Nian Jiaojiao retorted, "Village Chief, I think we should report it to the authorities."
Upon hearing "report it to the authorities," the Village Chief's mind raced.
Each village had an annual performance review, and being deemed incompetent could lead to removal from office. Although the Village Chief wasn't technically an official, she held considerable influence within the village and received various benefits indirectly. With the recent string of scandals in the village, any further issues could spell the end of her tenure.
Thinking this, the Village Chief quickly interjected, "Ahem, Da Bao, you can't just threaten to report to the authorities for every little thing. Officials are busy people. If you bother them with such trivial matters, you won't get any good results!"
Nian Jiaojiao hadn't truly intended to report anything, but she paid little heed to the Village Chief's words. She reasoned that those who reported matters to officials shouldn't fear them.
After dissuading Nian Jiaojiao, the Village Chief turned to Nian Zhenzhen and Fang Fang, saying, "You two should stop this fuss. Bai Qingqing left home of her own accord; no one else is to blame. If you continue making a scene, it won't benefit anyone."
Nian Zhenzhen immediately declared righteously, "Village Chief, your words are unfair. This is clearly Nian Da Bao's fault."
"Everyone knows Nian Da Bao has always coveted Bai Qingqing's beauty. Perhaps she acted deliberately, or maybe she found Bai Qingqing after she alighted from the carriage and hid her. That's why we haven't been able to find her for so long."
Nian Zhenzhen's words made the Village Chief uncomfortable. She had always thought of Nian Zhenzhen as a sensible and understanding child, but today she was being unreasonable. Not only was Bai Qingqing not forcibly taken away, but her subsequent accusations were baseless fabrications.
Nian Jiaojiao, having lived two lives, was far more adept at understanding human nature. She had noticed the Village Chief's displeasure earlier, yet this protagonist continued to spew her opinions without regard for the Village Chief's increasingly dark expression. Nian Jiaojiao shook her head internally.
When she had read "Nine Husbands Under One Roof: Husbands Are All Stunning Beauties," she had felt that the protagonist utterly lacked social graces, solely devoted to her studies. Whenever she encountered something she disapproved of, the protagonist was the first to "champion justice." And the women whom the protagonist subdued under the banner of justice? Most of their husbands became the protagonist's followers. The protagonist's troublemaking nature meant these followers naturally shielded her, ultimately meeting their "fitting end" in exchange for merely a few words of pity from the protagonist. Of course, there were men who didn't accept the protagonist's views; they were then berated as "ungrateful" by those around her. Seeing the protagonist wronged, her husbands resorted to underhanded tactics, ensuring these "ungrateful" men met even more tragic fates. They died silently, unknown to all. Yet, the protagonist garnered praise and applause, with the populace hailing her as an upright official devoted to the people!
Thus, the protagonist's success, aside from the assistance of her husbands, was inseparable from her male confidantes, cannon fodder, and sycophants who served as stepping stones.
With this thought, Nian Jiaojiao shrugged and said, "With your imagination, it's a shame you're not writing stories. However, facts are facts. You can't turn white into black. Bai Qingqing jumped into my carriage and rode with me for a bit; it's unreasonable to hold me responsible for that."
After speaking with Nian Zhenzhen and Fang Fang, Nian Jiaojiao casually glanced at the Village Chief and nodded. "The Village Chief spoke reasonably out of kindness. Nian Zhenzhen, why are you slandering the Village Chief's reputation?"
The Village Chief felt a bit mollified by Nian Jiaojiao's words and found her more agreeable by the moment.
Nian Zhenzhen felt something was amiss but couldn't quite place it. Blushing fiercely, she exclaimed, "If you can't explain clearly, then we'll report it!"
The Village Chief panicked again. How would she get through this day?
Nian Jiaojiao, however, let out a chuckle. Her crescent eyes curved as she said, "Report it? Nian Zhenzhen, have you been stuffing your books down the dog's throat?"
"Nian Da Bao! Who are you calling that?"
Nian Zhenzhen couldn't believe her ears. She was being mocked by a hooligan?
"You heard me right. Tell me, what is Article 75 of the Da Yue Law?" Nian Jiaojiao inquired.
"Da Yue Law? Article 75?"
Nian Zhenzhen was momentarily disoriented by the abrupt change of topic. She instinctively began to recall frantically in her mind. She had been studying for half a year, and the Da Yue Law, with its numerous, rigid points, was her Achilles' heel! Shan Shui Private School's teaching method involved intensive literacy for the first three months, followed by the study of various texts. It wasn't a problem if a child didn't recognize or recall a character; they could simply read along with the teacher. After all, many children entered school at twelve and could participate in the imperial examinations for aspiring scholars within two years. For students slightly behind in progress, the private school couldn't offer much more assistance, as they had to cover the material at least once before the exams. Nian Zhenzhen had reached Article 90 of the Da Yue Law within three months.
After desperately recalling, she stammered out the answer: "Da, Da Yue Law Article 75, 'No offense shall be taken against imperial officials, nor shall anything that...' "
"Start from the accuser!" Nian Jiaojiao interrupted Nian Zhenzhen's recitation, prompting her. From the beginning, there was a considerable passage until the point of "reporting an official."
Nian Zhenzhen instinctively followed Nian Jiaojiao's lead, replying, "When reporting an official, both material and testimonial evidence must be presented, and both must be directly incriminating..."
"Good, that's enough. Now, recite from the part about reporting without evidence!" Nian Jiaojiao continued.
"'Those who report an official without evidence shall be deemed to have disturbed public order and interfered with official proceedings. Minor offenses will result in three days' imprisonment; severe offenses will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane.'"
"Alright, that's enough. Now, explain to everyone what 'directly incriminating' means?" Nian Jiaojiao's question made the surrounding villagers perk up their ears. The Da Yue Law was written too profoundly for them to understand.
Nian Zhenzhen replied, "Directly incriminating means direct evidence, not circumstantial evidence. It cannot be based purely on speculation, relying on..."
As she spoke, Nian Zhenzhen's voice abruptly stopped. She seemed to realize something, and her face turned pale.
"Zhenzhen, what's wrong?" Fang Fang asked, noticing her best friend suddenly fall silent.
Nian Zhenzhen spoke slowly with a complex expression, "The coachman saw Bai Qingqing get into Nian Da Bao's carriage, but he also saw Bai Qingqing get out of Nian Da Bao's carriage. Therefore, it cannot be proven that Nian Da Bao took Bai Qingqing away."
"Conversely, the coachman also testified that Nian Da Bao did not kidnap Bai Qingqing."
"This means our witness doesn't even count as circumstantial evidence. If we were to forcibly report this, we would be the ones facing punishment."