Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 138 In ancient times, a good reputation was more important

Li's voice was filled with uncontrollable joy. She whispered, "It was the county magistrate who summoned the people to carry out the execution in public. There was that..."

Li couldn't learn anymore, so Jiang whispered, "It has the effect of educating people."

The yamen runners who were specifically responsible for carrying out the punishment were already waiting in the yard with large boards in their hands.

Old man Zhou was held up and pressed to the ground.

He had regained consciousness from his initial paralyzed state and desperately called out, "Da Lang, even though you are not my biological child, your mother and I have raised you for so many years. Can you bear to watch us two old people being beaten to death?"

Zhou Dalang moved his lips, looked at Cui standing next to him and the son she was holding, twisted his hands hard, and lowered his head again.

Mrs. Hu struggled and begged for mercy, "Sir, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. Let alone 200 strokes, even 20 strokes would kill me."

The county magistrate stood on the steps and snorted coldly, "You admit your mistake now, but why were you so quick and decisive when you murdered your grandson?"

The onlookers were talking about it: "Beat this vicious old woman to death. Women are the most vicious. How could she kill her own grandson?"

"That's right, that's right. Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. It's time to teach this old woman a lesson."

"He looks to be in his 50s or 60s. He will surely die after being beaten with these 200 boards. How pitiful!"

"Why should we feel pity for them? They deserve this."

There was a buzzing sound all around, and it was a mess.

Seeing that both of them were pinned to the wooden board and their hands and feet were tied, the county magistrate urged, "What are you still standing there for? Beat them up."

The yamen runners were disgusted by the behavior of the Hu couple, so after receiving the order from the county magistrate, they raised a half-foot wide board and started beating them with all their might, causing the crowd to howl in agony.

After hitting him twice, Old Man Zhou screamed, "Da Lang, you are so cruel. If I had known this would happen, I should not have saved you and brought you home that snowy night."

From the moment Zhou Dalang started to hit him with the first blow from the yamen runner, his whole body began to tremble. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, unable to bear to watch, and only managed to endure it and not run away.

Some people around couldn't help but say, "That Zhou Dalang has a very cruel heart. After all, Mrs. Hu and Old Man Zhou raised him, but he just endured it and didn't beg for mercy."

"Yeah, yeah, adopted children are still not caring enough."

Zhou Dalang listened to the discussions around him, and thought about the snowy night when he was brought home by Old Man Zhou. He could no longer hold back and called out, "Dad, Mom."

Zhou Dalang rolled and crawled over, lying between the two men, using his arms to protect the two men who were tied to the wooden board and unable to move.

The executioner had to stop the beating, otherwise Zhou Dalang's arms would have been broken with one more blow.

The yamen runner looked at Zhou Dalang in embarrassment, then at the county magistrate: "Sir, look at this..."

When Zhou Dalang saw that the beating had stopped, he knelt down and begged, "Sir, my mother was wrong to poison and frame Miss Shen. She deserves to be punished, but my father and mother are both over fifty years old. If they are really beaten with fifty or two hundred sticks, they will die. I am willing to pay the punishment with silver. Please forgive me, sir."

Cui, who was standing nearby, had a helpless look on her face, as if she was used to her husband's soft-hearted look.

The county magistrate nodded and said, "Filial piety is the most important virtue. Today's saints rule the world with filial piety. You are so filial. Very good, very good."

Shen Yu finally understood what was going on. Although it was horrifying to see Mrs. Hu being beaten with a stick, when he thought about the cruel things she had done, there was nothing to sympathize with.

The county magistrate turned to Shen Yu and asked, "Miss Shen, you are the victim now. The son of the criminal is willing to pay the fine with silver. Are you willing?"

Shen Yu didn't know how to answer. From a modern perspective, this old lady Hu's poisoning and false accusation was enough to be charged with attempted murder, and she should be punished. However, it seemed unreasonable to let two people in their fifties be beaten with sticks in public, which would cost them half their lives if they didn't die.

While she was hesitating, Li opened her mouth and shouted, "We don't..." Before she could finish her words, Jiang tugged at Li's sleeve, and Li was forced to hold back the word "willing".

Shen Yu was pulled back to reality from his thoughts by Li's shouting. Jiang smiled carefully and said to the county magistrate: "Sir, please allow us to discuss this."

Seeing the county magistrate nodded in agreement, Jiang pulled Li and Shen Yu to the corner next to the gate.

Li said puzzledly: "Sister Jiang, why are you stopping me from speaking? Is there anything wrong?"

Jiang said, "Miss Yuzhi, it should be decided by you and Sister Li whether you are willing to do this or not. I shouldn't butt in on you. But you treat me and Dun Dun as family members, so I have to speak up."

Shen Yu was also full of doubts, and hurriedly urged: "Aunt Jiang, if you have anything to say, just say it directly. You have come all the way from the north, so you must have seen more than a junior like me."

Seeing that Li and Shen Yu both looked trusting, Jiang no longer hesitated and said, "I think we should release this old woman Hu and agree to let her family pay the fine with money."

Li said angrily in a low voice: "I don't care about her money. She caused my Yuzhi to go to jail, and people in the market pointed fingers at my family. I felt relieved when I saw this old woman Hu being beaten."

Shen Yu was also somewhat reluctant, but she still asked: "Auntie Jiang, isn't it right for bad people to be punished for their wrongdoings? She is so cruel, why should you let her go?"

Jiang shook her head in disapproval and explained in a low voice: "Didn't you hear the county magistrate just now praising the son of Mrs. Hu for being filial? This shows that the county magistrate agrees with this kind of filial piety. The current emperor is very good to the queen mother. It is said that he almost obeys everything. Therefore, the officials below attach great importance to filial piety. The same is true among the people. Whoever is filial is a good person."

Jiang quietly pointed at Zhou Dalang who looked pleading, "His own son was poisoned, but he still asked the county magistrate to let his adoptive parents go. Why? If he doesn't ask now, everyone will point at his spine and call him an ungrateful person in the future. Even if he hates him in his heart, he has to ask for help."

Then he said helplessly, "It's the same with Miss Yuzhi. Although Mrs. Hu framed you, her son begged to let her go. If you insist on not letting her go, people will forget the mistakes Mrs. Hu made when they see you in the future. They will only say that you are cruel and would not even let go of two elderly people over 50 years old."

Shen Yu and Li were not stupid to begin with. After being enlightened by Jiang, they immediately understood that a good reputation was more important than revenge.

In the future, I will have to continue setting up stalls and doing business in this county. If my reputation is ruined, I will not be able to stay in this county.

Although Mrs. Hu was wrong in this matter, it was not a big mistake if she was put in the position of her parents.