The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 552 - 541: Interrogation Part One (Adding four more for all the crowdfunding alliance leader’s readers)

Chapter 552: Chapter 541: Interrogation Part One (Adding four more for all the crowdfunding alliance leader’s readers)

The light from the torches was dim, but it still illuminated a small patch of ground in front of them, where they could see some newly sprouted vegetable shoots.

Having been raided for two years, no one from the Yan Family would likely plant vegetables in the garden, yet it was the Xiao Family members who had just come crawling in and out of this hole...

Manbao, holding a torch, moved closer to inspect the plowed vegetable garden. After walking more than ten steps and still seeing more of the garden, he couldn’t help but stop.

Even Bai Shanbao couldn’t resist exclaiming, "How much vegetable land has been cultivated here?"

Zhou Silang was completely baffled, "If you’re going to plant vegetables, why bother dressing up as ghosts to scare people?"

The neighbors who followed in were stunned and exclaimed, "No wonder they have so many vegetables to sell, it turns out they were planting in the Yan Family’s garden."

"I, I thought they had rented land outside the city..."

"Their audacity is just too great," one neighbor marveled, "How did they think of planting vegetables in this garden?"

Of course, this could only be asked of the Xiao Family members outside.

Three bailiffs took charge of overseeing the Xiao Family members all grouped together, and someone who had crawled out informed them that the Xiao Family had opened up a large vegetable plot inside, hence the ghost hoax.

Regarding this, they were quite skeptical.

Thus, Bailiff Jia decided to crawl in for a look himself and, in the end, silently left the hole together with Manbao and the others.

Bailiff Jia ordered, "First, block up all the holes and bring the Xiao Family back to the County Government Office."

After a pause, he asked the Land Officer who had arrived, drenched in sweat, "Are there any other members of the Xiao Family now?"

The Land Officer quickly replied, "There’s still Xiao Dalang’s wife and a three-year-old child."

Bailiff Jia nodded and said, "Fine, we won’t arrest them for the time being, but you must have someone watch over them closely. If those two manage to escape, it’ll still be your responsibility."

The Land Officer repeatedly answered with "Yes." After the bailiff warned the neighbors not to enter the Yan Residence again, they escorted the Xiao Family members away.

After everyone dispersed, Manbao and his friends returned home, excitedly agreeing to go to the County Office the next day to listen to the interrogation.

Mr. Zhuang exhaled a deep breath, turned to go back to his study, but after a second thought, he called the three boys over and scolded them, "You’re far too bold. We’ve just arrived here, and had the bailiffs not come tonight, with no one to help us, or if everyone here knew about the Xiao Family’s ghost ruse, I want to see what you would have done."

Manbao whispered, "If their family hadn’t been so vicious, we wouldn’t have made such a big deal."

Zhou Silang nodded repeatedly and explained, "Mr. Zhuang, it was I who beat the copper basin."

Mr. Zhuang merely grunted; had it not been for this, his lecture would have consisted of more than just words.

He asked, "What about their hemp clothes?"

"We burned them. That thing was not auspicious, and since the stove was already lit for heating water, I just shoved it in there and burned it. Nobody can find it now."

Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval and waved his hand, "Alright, go wash up and sleep. Get up early tomorrow to study, and then you may go to the County Government Office to watch."

Mr. Zhuang added, "After watching, come back and tell me, and also think about whether what we did tonight was right or wrong."

The three agreed obediently.

Manbao said, "Mr. Zhuang, you must be tired, perhaps you should not read tonight?"

Bai Shanbao nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, Mr. Zhuang, let me help you rest."

Bai Erlang added smartly, "Mr. Zhuang, I’ll fetch water for you."

The three of them together managed to calm Mr. Zhuang down; only then did they go their separate ways to wash up and go to bed.

The next morning, they rose early, first attending morning lessons, then practicing writing. Just after completing two large characters, they quickly tidied up their things, excited to head for the County Office and join the crowd.

Mr. Zhuang glanced at the characters they had practiced that day and slightly shook his head. Seeing that they had all nearly run to the door, he did not stop them.

It was just as well since he had an appointment to meet Lan Cheng and did not want to bring them along.

Zhou Silang was particularly interested in the ghostly incident and enthusiastically went with his friends to the County Government Office.

Yizhou’s adjoining Guo County was Huayang County, and Kangxue Street fell within its jurisdiction, so the people were directly taken to the Huayang County Government Office.

Across the street from the County Office was the Prefectural Office, and right beside the Prefectural Office was the office of Jiannan Road, which meant the area was not particularly abundant in anything but officials.

But there was no shortage of common people either, especially around the Huayang County Office since it’s the outermost part of the government offices, with high-end restaurants, eateries, and even antique shops all located not far from the County Office.

Because going further inside would bring them to the Prefectural Office and the Jiannan Road administration, these businesses couldn’t penetrate any deeper.

The ghost incident on Kangxue Street not only gained fame in that district but had become renowned throughout Yizhou City. Thus, early that morning, when people heard someone had caught the ghost of Kangxue Street, a crowd flocked to the County Office to join in the excitement.

When Manbao and his friends arrived, the outside of the County Office was already packed with onlookers, and they couldn’t squeeze in at all.

Bai Shan thought for a moment, then tugged the two along to look for the door-guarding bailiff, saying, "We’re the ones who caught the ghost last night, and we’ve come to give testimony today."

"To testify?"

"Yes, don’t you need witnesses for the trial?" Bai Shanbao asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The bailiff thought so too and, seeing how young the three of them were, thought they had been sent by the night-patrolling bailiffs, so he let them enter through a side door.

When Zhou Si and Daji also tried to enter, the bailiff extended his hand to stop them.

Manbao immediately said, "They’re my brothers; they were part of catching the ghost last night, too."

The bailiff then relented and said, "You can’t wander around once you’re inside."

All except Daji answered in one voice, "Yes!"

Entering through the side door and walking through the courtyard led them to a small courtyard outside the main hall. Commoners who wanted to watch the trial could only gather around outside the courtyard; they were not allowed inside.

The courtyard served as a place for witnesses and prisoners to stay and was said to be where executions also took place.

As Li Erlang, with the help of the others, squeezed to the front, he looked up to see Manbao and the other four craning their necks to peer inside.

Li Erlang: ...There’s always a feeling of being one step behind in everything.

The County Magistrate of Huayang, County Magistrate Tang, straightened his robes and took his seat before signaling that the court could commence.

Unlike Luojiang County, where there’s hardly a major case once every ten days or so, Yizhou was bustling, with a large population and plenty of both rich and poor.

The more people there were, the more likely it was for various cases to arise, be it murder, robbery, theft—and there was no case County Magistrate Tang hadn’t seen, only those he couldn’t solve.

So, unlike Yang Heshu, who held court once every week or so, County Magistrate Tang would be quite content if he could hold a major court session every few days.

Therefore, his experience in court was exceptionally rich. As soon as the session started, he struck the sounding block and called for Xiao Erlang, the one who dressed as a ghost, to be brought forward. In the meantime, he casually asked the bailiff, "Were the Xiao Family members detained separately last night?"

"Yes, as per your instruction, my lord, all the accused were kept separately. The main accused in one place, and the minor ones detained elsewhere."

County Magistrate Tang then nodded satisfactorily.

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