Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Compensation_l (1/2)

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Compensation_l

Translator: 549690339

Before long, Lizheng indeed sent someone to summon Jiang Sanlang to the village hall for questioning.

Jiang Dalang went with his third younger brother, leaving his second brother behind to look after Yingbao and Dalu.

The village hall was where Lizheng and the Xiang Zhi worked, and today it would serve as the place where the culprits would be interrogated. Lizheng was in charge of the process.

It was already evening, and lanterns were hung high in the courtyard of the village hall. Several torches were also set up around, illuminating the entire courtyard.

Quite a few people crouched against the courtyard wall. They were the guarantors of the three culprits, amounting to twenty or thirty in total.

For several guarantors who were too old, their sons took their places to receive the punishment, each being beaten with twenty planks.

As the village men were limited in number, they had to take turns administering the punishment.

For a time, the courtyard was filled with the sound of the wooden plank striking flesh, accompanied by cries of pain.

With the help of his older brother, Jiang Sanlang walked into the main hall and bowed to Lizheng.

Lizheng asked him to explain the entire incident, and had a clerk record the details on the spot, before cross-checking Jiang’s account with the testimonies of the three robbers.

After verifying the accuracy of the records, Sun Licheng ordered the families of the three offenders to compensate Jiang Sanlang with fifteen taels of silver for his medical expenses. The fifteen taels had to be delivered within a specified

period, otherwise, severe punishment would ensue.

Tu Da was straightforward, immediately instructing his family to bring five taels of silver, and personally handing it to Jiang Sanlang, saying, “It’s all because I failed to discipline my child. Please, Jiang Mr. Jiang, forgive us.”

Jiang Sanlang accepted the silver without a trace of emotion, saying calmly: “Whether or not I forgive you is not important. The law will make its judgment.”

After all, he would never forgive these people. Those who dared to harm him and his daughter would have to pay the price.

The remaining ten taels were to be paid by the families of Chen San Shi and Chen Donkey.

However, Chen San Shi’s family had nothing, his wife was heavily pregnant, and they couldn’t even afford a copper coin.

Sun Licheng then ordered the ten households that had guaranteed Chen San Shi’s family to collectively pay the sum. Anyone who dared to exceed the deadline would be beaten until the debt was cleared.

Seeing such a situation, Chen Ergou, who was squatting at the door, came up with a wicked idea.

He also claimed that his family had no money, not even a single coin.

Sun Licheng laughed coldly, slammed his hand on the table, and said, “Very well, let the ten families that guaranteed for you collectively pay the money.”

Upon hearing this, the ten families simply hated Chen Ergou, grinding their teeth in secret and vowing to never let his family off in the future.

Among these ten families, was the father of Chen Changping, Old Chen.

Old Chen, who was already fifty, was more humiliation than pain for having been stripped and beaten twenty times in public. To add insult to injury, he had to come up with five hundred coins, which made him feel like vomiting blood from anger.

But there was no choice.

So he let his younger son go home to get the money and handed it over to Sun Licheng.

After being beaten and fined, Sun Licheng justifiably let him go.

Old Chen was then carried home by his younger son Chen Changhai.

All along the way, he criticised Sun Licheng and the village chief for their lack of decency and Chen Ergou for his ungratefulness.

“Indeed, people of the same family are expected to have the same standards, look at what Chen Ergou has become! Ever since he was a child, he was ever thieving. Now, he has even turned into a robber, and it’s all because of the splendid example set by his father!”

Turns out, this Chen Ergou was somewhat related to Old Chen, and who would have thought him to be so shameless, demanding his own family to pay for his fine.

“We must’ve committed some terrible sin in our past lite to have become guarantors with his family. Changhai, tomorrow you go to your cousin’s house and ask him to change our guarantor.” Old Chen grumbled angrily.

Chen Changhai retorted impatiently, “Dad, if you want to change, just go ahead. Now, who would dare to get involved with Chen Ergou’s family? I think, let uncle hurry and drive his family out of the village.”

True enough, trouble lasts for a thousand years. Chen Ergou’s father is a habitual thief. Despite his age, he even went to steal a chicken from a neighbor’s pot during the new year and was caught red-handed.

Alas, they were unfortunately the guarantors of such a family.