Pei Shien opened the curtain and saw that the woman with a floral towel on her head looked familiar. He remembered that he had asked her yesterday, but she said nothing. Why did you come here to complain so early this morning? He was very puzzled and immediately got off the sedan chair to ask what happened.
That woman was Wu Youfu's wife Fenxiang who was standing in front of her. She repeatedly said that I went to Zhai Ma yesterday afternoon to find out the cause of death of my son Wu Yun. He was killed by someone.
Fenxiang also leaned close to Pei Shien and whispered the name of the person who killed her son. Unexpectedly, Pei Shi'en frowned and scolded, "Don't talk nonsense. How can our government accept the situation that the Zhai Ma pretended to tell you as evidence?"
Fenxiang said, according to the governor, my son has been killed for so long, where can I get evidence? Before Pei Shi'en could reply, Wu Youfu interrupted even more extremely, "Master Governor, you already know the person who secretly killed my son, why don't you arrest him and put him on trial?" Maybe that bad guy will admit it?
Pei Shien said, there is insufficient evidence now, so why should I arrest him? Wu Youfu almost said, "Master Governor, if you find a way to solve this case and redress my son's injustice, I will kill the cow and you can eat it." Pei Shien flicked his hand and said, you and your wife, let's go! I have my own way to handle this case.
That morning, Pei Shien and his party of officials came to sit in front of the high platform of the Xinghua Village ancestral hall. Patriarch Wu, who had received the order in advance, had already summoned all the men, women, and children in the village here. They gathered together and filled every corner of the ancestral hall.
Patriarch Wu, as the host of the meeting, bowed to everyone, turned around and said respectfully to Pei Shi'en, "Master Governor, all 4,000 people in the village have arrived and are waiting for your lecture."
Pei Shi'en, dressed in official uniform, looked even more impressive when he stood up, looking calm and confident. At this time, there was silence in the ancestral hall. Most of the people present listened with their ears twitching and held their breath as he spoke about a very sensitive topic. Folks, you all know that not long ago, a little boy named Wu Yun from the village was in the west end of the village. He drowned in the canal under the arch bridge. Now let me tell you, this is not an accident, but a case. Someone caused trouble, and Wu Yuncai fell into the ditch and drowned. To be clear, this was a murder case, and the murderer was among the 4,000 people in our village.
Hearing this, all the villagers looked at each other, and an atmosphere of suspicion was created where everyone doubted me and I doubted you.
Pei Shi'en continued, now I advise the murderer to come forward and surrender. Even if you are executed for the murder, I will let you keep your body intact and be more dignified when you meet the King of Hell. Otherwise, it will be too late for us to find you. We will torture you and make you die completely. Even if you become a ghost, you will still be a ghost with missing arms and legs.
Pei Shien paused for a moment when he said this. Many villagers couldn't help but want to laugh, but they didn't laugh out loud. Patriarch Wu raised his voice and interrupted. Anyway, there is only one murderer among the 4,000 of us. Come forward and surrender as soon as possible, so as not to affect others.
At this moment, many men and women in the village had suspicious eyes and shouted loudly, who is the murderer? Come forward quickly and don't affect the good people. Others yelled, you scumbag, you black sheep, why don’t you show your true colors as soon as possible? Only Fenxiang and Wu Youfu did not shout. They occasionally looked at a woman whose face was lowered and her face could not be seen, only her bun could be seen.
Suddenly Pei Shi'en gestured and said, "Don't argue, everyone. Since the murderer is unwilling to surrender, I will declare a rule: starting from today, within seven days, no one will be allowed to leave the village. Those who leave the village must obtain the permission of Chief Wu." You must return on the same day, otherwise you will be regarded as a suspect and arrested.
What about seven days later? Someone asked.
Please rest assured that the murderer will be caught within seven days. Pei Shien said with certainty.
Suddenly, an official attendant lifted up a scarecrow with the word "murderer" written in red paint and said to everyone, starting from today, we will pour boiling water on this scarecrow every day for seven consecutive days. If the village's 4,000 Whoever has blisters and ulcers on his body is the murderer. Did you hear that?
Patriarch Wu continued, it would be much more cost-effective for the murderer to come forward now than to be caught and punished after we recognize the blisters and ulcers on his body a few days later. At least he can avoid the pain of blisters and ulcers on his body.
After waiting for several minutes and still no one came forward, Pei Shien announced the end of the show.
On the fourth day, Patriarch Wu came to the Xinghua Village Posthouse and reported to Pei Shi'en that the governor, Sha Sizhen, a woman who lived in the north end of the village, was blistering and festering. She might be the murderer of the child Wu Yun.
Take her to the Xinghua Village Ancestral Hall and I will interrogate her personally.
I have already escorted the woman to the Xinghua Village Ancestral Hall, waiting for the governor to come for interrogation.
At this moment, Pei Shi'en led his entourage of officials out of the Xinghua Village Post House, accompanied by the head of the Wu clan, and went straight to the Xinghua Village Ancestral Hall. As they approached the ancestral hall, they heard a man crying loudly. When they looked closer, they saw a man holding the messy bun of Sha Sizhen on the ground.
Patriarch Wu had a premonition that something had happened, so he pointed at the crying man and said that he was Sha Sizhen's husband, named Wu Beiping.
Pei Shi'en did not answer. He led a group of officials into the ancestral hall. Wu Beiping immediately stood up and greeted her, crying, "Governor Pei, she is dead." Pei Shien asked, how did he die? Wu Beiping choked and said, she took off the hairpin from her head...
Pei Shien understood immediately upon hearing this that she committed suicide by swallowing the hairpin. Looking at the traces of blisters and ulcers on her exposed skin, Pei Zuen deliberately asked, why did he commit suicide?
Wu Beiping put her head on her hands and cried loudly. While crying, she said that she was scared. She admitted that she had killed the children in the village. That afternoon, Wu Yun was playing on the edge of the arch bridge at the west end of the village. Saizhen passed by carrying two bundles of rice. When Wu Yun was not paying attention, she kicked Wu Yun in the back, so that Wu Yun fell into the ditch under the arch bridge. Drowned in.
Why did Sha Sizhen want to kill that little guy? Pei Shien frowned and continued to ask.
Wu Beiping replied, I asked Sizhen, and this is what she said. Our family has a cow that was sold to Wu You’s wealthy family not long ago. The price was not too high. Later, the cow gave birth to a calf. Saizhen felt that she was at a loss, so she went to Wu Youfu and argued that the cow I sold to your family gave birth to a calf, which is equivalent to you buying a cow from my family in a clear sense. Actually get two cows.
Wu Youfu asked Saizhen what he meant by asking him. Saizhen said, you must compensate our family at least 10 copper coins. How could Wu Youfu agree? He also said bluntly, "Don't be delusional. Don't say I will give you 10 copper coins. Even if I don't give you a penny, if you think it makes sense, go and file a lawsuit." As long as you win the battle, you can make up as much as you need.
Obviously, this lawsuit was not easy to win. Saizhen refused to reason with him and couldn't bear the tone, so she started arguing with Wu Youfu. Of course, she couldn't win.
Wu Youfu also said to Sizhen, according to your bullshit logic, if the cow our family bought from your family gives birth to a calf this year, you will need compensation, and if it gives birth to a calf next year, you will need compensation again. If a calf is born the year after next, you will still have to pay compensation. Can our family bear it if this goes on endlessly?
Sezhen said stubbornly, I won’t ask you for compensation for any future calves, because the latest calf was conceived before our cow was sold.
Wu Youfu said, don't talk nonsense, I still say, you go and file a lawsuit! Saizhen knew that it was difficult to win a lawsuit, so she hated Wu You's wealthy family and was always looking for opportunities to retaliate. When the opportunity for revenge came, she kicked Wu Youfu's son Wu Yun, who was standing on the edge of the arch bridge, off the arch bridge...
