Chapter 21: The Interrogation Part 2
“Li Xiucai.” County Magistrate Huang looked at Li Xuedong.
Li Xuedong didn’t react.
Mr. Gao quickly stepped forward and nudged Li Xuedong, “They’re calling you.”
“Yes, I…”
“Wrong, wrong!” Mr. Gao quickly patted Li Xuedong’s back.
“Yes, yes, student…” Li Xuedong quickly corrected himself.
He knew how to respond and how to pay respects; Mr. Gao had taught him on the way, but he was too nervous and too scared.
“Bring a chair for Li Xiucai. Li Xiucai, sit down and talk.” County Magistrate Huang gave an order, then smiled and gestured to Li Xuedong, indicating he should sit and talk. He then looked at Mr. Yao and smiled, “Look, he’s still just a child.”
“Indeed. During the County Examination, didn’t Your Excellency say that if he had been born a month later, our county would have produced a child prodigy?” Mr. Yao said loudly and with a laugh.
“Li Xiucai, you heard the accusation letter from your Third Uncle, Li Wencai, clearly?” County Magistrate Huang asked casually as Li Xuedong sat down on the chair, his tone and expression relaxed, as if he were chatting over tea rather than presiding over a case.
“Yes.” Li Xuedong was so tense his whole body stiffened, and his back was covered in cold sweat.
“Was this accusation letter within your expectations, or beyond them?” County Magistrate Huang chuckled, shaking the accusation letter as if he were chatting with Li Xuedong over tea rather than judging a case.
Li Xuedong was stunned by County Magistrate Huang’s question. He subconsciously looked at his Eldest Sister, Li Jinzhu. Li Jinzhu quickly tilted her chin and gestured for him to answer County Magistrate Huang’s question.
“Replying to Your Excellency, I had expected it, and yet I hadn’t,” Li Xuedong turned to look at County Magistrate Huang. Seeing the kind smile on County Magistrate Huang’s face, he felt a little steadier and replied with a trembling voice.
“You expected it?” County Magistrate Huang’s tone rose, his expression exaggeratedly surprised. “You expected it? Why? Tell me carefully.”
“I… no, student… student studied day and night, I risked my life to get through, all because of Third Uncle. Because if I couldn’t pass, student wouldn’t be able to live, my whole family wouldn’t be able to live.” Li Xuedong’s throat choked up, and tears began to fall.
“Pour Li Xiucai a cup of tea. Don’t rush, speak slowly,” County Magistrate Huang instructed gently.
Mr. Yao personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to Li Xuedong, smiling gently, “Drink some tea, don’t rush, speak slowly.”
Li Xuedong drank the tea in one gulp, his mind slightly steadied, and then continued:
“Three autumns ago, my father led the cow that our family and Third Uncle’s family jointly raised to Caojiabu for breeding. On the way back, there was a heavy rain. My father covered the cow with all the rain gear. When we got home, the cow was fine, but my father had a high fever that wouldn’t go down. He struggled for three days but couldn’t make it.
“When my father was dying, he said not to hold a funeral, and not to buy a new coffin. Just open Mother’s coffin and place him with her. But Third Uncle insisted on a grand funeral. Using the grand funeral for Father’s death, Third Uncle gained a lot of copper coins, but our family’s savings were completely depleted.
“When Father passed away, Eldest Sister, in front of Father, tied up her hair and vowed not to marry. The Zhang family, to whom Eldest Sister was engaged, agreed to break off the engagement. But Third Uncle intervened. Third Uncle said that Eldest Sister breaking off the engagement would ruin the reputation of the Li Clan. Eldest Sister gave her mother’s gold-plated silver hairpin, along with half a string of diaos of money, to Third Aunt. Only then did Third Uncle stop interfering.
“When the cow that Father risked his life for was pregnant with a calf, Third Uncle said the cow’s belly was big because she was sick. Third Uncle also said the cow’s illness was caused by Father. He said the money for medicine and the veterinarian for the cow should come from our family. He said the money spent on treating the cow was more than the cow was worth, and he demanded half the cow’s value from us. We didn’t have the money, so Third Uncle said the cow would belong to his family.
“When Father was being buried, it was raining. Third Uncle said that a filial son must kneel at the grave. Third Uncle held an umbrella and personally watched me kneel at Father’s grave for over three hours. I was already frail, and after being soaked by the rain, I fell ill as soon as I got home.
“I was ill for over a year. As soon as I recovered and stepped out of my room for the first time, I ran into my cousins Li Xuefu and Li Xueshou, and they beat me severely. Fortunately, Third Sister desperately protected me, and Eldest Sister and Second Sister rushed back in time.
“After that, about half a month later, one evening, A Nan went to the bamboo forest behind the house to look at the moon. She was hit on the head with a stick by my cousins Li Xuefu and Li Xueshou and fell unconscious for two days and two nights before waking up.
“A Nan was beaten because she was wearing one of my long jackets.”
Gu Yan’s eyebrows rose as Li Xuedong spoke of A Nan looking at the moon by the bamboo forest.
Lu Xiu loved admiring the moon the most, especially the moon in the bamboo forest. She said the swaying bamboo, with its dappled moonlight, had a transcendent quality.
He felt the cold moonlit bamboo forest was too heavy with yin energy, and had once told her she could only admire the moon beneath flowers.
On the day A Nan was beaten unconscious, what day was it? He needed to find out.
“Third Aunt even brought people to see A Nan. She was a human trafficker, saying A Nan could be sold for ten taels of silver.
“Eldest Sister said Third Uncle was determined to seize our family’s thirty-plus mu of paddy fields, as well as A Nan’s selling price. Eldest Sister and Second Sister could also be sold for three to five taels of silver.
“Later, Eldest Sister said that student still had to go to school. This was the only way out for our family. We didn’t ask student to become a Xiucai scholar, even if he could just attend the County School…”
Li Xuedong’s words abruptly stopped as he looked at Mr. Gao.
On the way, when he told Mr. Gao that attending the County School would allow him to meet children from the county magistrate’s and grain registrar’s families, thus establishing some connections, Mr. Gao had warned him that such words were inappropriate and should not be spoken.
“I understand why you mentioned school. Please continue,” County Magistrate Huang interjected, his understanding evident.
“Yes. Last autumn, when it was time to pay the grain tax, Eldest Sister did not go with Third Uncle to pay the grain tax as she had in previous years. Student, Eldest Sister, and Second Sister went to pay the grain tax. This autumn’s grain payment saved over thirteen hundred copper coins. With these copper coins, student’s tuition was paid, and student was sent back to Gao Family School.
“At Gao Family School, student wasn’t just studying; he was fighting for his life, fighting for himself, Eldest Sister, Second Sister, Third Sister, and A Nan. Student…”
Li Xuedong’s throat choked up again, and he couldn’t continue.
County Magistrate Huang was already wiping away tears with handfuls. Mr. Yao followed suit, wiping away tears. The yamen runners standing in two rows quickly joined in, some sniffling loudly, others continuously wiping their eyes in rhythm with County Magistrate Huang.
County Magistrate Huang pressed his handkerchief to his face, blew his nose forcefully, and then coughed. He raised his voice and asked, “Are Li Xuefu and Li Xueshou here?”
“They are here,” the head yamen runner replied. He quickly strode forward, grabbed Li Xuefu and Li Xueshou by one arm each, pushed them between the two rows of yamen runners, and then forced them to kneel.
County Magistrate Huang looked closely at the two men, then pointed at Li Xueshou, who was glaring with bull-like eyes and a dazed expression, and asked, “Tell me, did you beat your cousin?”
Li Xueshou glared at Li Xuedong as County Magistrate Huang pointed at him, and immediately nodded, “I did.”
“Why did you beat him?” County Magistrate Huang continued to ask.
“Mother said if I beat him to death, we could eat meat every day!” Li Xueshou stared with his bull-like eyes, direct and truthful.
