Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 41

“Heizi, why are you running around in such a panic? You’re already grown, yet you’re still so reckless, you almost ran into someone…” Madam Li bent down to pick up the hawthorn fruits scattered on the ground while scolding the tall young man who was standing there foolishly.

The tall man called Heizi had an honest, square face. At this moment, it was covered in sweat and flushed dark red, and he was gasping heavily, as though he had run all the way here.

“Auntie… Sister Chuncao, you must… you must hurry to town…” Heizi said between breaths, his face anxious. “Eldest Brother has gotten into trouble!”

His words were like a stone thrown into water, causing huge ripples. Both Madam Li and Liu Chuncao were shocked, especially Madam Li. Her face went pale as she straightened up in disbelief. “Heizi, what did you just say?”

Heizi had calmed his breathing somewhat. He didn’t bother wiping away the sweat rolling down his red-black face as he blurted out, “I don’t know why, but Eldest Brother has been accused by the boss of his shop and taken to the yamen. They’re saying he swindled his master’s money…”

Liu Chuncao’s face turned white, her voice trembling as she asked, “Heizi, what do you mean, swindling money? How could our Dalang ever cheat his master out of money?”

Madam Li was as anxious as an ant on a hot wok, but she had lived many years and quickly calmed herself. She told Liu Chuncao, “Don’t ask so many questions right now. Hurry and borrow the Zhang family’s ox cart. We’ll go to town together.”

Though flustered, Liu Chuncao knew that only by going to town could they figure out what had happened. She quickly agreed and, forgetting she still had hawthorn fruit strapped to her back, ran off in a hurry.

Madam Li’s face was dark and haggard, showing her age. She kept her eyes fixed on Chuncao’s disappearing figure.

Heizi wiped at the sweat on his face, which was still flushed from running, and hesitated before saying, “Auntie, when I left, I heard the county magistrate had already ordered Dalang to be beaten with the stick…”

Hearing this, Madam Li’s whole body trembled. She nearly collapsed to the ground, but Heizi caught her just in time. Her heart was in turmoil as she hurriedly said, “Go, we must get to town quickly!”

By now, Ying Su had calmly gathered all the scattered hawthorn and placed it in the basket. Straightening up, she took the little bun’s hand and walked to Madam Li. 

Handing the basket to the dazed Li Jinfeng, she said to Madam Li, “I’ll go with Chuncao to town. You stay home and watch over Huzi and Dazhuang. If anything happens, I’ll send word back.”

Madam Li’s expression twisted with worry for Eldest Dalang’s safety. But she knew someone had to remain at home. Yet she also feared that if she didn’t go, her daughters-in-law, two women on their own, would be bullied and unable to rescue Dalang. Jinfeng was still just a young girl and couldn’t be relied on.

Ying Su grasped Madam Li’s hand, stopping her from speaking, and placed the little bun’s hand into her palm. Smiling reassuringly, she said, “You’re older now. Going won’t help anything.”

Madam Li opened her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears, but in the end, she nodded.

Ying Su turned to the young man called Heizi. “You come with me to town. Tell me exactly what’s happening there.” With that, she strode forward.

Heizi looked up at her, stunned for a moment. He had heard the rumors spreading in the village these days, that the widow left behind by Erlang was no longer mad.

Meeting her clear, piercing phoenix eyes, his face reddened. Fortunately, his complexion was already dark, and with the flush from running still lingering, it wasn’t obvious. He quickly followed Ying Su, collected himself, and began recounting everything he knew.

Heizi worked as a server at a tavern in town. By chance, the tavern was located on Southwest Street, not far from the shop where Li Dalang worked. When trouble broke out there and yamen runners arrived, he joined the crowd at the entrance to watch. That was when he saw Dalang being taken away by the officers.

Alarmed, he asked around and hurried back to Lingnan Village to deliver the news.

The onlookers themselves weren’t too clear on the details. The word going around was that Dalang had cheated their master out of fifty taels of silver. He had supposedly promised to find a skilled master craftsman to make a wheelchair for the boss. But in the end, not only did he greedily pocket fifty taels, he even accused one of the shop clerks of stealing the wheelchair he had brought.

Hearing this, Ying Su could already piece the matter together. Dalang had clearly gone in the morning carrying the wheelchair, yet now it was gone, and he was being accused of swindling silver. Clearly, someone had set him up.

When the two reached the village entrance, Liu Chuncao was already there with the ox cart.

She was surprised to see Ying Su but didn’t say anything. Once they climbed aboard, she cracked the whip and urged the cart toward town.

Along the way, Chuncao was frantic and drove the cart recklessly fast. Even when Heizi urged her to slow down, she couldn’t listen, her mind completely fixed on the yamen.

As soon as they arrived at the county office, Chuncao tossed the cart reins to Heizi and rushed toward the gates. Ying Su jumped down and followed quickly.

Chuncao squeezed through the crowd and soon spotted Dalang kneeling in the hall. She cried out, “Dalang!”

She ran forward to throw herself at him, but two yamen runners barred her way, glaring fiercely with their batons in hand, nearly scaring her soul out of her body.

“Who dares intrude into the court?” The county magistrate barked from the bench, slapping the wooden block.

Chuncao, a simple village woman, had never witnessed such a solemn scene. She was struck dumb with fear, her face pale and her body frozen in place.

Seeing the magistrate’s growing impatience, Ying Su quickly spoke up, “We are Dalang’s family, and we know some of the details of this case.”

The magistrate nodded to the runners, and they allowed Ying Su and Liu Chuncao to enter.

“You two women, what relation are you to the accused Li Dalang? And what details do you claim to know?” the magistrate demanded, striking the block again.

Dalang was still kneeling, his face full of grievance. When he saw Ying Su, his lips moved but he said nothing. Still, his eyes lit with sudden hope.

Liu Chuncao, overwhelmed by the sight of so many intimidating yamen runners brandishing their batons, was terrified. She stammered, unable to get out a single complete sentence.

Ying Su, however, stood calmly, her gaze level with the magistrate as she spoke in a clear, steady voice, “I am Dalang’s younger brother’s widow. This is my sister-in-law, Dalang’s wife, Madam Liu. My elder brother-in-law has always been an honest man. There must be some misunderstanding in today’s case. I ask Your Excellency to look into this matter carefully.”

Her words were neither servile nor arrogant, her reasoning crisp and orderly, her voice clear and pleasant. Her bearing made it obvious she was no ordinary peasant woman.

Before the magistrate could reply, several men standing nearby shouted impatiently, “What’s there to investigate? The facts are plain to see! My lord, don’t listen to this woman’s sophistry. Li Dalang is no good sort. He had ill intentions from the start, fifty taels of silver is no small sum!”