Returning to the medical clinic, Gu Lin handed the food to Sister-in-law Zhao. Sister-in-law Zhao refused to take it, telling him to eat it himself, but Gu Lin persuaded her, “I already ate long ago. This is to help Dagen regain his strength; Sister-in-law, please do not push it away from me.”
Hearing Gu Lin’s words, Sister-in-law Zhao knew that if she persisted in refusing, it would not only seem distant but also hurt his feelings. She accepted the food box, patted the back of Gu Lin’s hand, and said, “Thanks to you, Lin-ge’er.”
When someone suffers hardship, excessive comfort cannot bring them strength; it only adds to their unbearable misery. Gu Lin had experienced similar things, so he did not say too much.
“Uncle Gu.”
Zhao Dagen woke up. His parents had already told him about Gu Lin’s help to their family, and he said gratefully to the ge’er standing not far away, “In the future, Uncle Gu, if there is ever anything you need Zhao Dagen for, just say the word.”
For Zhao Dagen, if Gu Lin had not intended to help him seek justice, he would have simply had to swallow this loss, unable to face his parents. He was already a full-grown man who ought to have been able to stand on his own and support a household, yet he had still troubled his aging parents to cast aside their pride and borrow money everywhere to pay for his medical treatment.
At the same time, Zhao Dagen’s heart was filled with worry. If what Uncle Gu had done this morning were exposed, the carpenter Wang’s son-in-law would definitely not let the matter rest easily. The other person had taken such a huge risk to help him, and Zhao Dagen was no ungrateful ingrate; regardless of how this turned out, he would always remember this kindness.
Sensing Zhao Dagen’s thoughts, Gu Lin sighed softly. The three members of the Zhao family were all kind and honest folk; facing the help of others, they always felt a sense of guilt and unease.
Gu Lin did not want him overthinking while recuperating, so he gave him a reassuring peace of mind: “Just focus on recovering well and get better soon. I still need your help making bamboo tubes over on my end.”
“This little injury is nothing; I will be able to work in a few days.” Zhao Dagen cracked an honest, foolish smile with his dry, pale lips.
How could Gu Lin dare let him make bamboo tubes while carrying an injury? Yet a direct refusal would not do either, so he said, “The matter of the bamboo tubes is not urgent right now; the ones Sister-in-law Zhao made are enough for now. While you are recovering, help me brainstorm a shock-absorbing wooden cart. Every time I ride in a cart, I never dare put my bamboo baskets on it for fear of smashing the clay jars inside.”
Hearing Gu Lin’s words, the smile on Zhao Dagen’s face faded into a trace of disappointment and dejection. “I am sorry, Uncle Gu. I have not officially apprenticed yet, so I cannot build a wooden cart.”
Not only could he not build one now, but with his reputation ruined, it was possible no carpenter would ever take him on as an apprentice again.
Gu Lin could not bear to see the other person looking so discouraged. “I have seen the wooden chairs and tables at your home, and Sister-in-law Zhao told me you made them all yourself. If I had not been told beforehand, I almost would have thought they were custom-made by a professional carpenter. In my opinion, your craftsmanship is already good enough to stand on your own as a carpenter.”
Gu Lin spoke with genuine sincerity. He had seen the furniture at Sister-in-law Zhao’s house; every piece was sturdy, durable, and exquisitely crafted. That craftsmanship was definitely up to par, and Gu Lin was not just deliberately flattering Zhao Dagen to cheer him up.
“Then I will give it a try.” Zhao Dagen gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
Sister-in-law Zhao had already laid out the food. Since Zhao Dagen could not eat anything too greasy, Sister-in-law Zhao only ladled him a bowl of chicken soup, and then she and Elder Brother Zhao began eating themselves.
The braised pork was shiny and ruddy. The two of them had some left over toward the end of the meal, and Sister-in-law Zhao could not bear to throw it away, so Gu Lin said, “Sister-in-law, put the meat in the food box so you can keep it for dinner. But if it is not finished by tonight, you will have to throw the meat away.”
Sister-in-law Zhao nodded quickly and stored the remaining braised pork properly in the food box.
After they finished their midday meal, Gu Lin did not leave. Elder Brother Zhao had stayed up all night watching over Zhao Dageng without sleep and would definitely need to rest later. Sister-in-law Zhao had not slept well the previous night either, and now she looked absent-minded; Gu Lin did not feel at ease leaving them alone.
Anyway, Zheng Hao had not finished school yet, so Gu Lin decided to stay at the medical clinic and return to Lower River Village with Zheng Hao together when school let out in the evening.
Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, a man accompanied by two yamen runners came looking for them.
The man stood seven chi tall, with a fair complexion, a black beard, and plain cloth garments. His gaze carried an unusual sharpness, and the two yamen runners stood behind him as though he were their leader.
Junior Official Li swept his gaze across the four people before him, finally letting it rest on Sister-in-law Zhao as he asked, “Is your son, Zhao Dagen, the one who was injured by carpenter Wang’s son-in-law?”
Sister-in-law Zhao’s mind was blank, and she did not react for a moment. After Gu Lin nudged her, she finally snapped out of it, her complexion turning pale when she saw the man and the runners before her.
Noticing the woman’s fearful reaction, Junior Official Li immediately cast aside the dissatisfaction he had initially felt because she did not answer him in time. He said reassuringly, “Do not worry, I am an official of the county yamen. Upon learning that Junior Official Chen relied on his official status to run amok and harm human lives outside, the county magistrate flew into a great rage and specifically ordered us to find the aggrieved parties to come to the county yamen and assist with the investigation.”
This Junior Official Chen was carpenter Wang’s son-in-law.
“R-really?”
Hearing this, Sister-in-law Zhao felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she asked with a trembling voice, full of disbelief.
Seeing the woman’s incredulous expression, Junior Official Li, despite being single-mindedly driven to eradicate his enemy, could not help but feel a touch of pity. For once, he patiently explained, “It is indeed true. The county magistrate has also ordered us to carry the victim to the county yamen. You can go lodge your grievance before the magistrate; he hates evil like an enemy and will definitely severely punish the perpetrator.”
“Lin-ge’er.”
Sister-in-law Zhao turned to look at Gu Lin, her eyes soaked with unease. Although Junior Official Li had given assurances that they would not be harmed, the Zhao family had descended from generations of farming households and had always steered clear of the county yamen. Facing a summons to the yamen, they still could not help panicking and feeling afraid.
Gu Lin thought for a moment and looked at Junior Official Li. “Sir, I wonder if this commoner can accompany the Zhao family? The Zhao family currently has the injured and the elderly, and many chores require someone to run errands for them.”
Junior Official Li naturally recognized the ge’er as the owner of the cold dish stall. Seeing that the three members of the Zhao family were indeed injured or elderly and inconvenienced as described, he said, “Very well, come along.”
As soon as Junior Official Li spoke, the two yamen runners behind him stepped forward, lifted Zhao Dagen, and placed him onto a wooden litter bed. Seeing this, Gu Lin led Sister-in-law Zhao and Elder Brother Zhao to follow behind Junior Official Li all the way to the county yamen.
The moment they stepped through the gates of the county yamen, the legs of Sister-in-law Zhao and Elder Brother Zhao began to tremble. Gu Lin offered a few words of comfort, but it was no use until they walked into the main hall of the yamen and saw Junior Official Chen kneeling below. Sister-in-law Zhao and Elder Brother Zhao’s attention was instantly captured; their legs stopped shaking, and they glared at him with eyes filled with hatred.
Aside from Junior Official Chen, sitting high up in the hall was a man wearing an official’s hat and robes. At a gesture from Junior Official Li, the three of them knelt down before the man and saluted, saying, “This commoner greets the county magistrate.”
Although Gu Lin deeply abhorred the act of kneeling, when facing the head of a county who held absolute power over life and death, he was not going to stubbornly cling to his petty self-respect.
The term “commoner” itself made it clear enough: the lives of ordinary people were as cheap as blades of grass, left entirely at the mercy of others to harvest.
Magistrate Ye swept his torch-like gaze over the people below, finally letting his eyes fall upon Zhao Dagen and asking in a deep voice, “Victim Zhao Dagen, are the injuries on your body inflicted by Junior Official Chen?”
Gu Lin looked toward Junior Official Chen on the side. Ever since they walked in, the other man’s gaze toward them had been as venomous as poison.
Zhao Dagen had always feared Junior Official Chen in the past. But now, seeing his aging parents looking haggard beside him and Gu Lin running around for his sake, and thinking of his family nearly being torn apart over the past two days, a surge of courage welled up within him. With eyes stained red, he said to Magistrate Ye, “Please seek justice for this commoner, Your Honor! This commoner was injured by Junior Official Chen for no reason at all and nearly lost his life. If not for my aging father and mother, this commoner would already be dead.”
What Zhao Dagen said had been coached by Gu Lin. Ordinary commoners easily panicked the moment they entered a yamen, making it uncertain whether they could articulate a complete sentence when questioned. To prevent any accidents and give Junior Official Chen a chance to turn the tables, Gu Lin had long since discussed with Zhao Dagen what words needed to be spoken inside the county yamen.
Sure enough, as soon as Zhao Dagen finished speaking, Junior Official Chen reacted swiftly and began crying out his grievance: “Please examine the facts, Your Honor! I have been wronged! At the time, I acted in a moment of panic and accidentally pushed Zhao Dagen, causing him to be injured. But it was purely an unintentional act on my part; I had no intention of taking his life.”
Faced with Junior Official Chen’s distortion of the truth, Zhao Dagen grew agitated, and his pale, ashen face lost even more color.
Seeing this, how could Gu Lin allow Junior Official Chen to absolve himself of blame? He said to Magistrate Ye, “Please examine the facts, Your Honor! If Junior Official Chen claims injuring someone was purely unintentional, then why did he dump the person at home after injuring him without offering any compensation, and furthermore collude with his wife’s family to ruin the victim’s reputation?”
Seeing Gu Lin speak up to refute him, Junior Official Chen hated him to the core in his heart, yet he had no choice but to answer, “Sending him home was because my wife’s family and I believed Zhao Dagen’s injuries were quite severe and required him to recuperate at home in peace. We have no idea who out there began maliciously ruining Zhao Dagen’s reputation for no good reason. As for compensation, I was originally planning to deliver it today, but I never expected to be directly brought before the public court instead.”
A flash of cold light crossed Gu Lin’s eyes. What an eloquent tongue! In just a few sentences, he had molded himself into an innocent person who had caused injury by misadventure and was genuinely repentant, while completely avoiding any mention of his intentional attempt on Zhao Dagen’s life.
Fortunately, they had made preparations before coming.
Gu Lin said, “Your Honor, this commoner has a witness who can testify to Junior Official Chen’s intent to murder Zhao Dagen.”
Junior Official Chen’s expression darkened, and Magistrate Ye’s gaze sharpened as he commanded, “Bring in the witness.”
Following the magistrate’s order, an elderly man over fifty years old walked in with a hunched back. Trembling slightly, he lowered his head and bowed. “This commoner, Wang Erniu, greets the county magistrate.”
Magistrate Ye asked, “Witness Wang Erniu, did you witness with your own eyes Junior Official Chen’s attempt to murder Zhao Dagen? In this public court, half a falsehood will be met with the beating of boards.”
Wang Erniu replied with a trembling voice, “This commoner would not dare deceive Your Honor. Yesterday, when Junior Official Chen and Zhao Dagen were fighting, this commoner happened to pass by the Wang family residence. I originally intended to step forward to break up the fight, but I saw the two of them fighting increasingly fiercely until I witnessed Junior Official Chen intentionally shove Zhao Dagen toward the saw blade. Zhao Dagen was heavily injured and fell unconscious. This commoner was afraid of getting dragged into trouble and did not dare stay, so I quickly ran home.”
“Afterwards, this commoner’s conscience kept feeling uneasy. When the Zhao family came looking for me to ask me to testify in court, I decided to come.”
Seeing the witness enter, Junior Official Chen understood everything. He was clearly being targeted by someone. He turned to look at Junior Official Li, who did not avoid his gaze at all; instead, the corners of his lips curled up in an unspeakably mocking smile.
So it was indeed his doing! Junior Official Chen’s expression twisted, and his breathing turned ragged. If not for the other person meddling behind the scenes, how could the magistrate have found out about this? And how would these lowly commoners ever dare to confront him face-to-face in court?
Junior Official Li withdrew his gaze and said with a solemn expression, “Please examine the facts with discerning eyes, Your Honor, and return justice to the victim.”
Magistrate Ye struck the gavel with a loud smack, swept his gaze down toward Junior Official Chen, and demanded, “Chen Mu, do you have anything else to say?”
Chen Mu glared balefully at Gu Lin and the others, cursing himself for not uprooting the grass entirely by killing Zhao Dagen directly, otherwise he would never have left Junior Official Li a handle to use against him.
Now that all unfavorable evidence pointed straight at him, Chen Mu had no defense left to offer.
Seeing this, Magistrate Ye issued his verdict: “Starting today, strip Chen Mu of his post as a junior official, lock him away in the county prison for three years, and order him to pay ten taels of silver in compensation to the Zhao family.”
Hearing that his position had been stripped away, Junior Official Chen’s eyes were bloodshot, but facing Magistrate Ye, he retained a shred of reason. “This commoner acknowledges his crime. Thank Your Honor for your mercy.”
“Court is dismissed!” Magistrate Ye struck the gavel down heavily.
Seeing the wicked man receive his punishment and get dragged away by the yamen runners, Sister-in-law Zhao wept and laughed with overwhelming joy. When she accepted the silver handed over by Junior Official Li, she still could not quite believe that she had genuinely received compensation, and that the towering mountain she thought could never be shaken had actually been punished.
The entire Zhao family was overjoyed. Yet Gu Lin had not forgotten that another person had played a major role in making this matter go so smoothly. He signaled Sister-in-law Zhao, who followed his gaze and walked over.
Sister-in-law Zhao said, “Many thanks, Elder Brother Wang, for coming to court to testify today.”
Wang Erniu took a puff from his water pipe, coughed a few times, and said, “No need to thank me. I am merely avenging my own daughter. If not for Chen Mu and carpenter Wang’s family back then, my daughter would not have had her reputation ruined and been forced to marry far away.”
Gu Lin had not expected there to be such a backstory. It just showed how wantonly Chen Mu and carpenter Wang’s family had bullied the villagers over the years, and eliminating them now could be considered removing a pest.
“If you want to thank someone, thank Junior Official Li. Without his guarantees, I would not have dared to testify in court,” Wang Erniu said before leaving.
After dealing with Chen Mu, Sister-in-law Zhao still needed to stay in the county town to take care of Zhao Dagen. Seeing that the hour was getting late, Gu Lin bid them farewell to go pick up Zheng Hao.
As soon as Zheng Hao stepped out of the academy gates, he spotted the young ge’er standing not far away. The sight of the other person standing outside the academy waiting with lifted gaze looked just like any ordinary parent picking up their child from school.
Zheng Hao walked over, noticed his relaxed expression, and asked, “Is the problem solved?”
Gu Lin had been holding back a whole bellyful of words, but it had not been appropriate to air them in front of Sister-in-law Zhao and the others. Now that Zheng Hao asked, Gu Lin could not help himself and recounted everything that had happened that afternoon, detail by detail.
Facing the amber evening glow, the two of them walked down the street, their shadows, one tall and one small, stretching out infinitely as they slowly walked toward the twilight.