The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 683 - 672: Battle of Wits (Additional update for the book friend "A Piece of Green Leaf" as a reward)

Chapter 683: Chapter 672: Battle of Wits (Additional update for the book friend "A Piece of Green Leaf" as a reward)

All the belongings were moved onto the carriage, and Manbao, curious, asked Shopkeeper Zheng, "I feel like your stuff isn’t as heavy as mine. Didn’t the Ying Family send you any gold?"

Shopkeeper Zheng glanced at her and said, "They did send some, but only five ingots. However..."

He pointed to a box on the carriage and said, "The item in that box is worth its weight in gold."

Manbao asked curiously, "What is it?"

"Ginseng," Doctor Ji asked, "Do you want it?"

Manbao said, "I do, are you giving it to me?"

"Dream on," Doctor Ji, helping Shopkeeper Zheng onto the carriage, also jumped onto the carriage himself and said, "I’ll go too, to return that letter."

Manbao didn’t go; she stood at the gate, waving goodbye to them.

Zhou SiLang watched the carriage move away and sighed, "The Ying Family really is rich."

Manbao turned and climbed onto her own carriage, nodding in agreement, "I wonder how they make their money. Someday, our family should also earn that much."

"Even if we earn that much, we can’t waste it like that. Gifts of gold and ginseng..." Zhou SiLang clicked his tongue in wonder, his mind filled with emotions, though he wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

Manbao suddenly lifted the curtain and said, "Silang, we should go to the County Governmental Office."

Zhou Si, who was about to turn the carriage around, quickly pulled the reins and asked, "What for?"

"There’s something with County Magistrate Tang."

In fact, she just wanted to let County Magistrate Tang know that Ji Hao had a fever and that his injury had worsened.

Like Bai Shan, she always felt that there was a protective intent behind County Magistrate Tang’s detainment of Ying Wenhai.

Manbao quickly arrived at the County Governmental Office. Since the government office was closed for the day, Zhou Si then drove the carriage around to the back gate of the back courtyard and knocked on the door.

The back courtyard of the government office is typically the residence of the county official; the family usually lives here in the back.

Since the government office was closed, they might as well come here to look for him, which was their understanding from their dealings with County Magistrate Fu and County Magistrate Yang in Luojiang County.

After knocking twice on the side door, it opened. The serving boy, upon hearing it was a matter regarding the Master, immediately turned to summon someone, while inviting the two visitors to rest in the gatehouse.

Soon after, a very pretty older sister came to fetch Manbao. She smiled and said, "Miss, please follow me."

Manbao looked at her curiously for a moment then nodded, walking inside with Zhou Si.

Daya hadn’t expected Zhou Si to follow and hesitated before asking, "This gentleman is...?"

"My older brother, Zhou Si. County Magistrate Tang knows him. We will just say a word and then leave. It won’t take much time."

Daya hesitated for a moment, then smiled, "Miss, please come with me. Why don’t Young Master Zhou wait at the second gate?"

Hearing this, Manbao stopped in her tracks and looked at her suspiciously, "You weren’t sent by County Magistrate Tang? Then who do you want to take me to see?"

Daya, realizing how sharp this young girl was, quickly smiled and said, "The Master is busy with official duties in the study and cannot spare the moment. Our mistress has invited Miss to wait in the backyard; hence, it’s not proper for Young Master Zhou to enter."

Zhou Si waved his hand carelessly and said, "Okay, then, I’ll wait out front. Go ahead, Manbao."

Manbao was not suspicious, but she looked up at the sky before saying, "Since County Magistrate Tang is unavailable, I’ll write him a letter instead. Just remember to give it to him later. It’s getting dark, and my family will worry if I don’t get home."

Manbao asked, "Do you have paper and a pen?"

Daya, finding it harder than expected just to invite someone to see the mistress, shook her head, "No."

Manbao looked slightly disappointed, then bowed her head to rummage in her cloth bag before retrieving a booklet and a fine pen.

She opened the nozzle of the pen, took out a slim bamboo tube from the bag, dipped the pen into it, and began writing on the booklet.

A dark object resembling a wooden board was affixed to the back of the booklet, providing a firm surface for the paper. Zhou Si held the ink case for Manbao while chatting with Daya, "Lord Tang really works hard. The office has closed, yet he still has so much official business to attend to."

Daya forced a smile in response and softly said to Manbao, "Miss, wouldn’t it be better to meet the mistress first? As visitors, it won’t take much of your time."

Manbao swiftly finished writing, blew on the paper to dry the ink a bit, folded it, and handed it to Daya, "Here, give this to County Magistrate Tang. Don’t peek, okay?"

She packed up her things back into the cloth bag and glanced at the sky, "It’s getting late; we should head back."

So the siblings waved goodbye to Daya and just walked away...

Daya watched them disappear, her face filled with an indescribable expression. Finally, with a long sigh, she took the letter back to the mistress.

Madam Tang received the letter, but she did not open it.

After hearing Daya’s account, she glared at her and exclaimed, "Fool!"

However, she did not punish her; instead, she asked, "What is the Master doing in the study?"

"He’s meeting with the steward. The Master has sent all the attendants away; it’s just him and the steward in the study."

Madam Tang nodded slightly and said, "Once the Master comes out, have him come here."

"Yes."

Madam Tang did not open the folded note, and when Lord Tang arrived, she held it between her fingers and handed it to him, "Your little girl from the hillside sent this."

Lord Tang silently took it and quickly scanned it, his brow furrowing slightly.

Madam Tang reached out her hand, and Lord Tang handed over the letter to her.

After a glance, Madam Tang’s brow also furrowed as she queried, "What is the Ying Family’s intention with this? It’s understandable to send a gift to Ji Hao’s classmate to solicit leniency during questioning, but giving substantial gifts to a physician’s assistant and a shopkeeper..."

Lord Tang sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "This morning, Young Master Ji came down with a fever, and the Ji Family procured a lot of medicine from Jishi Hall."

"Is the Ying Family trying to shift the blame onto the doctor?"

"Illness is an unpredictable thing," County Magistrate Tang said, "When Ji Hao fell from the horse, he didn’t die right away."

So, if Ji Hao ended up dying, Ying Wenhai could be charged with murder or, alternatively, with causing injury.

And regardless of whether it was murder or injury, there would still be different circumstances, such as negligence, self-defense, or intent...

County Magistrate Tang rubbed his forehead and said, "The day after tomorrow, the Ji Family should also arrive. Then we’ll know whether Ji Hao is dead or alive..."

Madam Tang stiffened, sitting up straight, and inquired, "What about Ying Wenhai...?"

County Magistrate Tang looked at her without saying a word, so Madam Tang also refrained from asking further.

That evening, the Ying Family was not permitted to enter the prison to deliver dinner to Ying Wenhai. While that was one thing, the moment they bribed a jailer to pass a message inside, it was immediately relayed to County Magistrate Tang’s desk.

Of course, the Ying Family was not yet privy to this development.

After reading the note, County Magistrate Tang paused, then decided to burn it to ashes. He sighed with his eyes closed, thinking that the Ji Family should be arriving soon, and if this were to happen a few more times, he really would go bald.

Mr. Zhuang returned from dinner and heard a detailed account of their handling of matters from his two disciples. He nodded slightly in approval and praised, "Well done."