Xiao Changyi had already taken his seat, and An Jing sat beside him, while An Jing observed every move of the Qingyi-clad man.
After waiting a while and seeing Xiao Changyi not speaking, the Qingyi man stole a glance at Xiao Changyi and saw that he was slowly and methodically pouring tea for An Jing. The man was immediately alarmed, breaking out in a cold sweat, and hurriedly bowed to An Jing, "Madam."
An Jing didn’t respond, just smiling as she watched Xiao Changyi.
Only then did Xiao Changyi say, "I will name them, and you will remember."
Relieved, the Qingyi man complied, "Yes," but he remained kneeling, not daring to rise.
Then, Xiao Changyi listed the names of those who had stolen fish from his estate and added, "These people should be seized by the County Government and each given twenty heavy strokes of the plank, in addition to being detained for three days."
"Yes!" the Qingyi man promptly and respectfully acknowledged.
Xiao Changyi looked towards An Jing, "Jing Er, do you find this punishment acceptable?"
Upon hearing this, the Qingyi man’s heart pounded even more, for it seemed his master truly adored this wife. His master had never asked for someone else’s opinion before; this was a first.
An Jing responded with a laugh, "Very well, let it be done so."
Only after leaving the inn did An Jing ask Xiao Changyi, "Who was that man just now?"
Yet, An Jing didn’t pursue the matter further.
Meanwhile, Xiao Changyi’s fingers, intertwined with hers, tightened slightly.
Feeling the pressure of her husband’s hand, An Jing immediately displayed a broad smile to her husband, reassuring him.
Seeing An Jing smile at him, Xiao Changyi gradually relaxed, and a nearly imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He knew she understood.
Meng Zhuqing raced to the County Government on horseback. The Government Official guarding the entrance tried to stop him, but he drew a token from his waist and held it high, "I need to see your lord."
The moment the Government Official saw the token, he bowed in panic and fear, quickly leading the way, "Yes, yes, yes, this way, please."
The County Magistrate, upon receiving the order, didn’t dare delay for a moment and immediately sent men to Jiuping Village to make arrests.
The number of people who had stolen fish from the home of An Jing and Xiao Changyi was thirty-two, including Liu Sanya. All were captured and brought to the County Government. Without even a proper trial, each of the thirty-two people received twenty heavy strokes of the plank, crying and wailing for mercy.
Among them, the women couldn’t withstand even a single strike without crying loudly enough to shake the heavens and earth.
But no matter how tragic their cries, each person still suffered through twenty lashes.
Initially, they had conspired to deny the theft and claim that An Jing and Xiao Changyi were framing them. However, the Lord County Magistrate didn’t bother with a trial, rendering their pleas of innocence pointless.
After the punishment was dealt, everyone’s backside blossomed with pain, and they thought that would be the end of it. They had not anticipated being thrown into prison cells, which scared many terribly—some even fainted from fear, and the prison guard did not call for a doctor.
At this moment, within Jiuping Village, there was a palpable sense of fear.
The village had just over a hundred people. Now, with thirty-two taken away by the government, Jiuping Village became infamously known across the surrounding villages. Yet, the villagers couldn’t afford to be concerned with this reputation, as they were worried about their imprisoned family members.
Some urged the village chief to go to the county and assess the situation, but the village chief was no official. The chief had been elected by the villagers, subject to removal at any time. With no influence at the county level, a visit would be futile.
"It’s all because of your Sanya! If it wasn’t for her catching fish and coaxing my husband to do the same, how would he have been arrested?" A woman whose husband was captured pointed at Mrs. Hongxia’s nose and scolded her bitterly.