EBE Chapter 9 The Prodigal Son Kneels
Chapter 9 The Prodigal Son Kneels
Chapter 9 The Prodigal Son Kneels
Forced into a corner, Wang Wenzhou wrote a marriage contract. The contract essentially stated that after his wedding, Wang Wenzhou would immediately take Zhang Jiao as a concubine, with no possibility of reneging. Old Zhang was still a man of honor; he knew it was inappropriate for a concubine to enter the household before his wife.
Afterwards, the two drunkards, one old and one young, drank together like old friends despite their age difference. Then, Old Zhang personally escorted Wang Wenzhou back to the county government office.
Wang Wenzhou was really drunk. In the time it took to eat a meal, he not only got a good beating, but also gained a wife. No one would believe it unless they were there themselves.
The old butler, Wang Zhixin, was busy handling some handover procedures and urgent official business, and didn't pay any attention to Wang Wenzhou. It wasn't until the next morning at breakfast, when he saw Wang Wenzhou just waking up, that Wang Zhixin realized something was amiss.
Wang Wenzhou was dressed in official robes and wore a black gauze hat, and now he looked somewhat like a county magistrate, except that the white cloth bandaging his wound on his forehead was particularly eye-catching.
While Wang Wenzhou was eating, Wang Zhixin learned about yesterday's events from his grandson, Wang Qiang. It wasn't that Wang Qiang was disloyal, but this matter was truly serious. Marriages were supposed to be arranged by parents and matchmakers, and the young master had taken a wife on his own—this was outrageous. Even if they wanted to keep it a secret, they couldn't hide it forever; it would be exposed sooner or later.
The Wang family had strict rules: no talking while eating or sleeping. Wang Wenzhou had just finished eating and put down his chopsticks.
Wang Zhixin roared, "Wang Qiang, bring the family discipline!"
Wang Wenzhou's father, Wang Xianda, was in poor health, so Wang Zhixin took over the education of Wang Wenzhou. Wang Zhixin didn't treat himself as an outsider; whenever Wang Wenzhou did something wrong, he would severely punish him according to family rules.
Seeing Wang Zhixin's long face and angry glare, Wang Wenzhou knew that Wang Zhixin must have known about yesterday's events. It was just a fight, after all. In fights, there's no right or wrong; if both sides were good people, they wouldn't have fought. Wang Wenzhou thought to himself, "It must be that idiot Wang Qiang who can't speak properly; when recounting what happened, he didn't take a moral high ground."
"Old Wang! What are you up to today?" Wang Wenzhou asked with a smile.
Holding the family cane, Wang Zhixin pointed at Wang Wenzhou and sternly demanded, "Wang Wenzhou, do you know your mistake?"
Even if he was wrong, it wasn't entirely fair! This body had deeply ingrained memories of "family discipline" in its past. When Old Wang started hitting, he really meant it. Wang Wenzhou didn't want to get a good beating.
"Old Wang, don't listen to Xiao Qiang's nonsense. What happened yesterday was actually like this. Xiao Qiang and I went to eat, and we ran into four scoundrels who wouldn't pay. We pleaded with them, and as the newly appointed magistrate of Hanshan County, we couldn't just ignore it. But as you saw, it was all Xiao Qiang's fault for not being good enough. Not only did we not punish the scoundrels, we also got beaten up by them. Today, I was just thinking of gathering the constables to arrest those four scoundrels from yesterday." As a swindler, Wang Wenzhou was quite adept at occupying the moral high ground.
Wang Qiang curled his lip, thinking to himself, "Young Master, you're really not stupid now. Is it my fault for not being skilled enough? If it weren't for me, you don't know how badly you would have been beaten."
Wang Wenzhou's head injury was too obvious, and he had already thought about what to say. Besides, he couldn't let this beating go unpunished; he was still planning to extort some money from that little bastard Li Hechen. Did he really think that a drink and a brotherhood yesterday would be the end of it? This guy wasn't one to suffer a loss.
"You unfilial son! Kneel down!" Wang Zhixin roared, pointing at Wang Wenzhou.
Wang Wenzhou looked at Wang Qiang, "Xiao Qiang, you idiot, you didn't tell your grandpa everything, did you? I told you yesterday that I'd pay you back after I swindled that bastard Li Hechen's money. Even though he's a conman, he always pays back what he borrows."
Wang Qiang shook his head vigorously. "Young Master, you've got it wrong," he whispered. "Young Master, it's not because of that. It's because you found yourself a wife. That's why Grandpa is so angry."
"Marriage is a major life event, it should be arranged by parents and matchmakers. Wang Wenzhou, you unfilial son, how dare you marry without my consent!" After saying this, Wang Zhixin raised his hand to strike with the family law.
"Old Wang, wait a minute! I was forced into this, Old Wang. You have no idea how shameless that old man is." Speaking of this, Wang Wenzhou still felt wronged. He hadn't even made an appointment with her, and now he had a wife. He really had nowhere to complain about this injustice.
"Hmph! You unfilial son!" Wang Zhixin trembled with rage. "If you hadn't coveted that granddaughter's beauty and used threats and inducements, would this old man have gone to such lengths to give her to you? Don't you even know how to look at yourself in the mirror? You learn nothing good! You've just become an official and you're already bullying men and women. What will you become in the future? Your master wanted you to inherit the title, so he swallowed his pride and begged everyone he could to get you a position as a county magistrate. Since you're not doing your job properly, I have no choice but to discipline you!"
"Smack!" Wang Zhixin slammed the stick down hard on Wang Wenzhou, shouting angrily, "You unfilial son! You still dare to talk back!"
"Ah!" Wang Wenzhou winced in pain. Old Wang had really hit him hard. His back felt like it was on fire, burning with pain.
"Old Wang, I'm a county magistrate now, do you dare hit me?" Wang Wenzhou tried to intimidate Old Wang with his status. He thought that in ancient times, status mattered, and if he suppressed him, he could probably escape being hit.
"Heh!" Wang Zhixin sneered and said disdainfully, "Lord Wang, in the courtroom you are the county magistrate, but here is the back office, and you are a descendant of the Wang family. If you break the family rules, the family rules will apply. It's justifiable anywhere."
Upon hearing this, Wang Wenzhou turned and ran. Judging from Old Wang's words, as long as he escaped the back office and reached the courtroom, Old Wang wouldn't beat him. Otherwise, he'd have no choice but to endure the beating.
……
Today is the first day of the new magistrate, Lord Wang. In the main hall, the yamen runners, led by their headman, had been standing in rows for a long time, waiting for the magistrate to call them in.
Hearing hurried footsteps, Old Wu quickly nudged Li Hechen beside him and whispered, "Hey, wake up, don't sleep, the adults must be here."
Yesterday was the longest day of Li Hechen's life. His emotions fluctuated wildly throughout the day, experiencing all the flavors of life. It was only because he was young; if he were any older, he would have suffered a heart attack and passed away long ago.
Old Zhang has gone mad and insists on giving his beloved to that fat pig as a concubine, breaking Li Hechen's heart. Although Zhang Jiao drove him out of the No Return Tower, he didn't go far.
He stayed nearby, observing. He had made up his mind that even if the fat pig was Magistrate Wang's cousin, he would drive it away and make sure it never dared to set foot in Hanshan County again.
But things didn't go as planned. To his surprise, after drinking with the fat pig, Old Zhang actually took him to the county government office. Li Hechen wasn't stupid enough to go to the county government office to beat up the magistrate's cousin.
Feeling extremely depressed, Li Hechen went to a place to drink with his friends until midnight before returning home.
He couldn't sleep that night; the more he thought about it, the more depressed he became, and the more depressed he became, the less he could sleep.
When the adults came to take attendance, Li Hechen got sleepy while standing. He had just dozed off for a while when Old Wu woke him up.
As soon as Li Hechen opened his eyes, he saw Wang Wenzhou running into the main hall.
Wang Wenzhou looked rather comical at this moment. Weighing over 300 pounds, his flesh jiggled as he ran. Although he wore official robes and a hat, the bandage on his forehead, used to treat a wound, was particularly noticeable. On his back was a bloody welt, inflicted by Wang Zhixin with family discipline. Wang Wenzhou's official robes fit him well; after running for a while, the blood on his back soaked through them.
This doesn't look like a county magistrate at all; he looks more like a clown performing in a teahouse. The yamen runners, seeing the magistrate's comical appearance, all managed to suppress their laughter.
"Pfft..."
Someone couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Cough cough..."
Ma Bantou couldn't help but laugh, and could only cough a few times to suppress his laughter.
"Lord Wang is really fat! I've never seen such a fat person in my life," Old Wu said in a low voice, pinching his nose.
Seeing that Li Hechen did not respond, Lao Wu was puzzled. He tilted his head and was shocked to see that Li Hechen's face was covered with sweat and his expression was painful.
"What's wrong with you? You were fine just now. Did you have a nightmare?"
Li Hechen kept his head down, afraid of being noticed by Wang Wenzhou. He tremblingly wiped the cold sweat from his face and whispered, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
Wang Wenzhou plopped down on the county magistrate's throne and looked back.
Wang Zhixin, holding the family discipline rod, stood at a distance from the back gate of the yamen, not chasing after him into the main hall. Old Wang was still quite accommodating; administering family discipline in front of a group of yamen runners—how could Wang Wenzhou possibly remain a county magistrate after that?
"Xiao Qiang, you come here right now!" Wang Wenzhou beckoned to Wang Qiang.
Wang Wenzhou needs to settle accounts with Wang Qiang. That little bastard, talking nonsense, needs to be taught a lesson. People around leaders must watch their mouths and know what to say and what not to say.