NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Old Pervert
When the sun disappears behind the western horizon, in the Chunshan Township, inside the study room of the head of the local magistrate's mansion, the local magistrate puts down the writing brush in his hand. He blew the ink on the memorial for a while and then carefully folded it after the ink dried.
The local magistrate looked at the door of the study and said, "Someone, come."
The servants standing outside the study heard his call, and one of them walked into the study. Standing in front of the local magistrate, the servant lowered his head and asked, "What are your orders, Master?"
The local magistrate handed over the memorial and said, "Let the fastest messenger deliver this memorial to the county magistrate."
After speaking, he solemnly added, "Remember, don't let anyone know about this."
The servant bowed and said, "Yes, Master."
After the servant left the study, the local magistrate glanced at the report from the Yamen on the table. He picked up the report and read it again for the fourth time. After a while, he put down the report and pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly.
Last night's bandits' attack had resulted in more than one hundred deaths, and countless women and children had been kidnapped. With the civilians living in fear and anxiety, there was no way he could cover up this matter. In desperation, he could only submit a memorial, hoping that the county magistrate would take over this matter.
If the emperor knows about this matter, there may be hope for him and the villagers. Otherwise, he would have no choice but to close his eyes and wait for death together with many villagers who live in the forty-three villages under his jurisdiction.
After a moment of silence, the middle-aged local magistrate stood up and left the study. Seeing him coming out, the servants lowered their heads.
The housekeeper, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward and asked, "Master, where do you want to rest tonight?"
The local magistrate thought for a moment and said, "I will go back to the Yamen."
"Yes, Master." The housekeeper bowed slightly and left to convey the news to the local magistrate's wife.
Seeing the housekeeper leaving in a hurry, the local magistrate sighed and returned to the Yamen. While waiting for the answer from the county magistrate, he still had many things to do. That night, the local magistrate and countless villagers had sleepless night.
The next day, Duan Yixin woke up before dawn. She sat on the straw bed, rubbing her stiff muscles and groaning. After a hard day, sleeping on a hard bed was really torture for her. After she felt better, she put on the worn-out cloth shoes.
After getting out of bed, she left the small bedroom and walked out of the house to wash her face. Although it is early summer, it is still a bit cold in the morning. After washing her face with cold but refreshing well water, Duan Yixin went to the kitchen.
She took out some clams and shrimps from the liquid chip's warehouse, cooked them, and made a simple breakfast. Then, she boiled a pot of drinking water and filled a thermos flask from the warehouse with the hot water.
Just as she was about to go up the mountain with the bamboo basket, she saw Chi Xinru coming with her elder brother. Seeing her waiting for them in front of her house, Chi Xinru smiled and said, "Xin Xin, good morning. How did you know we would come today?"
Looking at her lovely smile, Duan Yixin smiled and said, "Good morning, Xinru. Good morning, Young Master Chi. I didn't know you two would come to see me today. What a coincidence. You came just in time when I came out."
Hearing her answer, Chi Xinru said, "That's good. At least we came at the right time."
"I don't know why you two came so early today." Duan Yixin said, tilting her head slightly.
Hearing what she said, Chi Xiyou handed her a small basket and said, "Mother made some pancakes and asked us to bring them for you. I heard that your uncle brought a matchmaker to visit you yesterday. Our parents were worried that you would be forced to get married, so they told us to check on you today."
Duan Yixin took the basket from his hand and smiled at him, "He did come to force me to marry a man named Master Chen, but I drove them away."
When Chi Xinru heard this, she said angrily, "That uncle of yours is really not a good thing! When Grandpa Duan was sick and couldn't leave the bed, Duan Sida was clamoring to separate the family because he didn't want to support you or your grandpa. But now, he comes here shamelessly and dares to force you to marry that old pervert. I think his skin is itchy and needs beating!"
Seeing his younger sister's angry look, Chi Xiyou said calmly, "Ru'er, you have to learn to control your temper. No matter what, Duan Sida is still Xin Xin's elder. Even though their family is separated, if Xin Xin openly opposes her elders, it will be harmful to her. Carrying an unfilial reputation will ruin her life."
Hearing her elder brother's words, Chi Xinru frowned and asked anxiously, "Then what should we do? We can't just stand idly by and watch them force Xin Xin to marry that old pervert, right? Sending her to marry that old pervert Chen is equivalent to sending her to death, ah!"
Duan Yixin was very curious about why Chi Xinru called Master Chen an old pervert and asked, "Xinru, why do you call Master Chen an old pervert?"
When she asked, Chi Xinru's face darkened. She snorted and said, "He has been married seven times, and all seven of his wives have been tortured to death by him. There are rumors that he was very cruel in the bedroom, and the young brides who were married to him all died within two weeks. I heard that the reason is because he likes to see other people raping his wife! One of his wives even died on their wedding night!"