The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 777 Unyielding (2)_1

Chapter 777: Chapter 777 Unyielding (2)_1

"You lowly wretch..." Lady Zhu cursed at her.

Pei Qian clenched her fists, wishing she could rush forward and tear the old woman’s face off, "Keep cursing you old hag, and I’ll break off all your remaining teeth!"

Lady Zhu’s breathing hitched, and seeing the fierce hatred in her, she dared not curse loudly again, "... Don’t you have any respect for the law! The heavens will sooner or later take you all!"

"No one’s plotting against us, the heavens won’t take us that quickly! It’s you people who should be worrying—if you’ve murdered someone, the law won’t let you go! Just wait and see how the murderers die!" Pei Qian took a deep look at Qian Wanxiu and Pei Zongli and turned to leave.

On her way out, she didn’t forget to tell the Government Officials, "Didn’t the wet nurse say she saw Lady Chen in the yard when she went out to fetch water? The murder only could’ve happened at that moment. Perhaps Lady Chen witnessed it and is protecting the murderer! Interrogate her thoroughly; you might just find evidence!"

Several Government Officials hurriedly followed suit, "Third Young Lady Pei is truly as attentive as she is sharp-witted, to discover such an oversight! If others won’t confess, it’s likely Lady Chen saw something. Just scare her with some torture tools, and she might just spill everything!"

"Protecting a murderer also calls for prison!" Pei Qian remarked before striding back to her courtyard with her entourage.

Qian Wanxiu, Pei Zongli, and the others all looked extremely unsightly. If Lady Chen broke down and confessed, Pei Wensheng wouldn’t be able to escape the charge of murder.

"Father! Mother! I have a plan..." Pei Wenchen said to Pei Zongli and Qian Wanxiu after everyone else had left.

At the Government Office, Jiang Benxin had already ascended the court and was conducting a public interrogation of Lady Chen and the wet nurse, "Both of you, recount the events of that day once again. Should you dare conceal anything, do not blame this official for severe punishment. You will be charged with complicity! You can spend years in prison!"

The mention of severe punishment frightened Lady Chen, along with the crime of shielding a criminal—she’d be beaten half to death and then locked up for years? That’d be the end of her! Even if she had money, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy it, her son wouldn’t be able to bring her glory, and she’d also have to serve time. Once she did, that brute Pei Houli would definitely find himself a young and pretty widow. Her son would look down on her too. What use would she have for Qian Wanxiu’s Jade Bracelet and other gold and silver jewelry then? Wear them in prison?

The wet nurse repeated her original statement, unchanged; she had seen Lady Chen when she returned from fetching water. As for whom Lady Chen might have seen before she came out of the kitchen with the water, she had no idea.

Meanwhile, Pei Wensheng was still unconscious from the shock and couldn’t be questioned. If they could get a breakthrough from Lady Chen, they might solve this case.

Lady Chen didn’t want to be beaten or imprisoned, but she also knew that if she incriminated Pei Wensheng, the consequences... wouldn’t be good either. If Wensheng died, Qian Wanxiu and the Qian family would surely despise her. They might even retaliate against her son, against Wenli. No! They would definitely retaliate against Wenli!

"Bring in the beating stick!" Jiang Benxin, seeing her fear, commanded.

Government Officers came forward, pinned Lady Chen onto a long bench, and started beating her with a big stick.

Lady Chen howled in pain; fortunately, it was winter, and she was wearing thick cotton clothes, which made the blows somewhat less painful.

The crowd outside shouted, "With those thick cotton clothes, the beating is like a tickle, hardly painful at all, it’s no use! She should be stripped of her clothes and beaten!"

"Right! Strip her and beat her!" several echoed in agreement, and the crowd also felt it fair. Why should other criminals be stripped for a beating while she, Lady Chen, still wore thick cotton clothes?

Lady Chen cursed in hatred.

The beating stoped, and then they brought out the torture sticks.

Now it hurt. The sticks struck at her fingers, a pain that drilled into her bones.

"Lady Chen! If you don’t confess, he still won’t escape the net of the law for his crime of murder! Once we capture the real culprit, and you’re convicted of complicity, you can spend years in prison! But if you confess on your own, this official may be lenient!" Jiang Benxin bellowed.