Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

Outside the door, there was a chaotic scene of crying, cursing, arguing, shouting, and yelling. The four guests, drunk, turned their heads to look, and for a moment they were unable to understand what was going on.

A crowd ushered in a thin, short woman. She collapsed to the ground, covered her face, and began to weep bitterly, while several people around her glared and shouted insults!

The three girls in the backyard sat up, listening intently to the sounds coming from the outer courtyard. Xiangxiang slid off the kang (a heated brick bed), and Liulian grabbed her, saying, "Remember, that boy is a thief!" Xiangxiang hesitated, but Liulian whispered, "Remember!" Xiangxiang nodded vigorously.

As soon as the three men appeared, Wai Mao'er's wife rushed over and grabbed Xiangxiang's leg, crying and making a scene. Liu Lian forcefully pulled the two apart, shielding Xiangxiang behind him, and shouted, "If you have something to say, say it. What are you doing, acting like a dog? Let me tell you, both of you are here. If you dare to cause trouble, I'll have you arrested!" The two constables cleared their throats, straightened their clothes, put on their hats, and swaggered out.

Those outside were slightly taken aback, but quickly regained their composure: although a local official may not have the same power as a county magistrate, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake! The thin, sallow woman then began to weep, "My deadbeat husband is stupid; he shouldn't have offended you, sister. Please, sister, have mercy on him. I'm a helpless man, I can't make a living like this. Sister, please be magnanimous and forgive him this once..."

Xiu Luan was furious at the thought of that damned man and said angrily, "Auntie, you're so strange. It was clearly your man who stole the property. There was so much evidence. The police arrested him. What does it have to do with Sister Xiangxiang?"

Xiangxiang was already crying in anger, and the woman was also sobbing uncontrollably. The people around them were also shouting and cursing incoherently. The two constables just stood by with their arms crossed, watching without saying a word to stop them. Xiangxiang shrank back guiltily, not daring to step forward. The woman could only pull at Xiangxiang and plead with her.

People in ancient times lacked entertainment, so they were very keen on joining in the fun. Soon, the small courtyard was packed with people, and the onlookers were having a great time.

Liu Lian advised, "Auntie, don't force her. He stole the things himself, the police arrested him on the spot, there are so many witnesses, and the county magistrate made the judgment on the spot. Even if Xiangxiang were willing to change her testimony, it wouldn't work. Why don't you go and beg the witnesses to change their testimonies first? If they are willing to change their testimonies, I'll help you persuade Xiangxiang to throw away her pride and say a few lies to recant her testimony. Leave it to me!"

The woman nodded in disapproval. The men and women beside her, already impatient, decided to take matters into their own hands when they saw the woman was useless. A fat, dark-skinned man shoved Liu Lian aside, pointed at Xiangxiang, and snarled, "What are you pretending to be, a virgin? Don't be shy and hide behind others. You seduced my brother, giving him meat and money for free. You've slept with him more than once or twice. My brother refused to become your son-in-law, and you, in your anger, slandered him. That purse was clearly a token of your love for him. Don't try to deny it! Just release my brother properly, or else nobody will get away with it!" He chuckled coldly as he spoke, looking Xiangxiang up and down.

Xiangxiang was filled with shame, fear, remorse, and regret. She stammered, utterly terrified. Just as Liulian was about to step forward, Gong Jianyun shoved her aside, blocking her path, and arrogantly said, "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. In public, you dare to humiliate an unmarried woman like this! Do you know how defamation is punished? If she refuses to be humiliated and takes her own life to protect her reputation, you will pay with your life! Since you say Waimao has an affair with this woman, then tell me, when, where, and who was the one who started it? If you can't answer, I'll have to invite you to the yamen!" In truth, even a cat avoids a mouse, and the man's arrogance softened somewhat. Xiangxiang received some kind of enlightenment from Gong Jianyun's words. She wiped away her tears with a towel, bowed to Zheng Tu, and said in a hoarse voice, "Father, your daughter is unfilial..." Without saying more, she turned and rushed towards the well. With so many people around, how could they let her jump? Besides, the neighbors were constantly watching her. The crowd quickly grabbed her, and some helpful bystanders even brought stones to weigh down the well. Stopped by the crowd, Xiangxiang's courage grew, and she jumped and hopped, determined to die. The troublemakers were stunned, staring dumbfounded as the village woman loudly tried to coax Xiangxiang. Zheng Tu, however, was truly terrified. This large man collapsed to the ground, sobbing like a bull, snot hanging half a foot from his nose. His large hands, capable of slaughtering pigs and sheep, reached pitifully and helplessly towards his daughter. He choked out, "Xiangxiang, kill your father first, then die! What's the point of me living if you're gone?" Xiangxiang threw herself into Zheng Tu's arms, crying out "Father!" Father and daughter embraced and wept bitterly.

So touching! Everyone rolled up their sleeves to wipe their eyes, forgetting to find out if Xiangxiang had ever kept a lover. They remembered that they had watched this child grow up, and now she was being bullied to the point of being unable to live. If they didn't step in to help, how could they have the face to go out in public? They all turned their heads and glared fiercely at the intruders. Someone shouted, "Kill these bastards!" and everyone rushed over and started punching and kicking them.

The thugs secretly groaned. They had only intended to use the pretense of standing up for their brother to get the woman to commit suicide, then extort some money. Who knew the other side would steal their thunder? They cursed their bad luck, realizing they had no chance to escape. Ruiqian, a little anxious and fearing someone might die, tugged at Gong Jianyun's sleeve. Gong Jianyun smiled calmly, "It's alright, it's not that easy to kill her!" After watching for a while, he shouted, "Stop! Do you think my brother and I are dead? Killing her is punishable by death! All of you stop! Let's talk at the yamen!" The men who were fighting stopped, clutching their backs and panting. Several men in the circle were already beaten to a pulp, feeling utterly helpless, when suddenly everyone stopped, as if they had been granted a pardon. Two constables, speaking in official jargon, asked them how they felt and whether they wanted to report it to the authorities. The thugs, pinching their noses, thanked the two constables for their kindness, generously saying it was all a misunderstanding and there was no need to pursue the matter. The two constables tried to feign concern and intimidate the group, but they wouldn't listen. Supporting each other, they fled in a flash. The woman, however, had managed to dodge the crowd's wrath when they were in a difficult position. Though she had been trampled a few times, she was unharmed. But now, seeing the hostile gazes of the crowd, she was trembling with fear. Zheng Tu stopped the group, saying, "She's just a woman, how can she fight against those skinless thugs? Let her go. Bullying a woman isn't a sign of strength!" The woman was treated like a beast of burden by her husband's family; no one treated her like a woman. Hearing this, she was overcome with grief and burst into tears. Zheng Tu said, "Alright, you can go!"

The woman curtsied and turned to leave, unharmed but stumbling as she went. She felt lost; home lay ahead, like a gaping maw of a ferocious beast.