(The third update has arrived, and it is still second to last on the overall list. The situation is precarious! Please vote for recommendations and favorites!)
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The father and son rushed to the pier and found out that the last boat of the day had just left. If they wanted to take the boat back to Qingshen, they would have to wait until early tomorrow morning.
Chen Xiliang took out all the money he had on him, hoping to charter a fast boat back to Qingshen, but he didn't know whether it was because he didn't have enough money, or because it was really dangerous to sail at night. In short, no boatman was willing to take the job.
"Dad, what should I do?" Chen Chen asked anxiously.
"..." Chen Xiliang looked at the green mountains in the distance and made up his mind: "Erlang, you will stay on the boat for one night and take the earliest boat back tomorrow."
"What about you?" There is no "you" at this time. Even between father and son, they still call each other "you and me".
Chen Xiliang's eyes were as firm as ice and he said: "I'll walk back!"
"Dad, there are jackals on the mountain at night." Chen Chen worriedly said, "Let's wait until tomorrow."
"It's okay, I have this!" Chen Xiliang pulled out a whistle stick from the bottom of the book box and said, "I have killed a wolf before."
"Then I'll go with you."
"No, you're walking too slowly." Chen Xiliang said: "I have to rush back immediately! I can't take care of you!" After saying that, he took off the book box and put it into his son's arms. "I have to close the door and leave the city. You
Find something to eat for yourself tonight." After saying that, he walked away like a gust of wind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The red sun rose the next day, and Chen Xiliang's thin, dusty figure actually appeared outside Shiwan Village. From the beginning of Youshi yesterday to five hours now, he had walked a full eighty miles of mountain road.
, the upper body was scratched in seven or eight places, and the entire hem became tassels. The pure socks under the sandals... that is, the clogs... had turned gray.
But his spirit was still strong. He washed off the gray sweat on his face by the lake, but instead of going home first, he walked to his family's charcoal burning field.
In the charcoal burning yard, the employees have just woken up. There has been no rooster crowing in the past two days, and no old witch has made any noise. They are naturally happy to be lazy. At this time, they are eating and talking lazily. The topic of course cannot be separated from the scene the day before yesterday.
Human tragedy.
Some said: "Looking at how badly injured the 'Mother Bug' was, she must have reported it to the government with her unyielding temper. Now the Chen family is in a lively mood." Chinese people have been fond of nicknames since the Song Dynasty.
handed down.
"Reporting to the official? They say that family scandals should not be made public. Isn't she very glorious?" The man who was called Uncle Lu by Heiwu Lang said angrily: "Forcing the children to do this, is there such an aunt in the world?"
"Hey, what a pity that kid Saburo is, he is so well-behaved and sensible. Wasn't he forced to do something like this?"
"This kid is bloody," Liu Houhou said with deep appreciation: "Looking at his two brothers lying on the ground, not knowing whether they are alive or dead, it would be strange if he is not crazy." He looked at the crowd and said, "If the mother insect really sued him.
, but I want to say some fair words."
"Go together, go together." Uncle Lu and others responded: "This evil bitch, Mother Chong, needs to be punished severely!"
Everyone was talking lively when someone suddenly saw Chen Xiliang coming in. He quickly stopped talking, stood up and said hello: "Second Brother Chen is here."
"Everyone, Xiliang is very polite." Chen Xiliang said with a fist to everyone: "You must have guessed the intention of coming here." After a pause, he looked around the crowd and said: "I heard that that happened here. I just want to know.
, what happened that day... You don’t have to cover up for my Saburo, I just want to know the truth!"
His usually reserved eyes were like arrows at this moment, piercing everyone's hearts, making them feel that any lie would be seen through by him. Not only did they all secretly shout: "This is the same honest and deceitful person as before."
Chen Laoer?'
A gentleman is brilliant and restrained, and does not bully or abuse, but is regarded by mediocre people as someone who can be bullied. Is this the so-called "how a gentleman can be bullied"?
It was also the Hou family who offended everyone on weekdays, so the employees did not hesitate and took Chen Xiliang to the shack where they watched the show.
"When I saw it, your sister-in-law had already fallen to the ground and was kicked by your Sanlang." Everyone told Chen Xiliang in a hurry: "We shouted to stop, but he jumped up and pressed his knee on your sister-in-law.
body and knocked her unconscious directly..."
"Why would Sanlang... commit murder?" Chen Xiliang said with a gloomy expression.
"Maybe it's because of Wu Lang and Liu Lang," the crowd said, "When we arrived, we saw Wu Lang and Liu Lang fainted on the ground. Later, they pinched people and sprayed cold water on them to wake up the two children."
"Why are they here?" Chen Xiliang asked.
"Because they live here." Lao Lu pointed to the shack and said, "They have been living there for more than forty days. I even visited them the day before the accident. Their living situation was really... so pitiful.
"
"What?" Chen Xiliang walked quickly to the shack in disbelief, opened the door and saw that although it was broad daylight, it was dark and damp inside, and there was nothing except a bamboo bed and a few broken dishes and chopsticks.
Seeing a small children's shoe on the ground, Chen Xiliang bent down to pick it up, looked at it carefully, and found that it was the shoe he bought for Xiao Liulang from Wang Qiaopo's shoe store in Qingshen County during the Chinese New Year.
The reason why he had to take a closer look was not because he had a bad memory, but because the tiger-head shoes, which were originally well-made and brightly colored, were already full of holes, the soles were about to fall off, and the color had long since been lost...
The tears he had been holding back finally fell.
Chen Xiliang clutched the little shoe tightly and said in a chillingly cold voice: "Why do they live here? Why don't they live at home?!"
"We asked your sister-in-law, and she said that the three children made mistakes and they should be punished."
"What kind of mistake deserves forty days of punishment?" The anger in Chen Xiliang's chest surged. He had to exert all his strength to control the urge to burn the place down.
"We don't know this. Anyway, from that day on, Sanlang and Wulang had to fetch water every day. They had to have enough water for the kiln in order to have food. They ate the same as us, either rice bran pancakes or bran steamed buns. That's it.
, and often don’t have anything to eat.”
"Yes, two days before the incident, Sanlang accidentally fell into the water while fetching water. He fell ill the next day, so your sister-in-law refused to give them food. Early that morning, your sister-in-law complained that the chicken was lost, and then she found this place.
We didn't follow her. She came over after screaming and saw the scene mentioned at the beginning." Everyone paused and said, "However, there is indeed a chicken leg on the ground. It probably wasn't your sister-in-law's fault..."
After listening to what everyone said with a cold expression, Chen Xiliang remained silent for a long time. Then he took a deep breath and said, "Brothers, what you just said is true?"
"Of course it's true. I'm waiting for so many people," everyone nodded and said, "How can we make up lies together?"
"Then, could you please make a copy of the transcript and ask all of you to sign it?"
"No problem." Everyone said without hesitation. In the eyes of Song people, it is a matter of course to be responsible for what you have said.
So everyone came to the accounting room, where there were ready-made pens and ink. Chen Xiliang was very good at memorizing, and he quickly wrote a several-page transcript. After finishing writing, those among the people who were not literate in writing took it.
Come and read it. Fortunately, Chen Xiliang retells it in spoken language without any complicated words, so you can still understand it.
After reading it, the man nodded, and then picked up his pen to sign and make a signature... The so-called signature, also called a monogram, is based on personal habits and creativity, using a symbol or picture as a basis to show credit. Because only the person can
Knowing what it is written on, it is difficult for others to forge it. Therefore, it has the same function as a seal to show trust to others.
After everyone signed, Chen Xiliang gently dried the ink on the paper, carefully put it in his arms, then stood up and bowed to everyone, clasping his fists and saying, "Thank you." After saying that, he turned around and strode away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as he walked out of the gate of the charcoal burning field, Chen Xiliang's steps froze. Looking at the familiar white walls and black tiles in the distance, his heart was so heavy that he wished he could lie down by the lake and cry.
But his mind was extremely determined. He took out the broken tiger-head shoe from his arms and looked at it before striding towards the courtyard that he was no longer familiar with.
Neighbors who met him on the road gave him sympathetic looks. Chen Xiliang went straight to the front door of his house without squinting.
The door to the house was closed tightly, and he slammed the door knocker.
"Who is it?" came the voice of maid Cuihua.
"Me!" Chen Xiliang said solemnly.
"It's the second brother who's back." Cuihua hurried back to report.
"So fast?" The two males and females looked at each other, both surprised.
"What is supposed to come will always come." Chen Xishi said: "Let him come in."
The door that had been closed for several days was finally opened. Chen Xiliang saw his two nephews, Chen Yu and Chen Wu, who were also students he had taught for many years, waiting in the courtyard. What kind of people teach what kind of students, Chen Yu and
Chen Yan is not at all like his elder brother and his wife, but he is the same type of person as him.
The two brothers were waiting here to communicate with him, but Chen Xiliang had already asked about the case, so he naturally did not want to waste any more words. He nodded to the two of them and said simply: "Where is my son?"
"Second uncle, in the backyard woodshed." Chen Yu replied respectfully.
Chen Xiliang walked straight to the backyard. He had to see his son's condition before he could feel relieved.
Apart from the Chen family, there were only two maids and old women in the house. Seeing him holding a whistle stick in his hand, how could they dare to step forward to stop him.
Walking into the back house and in front of the locked firewood shed door, Chen Xiliang rounded his whistle stick and gave it a sharp click, and the brass lock on the door fell with a sound.
Chen Xishi, who called his two nephews and poked his head out of the main room, was shocked. They had never seen such a violent side of him.
Chen Xiliang pushed open the woodshed and saw his three sons. They were in ragged clothes, with yellow faces and thin muscles. They were huddled there in a panic, and tears rolled down their cheeks.
In fact, Sanlang was sleeping with his two younger brothers in his arms. The three brothers were just startled by Chen Xiliang's move.
"Daddy..." After seeing who was coming, Korokuro and Kurigoro burst into tears and threw themselves into each other's arms, making Saburo very embarrassed.