northernbook Chapter 109 That's the betrothal gift
Chapter 109 That's the betrothal gift
"Manager Tian has reported this to the authorities again. It's only been a few days since that incident."
"Last time, so many people were beaten, including a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations; he might even lose his degree..."
"How dare anyone sue her?"
“This is different…they have marriage certificates.”
"The marriage certificate has the signature of an elder, so it can't be wrong."
"The Cheng family is really lucky. Miss Tian is quite wealthy these days."
"Wouldn't marrying her be like marrying a god of wealth?"
"That depends on whether the God of Wealth is willing to marry you."
"So what if there's a marriage certificate? If the woman doesn't want to marry, you can't force her to."
"But if the man doesn't agree... it still won't work."
The rules of Daqi are quite bizarre.
After the marriage contract is signed, the man is not guilty of breaking the engagement, but he cannot demand the return of the betrothal gifts.
If a woman breaks off the engagement and the man agrees, the woman will be punished with fifty strokes of the cane and will have to return double the amount of the betrothal gifts.
If the man does not agree, the marriage certificate remains valid.
Lu Tao hugged Tian Tian worriedly and patted her shoulder gently, "Tian Tian, don't be afraid."
Last time, Tian Zhongqing and Wang Yulan tricked her and Tian Xiang up the mountain and stuffed Tian Tian into the Cheng family's bridal sedan chair.
By the time she and Tian Xiang received the news and came down the mountain, Tian Tian had already been sent back by the Cheng family.
The mother and daughter had just breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that Tian Tian had drowned herself in the river.
When they arrived at the riverbank, they only saw a section of Tian Tian's dress floating on the surface of the river.
Neither Lu Tao nor Tian Xiang could swim, but they rushed down the river regardless.
Just then, Liu San Niang grabbed them, jumped down, and brought Tian Tian back up.
Lu Tao will never forget that Tian Tian was lifeless, her neck gripped by Liu San Niang, like a rag bobbing in the water.
Now...
The Cheng family has come again.
They also brought some kind of marriage certificate.
She hugged Tian Tian tightly, afraid that Tian Tian would be taken away by the Cheng family again, and then... just like before...
Tian Xiang also came over and hugged Tian Tian.
Tian Jinghe hugged Tian Tian's leg...
The family hugged each other like that.
Daya also witnessed Tian Tian's suicide attempt that day. Holding back her tears, she hugged Liu Sanniang's waist and cried, "Mother."
"It's alright..." Liu San Niang wiped away her tears. "It's alright, don't cry."
Things are different now.
They are not the same as before!
What happened before will not happen again.
Qin Qingyun quickly brought the yamen runners.
Regardless of the circumstances, the constables immediately detained the Cheng family members.
But the Cheng family kept shouting the reason for the incident, so the yamen runners had no choice but to come to Tian Tian.
"Second Miss, you..."
"I'll go with you," Tian Tian said voluntarily.
She broke free from Lu Tao and Tian Xiang's embrace, "Mother, eldest sister, I can do it myself..."
"No way!" Lu Tao refused without even thinking. "We're going with you."
She didn't miss what the people had said earlier.
Last time, the Tian family had already reported it to the authorities.
Tian Tian had been keeping this from her all along!
This time, we absolutely cannot let Tian Tian face the Cheng family alone.
They are a family and should face this together.
“Sweetie, we’re family, let’s go together.” Tian Xiang agreed with Lu Tao’s idea and took Tian Jinghe’s hand. “Jinghe, let’s go too.”
Tian Jinghe nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I want to go too."
“The whole family will go together.” Liu San Niang took Daya’s hand and linked arms with Lu Tao. “Our whole family will go, no one will be missing.”
Tian Tian was moved, "Okay, let's go together then."
*
Li Huaiyuan looked at the people standing below the hall...
"field..."
"My lord!" Before Li Huaiyuan could even speak, the Cheng family members knelt down and cried out excitedly.
“Sir, our Cheng family and the Tian family have a marriage contract. We have come to set a date with the Tian family, but the Tian family has reported us to the authorities and arrested us. This is unreasonable.”
"Yes, we have a marriage certificate."
"Look, sir."
Li Huaiyuan accepted the marriage certificate handed to him by the clerk...
"Who are the Cheng eldest son and the Tian second daughter mentioned on the marriage certificate?"
The Cheng family member replied, "It refers to the men of my Cheng family, and Tian Tian, the second oldest in the Tian family."
A man from the Cheng family?
Li Huaiyuan frowned subconsciously. "A man from the Cheng family? Which man is it?"
"It's the second son, Cheng Shi."
Lu Tao immediately retorted, "No, the villagers clearly said it was your eldest son, Cheng Yin."
She looked around the crowd and found the two people who had brought Tian Tian back.
"It was you! When you brought Tian Tian back, you clearly said that Tian Tian had brought Cheng Yin to his death..."
The two men shook their heads repeatedly, "You misheard. We were talking about Cheng Yin's accident; it's inappropriate to hold a wedding for Cheng Shi then..."
"We can only send it back temporarily and then reschedule."
"Isn't this why we're here to set a new date?"
Lu Tao shook her head repeatedly, "No, that's not it, that's not it."
Liu San Niang followed anxiously, "Sir, that's not how it is. I can testify that it was indeed said that Tian Tian was to be sent to Cheng Yin to bring him good luck, but Cheng Yin died, and Tian Tian was sent back."
"The Cheng family also said she was a jinx to her husbands. If she had married Cheng Shi, it would have been Cheng Yin who died. So where does this jinx come from?"
“We never said she was a jinx to husbands, you must have misheard us,” the Cheng family denied.
When Li Huaiyuan saw the names of Tian Zhongqing and Tian Zhicheng on the marriage certificate, he immediately ordered, "Someone, go to Qingliu Village and bring Tian Zhongqing and Tian Zhicheng here."
Li Huaiyuan did not leave the court and remained seated there.
The Cheng family members knelt on the ground...
Lu Tao and Liu San Niang's family stood there...
The Cheng family looked up at the Lu family; they had been kneeling for almost half an hour, and their knees were numb.
But the Lu family stood there easily...
"Sir, we..." Cheng Dali tried to stand up.
Upon seeing this, the constable standing nearby shouted, "How dare you! The magistrate didn't tell you to get up, what are you doing?"
Cheng Dali was so frightened that he knelt back down with a thud.
The result is...
Before the interrogation even began, the entire Cheng family had already collapsed to the ground.
When Tian Zhongqing and Tian Zhicheng arrived in the hall, the Cheng family looked at them with a mournful expression.
"This humble citizen, Tian Zhongqing, pays his respects to Your Excellency, the County Magistrate."
Li Huaiyuan looked up and glanced at him.
When Tian Zhongqing saw Li Huaiyuan's eyes, his legs trembled involuntarily. He had been given ten lashes last time, and his buttocks were still sore.
Li Huaiyuan handed the marriage certificate to the clerk, "Did you sign this marriage certificate?"
Tian Zhongqing and Tian Zhicheng took it and looked at it seriously. "Reporting to you, sir, this marriage certificate was signed by us."
"But didn't we say last time that we spent five taels of silver to sell Miss Tian to the Cheng family?" Li Huaiyuan asked.
Tian Zhongqing and Tian Zhicheng both defended themselves, saying, "Sir, that's a misunderstanding."
“We did receive five taels of silver from the Cheng family, but that was a betrothal gift.”
"Impossible!" Lu Tao stamped her foot angrily. "If that was a betrothal gift, why did the Cheng family want it back?"
Tian Zhongqing looked up. "Madam Lu, what are you saying?"
"When did we return the five taels of betrothal gifts to the Cheng family?"