Chapter 10, overflowing with a sense of justice

Zhou Heng continued to walk without stopping, and after traversing two streets, he arrived at the county office, where the crowd entered in a steady stream

... ...

Wuwuwu, dear head of the family, please wake up. Your body is still warm, yet these scoundrels are bullying us orphans and widows. Today, it would be better for me and the children to follow you as well...

A headman-like constable looked at the shopkeeper, Zhou Heng wanted to roll his eyes, not a fool, but refusing to bow his head just to show off, the dead man was right there on the ground

These words were spoken with great confidence, causing the surrounding murmurs to diminish, and all eyes turned towards the man with the stick and the woman on the ground

Indeed, the words of Old Master Xue attracted the attention of the crowd, and a man behind the woman approached with a stick, glaring.

Where do we stand

What are you examining the corpse for? My brother has been poisoned by evil men, and his remains are still fresh. Instead of capturing the culprit, you are thinking of destroying his remains. What is your intention?

This Xue Laoda is simply a troublemaker, it is necessary to replace this person as soon as possible, urgently teach them the methods of making snacks, and have the head of the Xue family change personnel

The shopkeeper hurriedly clasped his fists and stepped forward, "Head Constable He, this person on the ground is the deceased, and those behind are his family members"

Yes...

Zhou Heng secretly gave a thumbs up; the ancient police also had a great deal of authority

Ah, do not touch my husband. The coroner's examination will surely leave him without a complete corpse. I will not allow it! Let go of him... let go of him...

Then He Butou observed keenly, glancing at Xue Laoda and Zhou Heng, before finally fixing his gaze on the shopkeeper

The onlookers were in a noisy uproar, constantly pointing and whispering among themselves, yet none directly echoed the sentiments. After all, just a moment ago, Old Xue had been shouting enthusiastically, and now all eyes were on Zhou Heng

The man wielding the stick swung it with a fierce expression on his face

Do not shout

What are you doing

Zhou Heng wants to cover his face, can't this guy be a bit more low-key

As soon as she cried out, the woman once again fell over the body of the deceased, weeping and wailing, her voice choked with tears.

Zhou Heng was quite upset; not only had he failed to purchase the medicine, but now he also had to go to the yamen. Not only was he unnecessarily embroiled in trouble, but if the people from Meiyuan found out, how would he manage without treating himself? And who would he ask for the subsequent payment?

Zhou Heng felt a bit anxious in his heart, and then took a step back. At that moment, the sound of a gong rang out.

This is the accomplice hired by the medical clinic. Look, my brother is lying here, his body still warm. Is there still any law in this land

On both sides stood the numerous constables wielding their clubs, with the deceased placed in the center. The innkeeper and his companions stood on the right, while the deceased's family stood on the left. Xue Laoda slowed his pace and tugged at Zhou Heng's sleeve.

Shopkeeper, please send someone to report to the authorities. The truth will be clear once the coroner conducts an examination. Why must we argue here?

Zhou Heng lowered his voice and said: "Don't join in the commotion; these people are medical troublemakers here to extort money. The person on the ground did not die from poisoning"

Has this young master discerned the cause of death

Why are you hesitating like this? If you haven't done anything wrong, what is there to be afraid of

Oh? Then take the deceased, along with all personnel, back to the county office. The deceased will undergo an autopsy, and the others will be strictly interrogated. Come here!

Before he could speak, Old Xue became anxious and shouted

That is, we do not agree

Zhou Heng slightly nodded, and before he could speak, the man holding the stick spat towards Zhou Heng and the others, waving the stick and shouting into the crowd

Old Master Xue was taken aback upon hearing this. He rushed over in a few steps, reached out to grab the collars of the two individuals, and forcefully pulled them into the empty space in the middle, throwing them down beside the woman.

Drawing a sword is more effective than anything else, but just now, a few people in the crowd who were echoing the sentiment began to retreat. Zhou Heng, with his keen eyes, had already been watching them. He tugged at Xue Laoda's sleeve and whispered something in his ear

Zhou Heng squinted his eyes, raised the silver in his hand, and beckoned to Xue Laoda with his finger. This fellow seemed to recall the chief's instructions and reluctantly leaned his head closer to Zhou Heng.

"Who just shouted, 'Don't be a coward, our brother has been poisoned, and you are still helping the people from the medical clinic, what is your intention?'"

Xue Laoda was beaming with excitement, dragging Zhou Heng along as he walked

Zhou Hengqing cleared his throat and looked at the shopkeeper

Several constables behind her clasped their fists in salute and approached to carry the person away. The woman was unwilling to comply and continuously shouted while pushing away several constables

Do not scare people; my brother is already dead. No one will spare the person who harmed him, you are nothing but quacks who harm others

I want to run; just now, it was the two of you who were shouting joyfully. Let's go to the yamen and discuss it together

The two children also imitated the woman, starting to cry bitterly. Among the crowd of onlookers, a few individuals shouted encouragingly:

The two men standing on the steps also heard the discussion that had just taken place, and quickly walked up to Zhou Heng, bowing in greeting.

Zhou Heng looked around and noticed that the other party was well-prepared. Seeing that they had gone to report to the authorities, he did not appear flustered. From his position in the rice shop, he observed that people had been gathering here for over half an hour. Could there be some unknown conspiracy at play?

Zhou Heng had a dark expression; this person was overflowing with a sense of justice. However, looking at the accomplices who came behind the woman, there were at least a dozen of them. Among the crowd of onlookers, there were likely some as well. Such a commotion was only pushing oneself to the forefront of the storm

Upon hearing this, Old Xue became furious, "What? Are you saying he did not die from poisoning? Then how did he die?"

With this question, many onlookers turned their gaze towards Zhou Heng, their eyes plainly expressing that he was inhumane and lacked compassion

I help those who help me

Tsk tsk tsk, how pitiful

This young gentleman, my surname is Huang, and I am the proprietor of this medical clinic. This is Dr. Ma, our resident physician at Xinglin Medical Clinic. May I ask what insights you have, young gentleman?

Bring the people from your medical clinic, along with these two, and let's go to the yamen together

Zhou Heng pressed his lips tightly together, clearly the shopkeeper was feeling uncertain, not knowing whether Zhou Heng's casual remarks were genuine or if he truly had such a judgment. Zhou Heng gave him a reassuring look and then spoke.

Calling all the officials, they had the deceased carried, while escorting several troublemakers and the so-called three women, heading towards the southern side

The shopkeeper slapped his thigh and instructed behind him:

Xue Laoda turned to Zhou Heng, his face filled with indignation. In such an agitated moment, when someone is holding you back, the first reaction is simply two words

Xue Laoda firmly grasped Zhou Heng's arm and directly walked out of the crowd. Zhou Heng knew that it was too late to hide at this moment and decided to settle the score with Xue Laoda later.

Shopkeeper, these three women have suffered greatly. How can you refuse to take responsibility? It would be good to compensate them with some silver for their burial.

Take the person away

"Desheng, you should accompany Doctor Ma to report to the authorities and clearly explain the circumstances of the matter. Please ask the county magistrate to take our side."

I raised my eyes to look around, reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Old Master Xue, and pulled it back with force

The man holding the stick, although no longer exuding the previous air of arrogance, charged forward with his companions, positioning himself in front of these constables.

Old Xue glared, "That won't do. The death of a person is of utmost importance. This matter must be clarified; otherwise, would we not be made fools of, while also aiding the wicked in bullying the good people"

Let us not discuss this for now; it is more important to report to the authorities. The neighbors and fellow villagers are all present, and they can serve as witnesses for you. The cause of death is quite easy to determine.

Clear the way, clear the way! The officer is handling a case, and all bystanders must step aside

With a loud shout, the onlookers immediately parted to make way, as several constables with their swords at their waists approached with grim expressions. Behind them, Doctor Ma and Desheng hurriedly followed to the entrance of the medical clinic

What are we to do with just these three women left...

Where are the dead

The shopkeeper looked into Zhou Heng's determined gaze, constantly weighing the situation in his mind. Today, there was no way to avoid this matter; even if he incurred financial losses, the business would still be affected. Who would seek treatment at a clinic known for its fatal outcomes?

The shopkeeper turned to Dr. Ma beside him, who also displayed a hint of determination on his face, and then clasped his fists towards Zhou Heng and said

Then, He Butou drew a section of the dagger from his waist with a clang, and as the cold light flashed, all the onlookers fell silent. The woman collapsed to the ground, forgetting even to cry.