The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 798 - 170: Selling Mother for Money_1

Chapter 798: Chapter 170: Selling Mother for Money_1

Everyone was watching the announcement on the government office’s podium, waiting to see who would come out to take the fall this time. Whether it was Butler Qian or someone else, their coming forward to take the blame or to bribe someone was on behalf of their masters, doing their bidding. Now that trouble had arisen, they were using a servant to take the fall.

Qian Changdong knew that Butler Qian absolutely could not admit to the crime. If he did, Mo Heng would target him next as the mastermind. The key to this affair was in Pei Wenli’s hands, as long as Lady Chen’s death was ruled a suicide, Butler Qian, even if having ordered a follow, was not silencing a witness!

Seeing the look in his master’s eyes, Butler Qian cried out that Lady Chen’s death was either a suicide or someone else’s attempt to smear him, and thereby taint the master and young mistress’s son-in-law.

Lady Chen and Pei Wenli had only recently left, and due to the extreme cold of winter, they had stopped at an inn in a town. Her suicide was deduced because the doors and windows of the room were locked, and she had hanged herself.

The local government office helped with the investigation, which declared that Lady Chen hung herself. The incident during the day, when an old man knocked her hat off revealing her sparse and fluffy few strands of hair, sparked comments that she was a nun wearing secular clothes. A nun’s hair should be shaved clean, not like hers with a few scraggly strands, which clearly indicated she had gone insane, hence the public discussion. Then, everyone in the inn knew about it, and the landlady refused to let them stay. Pei Wenli showed his graduate credentials, claiming he was taking his mother to Capital Jingcheng for treatment, and after much begging, they were allowed to stay.

But the news of the "ghost’s haircut" spread far, and that night, someone disclosed Lady Chen’s identity as having been cursed with the "ghost’s haircut." The landlady wanted to kick them out again, and with no place to go on a bitterly cold night, Pei Wenli offered three times the silver, which finally convinced her to let them stay for one night.

After the investigation, the local government office then stated that Lady Chen committed suicide because she could not bear the humiliation. No one could cure "ghost’s haircut," and going to Capital Jingcheng would be in vain.

Pei Wenli was incensed, convinced that someone murdered Lady Chen to silence her. His mother would never commit suicide! He was certain that it was the Qian family who had poisoned his mother to mute her!

Butler Qian refused to admit to the crime and was thrown into the dungeon for further interrogation later on.

Qian Changdong quickly sought to negotiate with Pei Wenli, offering to provide him with silver for support.

That very night, Feng Wei received a contract. Pei Wenli agreed to the negotiation with Qian Changdong, but to ensure that both parties had a hold over each other, they signed a contract. Pei Wenli acknowledged that Lady Chen committed suicide, and Qian Changdong offered Pei Wenli three thousand taels of silver, agreeing to no longer pursue the guilt. They drafted a contract to prevent either party from reneging, each holding their leverage. If the matter were to be exposed, Qian Changdong could not escape being charged for murder, and Pei Wenli could not evade the infamy of dishonoring his mother for wealth.

After reviewing the contract, Mo Heng decided not to attend the court, saying "Things have taken a turn, what good is it for me to go now?"

The two government officers, unable to summon him, returned to the government office and reported his words exactly as he’d said them.

Jiang Benxin understood the meaning, but the commoners gathered at the entrance of the court for the hearing were quite confused about what was going on. After listening for half a day, and with the re-examination of the body and questioning, Lady Chen was deemed a true suicide. Butler Qian shouted that although he had people following her, it was to protect Lady Chen and prevent anyone from killing her and framing them. At this point, Lady Chen absolutely could not die, for her death would transfer the guilt onto them.

But he did not dare to say that the two felons were brought by Mo Heng to frame them, saying only that the price had not been agreed upon and a conflict arose. As for beating up Fang Liuming, Butler Qian also admitted it, but as Fang Liuming was not disabled and had since become a government official without successfully harming Fang, he was willing to compensate fifty taels of silver.

On hearing this, the two felons, not having to bear the name of murderers and perhaps getting reduced sentences, knew that death resulted in at least exile. Now, a few spanks would suffice, and they immediately agreed.

The case was quickly resolved, Butler Qian received thirty heavy strokes for the attempted murder, then was released.

The two felons each received thirty heavy strokes as well and were released.

It was only then that everyone understood why Mo Heng was unwilling to come again— the situation had been reversed. It was apparent that both parties had decided to settle the matter privately with money. Some despised Pei Wenli as unfilial, his own mother having been murdered, yet he even helped the murderers concoct their story. Was it all for a sum of silver they offered?! No matter how irrelevant Lady Chen might have been, she was still Pei Wenli’s birth mother! Utterly heartless and ungrateful!

Pei Wenli took Lady Chen’s body and returned home with Old Pei and Lady Zhu. Pei Zongli purchased a coffin and shroud for Lady Chen’s funeral rites, laid her body in state at home, and waited for Pei Houli, Pei Wenbo, and members of Kong’s family.