After beating her husband to death, the woman stood there in a daze.
The child was not unconscious and stopped crying. He was stunned by his dead father and brutal mother.
After a few breaths, the middle-aged lady loosened her hand, and the wooden stick fell to the ground. The madness on her face slowly dissipated, her eyes became clear, and then she showed a look of horror.
"What did I do? What did I do? I..." The woman was so frightened that she didn't know what to do, and finally she rammed hard into the pillar.
When the neighbors heard that something was wrong, they rushed to check. Then they fled in panic and called the officials. Soon, people from the government office came and took the woman away and took the child into custody.
The county magistrate went to the court urgently and stared blankly at the woman with a broken head and blood in the hall. Then the squad leader walked up quickly and whispered, "Master, the woman has the words 'not guilty' written on her left hand. There is a faint glow. I don't know why."
The county magistrate hurriedly said, "Lift it up so I can see it."
The yamen runner pried open the woman's hands and held them up high. The county magistrate took a closer look, then looked up at the dense clouds outside the yamen. After thinking for a moment, he asked the woman's neighbors and finally said, "This is heaven's punishment for being unfilial. I am responsible. The woman is innocent, but she has also made mistakes. I will detain her first and I will make a judgment tomorrow."
Mo County, only 20 miles away from the Yangtze River, is a famous ink-producing county in Qing State.
In Zhuchang Lane in the west of the city, the entrance to Old Qiao’s house was very busy, with countless people surrounding it in three layers inside and outside.
Everyone looked towards the door and saw Zhang Lizheng advising earnestly, "Qiao Liu, your parents gave you all their property and the two shops. Apart from the dowry, your four sisters have not taken a penny from the Qiao family over the years. Instead, they have been subsidizing your parents. Over the years, your four sisters have given your parents at least two or three thousand taels of silver in bits and pieces, and finally all of it went to you, but you have never supported your parents for a day, and you still let your four sisters support them. All the neighbors know about this. I, Old Zhang, am not making it up, am I?"
Then a young man with oily hair and powdered face put away his white paper fan, his triangular eyes gleaming with sneer, and said, "Zhang Lizheng, this is not my fault. I was still young, and my four sisters took care of my parents before, and they still take care of them now. Besides, my four sisters contribute a mouthful of rice every day, which is enough for my parents to eat. If they don't take care of them, they can't ask me for help. Dad, Mom, don't you agree?"
As he spoke, Qiao Liu glanced at his parents in front of him, then looked at his four sisters and brother-in-law.
Behind Qiao Liu, his wife ate slowly with her paws pinched, spitting melon seed shells in the direction of the four sisters of the Qiao family from time to time, and glancing at others from time to time.
Father Qiao nodded vigorously and said, "Sixth son, you are absolutely right. Your four sisters are all ungrateful. I have really raised them in vain!"
Mother Qiao wiped her tears and responded, "Zhang Lizheng, don't worry about my little six. Go and scold those four unfilial and ungrateful girls! Tell me, I worked so hard to raise them, and they treat us like this? These four ungrateful little beasts deserve to be struck by lightning!"
The four middle-aged women had different expressions, but none of them said a word.
None of the neighbors outside the door looked at the four middle-aged women with contempt. Instead, they all looked at Qiao's father, Qiao's mother and Qiao Liu with different expressions.
Zhang Lizheng gritted his teeth and said, "There are some things I shouldn't say, but everyone in Mo City knows what you four girls are like. Over the years, their four families have taken turns to support you. No matter how bad you say things, they have endured it. Over the years, I have never heard that any of your girls complained about you two old people! But since this year, what have you done? You actually sold your daughters' houses, took their jewelry and sold it, and even cheated their children of their pocket money and longevity locks. Are you still human?"
The people at the door were shouting and cursing in low voices, and many of them were spitting directly in the direction of the two elders of the Qiao family.
Father Qiao said confidently, "Aren't we saving money for Xiaoliu to study? Wenquxing is so powerful now, and there are so many students becoming students every year. Maybe my Xiaoliu can become one, and bring honor to our family! What's the use of those four money-losing things? Four daughters gave birth to two grandsons in total, but what's the use of eleven granddaughters?"
Zhang Lizheng said angrily: "Qiao Liu has no money to study? I think he is richer than an old student like me!"
"Yes!" Some of the neighbors immediately started to make a noise.
"Qiao Liu was showing off his new cricket the other day. It's called Purple King Kong!"
"Qiao Liu is studying? He can't even memorize the first six words of the Three Character Classic!"
"It would be great to have four daughters, but they were ruined by you three!"
Mother Qiao screamed, "Aren't we going to buy Kaizhi incense for Xiaoliu? Half a stick of that thing costs tens of thousands of taels of silver. Although it's not as good as the ones in the Holy Academy, once my Xiaoliu uses it, he will definitely be able to pass the exam. I'll see who dares to scold him then!"
Zhang Lizheng said helplessly: "Kaizhixiang is only useful for children. Qiao Liu is already so old, it's useless to buy it. If you give the money to Qiao Liu, who knows what he will do."
"Uncle Zhang, what are you talking about?" Qiao Liu glared at Zhang Lizheng.
Zhang Lizheng smiled coldly and said, "Why, do you think I, Zhang, am your four sisters and you can control me at will?"
Qiao Liu was sweating profusely and said with a smile: "Uncle Zhang, please don't misunderstand me. This is our family matter and you are a busy man. I think you should just leave."
"Do you think I want to care? Your family is in trouble every day, and the whole street is disturbed by you. If I, as the head of the village, don't care, who will? Stop arguing with me. Do you want to support your parents or not? If you do, everything will be fine. If you don't, I will take your four sisters to the government to file a complaint!"
Qiao Liu turned to look at his parents and said with a bitter face, "Dad, Mom, I have a wife and children to support now, and I have to go to school. I really can't afford to support you. My four sisters are all fine, and they should support you."
Qiao's father and mother nodded repeatedly. Qiao's mother pointed at her four daughters and scolded them, "You four are losing money. Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning? I gave birth to you and raised you in vain! Are you still human? Let the neighbors judge. What's wrong with us, the old couple, living in your place?"
Among Qiao Liu's four sisters, the eldest and second sisters looked cold, the third sister was extremely angry, and the fourth sister was crying in grievance.
Zhang Lizheng snorted coldly and said, "Since you, Qiao Liu, don't want to support me, fine! Let's go to the government office!"
Qiao Liu was anxious and shouted hurriedly: "Dad, Mom, you can't let my sisters go to court!"
Qiao's mother yelled, "You four damn little bitches!" and rushed towards her most honest youngest daughter.
Fourth sister Qiao’s husband suddenly took a step forward and stood beside his wife, blocking Qiao’s mother.
But Qiao's mother sat on the ground, kicking her legs, crying and shouting, "Murder! The daughter killed her parents! All the saints, please kill these four unfilial daughters..."
Suddenly, the dark sky became bright and dazzling, and then everyone heard two deafening thunders.
Boom! Boom!
A strong light flashed in the yard, and many people saw two bolts of lightning falling on Qiao Liu and his wife.
The two people turned into charcoal.
Zhang Lizheng was stunned, surprised and happy, he knelt on the spot and shouted: "The saint appeared! Thunder punishes unfilial people! God has eyes!"
Everyone suddenly realized what was going on and fell to their knees, kowtowed in the direction of the Holy Temple.
The four sisters of the Qiao family were also frightened and kowtowed hard, fearing that they would be punished by thunder.
However, the four were safe and sound.
Qiao's father and mother were stunned for a long time, then rushed to Qiao Liu's body frantically, hugged the body and cried loudly. While crying, they cursed God for being blind and cursed their four daughters for killing the good son who would carry on the Qiao family's bloodline.
As they kept scolding, Qiao's father and mother became crazy and stupid, like people with dementia.
Soon, Zhang Lizheng stood up and said, "Four sisters of the Qiao family, listen carefully. From now on, Qiao Liu's property will be divided into three parts. One part will be used to take care of Qiao Liu's three daughters, one part will be used to support his parents, and one part will be divided equally among the four sisters. If you have no objection, I will report it to the government, and this matter will be settled."
No one objects.
.