“Sir, I would like to ask you to make the decision.” Jinli followed the tone he had rehearsed beforehand and knelt in the wide and long court hall.
Liao Tingyu was wearing an official uniform, and when he heard this voice, he instantly felt uneasy.
How much grievance did it have to be to say something like this in such a tone?
“Who is this person? Tell me your name. If you have any grievances, tell me quickly,” Liao Tingyu imitated the official in movies and said word by word.
“Answering the magistrate, the commoner named Quan Jinli. I lived in an alley near the west city gate. I had a father who was fond of gambling all his life. He liked to beat and scold my mother and me. In order to gamble, he even used up all the money we had saved at home. My mother and I worked hard for this family and became sick all over, so I beg you to make the decision for my mother and me and sentence my mother to separate from my father.” Jinli was very uneasy, and he tried to make his voice sound calm, but it still very shaky.
After hearing what he said, Liao Tingyu nodded. It was not a big deal. He thought there was a life lawsuit.
“Okay, then let’s summon your father and your mother. If there are witnesses, you can also bring them over,” Liao Tingyu nodded and ordered.
While still immersed in gambling in the casino, Quan Cai, who was already red-eyed, was startled by the sudden visit of the government servant.
As soon as he heard his name being called, he immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed to beg for mercy. “Sir, this commoner is responsible for his duties. I just loved to gamble a little and had not done anything harmful to the world. Please let me go.”
“This is not the time asking us to let you go. Someone came to the court today to sue on you. Come with us,” the yamen servants despised this kind of people the most. They were dressed in filthy clothes, but they also liked gambling. They didn’t need to think about it to know how the magistrate would judge this person.
Quan Cai was completely dumbfounded. He actually had to go to court. He didn’t do anything. Could it be that he had been discovered that he stole a chicken? How could such a small thing alert the county magistrate?
Quan Cai couldn’t figure no matter how hard he thought and asked, he also wanted to know why people suddenly threw a lawsuit at him.
Jinli’s mother was also shocked when the government servant showed up to take him out of the house. He thought it was that old bastard who had done something evil again.
“Excuse me, sir, do you know what crime the bastard husband of mine committed? Was it stealing or robbing?”
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. It’s just your child who wants the magistrate to be the master of the two of you,” the yamen servant had a good impression of this shuanger who was diligent and frugal and used his own efforts to support a child, so it was okay to reveal it.
Obviously Jinli’s mother was frightened by these words.
“What you mean is my child wants me to reconcile with that damn thing and ask the county magistrate to make the decision,” Jinli’s mother said in a very frightened tone.
“Yes, that’s right. I have to say that you have raised a good child. It is indeed a very good idea for him to do this. Your child is very smart,” the yamen servant expressed deep admiration that a little shuanger had such courage.
But Jinli’s mother didn’t think so. He felt as if the whole sky was about to collapse. The child should not blame the father, not to mention how could a junior trying to sue their elders.
The yamen servant had met many people, and when he saw his expression, he knew what was going on. He thought he was a smart shuanger at first, but he didn’t expect he was another foolish wife, not as good as his child.
Originally, he treated him differently, but now there was no need for this, and the yamen servant’s tone became cold and serious.
“Okay, don’t wait any longer. Pack your things now. The magistrate is still waiting for you!” the yamen servant urged.
.
Jinli knelt in the court hall alone, his whole thin body trembling.
Liao Tingyu looked at this child and felt that he was very ordinary. He didn’t know why he caught that boy Zhao Han’s attention. But he still said very gently: “Don’t be too nervous. I don’t eat people. Come and bring him a chair. Don’t kneel down. Your legs will be hurt when you kneel down.”
Jinli thanked Liao Tingyu and sat on the chair that was brought to him. He was worried that the magistrate would say he was rude, so he didn’t dare to move at all and sat stiffly on the chair.
He really couldn’t withstand the pressure, which was the most tiring.
Liao Tingyu said with a smile, “Your name is Jinli, right? Don’t be so stiff. I am a human here, not a ghost from hell. Smile and don’t be so serious. Now your parents are not here, I will chat with you.”
Jinli was stiff but he nodded and wanted to relax when he heard the magistrate, but there were rows of yamen servants, each dent in his hand a thick and long stick. The room was very big with beautiful paintings and tall chairs. It was just so majestic, something Jinli had never ever seen.
How could he relax when it was so magnificent and solemn?