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墨書 Inktalez
As the village chief, Qi Chong found himself in a situation where some were delighted while others were troubled. Yang Zhengshan quickly approached Gao Changfa and whispered something to him. After listening, Gao Changfa prepared to leave.
"Don't go, Gao Shu," Qi Chong's voice rang out with a hint of amusement. "There's no need to waste time; let the adults come with me to your home to collect the books."
The village chief held many copies of land deeds and property contracts from the villagers, as well as various documents regarding transactions and separations of property.
Gao Changfa, hands behind his back, calmly replied, "There's no rush. You are now the village chief; say a few words to the villagers before coming. I’ll head home to prepare."
Qi Chong raised his voice, "You can talk anytime; I'm busy. Gao Shu, hurry up!"
He called over Qi Yuan and instructed the Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law to return home first. The villagers dispersed, and the two brothers followed the Town Clerk back to Gao Changfa's house. Yang Zhengshan trailed behind at a distance, while Gao Changfa kept turning around, gesturing for him to leave.
Upon arriving at the Gao household, Gao Changfa's daughter-in-law brought out tea.
"Please sit down," Gao Changfa invited them. "You all sit; I’ll go fetch the books from inside."
Qi Chong followed him and said, "I'll go with Gao Shu. Yuan Er, since Gao Shu's two sons are not home, we strong young men should help him out."
Qi Yuan promptly stood beside his elder brother.
Gao Changfa repeatedly insisted it wasn't necessary, but Qi Chong leaned in closer and scrutinized him, saying, "Is there something in your house that we can't see, Gao Shu?"
Gao Changfa's face flushed red; he decided to take a stand. "Even though you are the village chief now, this is still my home. It’s my house; I make the rules here."
The more he resisted, the more Qi Chong smiled—though his smile held ill intent. The villagers' documents were crucial for managing the village; if anything were to go missing once they were in his hands, it would lead to endless troubles. "If Gao Shu won't let us into the house, then I won't be village chief anymore just to avoid future complications."
This was directed at the Town Clerk, who stepped forward in agreement: "Qi Chong is right; it's best if everyone is present during the handover of responsibilities from the old village chief. Even though we aren't formal officials from Yamen, we still oversee matters for everyone in the village. I’ll accompany you for this handover."
Gao Changfa’s face turned even redder, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and lead them inside.
The books were stored in a small wooden box. As Gao Changfa attempted to open it, Qi Chong pressed down on it with one hand and said, "Let’s open it outside; we’ll register each document and sign our names before considering it done."
The Town Clerk nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Yes, yes! This way is foolproof." Qi Chong truly had a knack for being an official.
The Eight Immortals Table in the hall was cleared off as Qi Yuan read through each document while Qi Chong recorded them.
Gao Changfa mentioned needing to step out for a moment, but Qi Chong firmly insisted he stay put and forced him back into the room.
The two brothers exchanged glances and continued to record the details.
Yang Zhengshan sold a three-year-old boy to Qiu Xing. What is this? Qi Chong took the document and examined it closely; this was exactly what he had been searching for. Yuan Er hurriedly caught a donkey cart to head into town to report to the authorities.
Beside them, Gao Changfa's hand trembled as he held his smoking pipe. The Town Clerk quickly inquired about what was happening.
Qi Chong glanced at Gao Changfa and asked, "Gao Shu, can you explain this personally?"
Gao Changfa wiped the sweat from his brow repeatedly, remaining silent.
Holding the document regarding the sale of the boy, Qi Chong stated, "This boy is not Yang Zhengshan's son. Whose child is he then? The date on this document is from two years ago. I remember that Liu Hai's family lost a child around that time."
The Town Clerk responded urgently, "This is a serious matter, a grave offense. You two brothers should come back to the Yamen with me."
Qi Chong fixed his piercing gaze on Gao Changfa and said, "Does this document bear Gao Shu's signature? He is the one who handled this transaction. Sir, should I keep an eye on him?"
Just then, Qi Yuan burst through the door and exclaimed, "Elder Brother, Yang Zhengshan is trying to escape!"
The Town Clerk urged, "Quickly stop him! Don't let him get away. I'll return to the Yamen right now and bring people back."
In the hall, only Gao Changfa and Qi Chong remained.
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