After Transmigration, I Picked Up A Husband and Daughter
Chapter 158 Arson

Chapter 158: Chapter 158 Arson

Jiang Qishan spoke directly, completely unaware that his joke was somewhat teasing his brother, who was about a decade older than him.

"Yes, you’re right,"

Jiang Ziling was easygoing and unpretentious, responding realistically.

Meanwhile, Su Yu had already prepared the carriage and instructed Xixi to notify the villagers who needed water.

Jiang Qishan politely bid farewell, holding the rope in one hand as the carriage slowly started and gradually disappeared in the afterglow of the sunset.

Once inside, Su Yu curiously asked, "Who is that young man? I’ve never seen him before."

Jiang Ziling replied with a smile, "That’s my youngest uncle’s son; he has been studying in the county town and rarely gets to come back."

Su Yu was slightly surprised, thinking to herself, ’So he’s a scholar, and yet he can be so conversational?’

In her impression, those who had studied generally carried an inherently reserved and elegant demeanor, but this young man, with his abundant and lively conversation, completely shattered her fixed stereotype.

After a brief rest, Su Yu returned to her work of making the Beauty Care cream.

As night fell, Jiang Qishan timely returned the carriage and declined the offer to join them for dinner.

Seeing this, Su Yu didn’t insist. She personally groomed the diligent horse, gently patted its head, and softly expressed her thanks. It seemed to understand the sentiment and responded with soft neighs.

After dinner, the family cooperatively bottled the newly made Beauty Care cream carefully, waiting for them to solidify into a creamy substance.

Night deepened, but Fang Qin, who had gone to the town to report to the authorities, still had not returned.

During the day, Su Yu remembered that Eldest Uncle Li’s ox-cart had been enthusiastically helping everyone, and she couldn’t help worrying about how Fang Qin had managed to go to town alone.

If she had walked, given her frail stature, such a long journey must have been extremely difficult.

She had been gone the entire day, and Dazhuang had cried several times out of hunger. Lady Zhao, heartbroken, had no choice but to let Xie Xinghua make some rice soup on the spot.

With the children at home, Fang Qin usually wouldn’t be away for so long. Could something unexpected have happened on the road? Such thoughts inadvertently stirred a vague sense of anxiety in Su Yu’s heart.

While Jiang Ziling was lost in his complex thoughts, a sudden dull yet distinct sound of a door opening outside broke his contemplation.

This sound seemed to carry an unusual urgency, hinting at something about to unfold.

Fang Qin stepped into the courtyard, her figure exceedingly weary, her face dusty as if she had returned from a long journey.

Sweat beads formed on her forehead and slowly slid down her cheeks, leaving clear trails that bore witness to her hard day.

This day had indeed been extremely exhausting for her.

In the early morning, while most people were still deep in sleep, Fang Qin had risen early, planning to deal with a challenging matter in town—filing a report.

However, when she revealed her purpose, both Uncle Li and Zhao Mazi, who had readily agreed to take her, suddenly started making excuses: one claimed his ox-cart was mysteriously damaged, the other said his donkey was sick. In the end, all reasons pointed to one conclusion—they couldn’t help her.

Faced with such a situation, Fang Qin didn’t complain but swallowed her frustration and decided to undertake the long journey on foot.

She trudged through muddy paths and over winding hills, tirelessly moving forward until her feet felt leaden, finally arriving at the county government office.

But what greeted her was a cold sentence from the Yamen constable — "To file a lawsuit, first submit the complaint."

For Fang Qin, who could hardly recognize a few characters, this was undoubtedly an insurmountable obstacle.

She stood there, her face filled with helplessness and confusion.

Luckily, there was an old man near the county government who specialized in writing letters for others, but his fee was astonishingly high — a total of eight hundred and eighty-eight Copper Coins, a figure that sounded more like a joke.

But for the sake of justice, Fang Qin clenched her teeth and painfully paid this substantial amount of money, ultimately submitting the weighty complaint.

However, the next words from the constable were like a cold shower — the case review would have to wait until tomorrow, and she was required to bring the defendant along.

This requirement left Fang Qin both amused and frustrated. If that cunning defendant could easily heed her summons, why would she have reached this juncture?

She tried all possible methods, from gentle pleading to nearly losing her sanity in her requests, even resorting to threatening and making a scene, hoping that the constable would show leniency and lend a helping hand.

But the constable’s attitude was cold and firm, eventually driving her mercilessly out of the door.

It was in this moment of despair that the old scribe offered a crucial suggestion — to spend money to grease the wheels.

Without hesitation, Fang Qin drained the last of the broken silver she had, which finally earned her a nod of agreement from him, promising that he would seek out Su Yu the next day.

As the twilight slowly faded, Fang Qin dragged her heavy steps toward home, her stomach empty, her legs like they were filled with lead, her chest swollen with milk not suckled by the infant, and every step felt like walking on needles.

Yet the thought of bringing Su Yu, that evildoer, to justice tomorrow brought a hint of relief to her heart, and this hope kept her moving forward.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ziling in the house quietly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Fang Qin had returned without leading the officers, and his heart was slightly at ease.

Knowing his own mobility was compromised, he had been constantly worried about Fang Qin’s actions, fearing that once Su Yu was truly captured, he would be unable to offer even the smallest help and could only anxiously wait on the sidelines, powerless.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the thin mist, Su Yu was preparing to go out and gather firewood when two officials, clad in armor and carrying large swords, appeared at the door, exuding an aura of unyielding authority.

"May I ask, which one of you is Su Yu?"

Their voices echoed in the quiet courtyard.

Seeing this, Su Yu already knew there was no escape today and, setting down his basket, responded with a calm and unhurried attitude, "I am Su Yu."

Faced with this sudden arrest, the two constables were stern as they announced she was accused of arson and causing injury without cause, and demanded she accompany them to the Yamen for an investigation.

Such a situation was enough to make any ordinary woman panic and even cry and beg for mercy.

However, Su Yu was not ordinary; she showed an extraordinary calmness, responding lightly, "Very well, please wait a moment for me to inform my family, and then I will accompany you immediately."

This composed demeanor surprised everyone present.

The two constables looked at Su Yu standing before them, their expressions filled with amazement.

They had walked this land for many years, encountering countless village women, most of whom were either loud and unreasonable shrews or quietly weeping, frail damsels.

Yet Su Yu, faced with an unexpected turn of events, could maintain such composure.