Chapter 6, Complaining is also an art

"This is written by myself, what is wrong with it?" Madam Gu was very dissatisfied, "Isn't it just about suing for the family property? If we don't sue like this, how else can we sue?"

Having temporarily set aside thoughts of his uncle, Qin Dewei, who has taken on the legal affairs of Miss Gu, naturally needs to find a place to discuss and understand the specific circumstances.

He pounded his chest and stamped his feet, utterly heartbroken. Oh heavens, oh earth, he, Qin Xiang, failed to watch over the only heir of the Qin family, truly feeling ashamed before his elder brother and the ancestors. What face will he have to meet his forebears a hundred years from now

This straightforward and decisive response astonished Qin Dewei. The current unwavering concept of chastity is the mainstream value endorsed by the authorities. Even if one internally does not wish to remain a widow, and even if one actually remarries, one cannot so easily and openly deny the notion of widowhood.

However, Gu Qiongzhi was very dissatisfied with Qin Dewei's performance and questioned, "Young man, is this all you have, these clichéd phrases? I did not invite you here just to hear this."

Moreover, it is already noon, and it would be even better if we could also arrange for lunch; after all, Miss Gu has money.

That is not acceptable! My own nephew is a pure and good boy; how can he be with a widow who is ten years older? No matter how wealthy she is, it is not permissible

This time, there is no need to wait for the employer to inquire, as Qin Dewei took the initiative to explain: "Murder, robbery, and sexual assault are the three major crimes under the laws of our dynasty. If you bring these charges forward, the county office cannot possibly ignore them; otherwise, it would be tantamount to the county magistrate openly derelicting his duties. As long as the government registers your case, it will naturally expose their heinous acts of seizing your property, and wouldn't that achieve your purpose of filing a lawsuit?"

Walking along the way, I eventually arrived at Yaqian Street, yet I did not see my nephew's figure. I then inquired with acquaintances nearby, only to learn that a handsome young boy had been seen pulling and tugging with Madam Gu, and they had left together

However, since the employer does not agree with one's opinion, there is nothing that can be done. If perfection cannot be achieved, there will always be a sense of regret

Gu Qiongzhi then took out the old legal document and handed it to Qin Dewei, which was the one that had been rejected by the county office, and it still contained the judgment.

Qin Dewei spoke eloquently, leaving the young widow speechless. Is it true that one excels in their own field? After a moment of stunned silence, the young widow, feeling embarrassed, asked: "Then tell me, how should I file a complaint?"

The statement must adhere to the prescribed format and should not be excessively lengthy, with shorter ones consisting of only a few dozen characters

Qin Dewei looked around and said: "Your clansmen have caused quite a stir, haven't they? They have even made a scene in this hall before, haven't they?"

Qin Dewei glanced over it a few times and finished reading. He casually commented, "Who wrote this petition? It is simply a waste of ink and paper, actually suing a family member over inheritance?"

Qin Dewei was immediately intrigued; this seemed to be a bourgeois woman who had spontaneously awakened under the oppression of a feudal order. Moreover, she appeared to have already freed herself from the spiritual constraints of the Three Cardinal Guides and the Five Constant Virtues, possessing the consciousness of an independent individual

Forget it, forget it, don't do that. Gu Qiongzhi truly could not bear it any longer and repeatedly rejected this proposal; she simply did not have the face for it

At this point, Qin Dewei recalled his classmate from the Social Studies, Yang Bo, and inquired, "There is another method, which is to adopt a son from the husband's family."

Madam Gu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry; this hired young lawyer was simply too obsessed with his work!

Specifically, it is the bourgeoisie that provides the funds, while the proletariat contributes the labor

Qin Dewei inexplicably glanced at the young widow; during a discussion that was clearly serious and focused on legal matters, why was she blushing?

As the conversation progressed, Lawyer Qin was struck by inspiration. He stroked his chin and looked at the young widow again, a glint of severity flashing in his eyes: "According to the rules, the more dangerous the charges written in the legal document, the better; the more malicious the accusations, the better. Only in this way can we ensure that the authorities do not take it lightly. The charge of robbery has already been established, so why not add a more serious accusation? For instance, attempted sexual assault? After all, only you know the true nature of the situation. You can accuse those people of intending to insult and violate you! With the robbery charge already in place, why not add a more serious accusation? For instance, attempted sexual assault? After all, only you know the true nature of the situation. You can accuse those people of intending to insult and violate you! Even if they don't die, we can at least strip them of their skin!"

Gu Qiongzhi nodded slightly and said with a bitter smile: "Indeed, this is the case. The relatives of my husband are completely unreasonable, only concerned with showing off their strength and bullying me repeatedly."

Qin Dewei slapped the table and said, "Isn't that enough? You should accuse them of breaking and entering, vandalism, and not of fighting over inheritance!"

Fortunately, Qin Dewei did not challenge the patience of the party in question and promptly provided an explanation: "Have you heard the saying? A wise official finds it difficult to resolve family matters. Disputes over family inheritance, like yours, are the most troublesome cases for those officials, unless there are special interests and benefits involved. Such cases are indeed laborious and thankless, ultimately leaving both sides dissatisfied, and they can easily tarnish the reputation of the officials. What is the point of that? Moreover, even if a ruling is made in such cases, there are often numerous grievances from both the plaintiff and the defendant, leading to the likelihood of further appeals, which only adds to the officials' troubles. Do not forget that in Nanjing, there are the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, making it exceedingly easy to appeal, without even needing to leave the city! Therefore, the prudent approach for the government is to shift the conflict downwards, delegating such cases to the local community, neighborhoods, and clans for self-mediation of disputes. Regardless of the outcome, it does not concern the government. So now you understand why the county office rejected your petition? Filing a complaint is also an art, with many intricacies involved!"

Gu Qiongzhi followed Qin Dewei's gaze and looked at the young maid, hearing Qin Dewei continue to say: "You should give her a beating, inflict some bruises and injuries on her face, and pin it all on the troublemakers who came to our door. What do you think?"

For example, the vases placed on either side of the main seat appear to be a pair based on their floral patterns, but currently, the one on the left is missing. Upon closer inspection of the paint surface of the table and chairs, there are numerous scratches and some slight cracks.

"Yes, Brother Qin." The young widow's response was ambiguous, leaving it unclear whether she agreed to change her words or not

Upon arriving at the residence on Sanshan Street, Miss Gu first entered the inner courtyard, and then had a maid lead Qin Dewei to sit in the hall and enjoy tea

The young maid was instantly frightened to the point of losing her color, wishing she could pick up the nearby plum vase and smash it hard onto the head of the young boy!

What? Are the two of them still afraid of too many eyes? Do they want to go to a more private home? The Qin official instinctively shouted, "No!"

Inside the county office, Qin Xiang, the county official, finished his business and, with Qin Dewei on his mind, hurriedly walked outside

However, it must also be acknowledged that this person is indeed a professional, and it is puzzling how someone of merely twelve years of age possesses such extensive knowledge

Madam Gu let out a light snort: "I have no intention of living in widowhood, nor will I pretend to do so for the sake of others. Whoever wishes to remain in such a state may do so."

Qin Dewei cast a sympathetic glance over, which irritated the strong-willed young widow somewhat. This gaze reminded her of earlier at the yamen, where Qin Dewei had looked at the other lawyers with the same expression, as if they were fools.

Qin Dewei suddenly felt a sense of greatness, believing that his actions were equivalent to liberating this awakened bourgeois woman, allowing her to be free from the ravages of the feudal social order

Then the acquaintance curled his lips and secretly muttered a few words. Only you, Qin, would treat your own nephew as a treasure. That young widow is stunningly beautiful and also a wealthy woman; what kind of strong man wouldn't be able to attract her? Could she really be interested in your nephew?

However, Gu Qiongzhi invited, saying: "This is not a place for conversation; young sir may come to my home to discuss the matter of the lawsuit in detail"

After all, in the face of powerful feudal forces, the still weak proletariat must unite with the bourgeoisie to engage in joint combat in order to achieve the fruits of victory

Qin Dewei calmly replied, "Please be patient! If I do not first understand your thoughts, how can I target my approach and prescribe the right remedy? Now, please take out the original document and show it to me!"

If a reasonable explanation is not provided, she will dismiss this lawyer on the spot! The lawyer is here to assist in the legal case, not to be subjected to a display of intellectual superiority!

Qin Dewei appeared confident and said, "Regarding the issue of your family assets, it is not necessarily required to resort to litigation; there are indeed other alternatives. I have a question that I would like to ask you, madam. For instance, could you not claim to be in mourning for your husband? As long as you are still in mourning for him, the family assets will still bear the Yang surname, and in reality, they remain under your control. The longer you delay, the more time you have to secretly transfer the assets; what could your relatives possibly say?"

Qin Dewei was not very accustomed to this form of address and replied with slight dissatisfaction, saying: "My surname is Qin and my given name is Dewei; it would suffice for you to address me as 'Young Sir.'"

Gu Qiongzhi firmly rejected this idea: "That is absolutely impossible. I want to live for myself, and I do not need to create a false son to deceive myself!"

The young widow's face was flushed, feeling quite strange. A mere twelve-year-old boy, discussing topics such as sexual assault and violence with such seriousness, does he not feel any shame? Is he truly not intentionally teasing her?

When she arrived, Gu Qiongzhi hired bearers, along with a maidservant, to wait at the street corner. Thus, the young widow got into the sedan chair, and Qin Dewei could only follow behind on foot

She simply cannot understand where such a sense of superiority comes from in such a poor and destitute young boy! It is as if he is a deity in a temple, observing the mundane affairs of the world.

Not long after, Madam Gu reemerged and sat with Qin Dewei in the main hall, engaging in conversation. She took the initiative to inquire, "Regarding my case, I wonder what advice Young Master Qin might have?"

Qin's subordinate was momentarily stunned; it had only been a short while, and how had his own nephew managed to get involved with the widow Gu? Could it be that he was truly captivated by that widow?

In the materials he saw in his previous life, it was stated that during the mid to late Ming Dynasty, the social atmosphere in Jiangnan gradually became more open and the thoughts more active. Indeed, this was the case; this young widow was so unconventional that people of the time merely discussed her briefly.

Qin Dewei was completely unconcerned: "Even if the lawsuit doesn't succeed, it doesn't matter. The fact is that they came to cause trouble. It's just that when expressed in a more serious tone, it doesn't count as slander. Moreover, isn't your goal to protect your family assets? If you can't file a serious charge, then so be it, but it can still divert their attention and bring the conflict to them, making them unable to focus on everything at once"

Qin Dewei was not idle, carefully examining the reception hall. He indeed found that the furnishings here were quite simple and lacking, even somewhat insufficient, which was not in line with the wealthy status of Madam Gu.

Qin Dewei always felt that it was not enough, the force of the accusation was still lacking. He looked around and, after seeing the maid beside him, was inspired once again: "How about adding another charge of assaulting family members?"

Qin Dewei suddenly felt uneasy again; this young lady might be more difficult to deal with than he had imagined

Gu Qiongzhi said with confusion, "Such a serious crime is difficult to prosecute, isn't it?"

Then an acquaintance said: "I vaguely heard that Miss Gu told the young boy that it was inconvenient outside due to the crowd and that they should go to her home instead"