FH Chapter 5
Chapter 59: 闹上公堂
[Stir Up Trouble at the public hall]
Li old lady once again returned to the Yamen. There is a big different mood compared to the previous, she flopped, kneeling on the marble floor, hands forward, saluting to the Country Magistrate.
“The just and incorruptible officer, I’m wronged, there is a master for the debt, Li Haitang has been arrested and returned, there is nothing for us to do in the future, right?”
Liu was still thinking about the five taels of silver that Li Haitang had cheated away earlier, her heart was throbbing with pain, she had lived half her life, but she was actually coaxed by a little brat!
But now the situation is different, her family Qiu Ju has made a fortune, after marrying Liu Fu, after going to the Qin family to eat and drink spicy food, but also get a small maid to serve, along with her status rose, her mother-in-law, Mrs. Li did not dare to raise a tone when talking to her.
“Li Haitang, are you a perfect body [undefiled (girl)] now?”
Country Magistrate Fan didn’t pay attention to Liu, frowned and stared at Li Haitang, and pondered in his heart. That dead old man Counselor Qin, who was about to enter the coffin, still didn’t forget to flirt with this gorgeous young lady. Reaching marriageable age (a girl’s fifteenth birthday) her figure was so good, if someone was attentive to teach her a little bit, and then in another two years, didn’t necessarily have a certain kind of bearing.
Li Haitang with the Counselor Qin is really a waste, he might as well take a personal favor, open his mouth and ask the Qin to invite the person over, in the study room, to be a maid who serves the pen and ink, red sleeve.
“My lord, this…”
Li Haitang is speechless, whether she is a perfect (flawless piece of jade) or not, and the incident of escaping slaves doesn’t seem to have anything related to the copper plate, right! In the end, whether to answer or not?
“As far as I know, your Grandma sold you to Officer Qin, and your deeds of sale and card with the horoscope of a boy or girl sent as a proposal for betrothal are all in the Qin family.”
County Magistrate Fan stroked his beard with his hand, theoretically, a marriage needs to exchange the horoscope card, if there are no horoscope cards, it can only be considered as a private betrothal (make a pledge to be married, without parents’ approval).
Li Haitang rubbed the corner of her forehead, whether it was the original owner or herself, she had a half-understanding of Daqi’s laws and regulations, and she had heard a little about the need to exchange ‘proposal for betrothal’ cards to get married.
“My Excellency, before my mother died, she entrusted me to Brother Xiao, parents’ orders, matchmakers’ words, I can’t let my mother die and didn’t close her eyes.”
Li Haitang sadly, avoiding the important, said, “My parents just left, my Grandma took my eldest uncle’s family and robbed the fields and houses that my parents left to our siblings, these I can tolerate, money is merely worldly possessions, there is a mouthful of food, it’s enough.”
A good woman does not marry twice, Li Haitang transmigrated over, it is because the original owner hangs herself, no matter whether she really wants to die or pretend, it is all in order to rebel against the wedding that the Li family has booked for her.
“Although the reasoning is like this, as a human being, if you were being sold, your marriage cannot be counted as valid at all.”
County Magistrate Fan said a bunch of Daqi laws made Li Haitang listen and become dizzy, after all. This matter is about the punishment for the escaped slaves,so as long as she confessed to the crime, the Qin family side will not be pursued,the leniency (open the net on one side (idiom); let the caged bird fly) if this matter is turned over, otherwise, escaped slaves would be sentenced to serious crime of banishment.
“The just and incorruptible Officer, I just don’t believe that my Grandma can sell me as a death contract slave, is it a mistake?”
Li Haitang rolled her eyes and decided to change her strategy, she turned her head and glanced at Old Mrs. Li, her gaze was full of trust, “My Grandma said that she would let me marry Elder Qin, and that if I married someone, I would be able to eat and drink, and that my youngest brother would still be able to study, but when I became a maid, I would be doing all the work of serving people.”
Unlike her bouncing around just now, Old Mrs. Li didn’t say a word, she had a weak heart. She started out wanting to marry Li Haitang off to earn a sum of bride price silver to improve her family’s life, but Liu told her that if she could sell the person on a death deed, her family could get an extra two hundred taels of silver.
Two hundred taels, enough to buy a small yard in the town by the street, converted into a store, leased out, can also have a dozen taels of silver income every year.
Anyway, Li Haitang is a little girl, sooner or later, as if she is a spilt water, Old Madam Li does not care, but she did it like that, not without reason.
The oldest two Li Dahe went to the county, collected Ruan’s, and then balked. He wanted to marry Ruan as his wife.
That Ruan, delicate and weak, at first glance, can not do work, and can not speak, ask everything in silence, so she very disliked it.
Anyway, the other side did not want bride price, said no relatives of the orphan girl, Mrs. Li turned her face immediately, weighing the pros and cons then agreed to the wedding matter.
After the marriage, the Li family separated, lived together in harmony, but also calm, but the good days did not last long, and then set off waves, the cause was the birth of Li Haitang.
Ruan just married less than eight months, and this daughter is full-term (mature), that is to say, Li Dahe became an entrepreneur, Li Haitang is not the heir of the Li family.
Li old lady is more disgusting than when you swallow a housefly. On the other hand, she is a person who wants to save face. She has been thinking of driving this cheap granddaughter of unknown origin out of the door, waiting for Li Dahe and Ruan to die then her chance will come.
“Don’t call me Grandma, who knows where this wild seed came from?!”
Old Mrs. Li was most annoyed with Ruan’s behavior, seeing Li Haitang pretending to be pitiful, a fire rubbed out in her heart and she cursed, “The same as that lowly mother of yours!”
“Above the public hall, don’t make irresponsible remarks!”
A County Magistrate Fan watched a lively, knocking on the hall wood, gently coughing twice, asked the official below to talk back, “How? Do you bring the body contract?”
“Replying to the words of the excellency, the Counselor Qin was unconscious, found the housekeeper to open the box, and get it.”
The official police officer flicked a thin yellowed paper, there are red handprints on it, he can not read, handed over to the private adviser standing next to him.
The division master opened the folded paper and was about to inspect it when he was interrupted by Li Haitang, “My Excellency, you are the just and incorruptible officer, I have a small request, I don’t know if it’s appropriate to speak.”
County Magistrate Fan is most fond of being flattered, immediately smiled and narrowed his eyes, and said in a good mood, “Speak!”
“My lord, this marriage was set when my mother was alive, moreover, I have long been Big Brother Xiao’s person, if I am really sold to the Qin family, I can only be the Qin family’s subordinate, if not, I hope to get my own back eight words card (card with the horoscope of a boy or girl sent as a proposal for betrothal).”
Li Haitang only had one purpose: the horoscope card. If she breaks up with the Qin family afterward, she will have to make trouble again, Li Qiu Ju is not an oil-saving lamp (sb who is easy to deal with) she does not have the patience to continue circling around with these people.
“Good, this official approves.”
County Magistrate Fan thinks it’s no big deal, and sends his men to the Qin family to ask for ‘a card with the horoscope of a boy or girl sent as a proposal for betrothal’ (庚帖).
Liu sarcastically hooked the corner of her mouth, thinking, even if they have to come to get the card with the proposal for betrothal, then so what? The deed of sale was written by the scholar they specially spent silver on, and the handprints were pressed, so there’s no way to make a mistake, right? If Li Haitang struggles again, then it’s useless.
“Haitang, oooh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
Li Qiuju knelt on the ground, unable to stop wiping her tears with her hands, indicating that she didn’t know anything about the matter of the deed of sale, or else with deep sisterly love, she would have definitely made a move to stop it.
“Female Cousin, don’t blame yourself, perhaps this is my fate.”
Just pretend, who’s afraid?! Li Haitang lowered her head, her tears falling silently onto the green stone slab, leaving a puddle of water stains. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes and heard it with her own ears, how could she not have thought that there was a hidden mastermind behind it.