Cheng Jiaoniang's voice echoed in the narrow room.
"A married woman is not allowed a dowry, and it is still a dowry kept by my mother. Can you testify in court?"
testify..
Mrs. Cheng Er was in a daze. She suddenly couldn't remember what she was doing here at this late night.
She first heard that the Zhou family went to rob those shops and farms. She was shocked at the time, but she didn't take it seriously.
After robbing him, he even submitted a petition to the government, claiming that he wanted a dowry!
It was not surprising that the Zhou family wanted a dowry, and she had already expected it. Such a big fight was just for money. In fact, it would be strange if the Zhou family didn't want it.
She had already made up her mind. Instead of drinking soup with Dafang, she would share the meat with the Zhou family. Speaking of which, they were the most qualified people to decide this matter, because they had the greatest confidence.
Cheng Jiaoniang's parents are the first to make the final decision on marriage matters, as long as they dare to break up with the eldest brother.
Before she could think carefully about how to break up with her eldest husband, she heard that Cheng Jiaoniang had submitted a petition to the government to clear up the dowry, and Mrs. Cheng was immediately overjoyed.
In this way, the topic of dowry is brought up again, and the second wife does not need to show up. They only have to wait for the Zhou family to fight with the snipe and clam, and they will benefit.
And the only thing they have to do is to coax this fool and make her listen to them.
So tonight she persuaded Mr. Cheng Er to come visit Cheng Jiaoniang. Firstly, he expressed his indignation and concern, and secondly, he told her that they had decided to choose another marriage for her, so there was no need to worry about the marriage arranged by the eldest family, so feel free and bold.
Let's start a fight with Dafang.
But what's going on now?
Before they could say a word or achieve a single goal, a knife was handed to them and they were asked to use this knife to give Dafang a severe blow.
How come they became the ones making trouble? This, this is wrong...
Mrs. Cheng Er felt a little confused.
"Jiao...jiao Niang, we will consider this matter in the long run." She stammered.
"Do you really want to go to court?" Mr. Cheng Er came to his senses and said, shocked and angry, "Your unmarried daughter actually wants to go to court because of the dowry. Aren't you embarrassed? You want us to testify! You..."
"In that case, please come back." Cheng Jiaoniang said, leaning down to salute.
Still threatening! Mr. Cheng Er flicked his sleeves and was about to get up, but Mrs. Cheng Er quickly stretched out her hand to hold him back.
"Jiao Niang, your father is also thinking about your reputation." She said hurriedly, while hurriedly changing the topic to her original plan, "Jiao Niang, we have something to tell you today..."
"We'll wait until the dowry is over." Cheng Jiaoniang saluted again, not in a hurry, "It's getting late, you should rest early."
General!
Mr. Cheng Er and Mrs. Cheng Er looked stunned again.
"Yes, it's a marriage, and it's a good marriage..." Second Mrs. Cheng was a little speechless and continued to say anxiously.
"No dowry, no marriage." Cheng Jiaoniang interrupted her and stood up, "I want to rest."
Following her words, Banqin on the porch outside the door immediately shouted to see off the second master and second lady, and several followers who had been standing in the yard at an unknown time walked in quickly.
"What are you doing, what are you doing, you dare to push me, you dirty thing!"
Mr. Cheng's angry voice sounded in the room.
"No need to push, whoever wants to be here can't succeed!"
"My dear, this is a good match... you will know after I tell you..."
During the tugging, Cheng Jiaoniang turned a deaf ear to their words and turned around in front of the screen.
Mrs. Cheng Er was protected by the maid, blocking the pushing and shoving of the Zhou family's entourage. Through her waving arms and swaying shoulders, she saw the back of the woman standing on the screen. Under the dim light, the brocade blouse hung like water on the ground.
It shone coldly like the white-feathered arrows placed on the tables nearby.
If you don't show some sincerity, all the benefits will belong to the Zhou family!
"We testify, we testify." Mrs. Cheng Er blurted out.
As soon as she said this, Master Cheng looked at her in disbelief.
The room also became quiet. The Zhou family's originally ferocious tiger-like followers instantly turned into docile lambs and retreated. Cheng Jiaoniang, who was in front of the screen, turned around and smiled slightly.
"Please sit down." She extended her hand to invite her, then looked at Banqin standing by the door, "Here's some tea."
……………………
When the sky was getting brighter, Mr. Cheng had already arrived at the government office by car. Song Xian, the magistrate of Jiangzhou, lived in the courtyard behind the government office.
Song Xian has been working in Jiangzhou for three years and is very familiar with everything in Jiangzhou. Naturally, he has a good relationship with Mr. Cheng. Not long after the post was submitted, a servant came to greet him in person.
In the study, Song Xian, who wore a silver hairpin and a Taoist robe, greeted him with a smile on his face.
"Zhongwen, it's a coincidence that you came here today. I'm making new sencha to try." He opened his hands and smiled.
Mr. Cheng also smiled.
"The strange smell smells good, but it doesn't look like a drink." He said.
The two of them entered the study hand in hand. As expected, there were tea sets on the short couch. They sat down and chatted for a while.
"What's the matter with Zhongwen?" Magistrate Song asked with a smile while pouring tea.
He has been in high and low officialdom for so many years, so naturally he would not really think that Mr. Cheng came here after smelling the fragrance of his tea.
Mr. Cheng did not speak immediately, but sighed, picked up the tea and ate it in one gulp.
"I feel ashamed to say it. After all, it is my family that is unlucky." He said, and then told the story.
"Is this happening?" Magistrate Song was very surprised when he heard this and almost dropped the teapot in his hand.
Because it was agreed yesterday, the official worked hard to conceal the matter, and he didn't know whether Jie Tui was negligent or motivated by profit, so he didn't even come to tell the prefect.
If all officials are the same, what Song Xian is most taboo about and hates is that his subordinates make their own decisions and do not take themselves seriously. The so-called letting go of things means that you can do it only if I allow you to do it, and you can't do it if I don't allow you to do it.
"So you don't know, sir?" Mr. Cheng also expressed surprise, with a hint of apology, "It's true that I blamed you wrongly. I thought you had some grudge against me, or maybe the powerful Zhou family was helpless...
…”
Magistrate Song's face turned even more ugly.
The general of the Zhou family, Guidelang in the capital, is an official, but so what? A military general in the capital dared to reach out to his territory and even provoked his men.
Are you bullying him and leaving after his term is over? Is the tea getting cold before he leaves?
The more Magistrate Song thought about it, the angrier he became, and he slapped his hands on several cases.
"What's going on? I'm not in good health, but I'm not dead yet!" he shouted, standing up, "Zhongwen, stay here later, I'll go ask what's going on."
Master Cheng hurriedly stood up and saluted, and saw the magistrate leaving with a dark face. He shook off his clothes, sat back on the short couch, took the tea set and started making tea, while humming a ditty softly, which was full of relaxation and comfort.
Old Shaanzhou, old Shaanzhou, do you think that by pretending that this fool is not stupid, you can use her as a knife for you in front of the world? Young people are young people, and women are ignorant. How dare you use this method?
Who can it scare?
This method is not useless, but she should not say hello to the prefect, but only win over the officials. There are clearly tigers in the mountains, so how can she allow a monkey to become the king?
However, if they had come to the prefect to fight for the family property and the son sued his father, plus the relationship between the prefect and himself, they would have probably been kidnapped on the spot and sent to the Cheng family.
Only an ignorant and money-grubbing official like the Jie Tui Guan would be intimidated by the name of the Zhou family.
Mr. Cheng shook his head and laughed, then poured the boiling tea into the cup.
The tea served by the prefect is not bad, but it is still not as good as what he eats. If this matter is settled, I will give some to the prefect so that he can open his eyes to what real good tea is.
Banqin walked in from the door and saw Cheng Jiaoniang putting away her bow and arrows, and Brother Jin happily counting the straw targets.
"Madam," Banqin said, taking the cloak on the side and putting it on Cheng Jiaoniang, "The children on the street said that the eldest gentleman has gone to see the prefect."
Cheng Jiaoniang hummed and turned around to enter the house.
"They said that the eldest master has a good relationship with the prefect," Banqin said again.
"Relationship?" Cheng Jiaoniang said, taking off her cloak, "it's better to follow the rules."
Banqin was still a little uneasy.
"Madam, should we make any other plans?" She said, "Just now, people from the Qin family came to see me and asked if they could meet Madam. What the Second Madam said last night was true. It turns out that Madam Qin really gave me
You said a lot of kisses..."
Cheng Jiaoniang smiled.
"We don't need to make other plans now," she said, smiling slightly, "If Cao Gui and the others didn't go to jail yesterday, we need to make other plans. If they did, then it would be fine."
Is everything okay?
Cheng Jiaoniang stretched out her hands to spread her hair.
"I have said that relationships and favors are better than rules. Those without favors are the most reliable." She said, turning back and smiling at Banqin, "And judging from yesterday's results, this promoter is a reliable person.
."
Is this promoter reliable?
Banqin is still puzzled, but she doesn't need to know everything in the world so clearly, she just needs to know who she is following.
Some people show the way, while others just walk, each doing what he can.
"Madam, I will help you wash up," she said.
"What? Can't we fight out?" At this time, Magistrate Song heard the reply from his subordinates. He was surprised and became even more angry.
This official Li, indeed, had strong wings and dared to openly disobey his own orders.
"Sir, Master Li said that not only can't he be beaten out, but he has to be promoted to court." said the attendant.
"Is this kind of unethical case still going to court?" Magistrate Song said angrily, "Is Carpenter Li scared by the title of a Beijing official? This is Jiangzhou, not the capital!"
Jietui's ancestor was a carpenter, and he was still a carpenter until his father's generation, so he privately nicknamed him "Carpenter's Boy". Of course, this kind of contemptuous, mocking and teasing name could only be heard from his enemies or when he was dissatisfied with Li Jietui.
.
The Song magistrate called Li Jietui this way, which shows that he was really angry.
"Sir, Li Jie said that he accepted Mrs. Cheng's suit for dowry, but the trial was not about that. The trial was about a fight." He said hurriedly, "And the principal culprit surrendered, so the victim must be summoned.
Come and testify."
Is that so? Is this okay?
Magistrate Song frowned and twisted his beard for a moment.
"As expected!" He rolled his sleeves and sneered. "You can actually come up with such an idea of taking the imperial court and going to court. The carpenter is worthy of the name of a carpenter. His craftsmanship is exquisite, and he will be promoted to the hall. I want to see it."
Look, this week the Zhou family is using their power to deceive and force a lawsuit. Do you think that all the officials in Jiangzhou Prefecture are just carpenters?" (To be continued)
