Marriage of the Di Daughter

In the morning of Tongxiang, there was light snow in the sky.

For the winter in the Southland, snow is a rare thing no matter how cold it is. There were not many people on the street. When you walked out from Qingshi Lane, you could see many people's yards, women were cleaning the snow particles in the yard. Children are the happiest. Snowflakes are a natural pleasure and a novelty.

Dai Yun got up early, and carefully brushed off the snow particles on the branches and vines in the yard. Her young daughter, six-year-old Ping An, was obediently sitting in the main room eating. Eating with relish, I raised my eyes to look out the window from time to time, and the snowflakes fell one after another, which was quite interesting.

Dai Yun said in the courtyard: "Peace, close the window, don't catch cold."

Ping An responded, got up from the stool, and closed the window with his feet.

Dai Yun looked at the roof and sighed, the weather is getting colder and colder, the snow will melt and flow down the broken roof, the house will be even colder, if it falls on Ping An, it will be troublesome. Gotta have the roof patched up sometime...if only there was a man in the house. Dai Yun couldn't help thinking this way again. She hadn't thought about it when Xue Huaiyuan was still there, but now she frequently thought about it.

Dai Yun is not yet twenty-five years old. She is young and beautiful. She is a widow. When Ping An was just two years old, her husband went fishing in the river. The person is gone, and from now on, only Dai Yun and Ping An's mother and daughter are left to depend on each other.

It is always inconvenient to have no man at home. The new county magistrate, Feng Yutang, always wanted to make plans on her, and Dai Yun could handle it once or twice. If this continues, he doesn't know how long he can last. Those neighbor uncles were willing to help her in the past, but because of Feng Yutang's intimidation, they didn't dare to communicate with her much, so they had to suffer in silence.

Dai Yun sighed, no matter what, she only hoped that Ping An would grow up healthy. Dai Yun walked to the stone table in the yard and sat down. There were unfinished needlework on the table, and she relied on these to subsidize her family. Seeing her like this, Ping An came out obediently holding the wooden puppy, and sat beside Dai Yun. The wooden puppy was made for her by Ping An's father before he was alive. Seeing this, Dai Yun felt even more sour.

The mother and daughter were about to start a day's work when they suddenly heard the sound of someone knocking on the courtyard door, "Duk Tuk Tuk".

"Someone is coming!" Ping An said.

Dai Yun looked towards the gate of the courtyard, his heart tightened, fearing that Feng Yutang would come to make trouble again. Every time Feng Yutang came, it was a nightmare for her. But today's knock on the door is much gentler than the impatience and haste of the past.

Ping An opened his eyes wide and stared blankly at Dai Yun. Dai Yun had no choice but to stand up, walk to the gate of the yard, hesitated for a while, and then opened the door.

It was not Feng Yutang whom she hated outside the door, but a strange girl.

The girl was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, with delicate features, wearing a dark green Suzhou embroidered moonflower dress, and a blue patterned cloak over her. The cloak is wide, making her look extraordinarily weak and petite, her eyes are powerful, and there is a faint smile on her lips.

Dai Yun didn't know the girl, but he could recognize the material of the girl's clothes, which cost at least a hundred taels of silver.

She was a little apprehensive, and said, "You are..."

The girl smiled at her: "My name is Jiang Li, and I came to you for the case of Xue Xiancheng."

Dai Yun was taken aback, and Ping An quietly followed, hiding behind the fence in the yard, secretly looking at the strange sister.

Before Dai Yun could speak, the girl had already walked in and said, "Come in and tell me, it's cold outside."

Jiang Li stepped into Dai Yun's yard alone.

The courtyard is still the same as it was before. If you want to compare it, it is much more dilapidated and old than before. It seems that Dai Yun's life is not going well. When Xue Huaiyuan asked her to give Dai Yun money, Jiang Li also came here. At that time, Ping An was still a little girl, but now she has grown so tall.

Time really flies.

Dai Yun looked at the girl, feeling very hesitant for a moment. The girl named Jiang Li came into the courtyard without any strangeness. She even sat down at the stone table, looked at her needlework, and praised sincerely: "It's really well done."

Dai Yun couldn't help pulling Pingan, walked up to Jiang Li, and said, "Jiang...Ms. Jiang, I don't know what you mean? The case of Xue Xiancheng...what's wrong?"

Jiang Li looked up at her and said: "Dai Yun, Xue Xiancheng was imprisoned for embezzling disaster relief funds, and he will be executed in five days. You should know who Xue Xiancheng is. I want to replace Xue County Cheng reverses the case and needs witnesses, Dai Yun, are you willing to be my witness and clear up the innocence of Xue Xiancheng?"

Her voice was soft and soft, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting Dai Yun's heart. Dai Yun held Ping An's hand tighter for no reason, forced a smile, and said, "We are not very clear about the matter of Xue Xiancheng, we are just ordinary people, what the government says is what it is..."

"Why don't you know?" Jiang Li looked at Ping An, who hid behind Dai Yun and looked at her curiously. Jiang Li reached out to her, and Ping An couldn't help but took two steps forward, and stretched out her chubby little hand to touch Jiang Li's fingertips.

"Ping An!" Dai Yun stopped her excitedly. Ping An is her lifeline, and she will never allow Ping An to make a mistake.

Hearing her mother's scolding, Ping An quickly withdrew her hand, but still looked at Jiang Li curiously, without a trace of fear.

"If there is no Xue Xiancheng, Ping An will not live healthy until now?" Jiang Li looked at Dai Yun, "Based on this, can't you become a witness and say a word for Xue Xiancheng?"

Dai Yun was struck by lightning.

Back then, when her husband died early, Dai Yun was good-looking and young, and there were many gossips in front of the widow's house, so someone tried to trick Dai Yun. It's just that Dai Yun and his deceased husband had a deep relationship and were unwilling to remarry. When Ping An was two and a half years old, he was seriously ill. Dai Yun had no choice but to borrow money to see Ping An. The creditor had been coveting Dai Yun's beauty for a long time, and wanted to accept Dai Yun as a concubine's money, but Dai Yun refused, so the man threatened to take Ping An away and sell it to the brothel mother.

When Dai Yun was desperate, it was Xue Huaiyuan who stood up. Xue Huaiyuan rescued Ping An who had been taken away, and paid off the money they owed for their mother and daughter. At that time, it was Xue Huaiyuan's daughter who came to give the silver. At that time, Shi Yun still remembered the appearance of that Miss Xue's family. She sighed how there could be such a beautiful and kind woman in the world. Just "giggle" smile.

Now that Jiang Li suddenly brought up the old story again, Dai Yun was very flustered. She didn't want her daughter to know that she was an ungrateful person. But she can't make fun of Ping An's safety. Everyone in Tongxiang knows who Feng Yutang is. If Feng Yutang knew that he had stood up as a witness, Feng Yutang would definitely attack Ping An.

She is a mother, and she cannot just watch her child fall into danger.

Dai Yun looked at Jiang Li, with a hint of pleading in his eyes: "Miss Jiang, we...we really don't know, you can find someone else...just treat us as sorry for Xue Xiancheng..."

Jiang Li didn't say anything, but Dai Yun still saw the disappointment in the other party's eyes. At that moment, I don’t know if he was guilty, but in a trance, Dai Yun felt that what he saw was not this strange Jiang girl, but the beautiful and kind-hearted Miss Xue, her gentle smile was no longer there, that’s all. Sitting quietly, looking at her disappointedly.

Dai Yun suddenly felt ashamed to face others.

Jiang Li stood up, touched Ping An's head, and said, "In that case, I'll go find someone else." She said to Dai Yun, "Excuse me." She turned around and walked out.

That's it... it's over? Dai Yundao: "Miss Jiang..." When Jiang Li stopped, she didn't know what to say, and after a while she said slowly: "Maybe other people in Tongxiang... are like me..." She said not go down.

Jiang Li said: "I know, but if you don't do this, Xue Xiancheng really has no hope at all. I am very fortunate that Xue Xiancheng has helped every household in Tongxiang in the past, five hundred and sixty-eight households. There is still hope. If he has only helped a few people, and those few people are like you, it will be really disappointing." After a pause, she said again: "Take care of Ping An, since you have paid Don't give up at such a high price."

Jiang Li left.

Dai Yun lowered his head, held her by the corner of skirt Ping An, opened his eyes innocently, and called out: "Mother."

Dai Yun burst into tears.

...

On the other end, Ye Mingyu was knocking on the door of a family.

This family is very poor and lives in a shabby hut. Because of the snow and wind last night, the whole house was crumbling, which made people feel sad. Ye Mingyu grew up in a very rich family, and he rarely saw such a poor family, so it seemed strange.

After a long time, someone came to open the door, but it was an old woman in her dying years and a thin cotton coat. Ye Mingyu felt cold just looking at it.

The old woman saw Ye Mingyu, but she didn't seem to see it, and asked suspiciously: "Is anyone there? Are you...?"

The woman was blind and could see nothing.

Ye Mingyu said: "Madam, is your son there? I'm here to find your son." In the brochure Jiang Li wrote to Ye Mingyu, the family clearly had a talented son.

"You are looking for Wenxuan." The old woman said: "He went out to buy tofu and will be back soon. What do you want from him?"

As soon as the words fell, there was a voice from outside: "Mom, I'm back!"

As soon as Mo Wenxuan came home, he saw a tall man standing in front of his house. When he turned his head, he saw that the man had a scar on his face. Even the tofu was gone. He asked: "This big brother..."

"You are Mo Wenxuan?" Ye Mingyu looked critically at Mo Wenxuan. Mo Wenxuan is almost thirty now, has not yet married, and is alone, no one can blame others, his family is really too poor. And he is dedicated to learning, but he is still a scholar after the exam. His hair was a little messy, he had a beard, and he was dressed in a washed-white cotton robe. It was a little blurry, so he had to get a closer look.

Mo Wenxuan said: "Yes."

"I have something to ask you." Ye Mingyu said rudely: "Let me speak." He wanted to persuade Mo Wenxuan to be a witness, so naturally he couldn't be heard by such an old woman. He signaled Mo Wenxuan to go outside and talk.

Although the old woman hesitated, she did not follow. The family was too poor and didn't even have a yard, so Ye Mingyu and Mo Wenxuan had to go to the open space behind the house to talk.

Ye Mingyu said: "Mo Wenxuan, do you know about Xue Xiancheng being imprisoned?"

Mo Wenxuan was taken aback for a moment, then waved his hands nervously, looked around, and said, "Brother... can't mention it, can't mention it!"

What a timid and fearful scholar, Ye Mingyu disdainfully said, "What are you afraid of? Will you die if you mention it? Don't worry, I'll keep you alive."

Mo Wenxuan probably didn't expect to meet such an outspoken master, even though he was afraid and tried to stop him, Ye Mingyu was still unmoved, and kept saying "Xue Xiancheng", for fear that others would not hear him.

"I said, boy, Xue Xiancheng is now in prison, and he will be sentenced in five days. He is charged with embezzling disaster relief funds. Who is Xue Xiancheng, don't you know? Boy, now we want to reverse the case for Xue Xiancheng , I need a witness, would you like to come out as a witness, expose Feng Yutang, and help Xue Xiancheng rehabilitate?"

When Mo Wenxuan heard this, he was even more frightened and trembled like chaff, saying: "I can't do it, I can't do it!"

"What do you have to have?" Ye Mingyu looked down on such a person the most, and said angrily: "What can't you do? Tell me! I think Xue Xiancheng helped you settle down in Tongxiang and let you enter the township Learning to study, let you take the examination of scholar, why didn't you say no, if it weren't for Xue Xiancheng, now you don't even have copper coins to buy tofu, what do you do to support your old lady!"

Mo Wenxuan is not from Tongxiang. Many years ago, he brought his blind old mother to Tongxiang to join relatives. Who knew that distant relative was dead. for a living. If it wasn't for Xue Huaiyuan who happened to meet him on the street being bullied by a group of bullies, and extended a helping hand to understand his situation. Knowing that Mo Wenxuan was dedicated to learning, he was also allowed to study in the countryside. This is how Mo Wenxuan passed the examination as a scholar. Although he is living in poverty now, if it were not for Xue Huaiyuan's help, Mo Wenxuan would have starved to death long ago. Where can I support my mother?

"It is said that every time righteousness slaughters more dogs, most of them are scholars who are ungrateful. I have seen it today!" Ye Mingyu said bitterly: "If Xue Xiancheng knew that he was helping such a white-eyed wolf back then, he shouldn't have done it back then. Reach out and hold you, and you deserve to be bullied to death by those bullies!"

Mo Wenxuan listened in a daze, his face flushed, and he suddenly said angrily: "Enough, shut up! Am I not willing to vindicate Master Xue? Don't I know that Master Xue was wronged? When I was studying, I always I have read it! But Feng Yutang is really worthless! Do you know how he treated those who wanted to help Mr. Xue before? He harmed other people’s parents, wives and children! Although I, Mo Wenxuan, am not a good man, I only have one life , I have nothing to be afraid of, as long as I can help my benefactor! But I still have my mother, who raised me so hard, and now she is blind and can’t do anything. She's in danger because of me!"

After Mo Wenxuan finished speaking in one breath, his chest heaved violently. He had probably never quarreled with anyone like this before. Even his neck was flushed, and veins appeared on his forehead from excitement.

Ye Mingyu looked at him, his anger dissipated a little, but he still hated him for not being up to date, and said: "You don't want your mother to take risks because of you, but are you willing to let your mother be ashamed because of you? You don't know, If you do this, your mother will be disappointed if she finds out? You are such a son, and it is a hundred times lower than being poor and incompetent for her to hold her head up!"

"You!" Mo Wenxuan was speechless.

At this moment, a trembling voice sounded: "Wenxuan."

The two looked back, at some point, Mo Wenxuan's mother, the blind old woman, groped over step by step with a cane. She probably heard the quarrel between the two of Ye Mingyu, and finally couldn't help but come over. It is conceivable that all their quarrel just now was heard by the old lady.

The old woman asked: "Wen Xuan, what this little brother said is true. Is Xue Xiancheng really in prison?"

Mo Wenxuan faltered and couldn't answer. The old lady was blind and could not go out. She didn't know that Tongxiang had undergone earth-shaking changes. He didn't tell his mother either, because he knew that with the temperament of an old woman, once he knew about it, he would definitely speak up for Xue Xiancheng.

But he didn't want to watch his own mother take risks.

"Wenxuan." The old woman's voice became severe.

"It's true." Mo Wenxuan replied helplessly: "It has been more than half a year. Master Xue was imprisoned for embezzling disaster relief money, and he will be sentenced soon."

"What nonsense!" The old woman suddenly stretched out her crutches and paused severely, apparently out of anger, she said: "Everyone in Tongxiang knows what kind of person Xue Xiancheng is. There is no such thing as Xue Xiancheng , there would be no Tongxiang today. Wenxuan, tell this little brother that you are willing to be this witness, and you must not forget your roots. If we don’t stand up, what is the difference between us and those traitors? This is helping the evildoers!"

"But mother..."

"I know what you are afraid of. I have lived so long and I have lived enough. I am not afraid of death! If you are not afraid of death, stand up. If someone wants to harm you, mother will bear it with you. After so many years we Both mother and child came here together, so what are you afraid of if you die together, the most important thing in life is to have a backbone. If you are afraid of death, you can find a place to hide, and this little brother and I will go out to testify, and we will definitely not implicate you!"

"Mother, what are you talking about? How could my son put you in danger alone." Mo Wenxuan stomped anxiously, looked at Ye Mingyu, and said cruelly: "Brother, you should find a place to hide my mother Come on, I will go out with you to testify. My mother is right, you must not forget your roots, a traitor like Feng Yutang will go to hell sooner or later, so what if I am the one who sends him to hell this time?"

Ye Mingyu had already planned to give up, this scholar named Mo Wenxuan was timid, and he was the most impatient dealing with scholars. Jiang Li might be able to tactfully persuade her, but he really couldn't. Even Xue Huaiyuan told them about his help, but he was still unmoved, then there was really nothing he could do. Unexpectedly, at the last moment, Mo Wenxuan's own mother jumped out and changed Mo Wenxuan's mind.

Ye Mingyu looked at the mother and son, and suddenly felt a little emotional. He was young and energetic, and he was quite courageous since he was a child. But many people have family members and bonds, and courage is not so simple to be born. No wonder Jiang Li said that the last step is the most difficult, because people's hearts are unpredictable and there are many shackles.

But finally there is still one person who is willing to stand up, right?

There are five hundred and sixty-eight families, and if one family stands up, there will definitely be a second family and a third family... Human nature is both evil and good.

Ye Mingyu patted Mo Wenxuan on the shoulder, and said in a rough voice: "Boy, don't put on a heroic and dedicated look, Feng Yutang is just a paper tiger, it's not worth mentioning, besides, his good life in Tongxiang will soon come to an end." It's coming to an end. No one will do anything to you, and no one will do anything to your mother. Everyone will be fine, except Feng Yutang."

Mo Wenxuan clapped his hands: "We all depend on Big Brother."

"You're welcome!" Ye Mingyu said, "Then I won't stay any longer, I have to find the next household."

"The next household?" the old woman asked strangely.

"There are five hundred and sixty-eight households in Tongxiang, and every household has received the favor of Xue Xiancheng. I want to search for more than 500 households, looking for witnesses one by one." Ye Mingyu was very proud.

"You are really a good person." Mo Wenxuan said blankly: "For helping Mr. Xue with all his heart and soul, is it because he has also received favors from Mr. Xue in the past? Mr. Xue must be very pleased to have someone like you who knows how to repay you I thank you on behalf of Mr. Xue."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense, I have never received the favor of Xue Xiancheng." Ye Mingyu said: "It's my niece, who has old friends with Mr. Xue's family, and this time I came to Tongxiang to help. If you want to thank her, thank her, she Her name is Jiang Li, she is the daughter of Jiang Yuanbai, the chief assistant, and you will see her in the future, she is a rare good girl."

Ye Mingyu thought joyfully, this is the first family, so they found someone willing to stand up. If Jiang Li knew about this, she must be very happy.

For herself, and for that poor Xue Xiancheng who is in prison.

...

In the county government office, Feng Yutang was anxiously waiting for a reply.

He had to take Jiang Li's life within five days, he didn't know what Jiang Li was doing, let alone the case of the Xue family, even if Princess Yongning knew that he had messed up the matter, she would not let him go.

What's more, the dispatched troops and the twenty corpses placed in the backyard of the county government really made Feng Yutang restless. Jiang Li is such a difficult enemy, who knows what method she will use to deal with herself, her team has lost twenty of the most elite, will she become one of the twenty corpses next time.

Feng Yutang didn't even dare to think about it, the only thing that could stop him from being afraid was to have someone kill Jiang Li right now, let's talk about the troubles in the future, at least for now, he had to get rid of this danger that made him feel uneasy.

But the troops he sent out early this morning, just like the twenty-three people he sent out last night, there is still no news. Feng Yutang waited from morning to noon, and then from noon to afternoon. In the evening, Xiaoxue gradually stopped, and the outsiders were very calm without wind or snow.

Calm makes people feel anxious.

There was no news, not only that, these people were not found anywhere, they seemed to disappear suddenly in a few moments, no one found their traces, and even made people doubt whether they were real existed.

"My lord..." The guard at the door rolled in with a terrified voice, "My lord, they...they found it!"

"Found it!" Feng Yutang stood up with a heartbeat. He didn't even expect to hear the news of Jiang Li's death now, as long as those people were there. He asked, "Where is it?"

"In...in the backyard." The boy said in confusion.

Feng Yutang's heart sank gradually. He slipped on his feet and almost failed to stand still. He tried his best to pull himself together and said, "Go and see..."

But just looking at the boy's face, he knew that the situation in the backyard was not good. But Feng Yutang didn't ask, as if he would only give up if he saw it in person.

The twenty corpses found earlier in the morning were covered by a white cloth and piled up in the corner of the backyard by his men. They didn't know what to do with them. Now that Xiaoxue stopped, there was another row of lifeless bodies in the backyard that had been vacated.

Feng Yutang closed his eyes.

With such methods and provocations, he was already at a loss. Jiang Li obviously only has seven people, how could he cut off one crop after another like chopping melons and vegetables. Could it be that these guards are all peerless masters?

But how did they quietly send these corpses back to the backyard of the county government? Feng Yutang knew that since they were able to send the corpse back to the county government without knowing it, it meant that they could quietly take their own lives at any time.

But why didn't they assassinate themselves?

Feng Yutang didn't understand. He asked: "Isn't there a dumb woman in the yard? Ask her to come out and ask her when she saw a suspicious person? If you can't speak, just gesture!"

If the dumb woman was in the yard, she might be able to see how those people got in.

The boy was taken aback for a moment, as if he just remembered such a person, and said: "Speaking of which, it seems like you haven't seen the dumb woman for a few days?"

"Isn't it dead?" Feng Yutang frowned, that old woman had lived long enough, every time she saw her, she felt that she would die in the next second. They had never paid attention to the mute woman, so no one noticed the disappearance of the mute woman, and even if they found out, they would not take it to heart. Probably died of old age in his own room.

"Since these people failed to kill Jiang Li, Jiang Li is still alive." Feng Yutang suddenly asked, "Where is Jiang Li now and what is she doing?"

The two men looked at each other in blank dismay, neither of them dared to speak.

Feng Yutang got angry when he saw it, and cursed: "Say it!"

"Ms. Jiang and Miss Jiang split up with Mr. Ye San early in the morning. They walked west along the east side of the county and knocked on the doors of common people's houses. I don't know what they said to the people inside. They came out soon. Looking for a second one, how long did it take to find one.”

"But I heard that they mentioned Xue Huaiyuan's name, so it should be about the Xue family's case."