Song Sanniang's Journey to Wealth

Some people outside had actually noticed the noise in the iron shop and were listening quietly. Second Sister Song asked anxiously, "Why did you pull me out? Your father and the others are still in there."

Song Sanniang couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Mom, what can you do in there? What if they get desperate and start beating people up?"

The gossipy shop owner has come to inquire, "Little girl, what happened?"

Song Sanniang saw that help was coming, so she turned around and slapped the closed door behind her.

While clapping, he shouted, "Open the door! You have the guts to not pay back your wages, but you don't have the guts to open the door?

Your son-in-law has worked diligently for you for more than ten years, but you even deducted his wages.

Open the door, are you going to beat my uncle and my father to death in there? How can you be so cruel?

Now my two cousins ​​are going to take the imperial examinations. If you don't give them money, are you deliberately trying to make it impossible for them to succeed?

This is your grandson and nephew. Are you three human beings?"

Song Sanniang finished speaking in one breath, and she felt her saliva dry up. However, she felt that the depression in her heart was released with this call.

In fact, after being in ancient times for so long, she lived a routine life and gradually lived a good life. Her life was going according to her plan.

But she thought that in two or three years she would have to get married and live according to the rules here. Although she could live a good life, she was unwilling to give up so soon and was a little afraid of the future.

As Song Sanniang finished her words, everyone gathered around to watch the fun and talk about it.

The lady boss of the wonton shop said, "Oh my, this is too bad for my son-in-law. This Mr. Song, my shop has been open for as long as he has been working here. He works like a cow every day and only goes home a few days later. Who would have thought that he doesn't even get paid."

The old man who sells farm tools next door also said, "This young man is very honest. He is the first one to open the door every day. He has been working when the old man opens the door every day. I wonder how much the ironworker Gao paid him. He worked so hard, but it turned out to be for nothing. What a sin, what a sin, what a good young man."

The vendor at the door also said, "Yes, I come here every day to set up the stall, and he is always there. I often ask him for a drink of water, and in winter he even specially boils water for me to drink. He is a good man. Gao the blacksmith and his family are really evil and rotten."

At this time, Song Dazhi came with two yamen runners. Wow, he’s an acquaintance.

Shao Wu and another unknown yamen runner shouted their way through the crowd and made their way to the door.

Song Sanniang stepped forward quickly and said, "Excuse me, officers. They have closed the door and everyone is inside."

Inside the room, the eldest and second oldest Songs stood still. Gao Tiejiang and the other two were extremely anxious. They were discussing countermeasures among themselves.

The three brothers of Boss Song had no choice but to obey the order of Gao Tiejiang to stop Boss Song and his partner from leaving. However, Boss Song and his partner knew that nothing would happen, so they just stood there and waited for the police to come.

Shaowu knocked on the door and shouted, "I am a yamen runner, open the door."

Gao the blacksmith and his companions had already discussed a countermeasure. As long as their family members denied the crime, no one else would know and there would be no witnesses, so no one could do anything to them. So when they heard the yamen runners knocking on the door, Gao the blacksmith asked his apprentice Tie Niu to open the door.

When the door opened and they saw that it was just a stalemate inside, Song Ersao and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

When the two men from Shaowu entered, another officer took out his badge and showed it to the people in the room, then said, "I am from the Inspection Office. I received a report from the people that Gao's Iron Shop was withholding wages, so I came to handle this matter."

Then he asked, "Who is the owner of the iron shop? Who is the person who is owed wages? Stand up."

Boss Song was the first to step forward and bowed to the two men. "Sir, I am Song Song, the son-in-law of Gao the blacksmith, and the one who is owed wages."

Gao the blacksmith also stood up and said, "Sir, I am Gao Daquan, the owner of the iron shop."

The officer nodded and said, "Okay, since both parties are here, Song Song, you go first."

Boss Song said hurriedly, "Yes, sir."

"I have been working in my father-in-law's iron shop for seventeen years. In the first year, I was an apprentice and did not receive any salary.

The next year, I married Gao Lanlan, the youngest daughter of my father-in-law, and became a teacher. At that time, the monthly salary was 500 wen, and I could get the monthly salary every year.

After my wife gave birth to the child, my father-in-law raised his salary by one tael, and he paid it to me on time every month.

When my son Dalang was ten years old, my father-in-law and my wife decided:

The monthly salary is only 300 wen, and the remaining 700 wen is kept by my father-in-law and will be given to us when my eldest son and second son get married.

I didn't agree at the time, but my wife was determined, so I had to agree.

My eldest son is now sixteen years old. My eldest and second sons will take the imperial examination next year.

I just wanted to ask my father-in-law to take back the wages so that I could prepare for them, but my father-in-law and my two uncles refused to acknowledge this matter. I beg the officer to seek justice for me."

The officer nodded without comment and said to the blacksmith Gao, "You go ahead and tell me."

Gao Tiejiang shook his head in a helpless manner and said, "My son-in-law's words are totally untrustworthy.

Let me ask you, who would be willing to leave their wages in someone else's hands for several years without taking them?

He has been working for me for more than ten years. Why didn't he ask me for it before but suddenly asks me for it now?

I know my two grandsons are going to take the imperial examinations, and he is anxious, but I cannot allow him to have bad thoughts. If he asks me, I can lend it to him, but I cannot deceive everyone like this."

Then he bowed to everyone and said, "Everyone knows that my son-in-law has worked in my store for more than ten years.

If I don't pay him, will he be willing to keep working? Will my daughter and grandchildren not have food or drink? How ridiculous."

As he said this, he sighed at Boss Song, "Son-in-law, don't be confused."

When Boss Song heard his excuse, he said anxiously, "I just said that I get 300 coins every month. My family has rice and grains, and we grow vegetables and raise chickens, ducks, and pigs. We don't have to spend money on food, and I can even save money."

Gao Tiejiang, however, seemed to have caught something on him. “Everyone knows that my little daughter is good at spending money. I have fed her with good food and drink since she was a child. How can she be accustomed to the food from your country?

Ask the neighbors. Before my daughter got married, a piece of cake cost 40 cents.

She eats meat for every meal, and eats Jufulou's roast duck, Xinghualou's grilled fish, Ruifuyuan's crispy roast goose, and clear crab soup every month.

Because she is so precious, when I married her to you, I asked you to give her good food and drink every month, just like she was at her parents' home.

I want to ask you, if I don't pay you, how can you support my daughter with your 300-cent salary? "

Then, without waiting for Boss Song to answer, he asked the onlookers, "Many of you are my old neighbors. Before my daughter got married, did she have to eat at the big restaurant in town every month?"

Some neighbors who remembered nodded and said, "That's true. The little daughter of the Gao family likes to have the big restaurant deliver their signature dishes to her house every month."

"It seems to be true. She often shows off in front of us."

"Look, everyone can testify for me that what my son-in-law said is completely false, and no one can prove that what he said is true."

The police officer asked Boss Song again, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Boss Song was confused by Gao Tiejiang's unreasonable angle and was trying hard to think of how to answer.