Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 442 - 241

Chapter 442: 241

Qian Manhe was infuriated and bellowed, "Whether I’m talking nonsense, let’s have the Master County Magistrate decide tomorrow."

Old man Li also grew angry and shouted with a coarse voice, "Then let’s go, I’ll see it through to the end. With so many witnesses to the fact that this woman shamelessly seduced others first, I’d like to see what the Master County Magistrate will rule. Hmph, unable to resist loneliness while her husband is away at war, she’s sure to be sentenced to a beating."

People outside the courtyard also began to curse Qian Mandua for being loose and shameless.

Upon hearing this, the cries of Qian Mandua and her son grew even louder.

Qian Manhe had never felt such a sense of helplessness as he did today, with the Li family inverting right and wrong, Old man Li making a hasty and misguided decision, onlookers who knew nothing of the truth stirring things up, and the cries of his sister and nephew...

He was completely powerless!

He had thought that by catching the Li family in the act and then intimidating them with a dozen people, he could easily take his sister and nephew away...

Huang Tie came over, patted Qian Manhe on the shoulder, and bowing to Old man Li, said, "Uncle Li, although I’m an outsider, my lord sent me here to back up Second Shopkeeper Qian. May I say a few words?"

Old man Li, whose eyesight was failing and with evening approaching, hadn’t initially noticed Huang Tie standing in the courtyard. Upon hearing Huang Tie’s offer, he immediately put on a smile and bowed back, "Butler Huang jests. Ah, you’ve really caught us in a farce. Please speak, go ahead."

He had not expected that even Landlord Qian would get involved in this matter, sending Butler Huang to intervene.

Old man Li and his son would find any excuse to get close to Landlord Qian during the holidays, knowing that Huang Tie was Landlord Qian’s most trusted confidant; they had far more respect for him than for Qian Manhe.

In fact, Qian Manhe was Qian Sangui’s own nephew and should have had more face than a servant from Guiyuan.

However, everyone in the neighboring villages knew that their branch of the family had already split, and Lady Tang committed many offenses that displeased Landlord Qian, resulting in their family no longer being as close to Landlord Qian as before. Furthermore, since Huang Tie was the manager of Moonlit Lotus Pond, villagers would go to him much more often than to Qian Manhe. In the eyes of the villagers, Huang Hua, although a servant, held much more prestige than Qian Manhe.

Another reason was that Old man Li’s eldest grandson had set up a shop in town and often needed to stock quality goods from the Jinxiu Embroidery Workshop, so it was even more important to stay on good terms with Huang Tie.

Hearing Old man Li’s response, Huang Tie glanced at Li Laoer who was delighting in the misfortune, then said to Old man Li, "Uncle Li, do you admit that Li Laoer sold his own niece to send her to her death for ten taels of silver?" Seeing Old man Li nod, he continued, "Then how can you believe the words of such a conscienceless person?"

Old man Li said, "It’s not just his word I’m listening to, everyone in the Li family says the same."

Huang Tie retorted, "Do you know that after Li Laoer sold his own niece and retrieved ten taels of silver, not a single person thought to save their own granddaughter or niece, but they quarreled all day over those few taels of silver and eventually came to blows. Can you trust the words of these people who are worse than pigs and dogs?"

Ah Cai wept as he told how he was locked up by his mother, how he gained their trust, and how he ran away to seek help the next day they fought.

The villagers initially disliked the Li family for stealing chickens and causing trouble and were misled by Old man Li earlier. But upon hearing this, they believed the Li family could definitely commit such villainy and once again started cursing the Li family vociferously.

Huang Tie continued, "Uncle Li, the Master County Magistrate is not so easily deceived. If you go along and bear false witness, the Master County Magistrate won’t think you were duped, but will believe you are in league with them. When he sentences you to be beaten, it won’t just be your face that’s lost, but your descendants will lose face too."

Not waiting for Old man Li’s response, Huang Tie turned to Qian Manhe and said, "Second Shopkeeper Qian, do not be angry. Today, let’s leave a few people here to watch over this family, so they can neither flee from their crimes nor insult your aunt and cousins. First thing tomorrow morning, Second Shopkeeper Qian, you should go to Guiyuan and ask my lord for a petition, and I will accompany you to the county town to pound the drum for justice. The Master County Magistrate is Old Master Qingtian and can clearly discern right from wrong, and he’s on good terms with my lord. If these people dare to stubbornly bear false witness, a beating will leave them bloodied and battered, then we’ll see if they still lie."

The Li family, except for Li Laoer who feared neither heaven nor earth and was an unscrupulous villain, all feared the officials. Hearing Butler Huang say they would be taken to see the officials and also be beaten, they all became frightened. Moreover, since Landlord Qian had a good relationship with the Master County Magistrate and his son was a high-ranking official, the saying ’Officials protect one another’ rang true...