209 The Arrest
Hu San said confidently, “Then what are you afraid of? With the county magistrate’s love for my sister, she will definitely succeed! Perhaps the magistrate representative is almost at our house!”
Madam Hu suddenly said, “That’s right! My son is still the smartest! Butler Hu, wait for those officials to come and take them to the countryside.”
“Yes, Madam.” Butler Hu retreated to the front door. Before night fell, four bailiffs came. Butler Hu walked up and cupped his hands politely with a smile. “It’s been hard on you, brothers. Madam has ordered a banquet to be prepared. When we capture those unruly people, we’ll let Master accompany you to drink to your heart’s content!”
The head of the magistrate’s office cupped his hands and smiled. “I dare not trouble Old Master Hu. Lead the way. We’ll capture those unruly people now.” The group walked towards West Mountain Village aggressively.
In West Mountain Village, after Xu Chun brought Squire Hu outside to sign, he and Li Qing helped the dozen or so families write their complaints. Li Yu and Yu Niang set up the tent and were about to walk back when the villagers surrounding the village chief’s house stumbled in. “Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, the officials are here to arrest someone!”
Before the villager could finish his sentence, Li Yu saw a shrewd-looking middle-aged man and four armed officials walk into the courtyard.
When Butler Hu saw Squire Hu and the servants who were tied up and thrown into the courtyard, he pointed at the villagers and Li Yu in the courtyard. His eyes darted around. “It was these unruly people who kidnapped my master and injured the servants who came to save him!” Butler Hu wiped his nonexistent tears and cried, “Master, are you alright? These damned unruly people have harmed you!”
Butler Hu pounced toward Squrie Hu in a good mood but was kicked to the ground by Li Qing. “You wicked servant, that Hu has already confessed. How dare you spout nonsense!”
The head of the magistrate’s office pulled out his saber and shouted at Li Qing, “Do you have no regard for the law? How dare you kidnap someone in broad daylight! Arrest them all!”
Li Qing shouted fearlessly, “How dare you!”
The head of the magistrate’s office was stunned for a moment before he rushed towards the villagers with a few officers. The villagers hid behind Li Qing and Li Yu. “What should we do? Xiaoyu, they’re trying to capture us!”
Li Yu looked at the bailiff in front of her and smiled calmly. “Don’t worry. Yu Niang will pass my seal to Xu Chun and let him take a look at these evil people!”
After the officer heard this, he said, “How dare you insult officers on duty? I want to see what you have to show me!”
Xu Chun showed Li Yu’s post to the officials. The officials were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. “Greetings, Madam. I didn’t recognize you. Please forgive me!”
Seeing thisl, the villagers knelt down with a thud. They gasped and said, “Is Xiaoyu really a First-grade Madam? The official even kowtowed!”
Yu Niang said proudly, “My Madam is the Madam Protector of First-grade. His Majesty gave the order to appoint her personally!”
Li Yu looked at the bailiffs and said, “You entered the house to arrest people without asking for the truth. Did your Lord Zhu teach you that? To think he even allowed a concubine’s parents and family to occupy the farmland, bully the people, and cause trouble in the countryside. He even brought a wolfdog and guards to kill me. Fortunately, I still have some ability to protect myself. Otherwise, I would have been chopped up and fed to the dogs by Squire Hu!”
The bailiff thought to himself, It’s hopeless for Squire Hu to make a comeback. Perhaps County Magistrate Zhu will also be unlucky! The bailiff led his companions in kowtowing and begging for mercy. “Madam, we didn’t know! We were just following orders! Please spare us!”
“Get up! You’re just following orders. I don’t blame you.” Li Yu pointed at Squire Hu and the servants. “I’ll leave these people and the corpses in the cart to you. That Hu person occupied the farmland and caused trouble in the countryside! He has already confessed and signed a testimony. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get someone to send a complaint to the government office and ask him to return the occupied farmland and compensate for the losses!”
The bailiffs heaved a sigh of relief and kowtowed. “Thank you for your forgiveness, Madam. When the city gate opens tomorrow, we’ll bring these people back to report to Master.”
Li Yu nodded and said to the villagers, “Tomorrow morning, if you want to sue, come to the village to find Ah Qing. I’ll get Ah Qing to help you!”
Everyone replied happily, “Thank you, Xiaoyu! No, thank you, Madam!”
“Everyone, don’t stand on ceremony. It’s settled. We’ll go back to the inn!” Li Yu instructed Li Qing and the Xu brothers, “Watch that butler, and don’t let him get close to Hu!”
Li Qing glanced at Butler Hu, who was standing at the side and said, “Got it. Sister, go back to the inn to rest!” Li Yu nodded and brought Yu Niang back to the town inn.
Seeing that those poor people had gone to flatter Li Qing and the others, Butler Hu looked at Squire Hu, who was tied up and helpless. He could only turn around and walk back to find Hu San and his mother to think of a way.
Xu Bin and the dozen or so villagers who had their fields occupied by Squire Hu walked back excitedly. Xu Bin said to a villager, “Brother He Cheng, isn’t there someone in your wife’s family’s village who has their fields occupied by the Hu family? Go and tell them tomorrow morning to bring their fields back! They can’t live without land!”
He Cheng looked at Xu Bin. “Brother Xu, do you think Xiaoyu will help us? The Hu family has done many bad things in the past few years. If Xiaoyu helps, we might as well call those who suffered in the Hu family and complain to the government office. Let’s see if Zhu Guodi still dares to help the Hu family!”
Another villager said, “Let’s not deliberately call those people. If they know the news, they will naturally complain to the government office. After all, it’s human nature to kick a man when he’s down!”
Xu Bin thought of Li Qing’s words and sighed. “That’s true. Sigh! I thought that I would never be able to take back those fields in my life. I didn’t expect Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou to have such great opportunities! You guys don’t know, but Ah Qing said that the families that fled with Mr. Zhou and the others are now living in a place called Phoenix Village in Tongzhou. Every family has hundreds of acres of fertile land. When they are free, they even work in Xiaoyu’s workshop to earn money. Their lives are so beautiful! Ah Qing is also a scholar now! It seems that people have to do more good deeds and accumulate merit. Look, the two children of the Li Shan family have become promising!”
He Cheng lowered his head and said, “Sigh! We also passed the Cloud Stream Peak together back then! We can only blame ourselves for being too calculative at that time and not wanting to suffer any losses. Otherwise, we…”
He Cheng’s brother said, “Brother, it’s all in the past. Don’t regret it. We can only blame ourselves for not having the luck. Sigh! Brother Xu, did Ah Qing say how Zhang Decai’s family is now?”
Xu Bin said without much interest, “I didn’t say or ask. Let’s go back! Go back and tell the news to the folks at home! We can sleep peacefully now.” Everyone split up and walked home.
Li Yu returned to the inn and asked for hot water. She soaked in the bathtub and suddenly felt that she missed Zhou Jia a little. She thought to herself, “The matter of the fields should be resolved in two days at most. I’ll set off for Qingchuan after Qingming!”
209 The Arrest
Hu San said confidently, “Then what are you afraid of? With the county magistrate’s love for my sister, she will definitely succeed! Perhaps the magistrate representative is almost at our house!”
Madam Hu suddenly said, “That’s right! My son is still the smartest! Butler Hu, wait for those officials to come and take them to the countryside.”
“Yes, Madam.” Butler Hu retreated to the front door. Before night fell, four bailiffs came. Butler Hu walked up and cupped his hands politely with a smile. “It’s been hard on you, brothers. Madam has ordered a banquet to be prepared. When we capture those unruly people, we’ll let Master accompany you to drink to your heart’s content!”
The head of the magistrate’s office cupped his hands and smiled. “I dare not trouble Old Master Hu. Lead the way. We’ll capture those unruly people now.” The group walked towards West Mountain Village aggressively.
In West Mountain Village, after Xu Chun brought Squire Hu outside to sign, he and Li Qing helped the dozen or so families write their complaints. Li Yu and Yu Niang set up the tent and were about to walk back when the villagers surrounding the village chief’s house stumbled in. “Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, the officials are here to arrest someone!”
Before the villager could finish his sentence, Li Yu saw a shrewd-looking middle-aged man and four armed officials walk into the courtyard.
When Butler Hu saw Squire Hu and the servants who were tied up and thrown into the courtyard, he pointed at the villagers and Li Yu in the courtyard. His eyes darted around. “It was these unruly people who kidnapped my master and injured the servants who came to save him!” Butler Hu wiped his nonexistent tears and cried, “Master, are you alright? These damned unruly people have harmed you!”
Butler Hu pounced toward Squrie Hu in a good mood but was kicked to the ground by Li Qing. “You wicked servant, that Hu has already confessed. How dare you spout nonsense!”
The head of the magistrate’s office pulled out his saber and shouted at Li Qing, “Do you have no regard for the law? How dare you kidnap someone in broad daylight! Arrest them all!”
Li Qing shouted fearlessly, “How dare you!”
The head of the magistrate’s office was stunned for a moment before he rushed towards the villagers with a few officers. The villagers hid behind Li Qing and Li Yu. “What should we do? Xiaoyu, they’re trying to capture us!”
Li Yu looked at the bailiff in front of her and smiled calmly. “Don’t worry. Yu Niang will pass my seal to Xu Chun and let him take a look at these evil people!”
After the officer heard this, he said, “How dare you insult officers on duty? I want to see what you have to show me!”
Xu Chun showed Li Yu’s post to the officials. The officials were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. “Greetings, Madam. I didn’t recognize you. Please forgive me!”
Seeing thisl, the villagers knelt down with a thud. They gasped and said, “Is Xiaoyu really a First-grade Madam? The official even kowtowed!”
Yu Niang said proudly, “My Madam is the Madam Protector of First-grade. His Majesty gave the order to appoint her personally!”
Li Yu looked at the bailiffs and said, “You entered the house to arrest people without asking for the truth. Did your Lord Zhu teach you that? To think he even allowed a concubine’s parents and family to occupy the farmland, bully the people, and cause trouble in the countryside. He even brought a wolfdog and guards to kill me. Fortunately, I still have some ability to protect myself. Otherwise, I would have been chopped up and fed to the dogs by Squire Hu!”
The bailiff thought to himself, It’s hopeless for Squire Hu to make a comeback. Perhaps County Magistrate Zhu will also be unlucky! The bailiff led his companions in kowtowing and begging for mercy. “Madam, we didn’t know! We were just following orders! Please spare us!”
“Get up! You’re just following orders. I don’t blame you.” Li Yu pointed at Squire Hu and the servants. “I’ll leave these people and the corpses in the cart to you. That Hu person occupied the farmland and caused trouble in the countryside! He has already confessed and signed a testimony. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get someone to send a complaint to the government office and ask him to return the occupied farmland and compensate for the losses!”
The bailiffs heaved a sigh of relief and kowtowed. “Thank you for your forgiveness, Madam. When the city gate opens tomorrow, we’ll bring these people back to report to Master.”
Li Yu nodded and said to the villagers, “Tomorrow morning, if you want to sue, come to the village to find Ah Qing. I’ll get Ah Qing to help you!”
Everyone replied happily, “Thank you, Xiaoyu! No, thank you, Madam!”
“Everyone, don’t stand on ceremony. It’s settled. We’ll go back to the inn!” Li Yu instructed Li Qing and the Xu brothers, “Watch that butler, and don’t let him get close to Hu!”
Li Qing glanced at Butler Hu, who was standing at the side and said, “Got it. Sister, go back to the inn to rest!” Li Yu nodded and brought Yu Niang back to the town inn.
Seeing that those poor people had gone to flatter Li Qing and the others, Butler Hu looked at Squire Hu, who was tied up and helpless. He could only turn around and walk back to find Hu San and his mother to think of a way.
Xu Bin and the dozen or so villagers who had their fields occupied by Squire Hu walked back excitedly. Xu Bin said to a villager, “Brother He Cheng, isn’t there someone in your wife’s family’s village who has their fields occupied by the Hu family? Go and tell them tomorrow morning to bring their fields back! They can’t live without land!”
He Cheng looked at Xu Bin. “Brother Xu, do you think Xiaoyu will help us? The Hu family has done many bad things in the past few years. If Xiaoyu helps, we might as well call those who suffered in the Hu family and complain to the government office. Let’s see if Zhu Guodi still dares to help the Hu family!”
Another villager said, “Let’s not deliberately call those people. If they know the news, they will naturally complain to the government office. After all, it’s human nature to kick a man when he’s down!”
Xu Bin thought of Li Qing’s words and sighed. “That’s true. Sigh! I thought that I would never be able to take back those fields in my life. I didn’t expect Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou to have such great opportunities! You guys don’t know, but Ah Qing said that the families that fled with Mr. Zhou and the others are now living in a place called Phoenix Village in Tongzhou. Every family has hundreds of acres of fertile land. When they are free, they even work in Xiaoyu’s workshop to earn money. Their lives are so beautiful! Ah Qing is also a scholar now! It seems that people have to do more good deeds and accumulate merit. Look, the two children of the Li Shan family have become promising!”
He Cheng lowered his head and said, “Sigh! We also passed the Cloud Stream Peak together back then! We can only blame ourselves for being too calculative at that time and not wanting to suffer any losses. Otherwise, we…”
He Cheng’s brother said, “Brother, it’s all in the past. Don’t regret it. We can only blame ourselves for not having the luck. Sigh! Brother Xu, did Ah Qing say how Zhang Decai’s family is now?”
Xu Bin said without much interest, “I didn’t say or ask. Let’s go back! Go back and tell the news to the folks at home! We can sleep peacefully now.” Everyone split up and walked home.
Li Yu returned to the inn and asked for hot water. She soaked in the bathtub and suddenly felt that she missed Zhou Jia a little. She thought to herself, “The matter of the fields should be resolved in two days at most. I’ll set off for Qingchuan after Qingming!”
