"Yes... her son has cuckolded her father. If it is exposed and she falls out of favor, the end may be very miserable. Therefore, while she hates Aunt Ning and gnashes her teeth, she must try her best to maintain this secret and avoid leaking the news. ...So Jiang Ping'er must die. That night, she was locked in the woodshed and burned alive..."
Jiang Shun burst into tears and knelt on the ground with her head touching the ground, wishing she could die for her sister.
Everyone was silent and sighed secretly, but what can be done?
After hearing the whole story, Li Qingyi said: "Your body is bound to the Cui family. No matter where you go, you will not be able to live in peace or support yourself. Those who kill must pay with their lives. You can escape for a while, but you cannot escape for the rest of your life."
Tong'er slowly raised her head and gradually calmed down. She looked at Li Qingyi and said, "I am willing to testify and help you testify against Aunt Pang. Please help me reduce my punishment!"
Anyone who can ruthlessly seek someone's life does not have the temperament to accept his fate.
Li Qingyi expected her request, but did not answer her. Instead, he looked at Jiang Shun and said, "I'll leave this matter to you to decide."
Chen Zheng pulled Jiang Shun up from the ground without urging him, just waiting for him to make his own decision.
Although Tong'er was not the murderer of Jiang Ping'er, she was the cause of this incident after all.
Jiang Shun was silent for a long time, and finally raised his head, looked at Tong'er, and said, "If you can help me identify Aunt Pang, I will not pursue this matter with you. How much your punishment can be reduced depends on your luck."...
After reaching an agreement with Tong'er, Li Qingyi and Chen Zheng followed Jiang Shun back to Jiang's house.
Mr. Jiang was lying on the old bed with his back stretched out, staring straight at the dusty roof, motionless.
There was a sudden noise outside the door, but Mr. Jiang was indifferent.
It wasn't until someone stood in front of him that he said in shock: "Ashun! Ashun... you're not dead? Are you back?"
Jiang Shun looked at his father who was rushing towards him, his lips licked twice, but he didn't say anything.
Ping'er died so tragically... He didn't blame his father.
Seeing that his son was silent, Mr. Jiang felt even more heartbroken and guilty. He sat slumped in the corner, covered his face with his hands and cried bitterly.
Li Qingyi and others came in at this time, and they didn't know what to say when they saw this scene.
He had no choice but to wait for Mr. Jiang to calm down.
After a moment, Mr. Jiang raised his head and saw that there were many people crowded into the narrow room. He couldn't help but be stunned and didn't know how to ask.
Jiang Shun took a deep breath and said, "Dad, they are my saviors. They are here to help Ping'er seek justice."
It seemed that Mr. Jiang took a long time to digest his son's words. He fell to his knees with a plop and kowtowed to them several times.
Chen Zheng couldn't bear it and quickly helped him up. He briefly explained the cause of Jiang Ping'er's death and advised, "I'd like to express my condolences."
Mr. Jiang looks to be in his early fifties, but is actually only in his forties.
His face was covered with frost, and he almost fainted after hearing these words: "Oh my God...Ping'er, it was your father who harmed you!"
Li Qingyi said: "Today we are here to ask my father-in-law to go to the Yamen of Gyeonggi to beat drums and redress the injustice. Only in this way will this case be taken over by Dali Temple, and the truth about your daughter's murder can be revealed and the evildoers can be punished. However, after all, the Cui family This is an official's residence, and if civilians appeal, they will be punished first."
Mr. Jiang looked at his son, then at them, and then said, "Of course I want to go. No matter what the punishment is, my life is not worth anything!"
"Okay, in that case, please tell me about the situation in the gambling shop that day."
Mr. Jiang murmured, crying bitterly and unable to control himself: "My mother-in-law died early... leaving behind a son and a daughter. I have no ability, and my life is getting worse every day. I chase here and there with a hammer and a stick. , as long as someone can give him some money, he will reach out to do it. However, the days of poverty and poverty are almost unbearable. Fortunately, the two children are strong, not squeamish, and have grown up well. But , When my son grows up, he wants to get a wife, and when my daughter grows up, she wants to marry someone, so what can I do to marry them?"
Jiang Shun stood there blankly looking at his father. He had never heard this from his father.
He mentioned that in his memory, his father had never worried about them like this. He had a bad temper and would often call them brothers and sisters a burden. But now think about it, how did they grow up?
Without their father, would their brothers and sisters have grown up one day?
Father Jiang did not dare to look up at Jiang Shun, fearing that his son would only see blame and hatred in his eyes.
For sixteen years, as a single father, he worked hard to support his two children, saying that they were a burden, but he did not dare to find another woman to come back to help him live, for fear that his stepmother would treat the children harshly.
He could only grit his teeth and hold on, as he was a stupid person with no skills and could only do the lowest jobs.
His hands were covered with calluses and his face was weather-beaten. He would often lose his temper with his two children to vent the bitterness and pain in his heart, but he tried his best to keep them fed and clothed without being bullied by other children.
In the past sixteen years, his son finally grew up, but he could not let his son live a useless life like him. He began to beat and scold him, and stayed at home doing nothing, in order to force his son to make progress and work hard. Find a way to support yourself.
He is not afraid of being scolded and looked down upon. He just hopes that his son can be successful and learn some skills in a down-to-earth manner.
In addition, there is a daughter who is getting older every day, and a daughter who is getting fresher and more supple day by day. He is worried all the time. Without a wealthy family and a heavy dowry, will his daughter be bullied by her husband's family? Or, The daughter could only slowly lose her luster and wither in their withered and dilapidated home.
The marriage between his son and his daughter became the last straw for Mr. Jiang.
"That day I picked up a few taels of silver at the entrance of the gambling house. I originally wanted to take it home to buy some delicious food for Ah Shun and Ping'er, but when I saw people coming and going in the gambling house, I started to think about it. Thinking about it. This money will be gone once you spend it, and if you win a few in a gambling house, everything in your family will be settled."
Everyone present looked at Mr. Jiang in front of them, and felt a slight surge of enthusiasm in their hearts, and their eyes were extremely hot...
Such a person who is idle and scolding in rumors actually has the most concentrated and profound father's love in his heart...
Just standing there, Mr. Jiang could make people deeply feel the guilt in his heart. His tears fell down: "This is fate. I am just a poor man! I was lucky before, and I looked at a few Two taels of silver turned into more than a dozen taels, and then from a dozen taels to dozens of taels. I never knew that money could come so quickly. I was so happy that I almost planned to buy it for Ping'er and Ah Shun. thing……"
"I never thought that after losing once, I would have bad luck again and again. The money I won was quickly lost again. I was dumbfounded, looking at the empty money bag, regretting that I had lost my mind, and there was no Take it as soon as you see fit! At this moment, the people from the casino said that they could lend me some silver... I was unwilling to give up, so I borrowed the money from them and plunged into the gambling game again... until the people from the casino came over and said to me, I have to pay back the previous money before I can place a bet... Only then did I suddenly realize that everything was over..."
"They said that if I didn't pay back the money, they would chop me into pieces. Otherwise, they would sell my children to pay off the debt."
Mr. Jiang wiped his face with his rough hands and said with a sense of determination: "I thought, otherwise I will let them chop me up. Anyway, I am just a useless person, so why bother to drag down Ashun and Ping'er, they are old now and can take care of each other. Maybe they can live a better life without me..."
"father……"
Jiang Shun burst into tears and knelt down in front of Mr. Jiang. His tall and strong body looked much more alive than Mr. Jiang even when he was kneeling.
Mr. Jiang touched his head, just like he did when he was a child, and said: "With this thought in my heart, I honestly allowed them to manipulate me... At this moment, a man walked through the crowd and said to me that he was willing to help me. I can pay off my debts and help my daughter find a good home. Ask me if I’m willing.”
"It's all my fault for being confused! I thought that my daughter married into the Cui family. Although she was marrying a sick and concubine, she was still a real wife. She would have a better life after giving birth to a son and a half. Even if the Cui family actually died in the future and she became a widow, she would still be a wife. I can rely on my children to have enough food and clothing. If she stays at home, I have nowhere to tell her, and in the end I might have to stay as an old girl... But Ping'er, I'm the one who brought Ping'er home.
Got killed..."
Everyone felt very uncomfortable when they heard this, and at the same time they confirmed that what Tong'er said was basically true.
Li Qingyi was silent and said: "Suing an official or a relative will not bring good results in ordinary yamen. Unless you beat the drum to complain and alert Dali Temple to investigate the matter, you will have to be punished with ten sticks before you can see him. Young Minister of Dali Temple, after you explain your grievances, Dali Temple knows that you are suing an official, and you will have to receive ten more sticks before you can continue to investigate the case. Do you know?"
"I know, but no matter what, even if I die, I will seek justice for Ping'er and let her rest in peace!"
Jiang Shun said, "Let me go! I am young and strong, so beating twenty feet is nothing."
Li Qingyi shook his head: "Complaining from the public to an official is not as easy as you think. It must be recorded in the record and affect your life. Perhaps just because of this, no one will want you if you want to sell yourself as a slave. The following crimes are Big taboo! Various trades and guilds will not accept you because of this. If you can't even be a helper, how will you support yourself and your father in the future?"
Jiang Shun was stunned, and even Chen Zheng looked at Li Qingyi in shock.
Originally, they thought that Li Qingyi asked Mr. Jiang to file a complaint because Mr. Jiang had committed an evil act and killed his daughter and should bear the punishment he deserved for his actions. Unexpectedly, was this the reason?
How could Li Qingyi know these secret secrets?
Li Qingyi said: "Don't worry, I will find a way to take care of Mr. Jiang."
Jiang Shun looked at Li Qingyi excitedly, not knowing how to repay his kindness. He suddenly straightened his expression, bowed deeply to her, and said, "I can't repay you for your kindness. I am willing to stay with you in the future. Follow the orders and serve the girl as your master!"
Everyone was a little surprised, but Li Qingyi didn't show any surprise. He just said: "I don't need useless people around me, and my life is always in danger. Let's forget it."
Chen Zheng and others were a little embarrassed, but Jiang Shun still knelt there firmly, looked at Li Qingyi, and said, "Young girl's virtues will never be forgotten until life or death. No matter what she needs me to do, I, Jiang Shun, will always be there." No matter what!"
