Chapter 7, Destined

As soon as I left, Yinling eagerly awaited my return, even neglecting her work of making shoe uppers.

In recent days, she seems to have lost her spirit. Last night, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was only her and her mother who celebrated together. Thinking of her brother in the death row and her father who cannot rest in peace, this is not the reunion of the fifteenth day of the eighth month; it is clearly the ghost festival of the fifteenth day of the seventh month.

Moreover, when have I ever suffered a loss? Shortly after Silver Bell returned, the neighbors began to come over one after another to reciprocate. You brought a watermelon, I brought two pieces of lotus root, and there were those generous folks who even returned with a live fish!

Thus, County Magistrate Chen, citing the principle of "alive, one must see the person; dead, one must see the corpse," decided to temporarily suspend the investigation of this case. Instead, he ordered both families to make every effort to search for Zhao. The county also dispatched personnel to assist in the search and even issued a notice to neighboring counties for help. Two months later, the local constable from Lingqiao Town reported that a female corpse had been discovered on the riverbank.

Wang Xian came to his senses and smiled, saying, "When the time is right, it will naturally come."

Oh? Ah? Hmm? Ha! I was both listening and marveling, and after finishing, I was shocked for quite a while before finally touching my chin and saying: "Although she is someone who has been jilted and her family seems to be poor, how could she possibly be interested in your brother?"

Uh... I took the cash and smacked my lips, saying: "Actually, if you think about it, the family is not to blame. It was her brother who committed the sins. She has no deep-seated grudge against us, right?"

But she brought mooncakes, roasted meat, and Liaodong ginseng. Yinling said as she pulled out a stack of banknotes from her sleeve: "There are also ten guan in cash." It turns out that Miss Lin had indeed brought money, but she was just being cautious of Wang Er.

Could it be that they are...? I clenched my fists and hooked my thumbs, only to suddenly remember that the other person is my daughter, and I immediately changed my expression and said: "Just go do what you need to do!"

After I returned, I saw those two bamboo baskets and curiously asked, "Who has been here?"

Yin Ling allowed her to enter the house. I cleaned the west wing this morning until it was spotless, and even her most cherished spider web was not spared. I even placed a pot of chrysanthemums. According to Yin Ling, it seems that they were stolen from the county office. Unfortunately, Miss Lin was preoccupied with her thoughts and did not even glance at them.

The old woman sneered with satisfaction as she looked at the piece of cured meat hanging under the eaves, pondering whether to use it for a meat dish at every meal until the Winter Solstice, or to save it for the twelfth month and exchange it for a New Year's Eve dinner with the neighbors... Sigh, it really is a headache

Oh? Thirty guan is quite a large sum. Although the value of banknotes has depreciated significantly at present, for a poor family like theirs, it would take them a full two years of hard work, day and night, to earn that amount. Although my mother is easily swayed by money, she still has some clarity and asks: "Why should she cover your brother's medical expenses?"

If one does not wish to continue living aimlessly as before, one can either follow the path of a leader, working tirelessly without distinction, exhausting oneself daily for a meager income of just a few coins. Should illness or injury occur, income would cease, and one would still have to bear the cost of medical treatment oneself

It is currently a time of peace and prosperity, but a murder case has emerged in the county, which is indeed a significant event. Chen, the county magistrate, immediately connected the female corpse with the missing Zhao, ordering the clerk Wang Xingye from the criminal division... who is also the father of Wang Xian, to accompany him to the scene with the coroner and notify the family to identify the body

Hehe... Wang Xian smiled and no longer paid attention to her, focusing on exercising his legs

Wang Xian silently smiled bitterly, wondering how to explain it to her, or perhaps it would be better never to explain at all

Early the next morning, I changed into clean clothes with Wang Gui and headed to the countryside to celebrate the birthday of the Wang family's third uncle.

One must either disregard the law and engage in some underhanded dealings, or inquire whether the guests prefer to eat rolled noodles or the livelihood of wontons and dumplings.

Wang Xian found it strange why I suddenly became so kind, even arranging a room for him, but I have my own plans, and he wouldn't dare to ask too many questions

At this moment, the Zhejiang West Circuit Inspector came to the county to oversee judicial matters and to receive reports. The Zhao family boldly filed a lawsuit, not only against the Lin family but also against County Magistrate Chen and Wang Xingye, accusing them of corruption, collusion with the wealthy, and fabricating autopsy results

He is now the son of an official, only slightly above the commoners. He cannot take the imperial examination, cannot become a government official, and even cannot engage in business, because leaving Fuyang County requires a travel permit from the authorities, which they simply will not issue to him

Miss Lin's sorrow flowed against the current, and she finally fell ill overnight. This morning, she woke up feeling dizzy, weak all over, and had no desire to go out at all. Moreover, after returning home to calm down, she did not believe that Wang Er could help her in any way. ... It was only out of a sense of obligation that she dragged her sick body here ...

Through the case files, he finally saw the full picture of the case. It began as an ordinary missing persons case. At that time, Lin Rongxing's second wife, Zhao, had gone missing. Zhao's father reported to the county, accusing his son-in-law of murdering his daughter

At that time, County Magistrate Chen did not believe it, as the Lin family was not only the wealthiest in the county but also a prominent benefactor. When the county was repairing bridges, paving roads, and establishing the county school and benevolent granary, they provided significant support to the magistrate. Moreover, Lin Rongxing was a student of the county school, known for his excellent character and academic performance, earning a good reputation. Naturally, County Magistrate Chen would do his utmost to protect the Lin family

In two days, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the three major traditional festivals of China. Eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival was invented by Emperor Taizu. Today, this custom has become deeply ingrained in people's hearts; if a household does not eat a piece of mooncake during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is simply not considered a proper celebration of the festival

Finally, the coroner concluded that although the deceased woman was of a similar age and appearance to Zhao, she had been dead for no more than seven days, while Zhao had been missing for two months, thus they could not be the same person

She exclaimed in anger, "Did I not say that no one from the Lin family is allowed to step into this house?"

Even the wise and illustrious matriarch has her moments of miscalculation

"Brother, are you still in the mood to laugh?" Yinling pouted her small lips and said, "What time is it now? Your sister Lin is probably not coming anymore, right?"

"I apologize, I had matters to attend to at home and could only leave just now." Removing her veil, Lin Qing'er first apologized to Yin Ling. Today, she was still dressed in a plain-colored dress, her complexion pale, her lips devoid of color, presenting a sickly appearance that evoked great sympathy.

... ...

"It's nothing." Lin Qing'er shook her head and smiled. In fact, her current state was closely related to Wang Xian; had it not been for this fellow destroying her hopes, Miss Lin could have persevered with a spark of determination until that last thread snapped.

The three siblings saw their mother take out a small basket of mooncakes, which they exchanged for enough ingredients to host a Mid-Autumn banquet, while also earning a good reputation along the way. I am simply in awe, this is the wisdom of life

Upon arriving at the scene, the Zhao family immediately recognized that this was the Zhao clan, and thus they wept bitterly. However, Scholar Lin adamantly denied it, believing that although this woman had been mauled by wild dogs to the point of being unrecognizable, one could still discern differences from his wife.

This year, with the gift from Miss Lin, I no longer have to rack my brains about where to get a mooncake. However, I only kept one, enough for the whole family to share, while the rest were sent to the neighbors by Yinling. It is not that she has suddenly become generous, but rather that over the past six months, the neighbors have indeed helped a lot. Now, having received mooncakes from Hangzhou, it would be unthinkable to shut the door and eat them all by ourselves, even for me.

In this era where blood ties are held above all else, he can only remain trapped in a city of sorrow for his entire life, unable to find relief, simply because his father is a criminal and a book

The two individuals sat across from each other at the square table, with a pot of chrysanthemums placed in between them. Wang Xian carefully reviewed the case records brought by Miss Lin. He had made up his mind that, even if there was the slightest hope of overturning the case, he would spare no effort to fight for it

The laws that seem utterly unreasonable to later generations are like heavy shackles, binding him and rendering him immobile

Perhaps my brother has some strengths that we have not discovered. Yinling's impression of her brother has unknowingly changed quite a bit, as she is now able to think positively of Wang Xian.

Although he has only seen a part of it, he is already able to understand his situation. No wonder Wang Er dreams of returning to the past! It turns out that the Ming Dynasty is a strictly hierarchical society; the higher the rank you occupy, the greater the rights you enjoy, and conversely, the greater the restrictions you face.

Once, you would squawk all day long and argue with me for no reason. The little girl said somewhat sadly, "After things got better, you never took the initiative to speak again, let alone argue."

Both choices were so bitter that he even began to have the same daydream as Wang Er—how wonderful it would be if he could clear his father's name

"Are you unwell?" Yinling welcomed her in and asked with concern, "Why does your complexion look so poor?"

Finally, as dusk approached, a knock on the door was heard. Yinling jumped three feet high and hurried to open the door. Indeed, it was Lin Qing'er, wearing a veil, followed by her uncle, Qi Shu.

Indeed, indeed. Yin Ling nodded repeatedly and said, "Miss Lin has also promised twenty guan, saying that she is currently short on funds and will make up for it later."

"You just say it, I'm listening," Wang Xian smiled and said, "Besides, you are so understanding; wouldn't it be foolish for me to argue with you?"

"What does this mean?" Silver Bell imitated her actions and innocently asked. I immediately felt my face flush with embarrassment and roared, "If you don't get punished for three days, you think you can just sit around? Go cook, or do you want to starve me!"

Upon reflecting on this, he couldn't help but smile wryly to himself, realizing that Wang Er's self-destructive behavior also had its pitiable aspects

Wang Xian was sweating profusely in the courtyard while undergoing rehabilitation, with a thick volume of the "Great Ming Code" placed in front of him. Although the Wang family was not a scholarly household, due to his father's influence, the family not only possessed the "Great Ming Code" but also the "Great Edict." However, it is said that the latter is now largely obsolete; to familiarize oneself with the laws of the Ming Dynasty, one need only refer to the former.

He reads the "Great Ming Code" not only for the Lin family's case, but also because the regulations and laws concerning various aspects such as rites, households, criminal justice, officials, and labor are all encompassed within the "Great Ming Code." By thoroughly studying this book, one can generally understand the rules of society, know what one can and cannot do, as well as what one should do in the future

The Zhao family was clamoring incessantly at that time, but was suppressed by the officials. In the end, County Magistrate Chen accepted the coroner's judgment and decided to handle the female corpse as a separate case, ordering both families to continue searching for the Zhao family.

"Miss Lin..." said Yin Ling softly

Ah, in fact, it can be quite good to have a quarrel occasionally... Truly, she is my daughter, possessing such a strong desire for battle

In recent days, he has been repeatedly contemplating how to navigate the path ahead, only to ultimately realize that he finds himself at a dead end

Understood... Silver Bell was so frightened that she hurriedly fled in panic

I know, I know. Silver Bell immediately became excited, resembling a little busybody, leaning on her mother's shoulder, vividly recounting what she had seen and heard, along with some parts she had imagined...

"Brother, you have really changed," Yin Ling looked at him for a long time and said seriously, "Now you look like an old man"