Chapter 205 - To Flush Out the Culpri (1/2)
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All the men of the village held torches and searched along the official road that led to town. Halfway on the road, they discovered the remains of the donkey cart hanging on the cliff and the shoe of a young girl… Ay! What a pity! She was such a lively and cute little girl ah! She had lost her life at such a young age…
Many of the villagers silently educated their children in private: In the future, when traveling on that section of the mountain road, one had to be extra careful so as to not fall all the way down the cliff like the daughter of the Yu Family.
On the second day, a tiny ‘corpse’ covered by a white cloth was placed in the Yu Family’s courtyard. The entire Yu Family was shrouded in a ‘grieving’ atmosphere. When the news traveled to the Yu Residence, Madam Zhang lifted her brow and nearly laughed out loud, ‘She deserved it! That unfilial wretch always went against me! It seems like even the heavens finally couldn’t stand it anymore, right?’
Old Yu, on the other hand, hastily walked towards the old residence with unsteady steps. When he entered the yard and saw the figure covered by a white cloth on a wooden bed, he muttered, “What happened? The road has already been fixed, so why did she still fall off the cliff? My granddaughter ah, why do you have such a pitiful life ah?”
With his head lowered, Yu Hai squatted beside the wooden bed motionlessly, as if he was a sculpture. He didn’t dare look up for fear that others could see through him. Under the white cloth was the haystack that he made with grass last night. Old Fang said that he had to feign a sorrowful expression, but how was he supposed to pretend ah…
Yu Hang, who stood on the side, rubbed his eyes hard until they turned red before he lifted his head and called Old Yu, “Grandfather…”
Xiaolian was really crying. She thought of how she had this lingering sense of fear yesterday that something was going to happen. Sure enough, Xiaocao had encountered bandits and nearly lost her life. Her younger sister was so clever, lovely, and capable ah! Yet that vile person actually wanted to harm her younger sister. When they found the real culprit, they should also let her get a taste of being thrown off a cliff!!
Little Shitou sobbed loudly, “Second Sister ah, Second Sister… Little Shitou won’t let you go. Second Sister, please open your eyes and look at Little Shitou again…” Uh, he was howling without tears!
As for Madam Liu, since she didn’t know how to act, the family was afraid that she would slip up and they wouldn’t be able to find the real culprit. Thus, they told her to hide in the room, and to the public, they said that she was so sad that she had fainted from crying!
Fang Zizhen and Lady Fang also stayed beside the tiny body. One was filled with righteous indignation and vowed to avenge his daughter, while the other silently wept and fell beside the bed several times. As someone from a big, noble family, who wouldn’t have a little bit of acting skills? Lady Fang’s crying was so genuine that several women in the village also wept unceasingly and repeatedly comforted her.
Seeing this mournful scene in front of him, Old Yu deeply sighed and squatted on the ground holding his head silently. Although he usually didn’t take much notice of this younger granddaughter of his, if she really died, he still felt very sad in his heart.
At noon, the people who came to help had mostly left. A familiar horse carriage stopped in front of the Yu Family’s house, and a slender and delicate figure came down from the carriage. She stumbled into the house and cried sadly, “Younger Cousin! Why did you suddenly leave like this?”
Lady Fang raised her head and looked at her niece with her reddened eyes. Her gaze was deep and calm, “Furong, you came back? Are you feeling better now? Also, how did you know about your younger cousin’s accident?”
Xia Furong’s whimper paused briefly before she swiftly recovered and sadly said, “Aunt, don’t be too mournful ah! As soon as I entered the village, I heard someone talking about Younger Cousin’s matter… It’s such a pity for Younger Cousin to encounter such a disaster at a young age… Younger Cousin, how can you bear to let Aunt see her child die before herself ah!”
She was truly a great actress; tears kept seeping out of her eyes as if they were free. Xiaocao, who was hiding in the storage room, watched Xia Furong’s series of performances with great admiration. Sure enough, none of the people who had experienced the infighting of the inner courts of ancient times were easy to deal with!
Since ‘the deceased’ was underage and a girl, she couldn’t be buried in the village’s ancestral grave, nor could they make any grand arrangements for her funeral. They could only select an area in the common grave at the south side of the mountain, roll her body up in a straw mat, and bury her in a pit. Xia Furong took part in the whole process. After she personally saw the ‘corpse’ being buried, she made an excuse early in the morning the next day and quickly rushed to town.
Fang Zizhen and the Yu Family took the two bandits and followed Xia Furong to town. The two bandits, who had been arranged to hide in the dark at the Yu Residence by Fang Zizhen, had confirmed that Zixiang, who was beside Xia Furong, was the person who made the deal with them.
To catch a thief, one must find the evidence first. In order to prevent Xia Furong from quibbling, Fang Zizhen and the Yu Family caught them red-handed as Zixiang gave the rest of the money to the bandits.
When the Fang Zizhen couple, Yu Xiaocao, and the rest of the Yu Family brought the two bandits and Zixiang in front of Xia Furong, this young girl, who was only thirteen, had actually wanted to continue making excuses.