Mo Sang – CH 301

Chapter 301. It Shouldn’t Be Like This

Li Sangrou was hesitating whether to send someone to Chenliu County when Lady Fu, travel-worn, entered the Shunfeng headquarters.

Old Zuo led her into the backyard. Li Sangrou was watching fish being caught when she heard the noise. Turning around, she saw Lady Fu, whose clothes were dirty and who was thin and haggard. She waved for Old Zuo to go about his business, then stood up and dragged a chair for Lady Fu.

“Just back? How did you get back? Sit down and rest for a while.”

Li Sangrou gestured for Lady Fu to sit, poured her a cup of tea, then went into the nearby shed, brought out a small red clay stove, set it up with a wire mesh, and placed a few sausages, a few slices of cured pork belly, and a steamed bun on it. She went back in, made a bowl of oil tea, and brought it out to Lady Fu.

Lady Fu finished the large cup of tea in a few gulps, took the oil tea, spun the bowl, blew on it a few times, and drank it quickly, sip after sip.

Li Sangrou sat by the red clay stove, turning over slices of sausage and pork belly with her chopsticks.

After Lady Fu finished her oil tea, the sausage and pork belly were ready. Li Sangrou placed the sausage, pork belly, and steamed buns on a plate and handed them to Lady Fu along with the chopsticks.

Lady Fu blew on the food and ate it all in one go. She then took a cup of tea, drank several sips, and looked at Li Sangrou with a smile, saying, “Sister Zhang said you are very particular about food, and it is true, this is really delicious.”

“Your older brother was worried about you traveling alone, and he was right,” Li Sangrou said, leaning back in her chair.

“I am fine. I just left early this morning. It is the New Year, and there’s nowhere to buy food. The caravan I was on was rushing, and I did not rest at all. I was just a little hungry today,” Lady Fu quickly explained.

“You went to Chenliu County before the New Year and have been there the whole time? What case? Is it so complicated?” Li Sangrou poured herself a cup of tea. “It’s always been in Chenliu County.”

“The case is very simple, too simple. There’s nothing to dig up.” Lady Fu sighed.

“The deceased’s surname was Du, the fifth son. Everyone called him Du Wu, or Fifth Master. His wife does not remember his formal name; perhaps he did not even have one.

Du Wu was an old rogue. He used to make a living at the grain store in Chenliu County. After the store closed, he had no legitimate occupation and often loitered outside the four gates, swindling and cheating people from other places or from the countryside who came to the city, just to make a living.

Du Wu was killed by his daughter-in-law.

Du Wu’s son was paralyzed. It is said he was seven or eight years old when Du Wu beat him so badly that he became paralyzed.

Du Wu’s daughter-in-law was brought into his family less than a year ago. She was mute. Her family was from Dakeng Village in Laowa Town. Laowa Town was a poor place with little water, and Dakeng Village was even poorer.

The mute had no name, alas,” Lady Fu sighed softly. “It’s not that she had no name; her name was simply ‘Mute.’

When she was brought to Jianle City, the case file only listed her as ‘Du’s wife,’ without a name or surname. Because in Chenliu County, almost no one in the Du family, or among the neighbors, knew her maiden name. Who would care? She was just a mute.

I went to Dakeng Village and met the mute’s parents and family. The mute’s surname was Sun.”

Lady Fu paused, remaining silent for a moment before continuing, “Perhaps she did not want the surname Sun; having no name or surname was best.

But I digress. The people of Dakeng Village said that the mute was called ‘Mute’ from childhood; her family and the villagers all called her ‘Mute.’

Du Wu’s wife asked a matchmaker named Sun on the street to find a wife for her son.

Matchmaker Sun’s family was from Dakeng Village, so she acted as a matchmaker. Du Wu’s wife gave half a string of coins to Matchmaker Sun as a bride price. Matchmaker Sun gave the mute girl’s parents thirty large coins and then led the mute girl to Chenliu County. With a red cloth tied around his head, he was considered married into the Du family.”

Lady Fu paused, covering her cup with both hands, looking at the clear river water, remaining silent for a long time before continuing, “Du Wu’s son has been paralyzed for over ten years. He can move his arms and head, but below his waist, his legs and his manhood are long since withered and emaciated, making him unable to have sexual relations.

The mute was brought to the Du family’s house at dusk, and that very night, Du Wu raped her.

The neighbors say that Du Wu raped the mute in the east wing, where Du Wu’s son slept, saying it was called ‘the father taking over the son’s duty.’ They say that when Du Wu came out pulling up his pants, his wife rushed in with a stick and beat the mute until she rolled all over the ground.”

Lady Fu paused again. Li Sangrou stared expressionlessly at the tall, imposing corner tower opposite.

“Du Wu’s wife was lured into the house by Du Wu with half a piece of coarse flour, and after being raped, they were considered married.

It’s said that before she gave birth to a son, Du Wu’s wife tried to escape several times, so Du Wu chained her feet and tied her to the courtyard. He only unchained her after she gave birth and felt at ease.

The chains chafed Du Wu’s wife’s ankle, leaving her with a limp.

The mute woman lived in the Du family for almost a year, and was raped by Du Wu almost every day. At first, after Du Wu finished raping her, his wife would beat her with a stick. Later, it was the other way around—Du Wu would rape her while his wife beat her with the stick.

The day of the incident was in the evening. The mute woman was sewing shoe soles in the courtyard. Du Wu had drunk a few cups of wine that day. He came into the house, did not even close the courtyard gate, and immediately pulled down his pants and raped the mute woman.

Du Wu’s wife had just whittled a thorny branch. She said that one strike from the branch made the mute woman tremble in pain. Du Wu yelled and begged his wife to strike harder. She struck two or three more times with the branch. The mute woman happened to be holding the awl she used for sewing shoe soles, and she stabbed it into Du Wu’s eye.

Du Wu frequently raped the mute woman in the courtyard. The neighborhood vagrants and idlers often watched from the wall. When the mute woman stabbed Du Wu to death, she said that seven or eight people saw it. I spoke with five of them, and they all gave the same account.”

Lady Fu pointed to the bundle she had brought back. “They’ve all written confessions and put their fingerprints on them.”

“Will it work?” Li Sangrou glanced at the bundle.

“According to the law, it will not work,” Lady Fu leaned back in her chair, looking exhausted.

“What are your plans?” Li Sangrou asked, looking at Lady Fu.

“This case…” Lady Fu paused, then continued, “Not just this case, but over the years, there have been two cases that have often left me feeling resentful and frustrated.

Firstly, there’s the matter of testimonies. Take the case of the mute woman, for example. Du Wu’s wife said Du Wu never raped the mute woman, even though it was common knowledge, witnessed by dozens or even hundreds of people. But according to the law, those people are outsiders; their words do not count. What’s recorded in the case file and counts is Du Wu’s wife’s statement that he never raped her!

When I was in Yuzhang City, there was a case where a husband suspected his wife of having an affair and accidentally strangled her to death. He then, along with his parents, hanged her from a beam, claiming she committed suicide.

When the husband strangled his wife, all the servants in the house witnessed it. The facts were clear, but according to the law, how a wife dies depends on what her parents-in-law and husband say. As for the servants, they are servants, outsiders; their words do not count.”

“I did not know any of this. Why does the law accept these kinds of statements?” Li Sangrou frowned slightly.

“Perhaps that’s the only way,” Lady Fu said, her voice low. “Except for large counties with a huge number of households, where there’s a county magistrate and a county assistant, most medium-sized and small counties only have one county magistrate. Even within the county seat, it is difficult to see the whole picture clearly. Outside the county seat, in each town and village, everything depends on the local gentry and clans.

Sometimes, closing a case is not about clarifying right and wrong but about smoothing things over. The dead cannot speak anymore; just appease the living.”

Li Sangrou gave a soft hum.

“The second thing is this father-son relationship. If the father does not act like a father, why must the son act like a son? Did the sages not mean that fathers should act like fathers before sons?” Lady Fu’s voice was filled with barely suppressed resentment.

Li Sangrou looked at her without speaking.

“As long as a wife kills her husband or a son kills his father, it is an unforgivable crime, punishable by beheading, even lingchi¹, regardless of whether the husband or father is human or a beast.”

“This should not be happening!” Lady Fu said, each word distinct.

“What are your plans?” Li Sangrou leaned back in her chair, looking at Lady Fu.

“Master Lu said you could meet the Emperor?” Lady Fu looked at Li Sangrou, her eyes full of hope.

“I can indeed meet the Emperor, but I have no way of handling such matters, and I will not interfere.”

“If you have any ideas, you will have to figure them out yourself and do them yourself,” Li Sangrou paused, looking at Lady Fu. “However, this time, I will be staying in Jianle City for a while, maybe a month or two.”

A hint of disappointment flashed across Lady Fu’s face. After a moment of silence, she sighed softly, “On the way from Yuzhang City to Jianle City, I kept thinking about what I wanted to do, what I needed to do.

In Yuzhang City, the only thing I could think about was whether I could still write legal documents for people today or whether this case could reach the courtroom. Later, all I could think about was how many more days I had left to live.

On the way from Yuzhang City, I thought that in the future, I should be able to write legal documents for people whenever I wanted and represent them in court whenever I wanted. But am I just going to write legal documents and represent them in court?

When we arrived in Jianle City, I was first brought here. I waited for Master Lu at the shop in front. Master Lu took me to Sister Zhang, saying it was your order.

Later, Master Lu took me to the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice to look at case files.”

Lady Fu’s throat tightened slightly. After a moment, she slowly caught her breath before continuing, “Countless case files, countless unresolved issues.

“I told Master Lu about those unresolved issues. He said I was too restless, too prone to overthinking, but I just felt I should not be like this.”

“So now, have you decided what you want to do?” Li Sangrou met Lady Fu’s gaze. “Have you thought about the consequences? Have you thought it all through?”

“Yes,” One word, Lady Fu answered decisively. “I just want to ask a question, to say it. As long as it does not implicate you, nothing else matters.”

“I am not afraid of being implicated by you,” Li Sangrou said with a slight smile. “However, I cannot help you. I can only watch and see what happens.”

“Hmm.” Lady Fu slowly exhaled and picked up her teacup to drink.

“Did Zhang Mao mention a blind man to you? His surname is Mi?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile.

“The one she calls ‘Uncle Blind’? She often talks about him, saying that only Uncle Blind can talk to you.” Lady Fu laughed.

“Yes, Blind Mi will arrive in Jianle City in a few days. You can talk to him. You are too upright; Blind Mi is much more of a rogue.” Li Sangrou laughed.

Lady Fu was startled. What did what she was about to do have to do with a rogue?

“Alright.” Although still somewhat bewildered, Lady Fu quickly replied, “Alright.”

After sitting for a while and drinking another cup of tea, Lady Fu stood up to take her leave.

Watching Lady Fu enter the stable courtyard and head out, Chuantiao put away his fishing rod, stood up, picked up a full bucket of fish, found some hemp rope, threaded it through the fish’s gills, and hung the fish one by one, gutting and scaling them.

“Lady Fu came for something important?” Chuantiao asked Li Sangrou while cleaning the fish.

“Yes, after you’ve cleaned these fish, go to the dock and see if Blind Mi has arrived,” Li Sangrou instructed.

“Alright.” Chuantiao agreed, and his men quickly got to work, soon cleaning about ten fish, lightly salting them, letting them dry, washing their hands, and heading to the Nanshui Gate Wharf.

In the evening, Li Sangrou carried the ten or so fish back to Chaomi Alley. Turning past the screen wall, she saw Blind Mi sitting on the porch, his legs propped up on the edge of the charcoal brazier, carefully gnawing on a duck neck.

“I figured you’d arrive tomorrow,” Li Sangrou said, handing the fish to Da Chang, instructing, “Fry them in oil, then stew them with the pickled bluefish.”

Da Chang responded, carrying the fish to the kitchen courtyard next door.

“I hitched a ride on the Meng family’s boat; they are rich; they hired strong boatmen.” Blind Mi picked up his bowl with his oily hands and took a sip of wine.

“Are you passing through Jianle City on your way back to Nanzhao, or did you go to Jianle City specifically?” Li Sangrou sat down next to Blind Mi, took a clean cup, and poured half a cup of hot yellow wine.

“Nothing’s happening in Yangzhou anymore. I came to see Senior Sister Lin and the others. They said they are going to plant cotton,” Blind Mi said, tossing the duck neck bone he’d gnawed into the charcoal brazier.

“Then go to Zhang Mao’s house tomorrow. There’s something going on there. Take care of it.” Li Sangrou frowned, smelling the stench of the roasting duck neck bone in the brazier. “If you throw any more bones into the brazier, I will send your Senior Sister Lin back to Nanzhao County. She’s leaving tonight.”

Blind Mi quickly stopped himself from throwing another bone, giving Li Sangrou a disgruntled look, and tossed the bone into a dish on the table.

“Zhang Mao’s caused trouble again? You could easily settle it with a flick of your finger. Why should I worry about it?!” Blind Mi said irritably.

“I should not get involved. You are the most suitable.” Li Sangrou sipped her wine.

“Oh!” Blind Mi’s lips curled into a V-shape. “It’s not advisable for you to show your face! That’s true; you are someone of status now, not like before, so it is not advisable for you to show your face anymore! That’s quite something!”

“I used to be more of a figure of status than you,” Li Sangrou said, glancing sideways at Blind Mi.

“The status of the Beggars’ Clan leader?” Blind Mi’s lips curled down to an unbearable degree.

“So what if it is the Beggars’ Clan? The number one sect in the world,” Li Sangrou crossed her legs.

Blind Mi clicked his tongue, smashed a duck neck bone into his dish, and yelled, “Where’s Hei Ma? Tell Da Chang to stew some mutton for me; I do not eat fish!”

“Oh, did you not just want stewed wind-dried chicken? It is already stewed! We will have mutton tomorrow,” Hei Ma replied in a loud voice.

Li Sangrou glanced sideways at Blind Mi and laughed.