session adjourned, Constable Miao oversaw the transfer of Tu Laotai’s body to the Yi Zhuang (a place for temporary storage of corpses). Regardless of the case, Tu Da Niu was considered a victim, so he was not imprisoned but was taken by the constables to stay at an inn.