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墨書 Inktalez
Uh! People were filled with disbelief!
The punishment had not yet begun, but the brutality among their own was so bloody that it was hard to watch, until Wang finally gasped for breath and Liu Eldest was left half-dead.
Having witnessed the entire horrific scene, Zhang Wuliang did not know how to describe his feelings at this moment. Three families, which should have been happy and harmonious, had been destroyed like this.
"Come here, keep a close watch on all four of them!"
This time, even the guards watching the women were replaced with strong and capable soldiers.
Zhang Wuliang then addressed the villagers: "I believe everyone understands what has happened. Qingxi has been wronged by the rumors spread by Wang, whose purpose was to seize family property, even going so far as to commit such harmful acts.
If one of your own family members faced such a situation, what would you do? Wang is so malicious that if she were allowed to stay in the village, similar situations might arise again. Therefore, I have already assigned someone to guard and supervise."
"As for their punishment, we will decide after further discussion!" Zhang Wuliang's words were firm and resolute. Those who should have protested suddenly found themselves speechless. Indeed, why should such wicked deeds go unpunished?
The Qin Family and Yan wanted to speak up but swallowed their words, watching as the four were dragged away.
As a result, regarding the punishment of these individuals, the villagers expressed their opinions freely. They were kind-hearted and simple folk who had never encountered such schemes and deeply despised such people.
Especially the women felt that someone like Li could seduce others today and might just as easily seduce their own men tomorrow. There are no cats in this world that don’t stray; thus, for safety's sake,
"This kind of promiscuous woman should be put in a pig cage."
"Yes, put her in a pig cage to prevent her from harming others." Regardless of their usual relationships, many women reached a rare consensus on this matter.
At this moment, Li was terrified and dazed, her mind filled with images of everyone raising their fists to put her in a pig cage. The people were filled with righteous indignation; it was necessary to severely punish these few troublemakers.
Ignoring the pain in her body and the swollen cheeks from losing two molars, she clung to Zhang Wuliang's thigh, crying, "Village Chief, please don't! I was wrong, I won't dare to do it again."
Before her lay the gently flowing river, usually clear enough to drink from, now appearing like a fierce beast ready to swallow her whole at any moment.
A wave of indescribable fear surged within her, starting from her heart and gradually spreading to her limbs.
With Li causing such a commotion, the other three people disregarded their dignity and knelt down in front of the entire village, pleading desperately.
But where were they before? Only realizing their mistakes now—wasn't it too late?
The charges against Li and the others included not only their own crimes but also the crime of harboring the true culprit. Wang was even more despicable; this was clearly an attempt to drive someone to death.
Zhang Wuliang kicked a few of them away in disgust. "Today, I want to remind everyone in our Village that we cannot tolerate such malicious people like those from Ten Li Pu. We will silence them and drag them away."
With the disturbance caused by a few people gone, Zhang Wuliang and several respected elders began to discuss their next steps. Liu Qingxi, as the victim, was specially invited to participate in the discussion.
In the audience were faces filled with righteous indignation, and besides that, she could hear people defending her.
"I knew it! Miss Liu wouldn't do such a thing; it's all that shameless little wretch Wang's doing."
"Exactly! Without Miss Liu, how could we have what we have in Ten Li Pu today? Those fence-sitters are finally getting what they deserve! If it were up to me, I wouldn't involve them in anything from now on."
The speakers had steadfastly supported Liu Qingxi from the beginning, and now they were relishing in the embarrassment of those who had spoken ill of her, wishing they could dig a hole and hide.
In front of the stage, a few people led by Zhang Wuliang were discussing the punishment, "Qingxi, do you have any opinions?"
The elders unanimously agreed that a severe punishment was necessary to set an example, with two of them even suggesting putting Li in a pig cage.
Liu Qingxi kept hearing the words "pig cage" echoing in her mind. Such punishments were not uncommon in ancient times; aside from the village's clan rules, many wealthy families would also punish their servants in this manner for wrongdoing.
However, she did not agree. It wasn't a matter of being overly compassionate; she simply could not bear to see such extrajudicial punishment, especially when it involved a matter of life and death.
Just as she was about to speak up, two aged faces appeared before her. An elderly woman, with tear-streaked cheeks and swollen eyes, stared at her intently, her gaze filled with pleading.
"Qingxi, please say something. That is your uncle!" The matriarch of the Qin family had endured much and was close enough to Zhang Wuliang to hear the discussions clearly.
No matter how grave the mistake, he was still her child, especially one who had been spoiled while growing up.
Beside her, an old man kicked at his black cotton shoes caked with mud, his eyes cloudy and lips moving silently. Finally, he took the elderly woman's hand and said, "Wife, let it go."
He truly could not find a reason to plead for his two disappointing sons and daughters-in-law and could no longer bear to see the elderly woman distressing this poor granddaughter.
"They brought this upon themselves; they deserve punishment."
Liu Qingxi observed everything but knew that for someone as malicious as Wang, who would strike again if given the chance, leniency was not an option.
"Village Chief, we are not officials; we cannot decide life or death. Let's forget about the pig cage. I can accept the opinions of the other uncles."
Zhang Wuliang shared this sentiment. After all, once a life was lost, it became a serious matter. Having followed Liu Qingxi on her adventures for so long, he was no longer the stagnant person he had been a year ago.
It is naturally understood that these punishments passed down from our ancestors are not entirely just.
However, the Wang family and others are truly despicable; they have ruined the good customs that have been upheld in the village for hundreds of years.
"Fifty strikes each, banished from the village, and not allowed to return. If they show good behavior, they will be given a chance to reform," Zhang Wuliang made the final decision.
At this moment, no one raised any further objections. The punishment of fifty strikes was severe; it could very well cost them half their lives. As for being banished from the village, they could be allowed to live on the mountain or at its foot, but they could not return to the village, depending on their future conduct.
Everyone agreed: "The village chief's decision is correct."
This way, it could teach a lesson to a few while also calming public resentment, without taking anyone's life.
As for those who were isolated, they would no longer have the ability to cause trouble in the village.
Upon hearing the final verdict, the Qin family collapsed to the ground with a thud, their vision darkening as they fainted.
Yan cast a grateful glance at Liu Qingxi; without her few words, it was uncertain whether their son and daughter-in-law would have survived.
One must learn to be content: "Wife, nothing else matters; just preserving our lives is enough."
The few people dragged out again listened to the final decision and immediately collapsed to the ground, fear swirling in their hearts as they wondered if they would still have their lives after fifty strikes.
"Proceed with the execution!" Zhang Wuliang commanded.
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