"Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one..."
The executioner wielded a large plank, while Fang Lanshan stood by, responsible for counting.
Each blow seemed heavier than the last, shocking the entire crowd.
Because this stubborn girl had only let out a grunt when she took the first hit, due to the unbearable force, and after that, she made no further sound.
She endured, she suffered, she had a stubborn temperament, and she had a resilient spirit.
Fang Lanshan felt a sourness in her heart, growing increasingly reluctant. The girl’s character was truly admirable.
"Is she alright? Is she dead? Why is there no sound at all?"
"Exactly. About four years ago, there was a woman who pleaded for her husband, but after barely enduring ten strikes, she cried and wailed, admitting regret. But this young girl hasn’t made a peep; could it be that she’s run out of breath?"
Fang Lanshan shared this concern, and out of respect for Dong Huiying, she pushed aside her colleague who was carrying out the punishment, took the plank from their hands, and delivered a blow that seemed fierce, but in fact, it was soft.
After applying one blow, Fang Lanshan turned her back to the crowd, leaned in close to Dong Huiying, and asked, "Are you alright? Can you still hold on?"
A warmth filled Dong Huiying’s heart.
Since taking over Dong Dabao’s body, due to her reputation, she had encountered many unpleasant events. But in any world, there are good people and there are bad people.
"I’m fine, I can still hold on," she replied with a hoarse voice.
Fang Lanshan was full of pity, "Is it worth it, for just a man? Why go through such suffering?"
Dong Huiying smiled faintly, and dryly spat out two words, "It’s worth it."
She could ignore the affairs of the Liang family, but everything has its causes and effects. Regardless, since she had taken over Dong Dabao’s body, she would consider it her redemption. All she wanted was some peace of mind.
Wealth cannot buy peace of mind, and actions must not go against one’s conscience. Perhaps others would think her foolish, but as long as she felt she had done right by the Liang family, that was enough.
And this would be a complete break from the original owner’s misdeeds.
Fang Lanshan sighed and continued the punishment, each strike appearing mighty but merely a drizzle in reality. However, after ninety heavy blows, Dong Huiying’s frail body was almost falling apart.
"Ninety blows, complete!"
Fang Lanshan looked towards the onlookers, exhaled a heavy breath, and then, in an instant, applause thundered around them.
Those who watched, who were there for the spectacle, looked at Dong Huiying with admiration.
Even if they thought Dong Huiying foolish for suffering the beating for a man, they could see that at heart, she was truly good.
Birds of the same forest fly separately when disaster strikes. Moreover, she was not Liang Yixuan’s wife, but only a fiancée bound by marriage agreement. To the others, her actions for Liang Yixuan were already above and beyond duty.
Dong Huiying was covered in bloody streaks, but strangely, although the wounds seemed terrible and her clothes were soaked with blood, the actual amount of bleeding was not excessive.
This was thanks to Dong Huiying pricking several of her body’s acupoints beforehand; otherwise, she might not have died from the blows but from excessive blood loss. Wouldn’t that have been a pity?
Struggling to stand, she was in too much pain, her lips trembling. So with a trembling hand, she pressed an acupoint on her body, and the severe pain instantly vanished, suppressed, blocked, yet she still felt weak.
A man rushed over quickly. Dong Huiying looked up to see the man with the charming and wicked phoenix eyes no longer frivolous. Instead, a solemn and heavy expression had taken over.
The person was none other than Liang Shujun.