I asked you to dig wild vegetables to pay off your debt, not go up the mountain to pick up money!

"..."

"Crack!"

"what……"

The stone in Song An Ning's hand hit He Guangzong's little finger hard. Judging from the crisp sound, it must have broken.

"Since we were once engaged, I'll be kind and start with the left hand.

If you don’t answer properly, you won’t be able to save your right hand.”

Her words were like the devil's whisper, echoing in He Guangzong's ears. No, he still had to write, take the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official. He couldn't let his life go to waste like this!

"I was studying at the academy all day, and I don't know where Uncle Feng went."

"Crack!"

"what……"

The ring finger shattered with a sound, and He Guangzong's heart was filled with fear. How could this crazy woman have such great strength?

It seems that Song An Ning already knew something and was just waiting for him to reveal it.

If I don't say something useful today, not to mention my fingers, I might even lose my life.

"I said, I said..."

"Well, tell me."

"They were captured by Wanhetang."

"Crack!"

"..."

He Guangzong was in so much pain that he couldn't even scream. He had clearly said it, so why did this crazy woman still do it? She is a devil!

"I know everything you said, tell me something I don't know. Whether you can keep your left hand depends entirely on you."

What she couldn't stand the most was people trying to be clever in front of her. She always felt that others couldn't see through her little tricks and were taking her for fools!

"By the seaside, by the seaside!"

"Crack!"

The index finger was not saved either, as the fingertip was flattened.

Song Anning heard Xiangxiang gasping in her head, "Hiss, it hurts just looking at it. Master is so cruel, Xiangxiang likes it so much."

"I'll give you one last chance. Tell me everything you know, in detail."

If you keep asking and answering questions one by one like squeezing toothpaste, how long will it take?

With pepper spray splashed on his face, he was beaten with a wooden stick, and four of his fingers were broken in succession. He Guangzong curled up on the ground like a dead dog.

The yellow unknown liquid soaked the pants and flowed all over the floor.

"Hey, Master, do you think he peed in pain or out of fear? Judging from the color, this scumbag has been a little angry recently."

"..."

Xiangxiang made a very pertinent comment and said that she really wanted to buy a bag of melon seeds from the mall and eat them while watching.

Unfortunately, it has no physical form and cannot eat melon seeds...

Seeing this, Song Anning took two steps back in disgust, threw away the stone in his hand, and waited quietly for his answer with his hands in his pockets.

"At the end of these mountains, where the river flows into the sea, they were captured by Wanhetang and forced to make illegal salt..."

"Making private salt?"

Real punishment!

The salt of the Nanyue Dynasty was controlled by the government and was strictly regulated.

I’ve heard from villagers before that someone in the town was beheaded for selling a few cans of illegal salt.

Wanhetang is really hungry and dares to do anything.

"My father and elder brother were arrested. Does that have anything to do with you?"

Based on the clues currently available and connecting the dots, Song Anning was absolutely certain that it was He Guangzong who was behind this.

"No, I, I didn't..."

Although he was in so much pain that he was unconscious, He Guangzong still refused to admit it.

"He Guangzong, let me tell you a story, please listen."

"Once upon a time, there was a scholar who went to town to study for a few years and passed the examination to become a Tongsheng. In the eyes of his family and fellow villagers, he was a child of destiny and would have a great future.

But only he himself knew that there were countless students in the town, and it was too difficult to pass the imperial examination by studying for more than ten years through his own efforts.

So, relying on his good looks and the title of Tongsheng, he thought of taking a shortcut, preferably by finding a young lady from a wealthy family or someone with a strong backing.

But he got engaged early, and his fiancée was just a country girl from the village. The family was living in poverty and he couldn't provide any help.

He colluded with the Wanhetang in the town and poisoned his fiancée, making her fat and ugly, and causing her family to disappear. This way, he could easily break off the engagement and get the life he wanted.

After Song An Ning finished speaking, she stepped hard on his head, her eyes slightly red, and asked in a low voice: "He Guangzong, am I right?"

"no no……"

These were all his thoughts. How did Song An Ning know?

Although he didn't want to admit it, this was the fact. He Guangzong was shaking with pain and just wanted to end the conversation and escape from this place.

"That's all I know. Please let me go. Please let me go..."

The morning sun shines on people, bringing a touch of warmth. The fog gradually dissipates, and the distant mountains, villages, and fields become clearer.

After glancing at the embarrassed He Guangzong, Song An Ning quickly left.

If she stayed any longer, she would be unable to resist killing someone.

"Master, are you leaving just like that? Should we..."

Xiangxiang was worried that He Guangzong would take revenge, so she wanted Song Anning to wipe out the root of the problem.

"I won't let him go, but not now."

A student has died, and the government will definitely investigate thoroughly. There is also Wanhetang behind He Guangzong. No one knows what kind of deal there is between them, but it is definitely not as simple as she just said to He Guangzong.

Now I am unable to compete with the government and Wanhetang, so I can only fight to vent my anger.

"Will that scumbag report you to the police for assaulting him? He'll bite you like Pan did."

Xiangxiang was extremely worried. She didn't understand the twists and turns of the matter, but she knew only one thing: nothing could happen to her master.

Song An Ning was not worried about this. He Guangzong was doing shameful things. If he still wanted to take the imperial examination and climb up the powerful, he would not allow himself to have any stain. He could only swallow this loss in silence.

When they got home, Wang Qiuyue had already cooked and was wiping Song Zeyuan and Song Anyue's faces and combing their hair by the well.

"Sister Qiuyue, have you adjusted well these past two days? Have Ayuan and Ayue been naughty?"

"Everything is fine at home. Ah Sheng and Ah Yuan are having a great time. But ten copper coins a day is too much. I feel uneasy."

After the breakup, Wang Qiuyue's spirit and energy improved at a speed visible to the naked eye, and Song Anning liked her gentle appearance very much.

"Ayuan is so good. Yesterday, Wang Sheng and I went to the mountain to collect firewood."

"Ayue helped Sister Qiuyue cook."

The two little ones raised their heads, looking for praise.

"You are such good children. Today, I will make you some meat, braised spareribs."

He touched their little heads, then took out a handful of candies from his arms, gave two to each of the three children, and stuffed the remaining one into Wang Qiuyue's hand.

"Oh, I'm an adult, and I still eat candy. Aning, keep it for yourself.

Ah Sheng, thank you Sister Aning quickly."

Wang Qiuyue had been abused by He Fangfang for a long time, and she was so moved by the slightest benefit others gave her that she even said she felt she didn't deserve it.

"We are children too, so what's wrong with trying it?

Sister Qiuyue, the wages have been decided. This is one hundred coins, ten days' wages.

Here is some cloth to make clothes for Ayuan and Ayue, and two sets for my mother. The remaining cloth can be used to make a single piece of clothing for you and Asheng, as the weather will soon get warmer.

She went back to the house, took out a string of copper coins and a few pieces of cloth and put them in Wang Qiuyue's hands. She has always been generous to her employees. She also saw this morning that Wang Qiuyue and her brother had done a lot of work in the past two days.

All the weeds in the yard were pulled out, all the dirty clothes in the house were washed and dried by Wang Qiuyue, and the firewood room was full of firewood. It was also hard work.

If people work sincerely, she will not treat them unfairly.

Wang Qiuyue subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Song Anning quickly stopped her:

"Just take it if I give it to you. You are sincere to us, and I am sincere to you. Our lives will only get better and better.

A Yuan, I'm hungry, let's get ready for dinner."

At the foot of the mountain, several people gathered around a table, drinking thick and sweet rice porridge with refreshing pickles, which warmed their stomachs.

On the other side, He Guangzong was like a maggot, crawling on the ground and wriggling towards home.

Seeing that her son had been gone for so long and still hadn't returned, Zhao Lanhua decided to go out and take a look. As she walked along the road, she was still happily thinking that she could finally eat meat today.

Unexpectedly, after walking a few hundred meters, he saw his son lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Oh, my son! My dearest child..."