pappabearbooks Chapter 84 The Scandals of the Wangs
Chapter 84 The Scandals of the Wangs
Chapter 84 The Scandals of the Wangs
The cold morning wind felt like knives on my face.
Ni Er walked into the back street of the Jia family with his hands in his sleeves. He hadn't washed or groomed himself for more than three months, and his beard covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes and the bridge of his nose visible. Fortunately, his family had sent him some thick clothes; otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted until he was released from prison in just his summer clothes.
At this moment, Jiajia Back Street was at its busiest. White steam rose straight up from the entrances of various shops.
"Steamed buns—hot steamed buns!"
"These are freshly baked steamed buns with pork and scallions, please have a taste!"
The douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) stall at the intersection was already packed with people. The stall owner scooped water from the pot with a ladle, constantly calling out, "Douzhi, jiaoquan (fried dough rings), sesame seeds, and hawthorn cake!"
Everything that used to sound noisy and disruptive now seems so familiar and comforting.
Ni Er's eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears.
"Please make way, please make way—"
'
The man leading the camels, carrying coal, sidled past him.
Ni Er wiped his wet eyes and turned to walk home.
He pushed open the half-closed courtyard gate and was stunned. There was no sign of his wife and daughter, and even the furnishings in the courtyard had changed.
Hearing the noise, an old woman came out of the kitchen, looked him up and down, and said, "You are..."
The months of imprisonment had long since worn away Ni Er's former arrogance. He cupped his hands and said, "Auntie, may I ask if this is the Ni family home?"
The old woman asked, "Are you here to see the Ni family?"
Ni Er nodded: "Where is Ni's mother?"
"They moved away; they sold this yard to us."
Ni Er suppressed his doubts and asked again, "Where did they move to?"
The old woman walked to the courtyard gate and pointed towards the alley entrance: "Go in. If you know someone, you'll see it at a glance."
After saying that, he turned around and closed the courtyard gate.
Ni Er turned into the alley, and after only a few steps, his legs began to sag.
No wonder the old woman said she could see it at a glance. Under the big tree at the end of the alley, a woman in a coarse cloth jacket was squatting on the ground, starting a fire and cooking. It was his wife.
"lady....
'
Ni Er's wife was stunned for a moment, then slowly turned her head, as if she couldn't believe it.
Ni Er strode forward, his throat tight: "I'm back."
Ni Er's wife burst into tears, which she hurriedly wiped away, repeatedly saying, "It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back..."
'
He got up and went into the shack next to him, picked up a bamboo basket and handed it to him, "Go wash up first, shave your beard, and you can come back for dinner."
Ni Er's eyes were red-rimmed. He let out a heavy sigh, took the bamboo basket, said nothing, and turned to leave.
After changing into clean clothes and getting a trim, Ni Er returned looking refreshed.
Ni Er's wife had already lit the brazier and said with a smile, "Step over the brazier to get rid of bad luck."
Ni Er smiled and stepped over, then washed his hands in the basin of water she brought.
"Let's eat." Ni Er's wife brought out a small wooden table from the shack, filled two bowls with porridge, and took out half a braised chicken that had obviously been freshly cut from a bamboo basket. She handed a pair of chopsticks to Ni Er, "I'll cook a few more dishes tonight so you can have a good drink."
Ni Er felt a lump in her throat, quickly lowered her head, and ate.
After finishing the meal, Ni Er's wife quietly cleared away the dishes.
Ni Er went into the shack and didn't come out for a long time, his eyes red. Ni Er's wife lowered her head and secretly wiped her eyes while washing the dishes.
After a long silence, Ni Er finally voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind.
After cleaning up the dishes and wiping her hands, Ni Er's wife recounted everything that had happened since he went to prison: his territory had been swallowed up, his subordinates had either died or scattered, his enemies had come to cause trouble, and it was only after Jia Yun asked the steward of the Rongguo Mansion to mediate and pay a sum of money that the trouble was averted.
Ni Er never expected that in just a few months he had been imprisoned, the outside world would be turned upside down. He was both grateful to Jia Yun for his righteousness and vowed to make those who took advantage of his misfortune pay the price.
After a long silence, Ni's second wife said, "We still have a lot of money left from selling the house; it's enough for us to go back to the countryside and live our lives."
'
Ni Er interrupted her: "No. What I've lost, I will not only take back, but I will also make them pay with their lives."
Ni Er's wife looked panicked and was about to speak when Ni Er whispered to her that he was now an informant for the Northern Garrison Command, adding, "Taking my territory is taking the Northern Garrison Command's territory."
Ni Er's wife opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing, only letting out a long sigh.
Ni Er suddenly remembered: "Oh right, where's my daughter?"
"I went to Second Master Yun's house to help his mother with needlework. These past few days, I've been so grateful for their care; otherwise..."
'
Ni Er was silent for a moment, then stood up: "Let's go, let's kowtow to Master Yun's mother. It just so happens that the magistrate of the Northern Garrison Command has a message for me to deliver to him."
Hearing that the magistrate of the Northern Garrison Command specifically requested to see him, Jia Yun dared not delay. He grabbed Ni Er and nervously went to the Thousand Household Office.
The two followed a captain to the prison gate, who said "Go in" and then turned and left.
A chilling aura swept over them, causing Jia Yun to shiver. She quickly grabbed Ni Er, saying, "Second Brother, why is this place so eerie?"
"The Northern Garrison Command is unlike other government offices; it imprisons serious criminals, so its prison is built underground."
Ni Er pulled Jia Yun along, walking down the long stone steps with practiced ease, while boasting about how he had endured torture in prison and how he had earned the respect of the jailers.
Just then, a scream suddenly came from deep inside the prison, which frightened Ni Er so much that he quickly hid behind Jia Yun.
When Jia Yun saw Ni Er's timid, submissive expression, she couldn't help but laugh, and her fear immediately subsided.
He patted his chest and said, "Second brother, I'm here for you, don't be afraid!" Then he strode forward.
Ni Er blushed deeply with embarrassment and hurriedly followed.
The further you go in, the more intense the chill and terror become. The flames of the oil lamps on the wall shrink to the size of beans, flickering as if they might go out at any moment.
"ah""
A piercing scream suddenly rang out, and Jia Yun and Ni Er instinctively hugged each other in fright, but then hurriedly separated as if they had been electrocuted.
"What are you two doing, sneaking around like that? Come here!"
They could only hear the voice but not see the person, and the two were so frightened that they hugged each other tightly.
The person opposite suddenly chuckled softly: "Don't stand behind the oil lamp."
The two men mustered their courage and took a step forward, finally spotting a blurry figure. Once they confirmed it was a person, they breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked over.
Liu Feng had given prior instructions, and since the captain also recognized Ni Er, he led the two men to a cell.
The screams just now came from here.
There was a person hanging in the cell, but not in the expected bloody and gruesome state. There were several bulging small cloth bags hanging from the person's legs, and he was covered in sweat, his face contorted, clearly enduring great pain.
Jia Yun took a closer look and was immediately taken aback. He recognized the man; he was Zhou Rui's son-in-law.
Liu Feng sat in the chair with his legs crossed, humming an off-key tune.
The captain walked up to him and whispered a few words.
Liu Feng didn't even turn his head, just made a casual gesture.
The two immediately stepped forward and bowed in greeting.
Hanging from the beam, Leng Zixing struggled to open his eyes. Confirming it wasn't a hallucination, and that it really was a member of the Jia family, he immediately cried out for help: "Second Master Yun, save me!"
Liu Feng leaned back in his chair and asked with a smile, "Do you know each other?"
Jia Yun dared not lie and quickly nodded.
Liu Feng: "Since he's an acquaintance, let's get him two bags of rice."
Two guards quickly stepped forward and took the two rice sacks. Immediately, Leng Zixing was able to breathe heavily again.
Liu Feng exchanged a few words with Jia Yun and then told the two of them to wait in the lobby.
He turned to Leng Zixing and said, "You should know that we've been targeting you for a long time. We wouldn't have arrested you if the evidence wasn't conclusive. Now we're giving you a chance. Talk to me yourself, and I'll guarantee you a life of wealth and luxury for the rest of your life."
Leng Zixing swallowed hard. "Say what?"
"What are you saying?" Liu Feng sneered. "Do you even know what kind of cases our Northern Garrison handles?"
"A big...big case..."
"If you know, why don't you just say so!"
Seeing Leng Zixing's shifty eyes, Liu Feng sat up straight. Something really was wrong!
"Hang the rice bag back up for him!"
Fanzi picked up the rice bag he had just taken off.
Leng Zixing hurriedly shouted, "I'll talk! I'll talk..."
'
Looking at the statement, Liu Feng thought to himself, "Holy crap!"
Knowing that Leng Zixing was Madam Wang's henchman, they decided to test him out, thinking "it's never too late to try," and unexpectedly, they actually managed to uncover such a shocking event.
What a vegetarian and Buddhist second wife she is! If the Jia and Xue families find out about this, they'll tear her apart!
When Liu Feng's eyes fell on the three words "Wang Xifeng," he silently mourned for Jia Yucun for two seconds.
He had heard about the fight between Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian from Xiangling. Now he was even suggesting to Lady Wang that Jia Yucun settle a murder case. If Jia Lian found out about this...
Suddenly, the thought popped into my head: "Good sister-in-law, you don't want others to know, do you?"
Liu Feng quickly banished those unpleasant images from his mind. Taking advantage of someone's misfortune was wrong, but taking small advantages was acceptable.
After carefully putting away the incriminating material, Liu Feng began to ponder how to use Madam Wang as a bargaining chip. But truly bringing her down wouldn't do him any good...
Just then, Zhang Laifu rushed in anxiously: "My lord, the Emperor summons you to the palace."
"Do you know what it is?"
"It's said to be related to Duke Cheng'en..."
'
Liu Feng's heart skipped a beat. Could he be asked to oversee the execution of Duke Cheng'en?
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