Qin Fang asked: "How do you plan to solve it?"
Yang Haiyan didn't like to drag her feet. Although she didn't care what others said behind her back, she was ultimately responsible for her reputation, and who wouldn't? Besides, in ancient times, reputation was equivalent to life.
"Let's take care of it tonight. You've all been on duty during the day this month. Those centurions should be home by now, right?"
Qin Fang: "I don't know if they are still here, but they have already made their move.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haiyan said, "Then please, my husband, accompany me for a walk. We haven't been to the Baifu District for a long time. Let's go for a walk there today."
Although Qin Fang didn't know how she would deal with it, he was curious: "Okay." Otherwise, he would not feel at ease letting his wife go alone.
Of course, Yang Haiyan didn't plan to go with just the two of them. She also brought Nanny Lian, Aunt Fan, and Aunt Yu. Seeing this, Qin Fang had an idea that his wife was going there to quarrel.
Yang Haiyan and Qin Fang, accompanied by Nanny Lian, Aunt Fan, Aunt Yu, and the others, first went to Mr. Qi's house. There was another reason why Mrs.
Qi, Mrs. Feng, and Mrs. Tang always gossiped together: they were all neighbors. Now, with Yang Haiyan arriving with such a large group, wouldn't that attract attention? Half the street was out to see what was happening.
Qi Baifu and his family were having dinner when they heard someone outside shout, "Is Mrs. Qi here?"
On this road, anyone who noticed the slightest movement would sneak out to see what was happening.
Mrs. Qi responded from inside: "Yes, who is it?"
Yang Haiyan led the group inside. Soon, the sounds of quarreling, beating, and smashing could be heard from inside, shocking the people outside. Then, Mrs.
Qi rushed out, crying, "Mrs. Tang, Mrs. Tang..."
She didn't need to shout, Mrs. Tang was watching the show at the gate of her yard. Mrs. Qi saw Mrs.
Tang and hurriedly grabbed her, "Mrs. Tang, you have to testify for me, I didn't say Mrs. Qin was a spendthrift woman, nor did I say Mrs. Qin was an old hen who couldn't lay eggs, you have to testify for me."
Everyone looked at Mrs. Tang when they heard Mrs.
Qi's words. Although Mrs. Tang and her friends had been gossiping and mocking others behind their backs, they had never done so in front of so many people. Now, after Mrs. Qi called out to her, half the people on the residential street were looking at her, and she felt embarrassed. She pulled Mrs. Qi's hand away and said, "What are you talking about? I don't know."
Mrs. Qi's face was covered in slap marks, red and swollen. She looked extremely pitiful, as if she had been subjected to domestic violence. She clutched Mrs. Tang's hand tightly and wouldn't let go. "Mrs.Tang, please help me! Someone complained to Mrs.
Qin, saying that I was calling her a spendthrift and a hen who couldn't lay eggs. But I clearly didn't say that. Please help me and testify for me."
Yang Haiyan also walked out of the Qi residence. As soon as she came out, everyone looked at her. Yang Haiyan pretended to smile, "Aunts, sisters-in-law, sisters, I came here today because I couldn't stand this tone. Everyone knows that I married here from the capital last August. When I first arrived, I took the wrong medicine and was poisoned on my wedding night. For this, I also made a fool of myself for my husband. But who doesn't detoxify and take care of their health after being poisoned? It took me six months to recover.
At the time, my husband's period was infrequent, and the cost of preparing medicine and supplementing his health was prohibitive. So l started embroidering and selling it to Yongji, earning some money. With some of my husband's personal savings, I finally opened a pastry shop. The income from the shop helped him maintain his health and replenish his body, and his health gradually improved. In March of this year, my husband was returning home. My son had been in the army for five years and had never been home, and my parents-in-law were worried. Everyone knows that it's difficult for a pregnant woman to travel long distances, as it could harm the fetus or cause an emergency.
Therefore, I decided not to get pregnant after March.
But I never knew that because of these two things combined, there would be such a vicious woman spreading gossip, saying that I was a spendthrift woman and couldn't lay eggs."
Speaking of this, Yang Haiyan choked up and burst into tears, her tears streaming down.
Qin Fang saw her crying and immediately gave up.
He quickly hugged her and said, "Yan Yan, don't cry.It's my fault for making you feel wronged."
In February, his wife also started crying while talking in her hometown. At that time, he thought she was acting, but later he realized that she was really crying. So now, seeing her crying again, he was heartbroken. His wife had cried twice since she got married, and each time it was for him.
Thinking of this, Qin Fang felt a surge of anger that he had never telt before.
Yang Haiyan shook her head. "No, husband, this has nothing to do with you. Something happened on our wedding night, and you used your private savings to hire a doctor and buy medicine for me. You love me so deeply, how can I blame you? The mistake is that you shouldn't have opened a shop, shouldn't have bought medicine, and shouldn't have taken care of yourself. Maybe if I died of illness like this, no one would say I was a spendthrift.
Dear aunts, sisters-in-law, sisters, and younger sisters, we are all women, and our husbands are all colleagues. We come from all corners of the country, from all corners of the country. It is fate that we are all gathered here. Shouldn't we all live in harmony so that our husbands can protect our country without worries? Why do we, as women, bully each other like this? Is it because I didn't die from the poisoning last August?
Today, someone came to tell me that this Madam Qi and her gang were gossiping among the ladies, saying that I was a spendthrift, and then they even insulted me as an old hen that couldn't lay eggs. I can't swallow this. "Madam Lian, beat them up."
Aunt Lian: "Yes."
Aunt Fan and Aunt Yu went to grab Mrs. Qi, but Aunt Lian reached out and slapped Mrs. Qi in the face. The slap was so loud that the bystanders couldn't bear to watch.
Mrs. Qi burst into tears: "It wasn't me, it really wasn't me, Mrs. Tang, please testify for me, I really didn't say that."
Mrs. Tang shrank her neck and said, "I don't know, I don't know anything..." Then she left the crowd and went back to the yard next door.
Seeing this, Madam Qi broke free from Aunt Fan and Aunt Yu, then grabbed her and said, "How could you do this? How could you stand by and watch someone die without helping? It was clearly you, Madam Feng, who was saying bad things about Madam Qin. I was just listening. Why didn't you testify for me? Why? Madam Qin, I really didn't say anything about you. It was Madam Tang and Madam Feng who said that. They said you were a spendthrift, that you couldn't lay eggs, and that you... and that Master Qin would take a concubine sooner or later..."
Yang Haiyan was stunned. Mrs. Qi had not said this to her during the day.
When Mrs. Tang heard this, she immediately pushed Mrs. Qi away and said, "You're talking nonsense. I never said that."
Mrs. Feng was also watching the show. When she saw Mrs. Qi bringing her up, she immediately said,"Mrs. Qi, are you crazy? A desperate dog will bite you. When did you say that?" Mrs. Qi turned and knelt on the ground. "Mrs. Qin, before God, I swear to Qi Zhu that I absolutely never said you were a spendthrift, nor did I say you were an old hen that couldn't lay eggs. These were all said by Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng. If you lied, I would die a miserable death and my children would have no future." As she spoke, she looked at Mrs. Feng and Mrs. Tang again. "Mrs. Feng, Mrs. Tang, you said that a cornered dog would jump over the wall and bite people without restraint, but you swear that you never said that. Mrs. Feng, swear on your man, Mrs.Tang, swear on your son."
Qin Haiyan looked at Mrs. Feng and Mrs. Tang: "Is what Mrs. Qi said true?"
Mrs. Feng gritted her teeth and said, "You never said that, why did you swear?"
Mrs. Tang also refused to admit it: "I never said anything, so who knows what Mrs. Qi is crazy about?"
Seeing this, Yang Haiyan was not anxious. "In that case, let's report to the authorities. Your husband is a seventh-rank military officer. According to the laws of our Qi Kingdom, insulting an official's family is punishable by caning at the very least, and by imprisonment at the worst. If I have wronged you, I will apologize, but... I believe the county magistrate will give you justice." Then she looked at the other spectators and said, "Everyone, if anyone among you can testify for me, I will give you ten taels of silver as a thank you."
All those present were centurions or their wives. Ten taels of silver was a centurion's monthly allowance for a year, and even if they lived frugally for a year, they still couldn't save ten taels of silver.
So as soon as Yang Haiyan opened her mouth, some people were moved.
"Mrs. Qin, are you serious? If you're willing to testify, do you really have ten taels of silver?" someone asked. It didn't matter whether she knew him or not; the silver was the best.
Yang Haiyan said, "Your husband is here, in front of everyone, how could you lie?"
The woman said, "I heard Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng say this. Early that morning, two of your servants went to the market to buy vegetables. They were walking in front, carrying a basket full of vegetables. Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Feng were walking behind. Mrs.Feng said, 'Your servants bought so many vegetables, why don't you choke to death?' Mrs.
Tang said, 'You're an old hen that can't lay eggs, so eating the vegetables is useless. What a waste of food.'I was walking behind them at the time andTang said, 'You're an old hen that can't lay eggs, so eating the vegetables is useless. What a waste of food.' I was walking behind them at the time and heard what they said."
Mrs. Tang yelled, "You're lying."
Yang Haiyan said, "Sister-in-law, if I go to the authorities to file a complaint, are you willing to testify?"
The woman said, "We've said it all here. It's no big deal even if we go testify before the county magistrate."
Yang Haiyan said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, Aunt Lian, here's the money."
Nanny Lian took out ten taels of silver and said,
"Madam, thank you for being willing to give justice to the wife of the other family."