"What? Imprisoned?" A clamor erupted, and the villagers looked at Zhan Lao Er, who was slumped in his chair, with shock and sympathy.
"You're talking nonsense! My husband can barely stand without help, how could he have harmed your wife!" Xiao Yao Shi exploded, pointing at Steward Zeng in her panic and cursing, "You must have been hired by this wretched girl! Liars spouting nonsense!"
Zhan Lao Tai clearly felt Zhan Lao Er's body stiffen a few more degrees, and her heart skipped a beat.
Steadying himself, Zhan Lao Er shook his head. Zhan Lao Tai's anxious heart relaxed. It was good that it wasn't Lao Er who caused trouble. With her as his mother, this mess wouldn't be blamed on Lao Er.
Looking at Steward Zeng and the burly men behind him, Zhan Lao Tai felt a chill. She tearfully pleaded with the village elder, "Seventh Uncle, you also know that Lao Er was almost killed by Xiao Yu, and he hasn't left the house for half a month. He still needs me to help him sit in his chair."
"I can attest to that," said Aunt Zhou from the house next to the Zhan family, speaking a fair word.
"I haven't seen him either when I drove the ox cart to the county these past few days," added Uncle Hu from the end of the village.
After Zhan Lao Er was injured, the villagers had brought gifts to visit him. The wound, tsk tsk, it was fortunate that the blind old woman didn't have enough strength, otherwise Zhan Lao Er would have lost his life.
Zhan Lao Er stood up, leaning on the back of the chair, his sinister gaze sweeping over Zhan Fei Yu, who was beside the village elder.
He had previously harbored the intention of using the blind old woman to kill Zhan Fei Yu. At this moment, seeing Steward Zeng and the others, Zhan Lao Er knew that all of this was orchestrated by Zhan Fei Yu. This dead girl wanted his own second uncle's life!
"May I know the surname of your esteemed master? There must be some misunderstanding. I dare to swear to heaven that I have never harmed anyone." Regardless of the inner turmoil, Zhan Lao Er spoke righteously and with neither subservience nor arrogance, a demeanor that could convince everyone present.
If one were to speak of Zhan Lao Er's greed, selfishness, and ulterior motives, the village chief, the village elder, and the few shrewd people present all knew. Living in the village for so many years, everyone was aware of the Zhan family's internal situation.
However, they did not believe that Zhan Lao Er had caused someone's death. Precisely because Zhan Lao Er was cunning and calculating, he would not make such a grave mistake.
Second Uncle is truly "fearless in the face of danger." Zhan Fei Yu widened her dark eyes, looking at Zhan Lao Er. A cunning glint flashed in her eyes. She wondered if her second uncle could still speak so confidently after Steward Zeng presented his evidence.
Zhan Lao Er... The village elder sized him up for a long time with an unreadable expression, then said, "Zhu Zi, go inside and bring out a few chairs."
The village chief, the village elder, and Zhan Lao Tou sat down.
Steward Zeng glanced disdainfully at the seemingly dirty chairs, then followed suit and sat down. Over twenty burly men stood in two neat rows behind him.
"Village Elder, my master is from the Zeng family of Baofeng Cloth Shop." After smashing and looting the Zhan family to assert dominance, Steward Zeng revealed his identity.
Seeing the apprehension on everyone's faces, Steward Zeng continued arrogantly, "A month ago, a horse bolted on South Street, and my wife almost lost the young master in her womb. The culprit for this was Zhan Lao Er!"
Hmph! The culprit for the bolting horse on South Street was Zhan Lao Er!
The villagers were stunned. They had talked about this incident quite a bit recently. Some idle men had even gone to the county to find the lame beggar, all for the hundred taels of reward offered by the Zeng family. Who would have thought this matter involved Zhan Lao Er!
"You're talking nonsense, my husband is not the culprit!" Xiao Yao Shi cried out in shock and anxiety.
But looking at the burly men who could kill someone with a single punch, Xiao Yao Shi dared not make a scene. Anxiously, she patted Zhan Lao Er's back, "Husband, speak quickly, this matter has nothing to do with us."
"Why are you making a fuss? The village chief and the village elder are here. No one can wrongly accuse Lao Er," Zhan Lao Tai pushed Xiao Yao Shi away. This fool forgot that Lao Er had knife wounds on his back! How dare she still try to act!
The village chief and the village elder did not respond. Seeing Steward Zeng's aggressive posture, they did not have the ability to protect Zhan Lao Er.
"Steward Zeng." Zhan Lao Er cupped his hands towards Steward Zeng. Thinking of his private meeting with Zhu Kun, Zhan Lao Er felt a pang of fear, but his expression remained unchanged.
"I also heard about Madam Zeng's startled horse incident. At the time of the incident, I was at the pier delivering goods. Furthermore, I have no enmity with the Zeng family. Even if I were given a hundred膽子, I would not dare to harm Madam Zeng."
After speaking, Zhan Lao Er glanced subtly at Zhan Fei Yu, gritting his teeth in hatred. What had this dead girl done behind the scenes to bring the Zeng family to their doorstep?
"No enmity?" Steward Zeng scoffed, his expression suddenly changing. He sternly accused, "The culprit of the startled horse that day was a lame beggar, but has anyone seen you go to the haunted house after the incident?"
Zhan Lao Er's face turned pale. The right hand supporting him on the chair tightened abruptly. The Zeng family had actually found this out. He had clearly avoided people when he went that day.
"The haunted house where the beggars live is far from the pier where you deliver goods," Steward Zeng said with a mocking sneer. If he wasn't absolutely sure, would he have brought his men to storm their house?
After all, this young girl from the Zhan family had been praised by the county magistrate, and half a month ago, she had even been awarded twenty taels of silver. To put it bluntly, even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner. Zhan Lao Er was her own second uncle. Steward Zeng, while wary of Zhan Fei Yu, was actually more intimidated by Magistrate Chen behind her.
The Zhan family and the villagers all looked at Zhan Lao Er. Why would he go to the haunted house for no reason? Could it be that Zhan Lao Er was indeed responsible for the startled horse on South Street?
Xiao Yao Shi wished she had a hundred mouths to explain for Zhan Lao Er. Anxiously, she pushed him again, "Husband, speak quickly!"
"Lao Er, think carefully about why you went to the haunted house that day?" Zhan Lao Tai also urged him incessantly.
The sudden turn of events left Zhan Lao Er's mind in a blur. If he made up an excuse and was then exposed by the Zeng family, it would be even more difficult to explain. What should he do?
Seeing Zhan Lao Er's demeanor, the village chief, the village elder, and the others felt their hearts sink. Could it really be related to him?
The spacious courtyard was filled with people, but at this moment, it was eerily quiet, with only the autumn wind rustling through the treetops.
"Even so, it could be a coincidence," a clear voice broke the silence. Although Zhan Fei Yu was a short and plump little girl, her composed demeanor commanded respect.
"The Zeng family accuses my second uncle of being the culprit, but I wonder what the motive is. There is no hatred without reason in this world. Be it love, revenge, or money, one of these three must be involved."
Zhan Fei Yu, who had spoken in a crisp voice, stepped forward two paces, straightening her small frame and cupping her hands towards the direction of the county town, "If there is no concrete evidence today, I will definitely go to the county yamen to beat the drum and file a lawsuit to seek justice for my second uncle!"
The village chief and the village elder looked at the resolute Zhan Fei Yu with relief. Steward Zeng had come to their door aggressively, smashing and looting. Not to mention the adults were afraid, even they dared not easily offend the Zeng family.
Unexpectedly, little Yu stepped forward. Although she was only seven years old and had only been studying for a few months, she argued logically and invoked Magistrate Chen, even intimidating Steward Zeng.
Most importantly, Zhan Lao Er had previously tried to force Xiao Yu to compensate him with five hundred taels of silver. Despite Zhan Lao Er's unrighteousness, Xiao Yu repaid his malice with kindness, disregarding the past.
"Xiao Yu is so amazing." The villagers looked at the fearless Zhan Fei Yu in shock. Even the usually fierce Zhan Lao Tai and Xiao Yao Shi had cowered.
"No wonder Teacher Lin always praises Xiao Yu."
"Yes, look at Zhan Da Lang. His parents were almost beaten, yet he hid in his room like a scared turtle, not daring to come out."
Some sharp-eyed villagers had already seen Zhan Da Lang hiding in the study. As for San Lang, he was only two months younger than Xiao Yu, and at this moment, he was only capable of crying. This comparison clearly highlighted the difference.