Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1217: Sorting Out the Li Family Mother and Son

"Young Master, are you alright?!" Dou Zhi rushed over as soon as the carriage stopped, rushing to support Young Master Dou and check his injuries.

Hmm, the injuries sustained were not severe, only a slight graze on his face and his lip was split, bleeding a tiny bit.

However, he was covered in dust, his fine robes were torn by gravel, and his neat hairstyle was ruined, with blades of grass stuck in his disheveled hair.

"Alright? Are you blind? Do I look like I'm alright with my hair like this?" Young Master Dou shouted, his fury nearly erupting.

Dou Meng, the carriage driver and one of Young Master Dou’s Shadow Guards, upon seeing that the young master was unharmed, immediately went to Li Qiangzi, grabbed him, and declared, "Young Master, it was them who caused our carriage to be startled."

With that said, he kicked a loose stone that struck Miss Zhou, causing her to cry out in pain and fall back to the ground after having just managed to stand up.

"You startled my young master’s carriage and caused him injury. If you dare to run, the Dou Family will make you regret it for the rest of your life!" Dou Meng menacingly warned.

Li Shuzi, hearing this, began to cry and hugged Miss Zhou, wailing, "Boo hoo, don’t hit my mother, don’t hit my mother."

"Stop crying, shut your mouth! If you keep crying, I’ll sell you off!" Young Master Dou, already enraged, was further incensed by Li Shuzi’s weeping and yelled at him, frightening Li Shuzi into quickly covering his mouth, though tears continued to stream down his face.

Tsk, Young Master Dou shook his head at the sight. "Is this the extent of the courage boys possess these days? Crying like this with merely a single shout?"

It was unlike his youthful days with the Young Marquis, when they were much wilder.

"So, you are the scoundrel who startled my carriage?" Young Master Dou approached Li Qiangzi, looking down at him from a height of more than a head, "I will give you two options: either kneel and admit your fault, and compensate with five taels of silver, or we will take this to the authorities, where you might face imprisonment or a significantly higher compensation. Make your choice."

"What? Compensate five taels of silver? Are you dreaming, young man?" Mrs. Li Qian, concerned for Li Qiangzi and returning with Elder Lin upon hearing of the commotion, shouted after hearing the demand. "Who claims our carriage was startled? Who are you trying to scam? Your carriage nearly ran over my son, and he was almost killed; it is you who should be compensating us!"

She then cried out to the gathered onlookers, pleading, "Boo hoo, fellow villagers, this wealthy young master is bullying us. You must stand up for us and not allow him to oppress us simply because he is rich!"

Young Master Dou let out a laugh. "Ha, I have traveled the world and seen many unreasonable women who twist words and make false accusations like you. Do you know what fate awaits them?"

"What fate? You should first consider your own outcome," Mrs. Li Qian retorted, fixing her gaze on Young Master Dou. "Judging by your accent, you are clearly an outsider. How dare an outsider like you bully the locals here; you must have a death wish! I warn you, pay up one hundred taels, not a single copper less, or we from Li Family Village in Niugou Town will make you pay dearly!"

In these rural areas, when a call for justice was raised, the entire village or clan would often rally, frequently escalating into brawls if matters became contentious.

Young Master Dou, who had witnessed such scenes before, laughed and inquired of Dou Zhi, "Did you take note of everything?"

"Yes, Young Master, word for word," Dou Zhi replied, having already produced a pen and paper and meticulously recorded Mrs. Li Qian’s statements.

Young Master Dou nodded with satisfaction and then turned to Dou Meng. "There is a shrew here bullying me; why are you not taking action?"

Dou Meng promptly released Li Qiangzi, moved with the swiftness of wind towards Mrs. Li Qian, and with a solid thud, kicked her knee, bringing her down. He then secured her arms, nearly dislocating them in the process.

"Ah!" Mrs. Li Qian shrieked. She attempted to speak, but the intense pain left her momentarily speechless.

Young Master Dou expressed his dissatisfaction. "When dealing with shrews, one should slap them directly; why did you strike the knee?"

Dou Meng responded, "Young Master, knees are joints; striking them causes more pain than a simple slap."

How dare you talk back!

Young Master Dou grew intensely angry but, finding no recourse against the earnest expression of Dou Meng, pointed at Elder Lin. "Are you associated with them?"

Elder Lin replied, "We are merely acquaintances. I do not associate with Mrs. Li Qian and her son, but I am a townsman of Miss Zhou and her son."

"Since you know them, accompany us to the yamen," Young Master Dou stated, showing no interest in delving further into Elder Lin's connections with the Zhou and Li families, insisting they all proceed to the government office.

He then turned his gaze to the assembled onlookers, projecting his voice loudly. "The son of that woman caused my carriage to be startled; surely one of you witnessed this event clearly. Five taels of silver await whoever comes forward as a witness at the government office with me!"

With those words, he accepted the money pouch presented by Dou Zhi, opened it, and revealed its contents to the eager eyes of the crowd, the gleaming silver coins mesmerizing them.

"There must be at least a hundred taels of silver in there," a murmur of excitement rippled through the onlookers. While initially hesitant to get involved in such a disruptive affair, the promise of five taels for their testimony galvanized a dozen individuals, who promptly stepped forward. "Young Master, we saw everything! We are willing to testify for you!"

Young Master Dou surveyed the dozen eager faces before him, a sneer playing on his lips. He singled out three. "You three, come with me to the government. The rest of you, be gone."

Did you truly believe I was a fool? To hand over five taels to each of you? Two witnesses are more than sufficient.

The dismissed onlookers began to grumble amongst themselves. "Why are you being so selective? We all explicitly agreed to be your witnesses!"

"Heh, do I need your permission to spend my own silver? Begone, unless you wish to accompany me to the government office and face accusations of withholding crucial information and abetting the shrew and her son in their malicious acts!"

Dou Zhi, inwardly vexed, pondered the sheer absurdity of the potential charges.

Nonetheless, the onlookers, thoroughly intimidated, ceased their complaints and dispersed swiftly.

"Hmph, a pack of unruly peasants. As for you, shrew and your brat, today you shall experience the harsh reality of being bound and thrashed!" Young Master Dou pointed a menacing finger at Mrs. Li Qian and her son, his temper reaching a boiling point.

To be violently thrown from his carriage, to suffer such a loss of face, and then to have his slumber disturbed!

Did they not comprehend the crucial importance of his rest after so long without a single decent night's sleep?

"Let us proceed!" With a sharp command from Young Master Dou, his entourage began their march towards the government building.

...

Dong dong dong!

The resonant strike of the gong at the government gate echoed, sounded by Dou Meng.

County Magistrate Zheng, with a weary frown, heard the insistent drumming. "Who is it now, disturbing the peace again? Have the villagers not been pacified as reported?"

Following the apprehension of Gao Sanxiong and his associates, the frequency of disturbances at the government office had significantly decreased. With the grand opening of the new bank imminent, many villagers had returned to their homes to finalize paperwork, intending to secure loans.

Only a select few idlers remained lingering around the government entrance.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, it is likely nothing serious. I will investigate," Steward Zheng assured him before exiting the courtyard. He then encountered Luo Wu, who was approaching with a report.

Luo Wu informed him, "Steward, Li Kuihu's wife and son have unfortunately crossed paths with Young Master Dou, and he is bringing them to the government to lodge a formal complaint."

Steward Zheng’s eyes widened in surprise. "Ha! That Li Family mother and son have truly courted disaster by offending Young Master Dou. They've certainly asked for it."

Steward Zheng felt a surge of satisfaction and, accompanied by Luo Wu, returned to report the matter to County Magistrate Zheng.

Upon learning that the distinguished Young Master Dou himself was personally filing the complaint, County Magistrate Zheng did not dare to delay. He immediately agreed to hear the case and, gathering his officials, proceeded to the main hall to preside over the proceedings.