Chapter 567: Execution
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Chen Lin’er lashed out uncontrollably, striking anyone within reach.
Wang Nian’s mother, in a panic, shielded her head and darted around, attempting to evade the frenzied blows. Despite his age, Wang Nian’s father, fueled by anger, sought to wrest the broom from Chen Lin’er’s grip, intending to deliver a reprimand.
However, Liu Dazhuang intervened in the nick of time, his expression stern as he rebuked the elderly couple.
“Listen carefully, elders! There’s no time to waste. Pack your belongings and vacate this place immediately!”
“We’re awaiting further instructions!”
“If you don’t cooperate, we won’t hesitate to take stern measures!”
With that, Liu Dazhuang personally ushered the two children out of the door.
It dawned on Wang Nian’s parents that resisting further was futile. The constable’s staff in Liu Dazhuang’s hands could easily break bones.
Their aged bodies couldn’t endure a beating, so, reluctantly, they began moving their belongings.
Chen Lin’er’s house was fully furnished; they only brought their clothes.
They dared not prolong the process. Quickly, they gathered their possessions.
Once Wang Nian’s family departed, Liu Dazhuang and the others returned to file their report.
Witnessing Ms. Zhang being escorted away, Chen Lin’er collapsed, crying and fainting on the ground.
“Father… Mother… Husband… Son…”
Fortunately, Wang San and the others were vigilant, preventing her from striking her head against the wooden pillar in her distressed state.
On the third day, Ms. Zhang found herself confined within a wagon, paraded through the bustling streets.
Yearning to catch a glimpse of her surroundings, she strained to look left and right, desperate to spot any sign of her brother and potential rescuers. However, the weight of a crime rack, along with chained hands and head, hindered her movements, allowing only a limited view.
As they neared the market, anxiety gripped Ms. Zhang, prompting her to shout, “Brothers, are you here to save your sister?”
Onlookers observed from a distance, their expressions serious. No one dared to mock the situation, as the uncertainty loomed over whether Ms. Zhang’s brothers might arrive with bandits to stage a rescue. Laughter could potentially provoke fatal consequences.
The bystanders hesitated, torn between the fear of potential harm from the bandits and the desire to witness a significant event. Braving the risk, some dared to inch forward.
Ms. Zhang continued her desperate pleas, but silence met her cries, intensifying her worry.
Upon reaching the market, she was forcefully ushered out of the carriage and pressed onto the ground.
Beside her, a bearded executioner gripped a large, gleaming knife in his hand.
Legend had it that executioners deliberately maintained beards, shrouding their faces in hair to enhance an aura of menace, making it challenging for others to discern their true visage. In his non-executioner hours, he preferred not to terrify the children in his vicinity or force hasty detours.
Ms. Zhang, gripped by fear, felt a near loss of control.
The courage to shout eluded her, and despair settled in; it seemed rescue was a distant hope.
At noon, the bailiffs’ synchronized shout rang out, “Governor Su is here!”
Officers approached to release Ms. Zhang, securing her hands behind her back. Scanning the crowd, she failed to spot her brother but found solace in the presence of her son and daughter who had brought her a final meal of meat
and wine.
“Mother, have some meat and wine!”
“Grandma said if you eat meat and drink wine, you won’t be harassed by little ghosts on the Netherworld Road…”
Ms. Zhang vehemently shook her head. “I won’t eat it! Take it away! I won’t die!
Your uncle will come to save me!”
Her eldest son sobbed as he disclosed, “I went into the mountains but didn’t see
Uncle. I don’t know if he purposely avoided me or happened to be elsewhere.”
“I pleaded with them to save you.. They let the wolfdogs chase me out of the mountain…”