Chapter 7
Village Chief Comes to Help
Everyone looked to the direction where they all just came from. And sure enough, they saw the village chief walking over step by step.
The village chief is called Li Ming Fu, he’s the Zhou county’s head commissioner’s distant relative. Because one of his leg was somewhat handicapped, that’s why he became the village chief at this Du village. Everyone all knew that the county’s head commissioner was his relative, so they were all very respectful towards him.
It was Niu Jing that had someone invite Li Ming Fu over. He said the people eldest aunt’s family were all rather aggressive. If they were to go find them just like this, even if she admitted to it now, later on, she still might use this as an excuse to cause a disturbance. It would be better to invite the village chief over to be the judge and settle this matter, let Du Fu and Cui-shi in the future, not dare to say anything.
Although Du Fu’s whole family was the wealthiest in the village, but as the proverb says ‘scholars, farmers, artisan, and merchant[1]’, officials still ranked in foremost. Even if it was just the smallest of small village chief, Du Fu’s family still wouldn’t dare to act brazenly in front of the village chief.
That’s why, seeing the village chief arrive, Cui-shi’s complexion was very ugly.
“Village chief, you came!” The villagers, seeing Li Ming Fu approaching, all successively greeted him.
Li Ming Fu limped over, and nodded his head in response to the villagers. After spotting Niu Jing, he went forward and cupped his hand in greeting towards him.
“Village chief, thank you for coming.” Niu Jing returned the courtesy towards Li Ming Fu, and said with a smile.
“You’re too kind, the matters in the village, I ought to come take charge of.” Li Ming Fu said smiling, then turned and asked Du Xiao Li, “And just what is going on here?”
Earlier, when the villager ran to him saying that Niu Jing invited him to go uphold justice, he was so shocked that he shot up from the chair at once and hastily followed the person over. In the beginning, when first Niu Jing arrived, that very distant head commissioner relative had repeatedly reminded him that he must take good care of Niu Jing, and by all means, don’t offend him. Although the county’s head commissioner didn’t explain why, he also guessed that Niu Jing’s ident.i.ty wasn’t simple.
This time was Niu Jing’s first time sending someone to find him since returning. He naturally needed to come, and also needed to properly oversee this matter!
Cui-shi finally saw Niu Jing who was standing behind the crowd. Didn’t expect that he was also present. Then her appearance just now was all seen by him?
Seeing the village chief arrive, Du Fu quickly went in the house to get a stool for him to sit.
“Village chief, we invited you here today to ask you to make an appraisal for us.” Du Xiao Li said.
“Oh? What appraisal?” Li Ming Fu asked. He looked to Du Xiao Li and discovered that this girl was different from before.
“It’s like this, in the beginning, when my mother was sick, we borrowed twenty taels of silver from eldest uncle’s family. Not long after my mother was buried, eldest aunt used our family’s house as collateral to pay back the debt. Not only that, she even embezzled all of our furniture, and didn’t let us take anything at all. Right now, we want to ask village chief to give us an appraisal, is that house of ours really not even worth twenty taels that we even need to use the furnitures as collateral.” Du Xiao Li concisely and comprehensively had the matter explained.
Li Ming Fu looked to Cui-shi and Du Fu. As soon as he’d learned of this matter, he’d been wanting to come find this couple for a talk, but never came to find them. Right now was the perfect opportunity to have that talk with them. “That year, when it finished building, Du Fu and I had helped him settled the bills, in total spent about thirty some taels of silver, no?”
Under Li Ming Fu’s gaze, Du Fu had no choice but to nod. Cui-shi at the time also knew of this matter. That’s why, even though she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
Seeing Du Fu nod, Li Ming Fu continued speaking, “Du Hai’s house has only been built for seven to eight years, the damages would only cost a few taels of silver, how come when it came to you all, it’s not even worth twenty taels?!”
“Village chief, we….”
Du Fu wanted to speak, but was cut off by Li Ming Fu’s glare. “As Du Hai’s brother, in the time when his wife’s corpse hasn’t even grown cold, had his children kicked out of their home and even didn’t allow them to take their things, this kind of conduct, Xiu Heng and his sister can report you all for forcibly occupying their family property!”
“Village chief, we can’t be considered forcibly occupying their family property either. Their family borrowed our money, didn’t have the money to pay it back, thus used the house to pay back the debt. This is something right and proper, right?” Cui-shi couldn’t sit still anymore and retorted Li Ming Fu.
“Even if you want to use the house as collateral, you all should also compensate them the excess money, and furthermore, return their furniture to them.” Li Ming Fu said. “Or you all want to wait until they report you for forcibly occupying their family property? If that’s the case, the head commissioner will come accept my statement, when that time comes, they will still get their property back, and you all might get locked up in prison.”
Feng Ming has laws set, where embezzling someone else’s family property, will get one sentenced. That’s why Li Ming Fu isn’t just saying things to scare them either.
As soon as Cui-shi and Du Fu heard they might get sent to prison, their imposing manner was cut in half. Then thinking again, if they were to offend the village chief, what to do if he doesn’t give them the rights to development in the rear forest later? Thinking it like this, even Cui-shi didn’t have anything to say.
“How about it? Have you decided what to do?” Li Ming Fu asked as he knocked his pipe against the edge of the stool.
Cui-shi and Du Fu glanced to each other and reluctantly side through their teeth, “Alright, we’ll just let them take back the things in the house.”
“This isn’t enough. You’re not going to count the price difference of that house?” Li Ming Fu said with a steady face.
“Then what does village chief say we do?” Du Fu asked.
“If I have to say, you all should just let them move out the things inside the house, and then give them five taels of silver. Afterwards, this matter will be considered settled.” Li Ming Fu said.
Since Du Xiao Li and her brother indeed did borrow their money, to want to demand back the house, Cui-shi definitely wouldn’t agree. Fortunately, that house on the mountains could still be used to live in, just give them a bit of money then.
“This….” Cui-shi still wanted to haggle over the price once more, but was stopped by Du Fu.
“Since that’s the case, we’ll listen to village chief. We’ll compensate them five taels of silver, and have their furniture returned to them. In the future, no one is allowed to use this matter again to say anything.”
“Alright, today your fellow villagers and I will bear witness, this matter will be settled like this. You all give Xiu Heng five taels of silver, then afterwards, everyone will all help then move their things. Looking at these two little bodies, they definitely won’t be able to carry anything.” Li Ming Fu said as he stood up, and shouted to the villagers, “Men of Du village, now should be your time to shine. Whoever dares to slack off or is unwilling, I will kick him into the river for a bath!”
“Hahaha, village chief, we all came for this!” The villagers heard the village chief’s words and burst into laughter.
Du Fu went in and brought out five taels of silver unwillingly. After Du Xiu Heng got the money, he and Du Xiao Li faced the village chief and thanked him, “Thank you village chief for upholding justice for us!”
“Haha, you two little brats, quickly go and directly them in moving the things for you. First move what you need today, the rest you can just move tomorrow. This old bag won’t be going to help, and will be heading back first.” Li Ming Fu smilingly said.
“Village chief is going back? Then this old bones also won’t be going to join in on the fun. I still have a guest at my home, so I’ll go back with you first.”
“Haha, let’s go, let’s go.” After village chief said this, he and doctor Niu left together.
“Oh no, I forgot to give the medicine money!” By the time Du Xiu Heng remembered to pay by Niu Jing, he’d already gone far. He can only just return it tomorrow when he has the time.
When Niu Jing returned to his own home, a twelve to thirteen year old boy was currently standing at the door looking out. Handsome features, a pale white face, and even if it was already early summer, he was still wrapped in a water blue brocade gown. Seeing Niu Jing bowing to him, he softly said, “Here isn’t the capital, so doctor Niu doesn’t need to perform these meaningless courtesies. Also to avoid outsiders from detecting anything.”
“Yes.” Niu Jing stood up and looked to Han Ming Yi, “Young master, you just arrived here today. Tonight, properly rest up first. Tomorrow we can begin.”
“Alright.” Han Ming Yi nodded, and entered the house first.
[1] These are the four cla.s.ses of ancient China; government officials are counted the same as scholars