Country Maiden: Fields and Fortune

336, Severe Punishment Without Mercy (2 more)

The farmers were all astonished.

Could it be that the headman had embezzled all those things?

“Master, I, I…” the headman stammered, swallowing hard.

“Look at your family, each one dressed in brand-new clothes, faces rosy and healthy. Now look at them, each one with patches on their clothes, their children pale and thin. How many things have you deceived them out of over the years, I don’t know, but one thing is for certain, you must give it back to them. Otherwise, I’ll send you to the Governor’s Office, and let the Lord County Magistrate deal with you, you wicked servant!”

Xie Zhinuan’s eyes were cold, his voice resounding with authority.@@novelbin@@

Unable to hold back, someone cried out, “Over the years, for the chickens I’ve raised, he would take away twenty every year, and one pig. How much silver that would be, let me calculate, let me calculate!”

But he had never received an education and couldn’t do the math.

He was so anxious that he spun in circles, his head dripping with sweat.

People stepped forward one after another, accusing the headman of how much he had taken from their chickens and pigs over a year.

The households, consisting of dozens of people, suddenly made the room chaotic.

Xie Zhinuan felt a headache coming on and shouted sternly, “Enough!”

The headman was so frightened that his face turned white, and he knelt down.

“Master, I beg for mercy. I, I am willing to give back the silver to them!”

“A pig should be at least three taels, and a chicken a hundred wen. You specifically wanted our old hens, add another twenty wen!”

“Yes, yes, that’s right, Master, make him pay the money!”

Xie Zhinuan looked at the farmers, each filled with righteous indignation.

“You’ve been deceived by him for so many years, not to mention the chickens and pigs he took from you, most likely more silver has been spent!” Xie Zhinuan looked at the headman, “You must compensate each household with ten taels of silver, otherwise…”

“Master, it’s not enough, it’s not enough!” someone cried out.

What about the more than ten large fat pigs over the past decade?

“Then how much do you want? Isn’t ten taels enough? Can he even take out more if asked?” Xie Zhinuan retorted.

Someone quickly interjected, “We’ll listen to whatever Master arranges!”

“We’ll listen to Master!”

Getting ten taels of silver, and from then on owning the livestock they raised themselves, was quite good already.

Fortunately, there were a few sensible people. Xie Zhinuan turned to the headman, “Go get the silver now!”

“Yes!”

The headman went to take out the silver, while his wife cried out, unwilling.

His children too started to make a fuss.

Xie Zhinuan shattered a table with a slap, bang, and it broke into pieces.

Frightened, they all fell silent, mute as cicadas in winter.

“Since you think my handling of this is not fair, then let’s go to the Governor’s Office. After the County Magistrate makes a judgment, after he has examined the case, I will come back to sell you all. With the way you’ve been skimming off the top, I dare not employ you!” Xie Zhinuan thundered.

The headman’s wife was so terrified that she collapsed onto the ground.

His children were even more scared to make a peep.

“Master, Master, I’m going to get the silver now, right away!” His speed was astonishing.

Soon, the headman brought out the silver, ten taels for each person.

Then he knelt in front of Xie Zhinuan, “I beg Master for mercy, I beg Master for kindness!”

If truly sold, with such a dark background, it was unlikely anyone would want them; they could only be sold to work in a black coal mine, to toil away there.

That would be a lifetime without ever seeing the light of day.

“You’re begging me for mercy?” Xie Zhinuan scoffed.

After a while, he finally sighed, “Enough. From now on, you will work the fields just like the other farmers; things will remain as they are. But you will no longer be the headman. You are no longer allowed to engage in bullying and unfair practices, and you are not to provoke any more trouble. Today I am showing you leniency, but that doesn’t mean if you err again, I will still be lenient and spare you!”

Chapter 338