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墨書 Inktalez
As soon as Qi Chongtu left the town, he stopped the donkey cart. What was the rush for? Where was your wife? The words of that woman suddenly echoed in his mind. She recognized both him and Yu Chunmiao; they must have visited the medical clinic more than once. That day, there were other women at the clinic as well; they must be regulars too. Perhaps Sun Daifu knew them and could call them as witnesses.
Resolute, Qi Chong decided to head back, praying that Yu Chunmiao could hold on until he found witnesses. The cart stopped at the county yamen, and the assistant took over, saying, "I'll inform the master about this. Don't worry, Qing Niangzi."
Yu Chunmiao felt grateful; no wonder Lu Ziyan had sent him to fetch goods—he must be a clever confidant. "Brother, keep this from my brother-in-law. He’s just a child and would only worry without being able to do anything."
The assistant agreed and drove off with the cart. Upon entering the yamen, they registered and scheduled a hearing for the afternoon. Yu Chunmiao was led into a cell.
The dim, damp, and stifling environment made Yu Chunmiao uncomfortable. Two disheveled women lay on hard bunks, their eyes dull and lifeless, not even glancing at her. A foul-smelling open toilet emitted a terrible stench, prompting her to move away from it and sit on the ground.
As she settled down, the feelings of grievance and fear surged within her, salty tears spilling down her cheeks into her mouth. She had never felt so helpless even when hiding from wild boars in the trees because at least Qi Rong had been with her then.
Fortunately, before long, a familiar voice broke through her despair. "Sister-in-law!" She hadn’t even noticed when Lu Ziyan appeared behind her.
Yu Chunmiao hastily wiped her tears and stood up using the bars for support. The jailer opened the cell door while Lu Ziyan urged, "The assistant told me everything; don’t be afraid. I’ll get you out right now."
However, when the cell door swung open, Yu Chunmiao hesitated to move. Was it safe to leave just like that? They hadn’t even held a hearing yet.
Lu Ziyan explained, "I’m a scholar; I can vouch for you. What you’re facing isn’t a serious matter. You can stay at my house until the hearing; Sister-in-law wouldn’t run away and cause me trouble, would you?"
Yu Chunmiao was thankful that there was still such a law as bail in this era.
Three hours before leaving the hall, Yu Chunmiao followed Lu Ziyan to the Lu Residence, where she was settled in Qi Rong's courtyard.
Since Qi Chong was not present, Lu Ziyan could not accompany her for lunch and had someone take her to her room instead. After finishing her meal, Yu Chunmiao anxiously awaited her turn in the hall.
Contrary to her expectations, it was nothing like the dramatic portrayals on television, with Yacha wielding a threatening baton and the county magistrate making an appearance. Instead, she was led into a room resembling a hall, where Xian Cheng, the deputy county magistrate, sat at a desk engrossed in documents. He didn’t even lift his head, appearing quite busy.
Beside him sat a Shu Li, grinding ink and preparing paper, resembling a clerk. At the entrance stood two Yacha, one of whom was Wang Wu, the one who had escorted her there.
Yu Chunmiao stood alone, feeling lost and unsure. According to the dramas she had seen, should she be kneeling? But Xian Cheng continued to focus on his work without acknowledging her, while Shu Li busily wrote something down; she felt as if she were invisible.
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